MB Driver Experience - my last MB?

[jberks]

I was in India last Nov, Merc service is half price there... and I bet the Merc engineers are on about £20ph in this country - its a money making machine, gready people... Audi and others are no better...

They charge as much as they can get away with - just as we all do to be fair. You should see what my client charges my services on for! If I was employed by them they would still charge me on at the same rate but pay me 50% less for the privelidge - simple supply and demand. Then again, they may charge half in India but they are probably paying the mechanics 1/4 of what they get here, plus, factor in the overheads of business rates, building maintenance etc and they are probably making an even higher margin!

Anyway, the answer is simple - do as I do and reduce the demand. I've had my car for 9 months now, and it still has over 2 years of warranty remaining, but the last service 5 months ago was done at the indie and she's booked in next week for the next one. Ok - I lose Mobilio at the end of the year and possibly my 30yr corrosion warranty - (shouldn't be a concern on a 211 anyway), but I pay 50% of the dealer charges for the same service so will have saved over £500-£600 in only 9 months. So, stop whinging and do something about it!

On the quality front - there is a familiar theme developing here. Pre 04 build owners - somewhere between "it's ok but not entirely happy" and "p'd off". Post 04 owners - as a rule do seem to be much happier.
As a result of seeing this trend developing last year, despite some tempting offers on slightly older cars, when I changed last Christmas, I bought a late 04 model and, over the last 20,000 miles since November, I've had absolutely no cause to visit the dealer for anything.

 

[television]

I think that JB has summed the situation up well here, I feel the same way about handing over hard earned cash. In all fairness these workshops do cost money to run. During the part of my life when I was doing manufactures service, all of my test gear had to be callibrated, and that was expensive, or good storage scope with certificate cost almost double of one without. when something left me at had to be as it left the factory,and I think you find it is the same with MB workshops, if you add all of the safety restrictions , floor space,heating, holidays and test equipment, it does come to a tidy sum, ok not £108+ per hour. I am not sticking up for them, for I know that many cars come back with the same fault that they went in for,plus a few more, and in many cases its down to the person writing out the service booking form, if they are non technical, any thing can happen and it does, its the plague of all service centers, partly on the arrogance of the mechanic in thinking that this fault cant happen and sods law when the fault does not show up, Its ok for me to have a fault that waiting to show up, but at £108+ per hour its much better to find an indie who you can talk to and is happy to be doing something on something else while waiting for the fault to show up. A little research before you buy does tell you the problem years as JB says. There are alternatives, and the choice is yours.

Malcolm

 

[maddog]

I recently had a breakdown on my w210 E320 cdi, the usual maf sensor problems , called out Mobilo life , top service all sorted pretty effortlessly.

But, when he connected the diagnostic machine the amount of error codes and fault reports were astounding, some were related to faults 2 or 3 years ago, meaning that during the services at my local dealer they arent being cleared or presumably not even checked the (low voltage maf) fault may well have been on there before and could have been checked resulting in my not breaking down 300miles from home!!

Coupled with my last routine service bill of £900 (A service with new pads and brake fluid change) and the fact the car was damaged whislt in their possession means that i really hate taking my car to MB to be serviced but have to to keep the rust warranty as that is raising its ugly head.

I do like my Merc but its not aged well it looks far older than 5 years and only 47k, my 14yr old Nissan is in better nick.

Whilst the Merc is nice to drive the whole ownership experience isnt great. Overpriced, incompetant even rude dealers and a car which seems to be falling apart in front of me means that i wont ever buy a MB again.

 

[hawk20]

I recently had a breakdown on my w210 E320 cdi, the usual maf sensor problems , called out Mobilo life , top service all sorted pretty effortlessly.

But, when he connected the diagnostic machine the amount of error codes and fault reports were astounding, some were related to faults 2 or 3 years ago, meaning that during the services at my local dealer they arent being cleared or presumably not even checked the (low voltage maf) fault may well have been on there before and could have been checked resulting in my not breaking down 300miles from home!!

.

