New member looking for advice - about to give up on MB for good

[Gurmot]

Hello everyone.

I'd like to introduce myself and to let you know why I'm here. My name is Simon and I'm fairly average family guy from Somerset. I own a C220 CDI which I bought as an MB approved used car almost 3 years ago and it's one of the nicest cars I've owned.

The reason I'm here is that I've just about run out of patience with MB and I'm about to sell my car and walk away from the brand for good but I thought I'd share (vent) my experiences and seek input from other owners before throwing in the towel.

My car was 1st registered in 2002 but I bought it with 77k miles in 2006. I bought it from an authorised dealer in Somerset as a approved used car and I was smitten from the start. This was my 1st Merc and the buying experience and early ownership certainly lived up to expectations. I was a happy.

Things started to go wrong at the 1st service, 1 year later when I was given my 1st unexpected bill. This was for £500 to reline the brakes (something which the salesman had assured me would be done before I purchased the car). I grumbled but paid it and tried to forget about it.

And then things hit a roll.....

Rear axle failed (warranty)

Alternator failed - £624

Aircon failed - £619

Aircon failed again - £342

Parking brake failed - £100

Bodywork penetration noticed - £200 (I had to make a contribution to MB "goodwill" for 30 year bodywork "warranty")

Starter motor failed - £535

Signal acquisition module failed - £270

Wheel alignment - £300

Injectors & middle catalyst - £800

Back catalyst (1 month later!) - £500

So in less than 3 years I've spent almost £5000 on repairs on a car which came from MB and has been serviced by them since.

The last straw was that whilst the car was collected from the dealer after the most recent fault (mid catalyst) I noticed marks to the paintwork caused by bird droppings or "bird-lime" as it seems to be called in thre trade. The dealer is in Weston Super Mare and I'm sure it was the victim of an assault by local sea-gulls. The problem was that the paint seemed to have been burned by the bird-lime and several large streaks were clearly visible on the driver's door. I pointed this out to the service manager, who sought advice from the bosyshop manager, who told be it was due to defective paint. Fast forward to the dealer who had recently resprayed the door as part of the anti-corrosion warranty, who told me to take it up with his supplier (MB approved body shop) who then told me there was nothing wrong and I should have washed my car sooner!

A call to MB customer service was made and I asked them to bang heads together to get one of the dealers to take responsbility and sort out the burned paint. I received a phone call from MB customer services a few days later to be informed that they had conducted an investigation and that there was no fault with the paint and further the marks were already present when the car was taken to them. I was fuming, and told them so but they would not listen!!!

So I took the car to a local bodyshop where the marks were polished out within 10 minutes for £10!! Now why couldn't either of the 2 dealers have done this or their approved body shop?

The last straw has been applied and my back is broken. I've decided to sell the car and buy something Japanese.

Now if you are still with me, perhaps you could offer some insight.

Is this normal? Is it me?

Thanks for your time, I hope you have more luck than I have with MB.

Simon

 

[Geezer]

Blimey, are you sure your name is not Jonah??!!

I have been happy with my CLK with nothing really out of the ordinary except for a broken rear spring.

 

[gibsones135]

Crikey! Simon, you poor chap. What a bummer.. I like you, are on my first Merc and like you am smitten- i've had it for two months or so. So far I have had no problems (touch wood!) but would be pretty miffed if I received the same treatment from MB as you. I think I would sell and walk away!!

 

[television]

Hello and welcome, I do not know what to say at the moment

A comment from Hawk would be good to have right now

 

[SQ_W211]

So sorry to hear your issues. I have owned my first merc since may last year and still in the enjoying mode. I guess i am very reluctant to pay MB over the odds for the work they carry out. It is bit of a coincidence to see all those things go wrong one after another but life's a B****h at times and we have to take it on our head.

Anyway hope you have better luck with your next car

 

[Blobcat]

Sorry to hear of your luck, £1,666.67 per year is a lot on repairs. You bought with 77K miles, what are the miles now?

 

[Gurmot]

Thanks for all the positive comments so far chaps. To be honest, I was half expecting to be told to stop moaning and clear-off so it's nice to have a sympathetic ear or two.

The sad truth is that I really don't want to give up having been close to it a few times in the last year or so. I kept telling myself "surely THAT must be the last fault". And "I need to get some use out of the car to get my money back" but the attitude of MB Mobilo direct has finished me.

It's a very sad truth, for me at least, that the cream of European motor manufacturing can get their product, and more importantly their customer care so terribly wrong.

A great shame.

 

[Gurmot]

Sorry to hear of your luck, £1,666.67 per year is a lot on repairs. You bought with 77K miles, what are the miles now?

109K or about 12K per year.

 

[television]

If you had been using an indie during the time that you owned the car things may have looked very different, I would keep the car and cut you cost by using an indie. MB have done you no favors at all, in fact quite the opposite.

My SL has been expensive but yours has cost double what mine has cost in terms of repairs

 

[outsmartsmart]

Hmmmm

Your at that tough crossroads now I guess; Can anything else more really go wrong and should you keep it as its now a good'un? (I guess you thought THAT about 6 repair jobs ago.....)

