CLA Warranty Exhaust Repair Hell

[cheesyboofs]

Hi Chaps,

I'm after some advice for those more experienced with Mercedez than me.

My automatic CLA still under warranty, would randomly not change gear after just over an hours worth of driving. Basically if you pull out at a junction or roundabout it would rev to 3000rpm in 1st then (eventually) lurch into 2nd, rev to 3000rpm and then lurch into 3rd, you get the picture. This was worse when you jumped out into the 3rd lane on the motorway, put your foot down with a BMW bearing down on you only for it to sit there in 4th at 3000rpm waiting for it to change up.

Whats worse is when this fault happens, the paddles and sport select switch cease to function so you cant even put it in manual mode. You have to pull over on the motorway and turn the car off. This only lasts a few miles then the fault comes back.

• 10th/04/2018 - Booked car in for service and recall on steering column, earthing issue, reported gear change issue after approximately 1hr of driving.
• 20th/04/2018 – Car delivered to Hughes for recall, service & now engine management light on due to reported fault with gear change. On car collection told car on ramp too long doing service & recall to look at engine management light or reported fault. “we only have 20 ramps and 70+ cars to look at” On enquiry as to what the engine management light related too was told couldn’t check as this would reset condition. Would have to book car in again to have reported fault and engine management light investigated. Car re-booked in on collection for 03rd/05/2018.
• 03rd/05/2018 – Car delivered to Hughes again to have engine management & erratic gear change issue investigated. Told that fault code related to fault in the exhaust system, a ‘flap’, ‘parts on order’. We retake ownership of car with engine management light extinguished.
• 21st/05/2018 – Car recovered to Hughes, no longer safe to drive, gear change issue unpredictable at roundabouts and engine management light on again, MOT now expired.
• 23rd/05/2018 – Requested hire car from Mercedes Benz, car delivered, E-Class AWD Estate.
• 06th/06/2018 – Chased ETA on parts with both Hughes & Mercedes Benz customer service requesting escalation. No update.
• 15th/06/2018 – Hire car sent back to Mercedes Benz c/o Europcar, too expensive to run. Still no ETA on parts or repair.
• 23rd/07/2018 - Parts still on order due to "supply chain issue" with no ETA

Is this normal?
Should I have to wait for over three months for an in warranty repair on an Exhaust on a CLA?
Does this fault sound like a 'flap' in the exhaust?
Is there a known supply chain issue with CLA exhausts?

Your thoughts appreciated, I don't know when I will ever get my car back and it's now not even funny!

 

[Craiglxviii]

Very sorry to hear that. That is terrible customer service and just reinforces my decision to never, ever buy a new MB. I doubt very much that there is a supply issue with the exhausts for that model, things like that just don't really happen with vehicles in production (spares and production parts are made and shipped together).

It all depends on how nasty you're prepared to get with MB, and how receptive the Dealer Principal is to bad publicity........

 

[Westheath]

Get on the phone...............constantly................... they are taking the p**s.

 

[cheesyboofs]

They don't return my calls.
My car is currently sitting in their carpark with an expired MOT, an engine management light on and a faulty exhaust flap. They cant MOT it until the fault is rectified. This is all under warranty.

The last time I got told, "we only chase parts on Mondays, and its not Monday!"

Its Monday today so I chased the services Manager via email. Nothing, not even an out of office.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Send a sh1ttogram to the Dealer Principal, copying in MB Head Office in Milton Keynes. Require him to reply by return of email with a clear timing plan to fix your car or offer a replacement vehicle by way of compensation.

This really depends on how obnoxious you're willing to be...........

Turn up to the dealership on Saturday morning, say 1100 when it's getting busy (you may need to do some reconnaissance first to determine busiest time/ day). Stand fairly close to a prospective customer and ask loudly when they're going to fix the car they can't be bothered to respond to your emails about. LOUDLY. When they try to move you to a coffee table, refuse and demand the dealer principal come out to see you where you are. Cost them a sale or threaten to and they'll bend over backwards to sort you out........

Which area are you in by the way?

 

[bembo449]

Wow ! You really are being given the run around , id get trading standards involved , they are clearly not taking you or your problem seriously

 

[cheesyboofs]

Well we emailed MB europe, it was them that told us there was a supply chain issue. They then had the cheek to follow up with "can we close the ticket now".

I could do with some more MB email addresses if any one knows any.

Beaconsfield, High Wycombe.