You are assuming that is true with no proof. I think Television (Malcolm) will know the answer but in the past I have been told -rightly or wrongly- that they can leave them there as a record which may be useful later on. Whether or not the MAF was amongst the faults or not we don't know. You say it may well have been there before but equally could one say 'it may well NOT have been there before?? Half full or half empty I guess.

 

[maddog]

You are assuming that is true with no proof. I think Television (Malcolm) will know the answer but in the past I have been told -rightly or wrongly- that they can leave them there as a record which may be useful later on. Whether or not the MAF was amongst the faults or not we don't know. You say it may well have been there before but equally could one say 'it may well NOT have been there before?? Half full or half empty I guess.

Perhaps but the MB engineer said it was standard and good practice to clear all the codes to establish which was a fault or not.

I did say the Maf fault MAY have been on as an error its true we shall never know.

When you get consistant poor service its not unreasonable to assume the worst

 

[hawk20]

Perhaps but the MB engineer said it was standard and good practice to clear all the codes to establish which was a fault or not.

I did say the Maf fault MAY have been on as an error its true we shall never know.

When you get consistant poor service its not unreasonable to assume the worst

Fair enough. Sounds like you've had a bad time. Bad luck.

 

[psmart]

Errrrm! I think you better scrub the post 04 is

better malarcky.... I went to collect my BMW this weekend, and I got offered an Audi TT, VW Phaeton, BMW 525D, Mercedes E-Class or a CLK 200Kompressor Cabriolet..... well.... you can guess what I went for, like all druggies, you just cant go cold turkey!!

In a nutshell, I would certainly not recommend anyone, ever, to buy a 200Kompressor in a CLK body. Gutless, wanting, pathetic and I got 19mpg on the autobahn (admittedly at 140mph), but on the back roads at 50mph, only achieved 26mph! And greens dare say bad things about 4x4s!!!!!

I loved the car, the concept, the chicks checking me out, but it had its faults, the most noticeable was the gearbox. I dont know wether it was a fault, the 200Kompressor engine, or a faulty gearbox, but gear changes were violent to say the least, and it was always hunting. You press the pedal, nothing would happen, then suddenly, something would wirr, a sudden thud, and then youd gradually gain pace.

Either Ive become used to great diesels and the effect the immense torque has on the box, or an 06 car was heading for the Merc dealership with yet another fault!

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Sounds like the gearbox on mine, the one Hawk20 says is probably faulty. I assume yours was teh 7 speed box though...

 

[SLinKyjoe]

just to mention, when my PAS failed, the mobiliolife recovery man, downloaded all the faults. printed them off, cleared the memory and checked it again. as it wasnt registering as a fault, they knew it was a system issue and not a mechanical failure. turns out it was incorrect software in one sensor.

and after a 300mile drive yesterday, the COMAND system packed up 800yrds from my house.

 

[Blobcat]

and after a 300mile drive yesterday, the COMAND system packed up 800yrds from my house.

I expect you know your way home from 800yds away .
I also did +300 miles yesterday and nothing went wrong at all . Started off with a full tank of fuel and ended on just less than 1/2.

 

[psmart]

I assume yours was teh 7 speed box though...

It was a mietwagen (hire car) and I get them quite regularly, but normally only get an E or equiv. It had the same Auto box on your C and my ML, and having played with my ML box oil levels, have not experienced anything like the CLK visciousness in gear changes (sometimes). Could well be that this is how a 200K CLK cabrio is supposed to be, but if Id bought it new (it only had 13000 km on clock), i'd certainly take it back... but their again, it would be my responsibility to give one of these a true testing before buying, so the same could be levelled at all people who complain.

Personally though, Ive driven the 200K in a C and SLK and cant remember them being as pathetic in power delivery or auto box change as the CLK. It reached 140, but slowly, so perhaps its just poorly geared to get the higher cruising speeds!

Slinky, cant you put up a mr sad avatar, after getting such a great car and having all this bad luck, id be gutted!