Or, should you cut your losses and walk away?

Have to say I'd probably do the latter and I'm a Merc' 'convert' now (starting with a car same as yours). I'm on my third and not had any major issues on any so far.

I think you got one of those mythical "friday afternoon" cars, no help but lots of sympathy for ya with that lot to pay for.....

 

[362bkr]

i absolutely agree with Malcolm i think you would have recieved far better service and far less expense from a good independant merc garage. As far as my local main dealer is concerned (plymouth) they have no idea how to talk to or look after their costumers.

 

[television]

i absolutely agree with Malcolm i think you would have recieved far better service and far less expense from a good independant merc garage. As far as my local main dealer is concerned (plymouth) they have no idea how to talk to or look after their costumers.

The same outfit tried to pass off a serious battery drain fault to a guy this week on a 2 year old SL where he had to use the key after 2 days as the battery was so flat, I put the man striaght and they took the car back to do as I suggested.

Why Why Why do they do this.

 

[rf065]

The last straw has been applied and my back is broken. I've decided to sell the car and buy something Japanese.

I had Japanese cars for 16 years before the MB & cannot remember breaking down or any warranty repairs being needed other than 1 recall.

The MB has broke down, 300 yards from the dealers after a service & has subsequently had 5 warranty claims.

Despite that, I rather like it & it is a better drive than any of the Japanese cars. Hopefully mine will now prove to be more reliable or I would have to buy Japanese again too. Lets hope I do not have to make that choice.

Russ

 

[Gurmot]

As far as my local main dealer is concerned (plymouth) they have no idea how to talk to or look after their costumers.

I feel better already. It's not just me after all!! I have to say that the dealer in Taunton is the worst I've come across under any brand. I've been lied to, laughed at and left feeling like something they have scraped off the floor.

I'm staggered that a company with such a good brand image, and great product (when it works) can have such a poor customer care ethic. I wonder if it's because they've been stung for so many warranty repairs that Stuttgart or MB UK have told their dealers to clamp down on accpeting any liability.

I was told very clearly by the body shop manager of one dealer that they were not allowed to point out any bodywork defects which could qualify for repair under the anti-corrosion warranty. This leads me to think that poor quality has already cost them so much that they now sacrifice customer care for the sake of profits. This short-term approach is sure to alienate more customers who I suspect will leave the brand at the next opportunity (like me).

 

[television]

I feel better already. It's not just me after all!! I have to say that the dealer in Taunton is the worst I've come across under any brand. I've been lied to

Its the same group as the one that I referred to

 

[PeterCLK]

Sorry to hear of this.

On first reading I thought you may have been s-----d by the dealer but I see that many of these things are failures so you had no choice but to repair.

2002 was probably the nadir of Mercedes quality and things have improved considerably since then.

If you do feel inclined to buy another than 2004 onwards should be much much better.

Regrettably luck plays it's part in all this too.

 

[Gurmot]

Its the same group as the one that I referred to

That goes some way to explaining the apparent cultural problems in the SW. However, it doesn't explain the way I was treated by Mobilo when I tried to get their help.

As a wise man once said "a fish rots from the head".:neutral:

 

[Dosco]

Have you conveyed (or considered it) this extremely sad story to MB, either in UK or the Fatherland?

You could copy it to the motoring press, BBC TV etc whilst it might not get you full recompense it will certainly embarrass MB and perhaps even shame them into some goodwill payment or further warranty protection.

If you have already given up then the above is a tad to late if not it has to be worth a throw

 

[Gurmot]

Have you conveyed (or considered it) this extremely sad story to MB, either in UK or the Fatherland?

You could copy it to the motoring press, BBC TV etc whilst it might not get you full recompense it will certainly embarrass MB and perhaps even shame them into some goodwill payment or further warranty protection.

If you have already given up then the above is a tad to late if not it has to be worth a throw

This has crossed my mind. I've thought about the motoring press, Watchdog, hell I've even considered asking Joanna Lumley to go round and "re-negotiate" for me!!

At the end of the day I don't want to fight them. I've tried to reason with them, I've spoken to MB UK and it doesn't seem to make any difference.

The stupid thing is that I am ready to replace my car in August and I am seriously thinking about buying a new one (mainly as I can't bear the thought of any more breakdowns). I could have forgiven them for all the faults if only they'd acted with a little more grace, respect and honesty - seemingly too much to ask these days.

I may gather myself for one last push but I think I know what the response will be..............

 

[Dosco]

This has crossed my mind. I've thought about the motoring press, Watchdog, hell I've even considered asking Joanna Lumley to go round and "re-negotiate" for me!!


I may gather myself for one last push but I think I know what the response will be..............

You have a good bargaining chip on your side if a new car is on your mind - skip the UK and go straight to the big 'S' stay calm and add your last comments about good manners, grace etc etc to the correspondence - don't give up after all only two things are gained by rushing - ba****d baby's (born out of wedlock) and busted fingers