Previous warranty work

[PaulJS]

Hi all,

I've had my 2 year old Merc E320 cdi a week now and i had it serviced on friday at my local independant. I also asked him if he would give the car a thorough going over and report anything he could find.

When i fetched the car he tells me that the bonnet has had a respray at some stage and that it isn't properly aligned and sticks a little proud around the head lights. After he pointed it out it really is obvious now. He also has pointed out a rust blister thats just starting on the rear tailgate, very difficult to spot but its definately there. He tells me i might be able to get that looked at under warranty.

Is it possible to find out what warranty work has already been done to my car before i go to a dealership? can the dealership find out what warranty has already been done?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Blobcat]

Hi,

Dealer can access all previous work from the system. If MB servicing up to date and depending upon age of car the rust will be covered. Is yours an 04 W211 E320cdi? if so yours may be 1 of the first w211's to start with the rust issue. W210's from 99-00 can be very bad. The dealer will check the car over and produce a report which then goes to MB. They will then decide with the dealer what is covered. Stone chips are not covered.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

the fact you serviced it at in independant may void any further warranty work. did you buy it from a MB dealer? have you all the documents that should have cdome with the car when new?

they will tell you how the warranty could be effected and what action needs to be taken to re-instate it.

best to keep quiet about that when you speak to a MB dealer intitally. then plead ignorance.

it maybe that had you had it done at an MB dealer, they would have been given then chance to make a note of it and inform you. which may have prevented issues from becoming worse. sounds like soem repair work that hasnt been repaired properly. so that may also not be MB approved fixing.

 

[PaulJS]

Blobcat, yes its an 04 T211 E320cdi, sounds like if the bonnet has already been resprayed i might be unlucky and have a rusting E Class.

SLinKyjoe, i didn't buy from a MB dealer. i was starting to think the same thing as you. i'm just hoping that the bonnet respray was done by an MB dealer. i'll find out more tomorrow.

I had intended to keep this car for a number of years, but i'm not sure what to do now, lookin back through the forum at some of the rust horror stories makes me think.

Thanks for your replies, fun times ahead me thinks.

 

[Blobcat]

2004 should still be in the 3 year MB warrranty. I did note from new brochures that MB warranty is now 2 years. Is the third year now covered by the dealer, any one know?
As yours is so new I would as per SlinKjoe take it into an MB dealer and let them sort it all out. I cannot beleive that an 04 is rusting

 

[SLinKyjoe]

your rust warranty is 30years, the first 2 yrs are covered then its renewed everytime you have the car serviced by an authorised MB agent.

it also says that, if you purchase the car, and find out a problem that you immediatly get fixed by and MB authorised agent, then the warranty, or at least the goodwill part of it, may still be used. ie they will pay.

now as you have only had the car a week, you may be able to convince them that you bought the car with the intention of having an independant person inspect it and advise you of the results. as you have done exactly that, you can now go happily to an mb dealer and get them to look into it, as you want it sorting to MB specifications and you wish to know about the warranty, mobilo life cover for the car. they have to give you enough time to collate the information you need. and a week would be reasonable if you now take corrective action. you cant be held liable for work that wasnt done when the car wasn't in your ownership, but if you didnt do anything about it as soon as you can, then they dont really need to sort anything out for you.

so, get off to a dealer in the morning.

with the VIN number, they will be able to bring up the whole history of the car, provided that it has been looked after at MB dealers.

the other step will be to contact Daimler Chrysler on customerservice.UK@cac.daimlerchrysler.com and ask them for advice as to what the best course of action will be.

you will need the VIN and car register and if you have it, the date and dealer of first registration for them.

butter them up about how good a car this is and how you would get another etc.

 

[Blobcat]

MB warranty used to be 3 years unlimited miles, as well as the 30yr mobil life, renewed at each MB dealer service after the first 3 years. Which covered breakdowns and rust warranty.
Has the 3 yr unlimited mileage warranty become a 2 yr warranty? As per my previous post in the new brochures I can only find reference to a 2 yr warrany and 30yr mobil life.

 

[PaulJS]

Thanks again SLinKyjoe for the advice,

i'll be off to the dealer tomorrow to see what they say. Looking through the service book, it does have a full MB service history upto the point i bought the car last weekend. So fingers crossed i haven't messed it all up by using an independent on friday.