 

[muggins]

Thanks to Hawk20 for your advice and posting. I am already quite a long way up the tree so to speak - previously Eckhard Cordes, Wilfred Stefan, Brian Cunningham and next Dr Zetsche! Doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. Not surprised the amount of money they're making out of us. For those wanting further details of Dr Zetsche (CEO MB in Germany), let me know and I will do my best when I'm next invited over! I'm speaking with the Rapid Reaction Group who in fairness are proposing to 'fix' it at MK although my original point was that it was down to bad design and bad quality, not something mechanical that has gone wrong and now needs fixing. I have my doubts that the car will ever be right though and I think the excitement of my dream car has long faded.

The Directors in the UK don't want to speak with me no matter how much I escalate it, (despite the case having been apparently brought up in management meetings) but I may try the contact you gave (stay calm, stay calm). One option I though of but maybe a bit risky - Get the press together at Beachy Head on a misty morning and drive it over the edge! I reckon the publicity and stories for the papers could be worth a bob or two!

Anyone with a suggestion as to my next car? It must look stunning, go faster than a 360 Modena, seat 4 (ok then, 2 + dog) do more than 30mpg and cost less than £10K? Now there's a challenge for all you manufacturers out there!

OK, I'll take sensible suggestions as well.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Slinky, cant you put up a mr sad avatar, after getting such a great car and having all this bad luck, id be gutted!

I had thought about something like that, altho it wasnt Mr Sad!, but i didnt think it was me, and I am just annoyed rather than gutted.

Having been emailed by several SLK55 owners, suprisingly I am not alone. I let one guy who just picked one up now about the cylinder rocker covers leaking, his inital reply was that it wouldn't happen with an hand assembled engine. 6weeks later. I got an email!

His had done the same, but at least he was able to point out to the dealer who repaired it, that it wasnt an unusual occurance.

It does make me smile when i drive it though.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Anyone with a suggestion as to my next car? It must look stunning, go faster than a 360 Modena, seat 4 (ok then, 2 + dog) do more than 30mpg and cost less than £10K? Now there's a challenge for all you manufacturers out there!

Mine did over 30mpg, and kept up with a 355 at Bruntingthorpe, looks stunning!

doesnt seat 4 tho and will be £10k maybe in around 6 or so years!

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=19291

 

[hawk20]

Thanks to Hawk20 for your advice and posting. I am already quite a long way up the tree so to speak - previously Eckhard Cordes, Wilfred Stefan, Brian Cunningham and next Dr Zetsche! Doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. Not surprised the amount of money they're making out of us. For those wanting further details of Dr Zetsche (CEO MB in Germany), let me know and I will do my best when I'm next invited over! I'm speaking with the Rapid Reaction Group who in fairness are proposing to 'fix' it at MK although my original point was that it was down to bad design and bad quality, not something mechanical that has gone wrong and now needs fixing. I have my doubts that the car will ever be right though and I think the excitement of my dream car has long faded.

I think you may have to separate in your mind your annoyance that they have replaced the 55 with the 63. That is bad luck, very annoying but nothing you can do about it. You can hope that making enough fuss about your 55 will make them offer you a free CLS63 but I doubt if it will work and it may spoil relations and your chances of getting your 55 put right.

So first, I would concentrate on getting the 55 put right. What Car gave it 5 stars on their long road-test and commented how rare the full 5* rating is. So I doubt if there is anything fundamentally adrift with the design. So, now that you have got to the Rapid Reaction Group and had an offer that they will put it right at Milton Keynes - fine- take the offer. If they put it all right, well, you cannot really complain too much. And you will have a lovely car most will envy you. BUT IF THEY FAIL then you can press for a new car and THEN you might succeed. BUT you must appear reasonable FIRST and go along with all attempts to put this car right FIRST - because that is what the law expects you to do. And BTW then they will say: - "well he's been reasonable, done all we could reasonably expect to help us get it right. We have failed. Give him a new one (perhaps with cash adjustment) or money back." Yes I may dream and so may you but I know a couple of cases where they have done just that. Worth a try. Good luck.

Now may I be curious and ask why you have only done 2000 miles in a year -or was that a misprint.

