Mercedes-Benz Dealership Tells Woman She Needs A $12,600 Repair. Then She Catches A Worker In A Lie: 'Broke Down In Tears'

A Mercedes-Benz driver is calling out her dealership after claiming they attempted to charge her over $12,000 for a repair she did not need.

In a video with over 159,000 views, TikTok user Kayla Caputo (@kay_caputo) says she went into Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan back in February with a minor issue. She says it may have been a nail in her tire, but she can’t remember what the specific issue was.

“While I was there, I asked them to just take a look at my brakes because they were a little bit squeaky,” she recalls. “I bought my car brand new in May 2024, right? So at this point, February 2026, my car was not even two years old. And I thought, you know, bringing my car to Mercedes Manhattan, they're gonna take care of me.”

Even though she had the “package” that allowed her to have certain repairs covered, she says things were immediately amiss.

What Happened At The Mercedes Dealership?

After changing her tire, the staff informed Caputo that they had taken a look at her brakes. Unfortunately for Caputo, the staff allegedly claimed that her brakes were “completely worn down” and that she needed a “full new set.” This job would reportedly cost $12,600.

“I just about had a mental breakdown,” Caputo recalls.

Then, however, Caputo says her “smarts kicked in.”

“I was like, ‘Kayla, there's no way that your not even two-year-old car needs a full brake job,’” she says.

Instead of going through with the repair, she left with the Mercedes. She then took it to her boyfriend’s father, who looked over the brakes and found them adequate.

Not only that, but Caputo claims she had tire coverage via Zurich. When she brought that up to the staff and told them that they needed to submit a claim on her behalf, she says she was told “we don't do that here.”

“And so, they got 800-and-something dollars out of me for my tire that I'm now going back and forth with Zurich on,” she states.

Second Dealership Provides A Stark Contrast

She claims that she recently visited another dealership: Mercedes-Benz of Paramus, New Jersey. The difference between the services she received, she says, was night and day.

To start, while they originally quoted her several hundred dollars, she was later told that she did not need to pay as she had “the package.” Caputo assumed that she still had to pay labor costs — but when she checked out, she was told that her cost was zero dollars.

“They sent me a video after they were done with the service,” she says. She then shows a report that the dealership did based on a multi-point inspection. “This report on my car came back with zero issues. Zero out of, like, 30-something things that they checked specifically.”

“I broke down in tears to this man,” Caputo says of the Mercedes-Benz of Paramus employee. “I said, ‘I just need to tell you that I went to Mercedes Manhattan. In February, they told me I needed to pay $12,000 to get this work done to get all new brakes on my car that wasn't even two years old. And you guys today just sent me this video telling me that nothing is wrong with my brakes and they look perfect, pristine. I just want you to know how much that means to me.’”

Caputo speculates that the other dealership may have been a place that tries to “just take advantage of you if they think you're, like, a stupid girl that knows nothing about cars.”

How To Prepare Yourself For A Visit To A Dealership

Caputo believes that the first dealership may have been trying to take advantage of her under the impression that she was ignorant about cars.

This is a common complaint amongst women drivers. In fact, one 2013 study found that women who appeared uninformed about the work that needed to be done on their car were quoted a higher price than men in the same position. Women have also reported offensive and discriminatory behavior at both car dealerships and auto repair shops.

If you’re a woman searching for a dealership or auto shop that you can trust, there are a few steps that you can take.

First, familiarize yourself with the basics of what certain parts of owning a car should cost. While more complex repairs may require complicated fixes, the cost of standard repairs, such as oil changes, can be easily compared from dealership to dealership.

From there, any claims made should come with evidence. If a repair shop says that your brakes are completely worn through, they should be able to provide evidence that this is the case. For example, they can offer pad thickness in millimeters, rotor measurements, photos and videos, warning-light data, and more. If they are hesitant to give this to you, it could be a sign that something is amiss.

Finally, you can always be ready to get a second opinion. If a dealership or auto repair shop puts you in an uncomfortable position, you are free to take your car elsewhere to hear another expert’s advice. This is especially helpful if you have not yet found a dealership or repair shop you trust.

“Fill Out The Survey On The Manhattan Location”

Other drivers in the comments section of Caputo’s video shared their displeasure at her alleged treatment.

“800 to patch a tire???!!!??!!! I had a nail in my AMG and I got it patched for 40 bucks at a tire shop,” noted a user.

“Make sure you fill out the survey on the Manhattan location. Mercedes takes those VERY seriously. If you give them a bad rating on the survey they are required to reach out to you personally,” advised another.

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“Babe I had a similar terrible experience at MB Manhattan! I went in bc I had a bent rim and the car was shaking when driving (gotta love Manhattan potholes!). They had the car for 3 days, never followed up, so I called and they said the car was all good no bent rims. I didn’t even argue,” claimed a third. “Went to my home dealer which is Paramus. They found 4 bent rims! They said more than likely no one looked at it at Manhattan. $200k S-class btw. I called MB customer service. The dealership was reprimanded.”

Motor1 contacted Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan via phone three times; on two occasions, an employee redirected the call to an extension that no one answered. The third call went unanswered. We also contacted the dealership via online contact form. Caputo didn’t respond to inquiries sent via email and Instagram direct message. We’ll be sure to update this article if either party replies.

 

 

 

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