Corrosion Claim Advice

[crazyjock]

Hi folks,

I'm the proud owner of a 1999 E240 Elegance, my 1st Mercedes. Which I have owned for a year now, but its begining to rust around the wheel arches (front & rear) as well as the front wings quite badly.

I have been in contact with a mercedes dealership as the car has an 8 year corrosion warranty.

The Mercedes dealership seems to be dragging their feet and say they have not processed the claim which was over three months ago now due to a back log, however I get the distinct impression that I'm being fobbed off.

Could someone give me some advice on what to do or give me some information on any similar corrosion claims thya have had.

Many thanks in advance

 

[Blobcat]

Hi & Welcome,

With this it is useful to have a realationship with the dealer. If you have one then I would go back to them and say that this is unacceptable. Be firm but fair and keep on at them until you get some resolution

 

[jberks]

I had a similar issue. No news for months, then when pushed, they couldn't find the paperwork and had to start again, only this time ,it was approved in a week. So I guess they can fast track when they want to.

Worth a call to MB customer services too. It can just hurry them up a bit.

 

[JPCLK]

Bit of a story, I was having a nightmare with my CLK 230 K my00, I had only had it a month and could see bubbles appearing on the rear arches, I took this to the MB dealer and they checked it for previous repairs checked all the car for accident damage etc. then another bodyshop guy came out and said you will not believe what i am doing now, He got out some kind of gadget and measured the thickness of the paint all around the car. After this they processed my claim (not until they had also checked the service history). I dropped the car off at the MB bodyshop on Monday morning and they delivered it back to my place of work late Thursday afternoon, I was unable to view the car when they brought it back because i was in a meeting.
I looked very carfully at the car on friday morning because it was dark when i got home on the Thursday. I must say I was very dissapointed with the work which had been done there were alot of marks in the paint and where it had been buffed in the bodyshop you could see where they had buffed a bit too much and gone through the paint, to be honest I though it looked a right Bollo*ks. I contacted MB again and complained they told me to bring it back and they would take a look. I did this the following day and they were trying to say it was the paint from before which had faded, I was not having this because it looked fine before, I spoke to the guy who painted the car and he said if you book it in again we can take a look. Whilst looking at the car at MB I noticed some rust on the F/O/S wing so that was to be replaced too. So the car was booked in again and the work carried out. MB offered to deliver my car back to my house as I had been messed about, so I thought great ! MB said they will drop it off on friday morning, friday morning came and went dinner time came and went by this time I was getting a little concerned because I had an appointment at 4:40pm. i contacted MB and they said the car had been delivered at 09.15 am and the driver had pushed the keys through the letter box (which I agreed to because i needed the car). I said to the guy at MB the car is NOT on my drive and I don't have any keys. He said he will contact the driver who delivered the car and find out where it is. By this time I was furious to say the least, 5 minutes went past and the phone rang it was the Bodyshop manager at MB he said he was very sorry and sent the driver out who delivered my car back to where he had left the car, then there was a knock on the door a local builder who I know was stood there I thought what does he want, I opened the door and he said I think these are yours, he tossed me the car keys. I said where's the car, He said its down at that house next door to where we are building that new one. I though what have they left my car on a building site for. I went down straight away to find my car and there it was, I thought thank god, when I got a bit closer I could see it was blocked in by a Peugeot 306 (whatever next came to mind) I knocked on the house door and a guy came to the door. I felt such a Tw*T asking him to move his car off is drive so i could get mine off, He said no problem he knew the car was mine and thats why he gave the keys to the builder because he knew where i lived. I drove the car home and put it on the drive. As i unlocked the house door an A class pulled up outside my house, a guy got out and asked me my name which I said yeh thats me, He said I'm very sorry but i am the guy from MB who has delivered you car to the wrong house, by this time I had calmed down and said it's ok it's been found. He said he was very sorry agian and then left. After he left I thought right I will have a fag and chill for five ! Whislt smoking my fag I went for a look at the work that MB had done to my car the second time around. To my amazment I couldn't adam and eve it, it was a right mess it looked as if stevie wonder had fitted the wing and the paint from before had not been touched. I got straight onto the phone again to MB and spoke to the Bodyshop manager I told him I was disscusted with the work. Again they collected the car by transporter this time and carried out the work they were supposed to do the time before. MB kept the Car for 10 days this time. When I got it back it was like a different car everything and more had been done, I was very impressed to say the least. I would have been even more upset if I had to pay for the work because I asked for the bills that were being sent to MB and the work carried out came toi more that £2600.00. But all good things come to an end, this work was done in May this year and is still ok, apart from some trim this morning departing company nearly from the rest of the car !! I now need some clips for the trim that fits around the windscreen. sorry for going on a bit but I was not impressed with MB at all !!!

 

[jberks]

Common story. Unfortunatly, the work is only as good as the bloke doing it, no matter what it says on his overalls. Plus, many dealers don't have their own bodyshop. I was fortunate, my local dealer uses an independant bodyshop that is very well regarded. All the corrosion work they did over the years was 100%.

Delivery screwups can happen - just look at your local postman!

 

[maldon]

I've the tiniest bit of corrosion around the release mechanism on the tailgate of the ML.

While the Stealers had the car for a B service all Thur/Fri/Sat of this week, they could not 'do anything' without sighting the V5.

They sold me the car about six months ago - the have all the docs and service history.

Is this a cock and bull story?

 

[carabind]

Why do they need the V5? They'll have more data on their system than they'll ever see/need on the V5 !!

 

[Blobcat]

It has been posted previously that MB have refused warranty claims to new owners. MB's argument was that they had bought the car cheaply as it was rusty. A very thin argument IMO. If the car fits the warranty conditions it should not matter when you bought it, or how much you paid for it.

 

[television]

It has been posted previously that MB have refused warranty claims to new owners. MB's argument was that they had bought the car cheaply as it was rusty. A very thin argument IMO. If the car fits the warranty conditions it should not matter when you bought it, or how much you paid for it.

Or even if you got an SL,left to you in a will, it makes no difference.

Malcolm

 

[Blobcat]

I'd missed that possibility :-(