 

[Birdman]

My first merc was a 190E 2.6 which I picked up new at the factory and found it had a transmission whine caused by a faulty rear diff which didn't stop them handing it over to me after the test drive. That was in 1990. The London dealer I bought it through (Bradshaw Webb) replaced the diff but without improvement and said 'they all do that sir'. Then they put in a heavy grade oil to muffle the sound. Still whining. In the end I lost patience, sold it, cancelled the deposit I'd put on an SL500, and bought a Porsch 928SE and swore I'd never buy another merc.
Since then I've had three more mercs and am now running an E55 which unquestionably tops the league in my 'Best Car I've Ever Had' stakes.
They make exceptional cars imo but you want to get a good one. I've bought and sold English Thoroughbreds and I only wish you could tell as much about a merc by putting it through its paces as you can about a horse. Maybe I'm lucky but I can't see myself ever buying anything else. And I've tried, I've tried...

 

[hawk20]

My first merc was a 190E 2.6 which I picked up new at the factory and found it had a transmission whine caused by a faulty rear diff which didn't stop them handing it over to me after the test drive. That was in 1990. The London dealer I bought it through (Bradshaw Webb) replaced the diff but without improvement and said 'they all do that sir'. Then they put in a heavy grade oil to muffle the sound. Still whining. In the end I lost patience, sold it, cancelled the deposit I'd put on an SL500, and bought a Porsch 928SE and swore I'd never buy another merc.
Since then I've had three more mercs and am now running an E55 which unquestionably tops the league in my 'Best Car I've Ever Had' stakes.
They make exceptional cars imo but you want to get a good one. I've bought and sold English Thoroughbreds and I only wish you could tell as much about a merc by putting it through its paces as you can about a horse. Maybe I'm lucky but I can't see myself ever buying anything else. And I've tried, I've tried...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think Birdman is saying he is happy with his choice of car.
Over and over and over...

 

[Birdman]

...so two satisfied customers!

 

[robertjary]

I think that JB has summed the situation up well here, I feel the same way about handing over hard earned cash. In all fairness these workshops do cost money to run. During the part of my life when I was doing manufactures service, all of my test gear had to be callibrated, and that was expensive, or good storage scope with certificate cost almost double of one without. when something left me at had to be as it left the factory,and I think you find it is the same with MB workshops, if you add all of the safety restrictions , floor space,heating, holidays and test equipment, it does come to a tidy sum, ok not £108+ per hour. I am not sticking up for them, for I know that many cars come back with the same fault that they went in for,plus a few more, and in many cases its down to the person writing out the service booking form, if they are non technical, any thing can happen and it does, its the plague of all service centers, partly on the arrogance of the mechanic in thinking that this fault cant happen and sods law when the fault does not show up, Its ok for me to have a fault that waiting to show up, but at £108+ per hour its much better to find an indie who you can talk to and is happy to be doing something on something else while waiting for the fault to show up. A little research before you buy does tell you the problem years as JB says. There are alternatives, and the choice is yours.

Malcolm

Recently, I had to have my E220CDI repaired in France - the MB dealer charged €52 per hour. If a MB dealer in France can charge under £40 per hour, what justification is there for dealers in the UK charging £95+ per hour?

PS As I own an 2002 E class, I need to keep Mobilo-Life up to date.

 

[psmart]

Recently, I had to have my E220CDI repaired in France - the MB dealer charged €52 per hour. If a MB dealer in France can charge under £40 per hour, what justification is there for dealers in the UK charging £95+ per hour?

PS As I own an 2002 E class, I need to keep Mobilo-Life up to date.

This is normal, Rip Off Britain.

Many things out here are cheaper (Diesel, only €1.08 per litre for example) and the Germans stuff a lot of tax on it as well. I recently enquired at the Dealership here, so that I could get an A service to keep my Mobilo/Rust Warranty valid, and was suprised to find that they are significantly cheaper, on par with the Indie I use in Leeds.

Somethings will be a little cheaper in the UK at the mo, given the low value of the Euro, but wether that is translated into more profit or better customer value, difficult to gauge.