Bought A Lemon? CLK230

[worldclassmusician]

Got her on Thursday,

took her to MB this morning for a full health check and here's what's up with her;

Air Con Belt Worn & Perished
Alt Belt Worn & Perished
2 Front Ball Joints Knocking
OSF Track Rod End Enocking (Badly Siezed)
Diff Side Seals Leaking
Rear Flexi Hoses Perished
Exhaust Mid Section Bracked Snapped (welf requ'd)
Back Box Heatshield Insecure
NSF Undertray Missing
Headlamp Switch Faulty
Down Pipe & Bracked Support Required
Air Con Regas & Check For Leaks
Brake Light Switch Faulty

I bought the car from a second hand dealer and have one month/1000 mile warranty.

Going to take the car back to them tomorrow. Really, what should they cover here? It's a mechanical warranty.

I'm confused about the downpipe & bracket required part. I think I'd know if there was no downpipe on one of the cylinders!! They've put on a seperate sheet 'D/Pipe req as bracket missing'. From merc the downpipe costs 730

On the above list, what can be put off or ignored - if anything. Any any advice on how to approach the garage I bought the car from and what to realistically expect them to sort.

Quick responses much appreciated as it's going back to the garage tomorrow.

Cheers,

TG

 

[television]

Got her on Thursday,

took her to MB this morning for a full health check and here's what's up with her;

Air Con Belt Worn & Perished
Alt Belt Worn & Perished

These must be changed as they can break when driving
2 Front Ball Joints Knocking

Should be changed. MOT and safety items
OSF Track Rod End Enocking (Badly Siezed)

Must be changed MOT and safety
Diff Side Seals Leaking

I depends on how bad and if vent is clear
Rear Flexi Hoses Perished

Must be changed MOT and not safe
Exhaust Mid Section Bracked Snapped (welf requ'd
MOT failure

Back Box Heatshield Insecure
easy to fix
NSF Undertray Missing

Needs a new one
Headlamp Switch Faulty
Needs a new one
Down Pipe & Bracked Support Required
MOT possible
Air Con Regas & Check For Leaks
£50
Brake Light Switch Faulty
£10 plus fitting

I bought the car from a second hand dealer and have one month/1000 mile warranty.

Going to take the car back to them tomorrow. Really, what should they cover here? It's a mechanical warranty.

I'm confused about the downpipe & bracket required part. I think I'd know if there was no downpipe on one of the cylinders!! They've put on a seperate sheet 'D/Pipe req as bracket missing'. From merc the downpipe costs 730

On the above list, what can be put off or ignored - if anything. Any any advice on how to approach the garage I bought the car from and what to realistically expect them to sort.

Quick responses much appreciated as it's going back to the garage tomorrow.

Cheers,

TG

This is my view

 

[worldclassmusician]

Thanks for that Malcom,

i'm a bit p**sed off to be honest, but we'll see what the garage has to say tomorrow. If they don't fix then it'll just be going back to them!

It's a V plate & paid £4250 for it. Really great cosmetic condition, and so I was happy to pay a little over the odds. Love the merc, but i'm sure I'll get another which is in better mechanical condition for the same money.

They MOT'd it the day before I picked it up (last wed) and so really, they don't have a leg to stand on, because as you say, many of the faults are MOT failures!

The others, I'm happy to potter with myself. How easy/difficult is it to change the belts? I'm aware that in some cases, the engine has to be jacked up. Is this the case with the CLK or is it pretty straightforward?

Thanks for the input, much obliged. Hope my posts help others in their diagnoses!!!

Tony

 

[mattk]

The air con may not be just a re gas, i have been told its just a re gas many times and i have never been lucky, If its just a re gas why have they just not done it.

I would try and get my money back as why should you have to do any of the things listed, there are much better cars out there for your cash.

 

[worldclassmusician]

Hi there,

I'll see what they say tomworrow. I didn't buy the car from Merc, it was just a random garage.

I'll be looking for most of the problems sorted, especially since a fair few of them are MOT failures and they MOT'd the car a day or so before I bought the car.

I reckon that if the above problems get sorted, the car will be minted. What do you reckon? Cosmetically, it's in amazing condition. I'm thinking that the one month warranty they gave me really should cover almost all of the problems listed above.

