• The first-generation Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro EVs are known for their failing drive units.
• Now, a German company is offering a cheaper alternative to the replacements offered by dealers.
• The same company makes plug-and-play replacements for the first-generation Tesla Model S.

Electric cars are a lot simpler than combustion vehicles, but even simple things can break. And when they do, the bills can be quite high, especially if we’re talking about affordable cars

These first-generation Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro crossovers were some of the most affordable EVs in the United States when they were new, and you could get a good used one for roughly $15,000. They can’t touch today’s EVs in terms of speed, range, or charging performance, but back in the day, they were some of the best out there.

But both suffer from the same problem. One of the reduction gearbox bearings on the front drive unit is known to fail, leading to what enthusiasts and owners have dubbed the “wheel of fortune” ticking. Replacing the transmission at the dealer can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000, which is a third of the car’s entire value.

Now, though, a German company claims it can help owners save up to 30% while also getting replacement parts that are as good as new.

SEG Automotive, known for making starters and alternators, is now also remanufacturing drive units for electric cars. The company started with the Large Drive Unit (LDU) fitted to the first-generation Tesla Model S, and then added the Renault Zoe to its portfolio. From the end of this year, SEG will also offer remanufactured drive units for the Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Niro EV under its Redrive brand.

Photo by: SEG Automotive

The German company said it’s refurbishing everything, including the electric motor, transmission, and inverter. New bearings and seals are installed, and known vulnerabilities are addressed. In the case of the Tesla LDU, which is known to leak coolant, SEG installs a coolant delete to keep old drive units on the road for longer.

For the first-gen Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona EV, the Redrive units will be available for both the 134- and 201-horsepower versions. To get a remanufactured SEG drive unit, owners should get in touch with an authorized repair shop, which can send the faulty unit to SEG to get it refurbished.

The newly introduced Kia Niro and Hyundai Kona remanufactured drive units will be unveiled next month at the Automechanika show in Frankfurt, which runs from 8 to 12 September.

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Harbor Freight is the default choice for budget DIYers across the United States. That doesn’t mean projects involving Harbor Freight products can’t get pricey, of course. I’m not just talking about bathroom remodels, as this insane Predator 670 build from Red Beard’s Garage proves. He started with a $950 V-twin engine and went on to dump more money into it than some people spend on their LS V8 builds.

To be clear, this is far from run-of-the-mill. It has to be the most extreme Harbor Freight engine project I’ve seen, which is why I wrote about it last week. The feller behind Red Beard’s Garage installed parts on this thing that I’d never imagine buying for a go-kart. The full list includes…

• Holley Sniper EFI system ($1,400 including proprietary USB cable)
• Upgraded camshaft ($530)
• Garrett GT1241 knockoff turbo ($400) and oiling accessories ($140)
• Billet pistons ($460) and connecting rods ($290)
• Alternator kit ($400)
• Billet flywheel ($380)
• Electronic ignition ($340)
• Head work, like porting, milling, and O-rings ($300)
• Billet valve covers and rockers ($270)
• Fuel cell ($200)
• AN lines ($200)
• Intercooler core ($160)
• Exhaust manifold ($140)
• Intake adapter ($130)
• Springs and retainers ($125)
• Intercooler pipe kit ($110)
• Intercooling pipe couplers ($80) plus odds and ends ($40)
• Boost reference fuel regulator ($75)
• Fuel pump ($70)
• Chromoly pushrods ($65)

Including the price of the Predator 670, that adds up to $7,225. What!? And it gets even more expensive once you throw in taxes and shipping, with that total reaching $8,725.

The host already has a supercharged Predator-powered go-kart in his garage. He plans to compare this build’s performance to the other boosted one after it’s installed. Per his last video, he’ll be running lower boost levels on the turbo engine—12 psi compared to 14 psi on the supercharged example. Power numbers are still anyone’s guess as he hasn’t strapped it to a dyno just yet.

How Much Did The Turbo 670cc Cost?!?!

He acknowledges at the end of this video that he could have built a more powerful ATV engine for less money. Heck, he could have bought an entire vehicle with more power for that amount. But he wanted to see what was possible with the Predator platform, which is easy to mount, cheap to maintain, and easily serviceable.

I’m glad someone was willing to do it, because I’m sure as heck not gonna.

Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com

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Being a premium manufacturer, you can expect owning a new GLA-Class SUV or other vehicle from Mercedes-Benz to command premium prices. While we always like to talk about how much it costs to buy one, the truth is that once you have overcome that hurdle, the cost of keeping a Benz on the road will immediately become apparent, especially when it comes to servicing. Take your Merc to an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, and you will experience top-notch customer service and a wealth of knowledge about how your car should be kept in tip-top condition. If you do decide to go ahead and get your car serviced, however, you will be asked if you require Service A or Service B.

If you are unfamiliar with how Mercedes’ service structure works, don’t worry, as we are going to be unpacking all the differences between these two services, when you should have them done, the Mercedes A Service VS B Service cost, and also how important, if at all, it is to stick to this structure.

Mercedes-Benz Services Explained

Mercedes A Service — What Is It, When It Happens, What It Includes

Mercedes-Benz

With A being the first letter of the alphabet, this explains why the first service, which is on the Mercedes-Benz service plan, is named after it. Being the earliest and the least comprehensive of the two services, it is the first one that your car will receive after purchasing. It consists more of checks of things like tire inflation and the brake components, and replacement of the synthetic motor oil and the oil filter. Mercedes-Benz requires that the A service be carried out after covering 10,000 miles or one year of ownership, whichever comes first. After the first time, the Service A is to be done every two years subsequently.