 

[Botus]

social media

write about it in blunt language and get it all over the internet as loud and often as you can, stating that Merc and Hughes are incompetent


to allow an owner to drive a car with a faulty gearbox and the engine light on is ridiculous and DANGEROUS you have probably caused wear and damage.

is it a nine speed one? one of the car mags had one self destruct inside 2k miles.... I wouldn't be surprised if they are fitting them every day on the QT

 

[fabes]

Under warranty?

Do you have a courtesy car?

Letter to dealer principle, emailed and posted recorded delivery explaining all the above, stating a timescale to have it fixed, require a car if you don't have it and ask that they consider compensation / goodwill gesture (free service etc)

And then think about instructing .....

 

[cheesyboofs]

I did have a courtesy car, a brand new E-Class 3ltr AWD estate, but my fleet manager insisted we give it back after a month because if I kept it any longer he would have to declare it to the tax office, also it was costing £100 a week in fuel.

This was a mistake as we've now lost our bargaining chip. We should have had the CC downgraded or just left the E-Class in the carpark.

I have spoken to a completely different branch of MB who have told me my car has a Sports Exhaust with the silly burble flap without the solenoid to make it burble. There is a european shortage (a bottleneck in supply) on CLA sports exhausts.

However something to do with this flap tells the automatic box when to change gear, or not in my case.

Without any other CLA owners going through the same I have no way of knowing if this is true. I have no FB, twitter or other social media accounts to create any sort of public fuss and dont really want to join the masses in getting them.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Under warranty?

Do you have a courtesy car?

Letter to dealer principle, emailed and posted recorded delivery explaining all the above, stating a timescale to have it fixed, require a car if you don't have it and ask that they consider compensation / goodwill gesture (free service etc)

And then think about instructing .....

OP... ^^^ very much THIS.

 

[Frontstep]

You need the courtesy car and a request to change rather than return get another.
They may now have something more suitable.
Phone up MB on the number used for the courtesy car they will send another.

 

[Capra]

This is terrible, I would be tempted to pass this over to a solicitor, unless you have the appetite to keep fighting, not that you should. But also make a scene in the showroom.

 

[Blobcat]

Range Rover Owner taking a public stance over similar lack of resolution

 

[Gkinghorn]

Is this a company car? Why are the. Company not dealing with it or your fleet manager?

It’s over 3 years old? So it’s an extended warranty I imagine?

I think your best bet is to just get some time with the dealer principle and just talk to him.

I don’t see the point in shouting and doing all that stuff the Range Rover guy did UNTIL you e had that quiet reasonable chat with the DP ... often they won’t be aware and will be sympathetic to s9me extent.






Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[cheesyboofs]

I'm not sure what you mean by "dealer principle". Yes it is a company car. My fleet manager has tried escalation within Hughes to no avail, they said Mercedes Benz are shocking, arrogant, and never give an ETA.

So we contacted Mercedes Benz Europe direct and they say there is a supply chain issue a "part bottleneck" on that Exhaust. There was only 4 in the whole of europe and we / Hughes couldn't have one of them.

The car was under warranty when the fault was reported and investigated. We had it recovered to Hughes the day before the warranty ran out as it would then require its 1st MOT and you can't MOT a car with an engine management light on and a known fault with the automatic / exhaust system.

The only criticism of the Dealer I have is their shocking customer service. They wouldn't give me a courtesy car themselves because they said why should they lose a car for what could be months for an in warranty claim. They directed us back to Mercedes direct to get a hire car directly (the E-Class). You'd have thought as a premium brand they could have at least arranged that for us.

My criticism lies mainly with Mercedes Benz for their shocking arrogance and inability to take ownership of this issue and sort it out in a timely and professional manner. It is not the premium brand I was lead to believe. I initially thought it was the shitty local dealer but now I see it is a brand issue.

We are currently waiting for the financial director to come back from leave to see if he wants to start legal proceedings.

 

[EmilysDad]

I'm not sure what you mean by "dealer principle". .....

it's the dealer head honcho

 

[LostKiwi]

The dealer principal is the head man at the dealership. They're the ones responsible to MB for the behaviour of their staff in representing MB as a brand.

 

[flowrider]

It's a company car so leave the hassle to the company. Ask the Fleet Manager for a replacement car and forget the CLA.

 

[Capra]

Company car not your headache, the fleet company can easily apply pressure to get this resolved asap, dealers need the fleet business.