What is a Vehicle Health Check?

Almost every vehicle that enters our South West workshops receives a complimentary Vehicle Health Check, also known as a VHC. This process involves our highly trained technicians inspecting important components of your vehicle, including the brakes and tyres, to check that everything is in good working order.  

What appointments are eligible for a complimentary VHC?

If your vehicle is booked into one of our South West workshops for a Service (A or B), MOT or to carry out additional work, we will complete a complimentary VHC. The only appointments that may not be eligible, is a diagnostic appointment.

What is included in a VHC?

The purpose of a VHC is to ensure that your vehicle is in healthy working order. Once your designated technician has completed the visual inspection, you will receive a detailed video walkaround of your vehicle, providing you with a measurement of your tyre tread and brakes, as well as an inspection of the under-carriage. This is designed to provide an indication of how soon you may need to replace certain components and/or to highlight any areas of concern. They may also advise if any other components need replacing, such as your windscreen wipers.

 Will a VHC cost me anything?

Once you have received this information, your Service Team Manager from our Service teams in Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth or Truro will be in touch to ask if you would like to carry out the recommend work, where they can provide you with an estimate of Parts and Labour. They can also provide you with a price for a Wheel Alignment, if the technician has recommended this to resolve any tracking issues.  

The Benefits of a VHC

The key to your vehicle inspection is to highlight any key areas for concern, ensuring the safety of your vehicle – after all, the tyres are the only thing between you and the road - and to help you plan for any required future maintenance.

Does a VHC replace an MOT?

Whilst both a VHC and MOT are a thorough inspection of your vehicle’s components, an MOT is a mandatory and legally required test, designed to inspect a vehicle's road worthiness according to the requirements set in place by the Ministry of Transport). MOTs are also only completed annually, following a vehicles 3^rd birthday (excluding taxis and other vehicles for hire, who require more frequent MOTS), whereas a VHC can be completed frequently, are complimentary and not mandatory.

How can I pay for any additional work required?

As wear and tear items, such as tyre and brakes, are not covered by a Mercedes-Benz South West Service Plan or a Mercedes-Benz UK ServiceCare plan, we can help you spread the cost of any additional work using Bumper ®, an interest-free repayment system. Naturally, our Service Team Managers can also process payments on Debit and Credit cards.

Do you need to book in for your next Service appointment? Our Customer Service Team can make bookings in our workshops in Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth and Truro.