 

[doversole]

Hi WCM,

Some of these so-called 'warranties' are not worth the paper they are written on.
You are about to find out, they may say it was 'sold as seen'. Also, if you haggled the price this seems to offend them when you go back.

Definitely suggest they do the 'MoT' work to your complete satisfaction.
You could 'potter' with the other bits but I would jump up and down on these too.

If they have any integrity they will comply with your requests, good luck.

DoverSole

 

[roofless]

i think to be fair the faults are what i would exspect on a car of that age

 

[doversole]

Fair comment Roofless, it just makes me wonder what the 'feck the warranty is for then?
If he'd bought through the classifieds, it'd have been a different ball game.

WCM might get lucky - then he can post a success story!

DoverSole

 

[worldclassmusician]

I'll be firm with them,

so long as I can get the MOT stuff fixed I'll be happy. I will push for everything though. The car was originally £4500 and I got £250 off and the wings/boot painted as they had some rust spots.

My argument is that the car passed an MOT where it shouldn't have. If they argue 'Sold As Seen' then a car which has just passed an MOT where I was told the only faults were "A headlight bulb & a tyre" should be able to pass an MOT a day and a half later - clearly, this is not the case.

Don't know if a final resort may be making noise about contacting the relevant motoring authorities regarding dodgy MOTs.

Clearly, they simply rubber stamped the MOT without any thought or any actual MOT at all.

Both barrells tomorrow!!! I'll let you all know how I get on. No fix - money back.

 

[Ellsy Tanners]

One point I will add is about the down pipe bracket, This is very common and if was me I wouldnt worry about it.

Just before the down pipe flange where it joins the cat section, there is a 13mm threaded stud as part of the pipe, which goes on to a bracket fixed by two bell housing bolts.

After a few years the stud corrodes and the bracket becomes useless but ive never seen and problems casused by this. Remove the bracket it nessesery but its not a issue, it can easily live with out it.

It looks some thing like 1 and 74 in the link

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...662716.663&CT=M&cat=68Z&SID=14&SGR=060&SGN=02

 

[roofless]

the warranty dont check the car first they fix it if you claim if your lucky

 

[simon_wall69]

If the car has passed the MOT when it should have failed then this is quite serious - there are due processes for exactly this situation.

 

[truthfindergeneral]

The question no one has asked is ' What did you pay for it ". ?

You get what you pay for and I some times think that people expect a brand new motor for scrap money.

 

[arrows180]

The question no one has asked is ' What did you pay for it ". ?

You get what you pay for and I some times think that people expect a brand new motor for scrap money.

He has stated what he paid for it.. TWICE..

 

[truthfindergeneral]

Sorry...don't know how I missed that. Under £5 grand. Can't see you getting much for that sort of money and a V plate, what's that, about 9 years old ?

 

[bigbobs CL]

Doesn`t matter how old it is or what he paid for it, dealers HAVE to give a 3 MONTH warrenty on all used vehicles. Probably uses a garage who does all his MOT`s and has a cuppa while it`s clocking it`s time on the MOT ramp. If the don`t sort all your problems tell them you are going to VOSA, this will make him think twice as his mate doing the MOT`s will be in it deep! Do it quick though, leave it too long and they have an argument on the MOT failure points.

Bob

 

[doversole]

There is much truth here - go for the jugular.

Hey, just realised it's happening later today!

Wonder how he gets on.

DoverSole

 

[truthfindergeneral]

I wish people didn't regard the MOT cert as some sort of golden icon. All it does it certify that the car was correct in accordance with the current regulations on the day it was presented for test.

 

[Stu_CDX]

I wish people didn't regard the MOT cert as some sort of golden icon. All it does it certify that the car was correct in accordance with the current regulations on the day it was presented for test.

Absolutely.

But if the car was MOT'd a few days before he bought it (It could well have been, so it was sold with 12 months ticket), I very much doubt it would deteriorate THIS much in a short period of time

That'd be my argument.

 

[roofless]

most things on the list are not a mot fail & mb might view the car as poss work so you might find the faults are poss a bit boarderline we dont know as we cant see it so best keep a open mind & see what happens next