Mercedes B Service — What Is It, When It Happens, What It Includes

Mercedes-Benz

Service B is the more comprehensive of the two Mercedes-Benz Services, and it involves everything that is done for Service A, plus more intensive things that aren’t. These include brake fluid replacement, cabin air filter replacement, and, in select models, air filter replacement. Diesel models also receive AdBlue fluid replacement and fuel filter replacement, and AMG or V12 models get even more still. Mercedes requires that this service be done after either two years of ownership or 20,000 miles covered. Being the service that takes longer and is more labor-intensive, Service B is the more expensive one.

What’s The Difference In Cost Between A Service And B Service?

Mercedes-Benz

When your Mercedes-Benz needs either Service A or Service B, the ASSYST (Active Service System), which keeps track of both mileage and time, will let you know that your car is due for a service and which of the two services it requires. Now that you know what both Service A and Service B entail, you are probably wondering exactly how much time you should allow for each of them and, most importantly, the Mercedes A Service vs B Service cost.

Mercedes-Benz

According to what official Mercedes dealers have said, they seem confident that the A service can be completed in about an hour. All those fluid replacements and checks of the tires and brakes are essential to keep your car ticking over, but all of it being less labor-intensive and time-consuming means that the average cost is $210 to $315. Service B, on the other hand, includes all of the base-level things that are done as part of Service A and some more comprehensive things on top of these. Depending on how much needs to be done, Service B could take up to two hours, and typically costs at least $600.

No local dealer will want to provide a flat rate for how much an A Service or a B Service is likely to cost, because the truth is that the work that is required to be done will vary greatly depending on what model you buy. Mercedes produces an awfully diverse range of models, and so what needs to be done on a C-Class won’t be the same as what needs to be done on a G-Wagen. How many miles you have done and whether they were careful miles or ragged miles is also likely to affect the service cost. However, it will always cost more to service a Mercedes-Benz, than a Honda, for example, because of the high-end quality of the cars and of the replacement parts, as well as how specialist the technicians are who carry it out.

The Importance Of Keeping To Your Mercedes Service Schedule

Bring A Trailer

With the number of times you will end up having to take your Mercedes-Benz to a dealership to be serviced, the amount of time it takes to carry out the service, and most of all, the amount of money it costs to get it done there as opposed to doing it independently, you are probably wondering if sticking to this service regime is truly worth it. With both Service A and Service B being required every two years after the first one, you will end up taking your car to be serviced every year. Is it worth spending all that time and money when you could easily get your Merc serviced at an independent garage, or in some cases even carry out a service yourself? The latter would save a lot of money, and the former could potentially save both time and money.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that the reason for having the two-step service schedule is so that the more superficial parts of the car can receive the attention first, and then the more comprehensive work can be done after that has been attended to. A Mercedes is a precision machine, and so precision with how and when it is serviced should not be neglected. Being able to have OEM replacement parts rather than aftermarket ones and to have the work carried out by mechanics and technicians who have received extensive training to understand the cars not only explains why the cost is higher but also makes it worth it. Getting your Mercedes serviced at a dealership and sticking to the service plan will help stop a small issue from becoming a bigger one later down the line, and a car that has been well looked after will always have better resale value than one that hasn’t.

Mercedes-Benz’ Overall Brand Reliability

Mercedes-Benz USA

It’s no secret that most Mercedes-Benz models, or German luxury cars in general, cost a lot to maintain over their lifetimes. However, not all German luxury brands are the same. Mercedes-Benz’ reliability varies from model to model, but the brand as a whole isn’t horrible, right? Well, Consumer Reports ranks the automaker’s reliability in 19th place out of 26 manufacturers with a predicted reliability score of 41 out of 100. That’s obviously not great, but it beats brands like Lincoln, Genesis, and more.

Another source for reliability rankings is RepairPal, which gives MB a 3 out of 5, ranking it 27th out of 32 for all car brands. RepairPal also notes that the average annual repair cost for a model from the brand is $908. Finally, we can see how J.D. Power ranks it in a similar position in its most recent Vehicle Dependability Study. This study found that Mercedes-Benz models suffer from 235 problems per 100 vehicles — for reference, the best brand is Lexus with 151 PP100, and the worst is Volkswagen at 301 PP100.

Summary: Are You Destined To Shell Out A Lot Of Money?

Mercedes-Benz

The short answer is: yes. Mercedes-Benz has never been an everyman’s automaker and never will be, so after going to a dealership and paying handsomely for the privilege of owning one, you will also have to put your hand in your pocket if you go back to the dealership to service it. The latter is also true should you choose to buy a used Mercedes, so even if you can find an older model that has depreciated enough to make it more accessible, you will still be paying the same sorts of prices that those who have bought a new Benz will be paying.

In many cases, you will probably be paying more to service an older Mercedes, given that the older a car is, the more it needs doing to it to keep it on the road.

All of this stuff is important to bear in mind when shopping for a used Mercedes and the better reliability record a particular model has and the more regular services it has had, the fewer headaches you will have. Ultimately, whether you are buying a new or used Mercedes-Benz, owning it will cost you in the long run, so it is important to check whether you can afford to keep up with the service plan, and, if you can’t, be prepared to fork out for some major fixes later in the car’s life.

Sources: Mercedes-Benz, Consumer Reports, RepairPal, J.D. Power

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