Before i decided to use the independent to do my service, i did ask him if this would in-validate my warranty, and he said that the law is now on the car owners side, and providing you can show the car has been serviced properly by an expert, the manufacturer has to honour the warranty.

hope he is right in saying that. fingers crossed.

cheers guys

 

[SLinKyjoe]

MB warranty used to be 3 years unlimited miles, as well as the 30yr mobil life, renewed at each MB dealer service after the first 3 years. Which covered breakdowns and rust warranty.
Has the 3 yr unlimited mileage warranty become a 2 yr warranty? As per my previous post in the new brochures I can only find reference to a 2 yr warrany and 30yr mobil life.

its 4 years with the caveat of 2 years then renewal at every MB approved service up to 4 years. they also do a goodwill beyond that too. this is for mechaniclas. rust and breakdown recovery is 30yrs. no doubt some cop outs are included. its unlimited mileage on mine.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

,



Before i decided to use the independent to do my service, i did ask him if this would in-validate my warranty, and he said that the law is now on the car owners side, and providing you can show the car has been serviced properly by an expert, the manufacturer has to honour the warranty.

hope he is right in saying that.

cheers guys

Thats true until you find they didnt use current service advice, or recomended parts. however, your tack here is to say, you had independant advice. you are now gaining Mercedes advice following on from what you know. considering you have only had this a week, you can suggest you are taking immediate action. so i would think Mercedes wont have too much trouble honouring the warranty.

 

[jberks]

its 4 years with the caveat of 2 years then renewal at every MB approved service up to 4 years. they also do a goodwill beyond that too. this is for mechaniclas. rust and breakdown recovery is 30yrs. no doubt some cop outs are included. its unlimited mileage on mine.

I'm a bit confused here. As I understood it, the parts and labour warranty was 3 years, unlimited mileage and no lock in to the dealer due to block exemption regulations.
The Mobilio (inc corrosion) is 2 years then renewed at every service with a main dealer. Hence, if in the next 18 months, anything goes on my indie serviced car, I will simply take it to the dealer and they will fix it.
Looking at the MB web site, this is the situation. I also understand that they may do goodwill warranty repairs in the 4th year, though as these are goodwill, its open to interpretation.
As far as the original post is concerned, the car has clearly had some major accident repairs done. If the bonnet doesn't fit correctly, then all bets are off as regards the corrosion warranty. We don't know the quality or quantity of work done to the rest of the car, whether it also had a new tailgate doors etc, but its certainly worth visiting the dealer and asking them to take a look. I have not heard of a single case of 210 style corrosion on a 211 and I suspect that by now, we would have done.
Also, the boot lid on a W211 is aluminium so wouldn't rust anyway - not sure about a T211 tailgate though.
After buying my last 210, I started to realise that it had had a new wing and N/S door at some point in the previous year (it was only 12 months old). To be frank, the quality of work done was dodgy, down to them not even fitting a replacement check strap boot or sound proofing panel. (Selling dealer put this right). However all claims as regards warranty corrosion, including the door, were honoured.

 

[PaulJS]

Latest update:

I tried calling my local MB dealer to discuss the rust blister on the rear tailgate, and the guy i spoke with told me they couldn't look at the car until i had owned for 6 months. Does this sound right to you guys?

After that period of time they will survey the car, take photos and apply for warranty claim. He also said that he hasn't heard of any 211's having the dreaded rust problem of the 210 model. So with that in mind he reckons the blister is probably caused by a scratch or chip that has been ignored and left to blister.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Paul. not good. get it inspected at another dealer. you want information now. you have only had it a week and you dont want it to go on. Email daimlerchrysler and ask them advice too.

and that means now.

Jberks.

I read the 4 years from my cars service book. the previous SLK (R170) had a different time frame and made no mention of the 2 years and then renew it at service.

A guys AClass here only had 3 years! so it maybe the model dictates the time frame for each offer as it were. in fairness, the e class and SLK's are a bit dearer than A class so it may be better for ours? dunno.

but my info is straight out of the book for my car.

 

[jberks]

Could be Slinky.
I took the following off the MB web site
How long is the Warranty Period?
For vehicles sold by Mercedes-Benz in the UK to its franchised Retailers, your warranty lasts for 36 months from the day that your Mercedes-Benz is first registered in the UK (or the date of sale, if earlier than registration; or date of export if your vehicle is exported outside the UK). If your vehicle has not been supplied by Mercedes-Benz UK to your Retailer, your warranty may be valid for a different period of time. Please contact your local Retailer for details.
As well as lasting for 36 months, your warranty also covers you for unlimited mileage during that period.

The 2yr and renewal bit I took from the Mobilio section in the car's service book.