Mercedes says that cars fail in the first 50K miles - after that it’s the fault of the driver
In the continuing saga of dealing with Mercedes Benz and their dealers following the recent incident where a loose engine part blew a quarter-sized hole in the engine block of our Mercedes E320 while my wife was driving my son to his birthday party, Mercedes finally got back to us (story described here, and follow up here) .
Someone in their customer service department cleared up all possible confusion by telling us in an email that “It is our experience that manufacturing defects occur early in the life of a vehicle (typically during the warranty of 4 years/50,000 miles, whichever occurs first) and not 50,000 miles after it’s expiration. After reviewing the matter, Mercedes-Benz USA continues to stand behind this decision.”
Get it?
But wait…what are they really saying???? Oh now I get it - it’s the stupid customer’s fault! That’s it!
…while maintaining the car flawlessly according to the E 320 manual, and always with Mercedes dealerships, and with all the receipts to prove it, I must have still done something wrong to cause that. It cannot possibly be the product’s fault, or an error on the part of the dealer who serviced the car 2 1/2 weeks prior to this catastrophic failure. It must have been a dumb user error! That’s what they are telling me…
I guess it’s time to move on, get rid of this piece of junk called Mercedes “Bang,” and look back East to some good quality Asian cars. Thankfully, citizen marketers around the world are not letting this story die. Hopefully we will save a few souls from wasting their money on buying this german junk.
[Technorati Tags: Mercedes Mercedes customer satisfaction mercedes benz e class e-320 customer service]
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April 5th, 2006 at 9:28 pm
We had a 2003 E320 that was my wife’s daily driver. Such a beautiful car, but it had no end of problems, and was in the shop for unscheduled repairs in 24,000 miles than all the Japanese cars I’ve ever owned combined.
As the car came to the end of it’s warranty this year (we got the car in 2002), we decided that we wouldn’t want to start paying for the outrageous hourly rates to fix the problems. So we traded the car in for a nice Infiniti. Not only is the car rock-solid reliable, but the dealer service is much better.
April 7th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Hmmm. Would be interesting to tally up: 1. How many people read your blog; 2. How many comment here; 3. How many link to this post (and then comment). And so on. Seems to me Mercedes is losing some business out of this, ya think? Perhaps you should do a conservative example cost benefit analysis and send it along to the CEO. Say, “Lost 5 customer at $60K each” versus repair of existing customers’ engine, and so on.
You can count me among the “lost” I’ll certainly never think of buying a Mercedes (new, used or classic) after reading this horror story.
Me? I’m thinking my next car will be a rebuilt 1960s VW. May run on rubber bands, but I’ll be able to replace the bands myself
Why are these companies so stupid????
April 22nd, 2006 at 12:36 pm
I’ve run an independent MB repair shop for over 20 years & believed in the quality of their cars…until now. I’m loosing customers left & right. I can’t, in good concious, recommend a new merecedes to my loyal customers, some have been with me since I started & wish to keep me as their mechanic.I am seriously thinking of switching to Lexus,since Mercedes stated this is the car it will try to get as good as by 2009.
May 31st, 2006 at 6:46 pm
Hi. This auto wrecker is selling a working engine cheap (see below)! Better than spending $14K on a new one.
The only thing I would bring a Volvo or Mercedes to the dealer for is engine related matters or if you can’t get the parts elsewhere or find a good independent mechanic. An air conditioning shop is the best place to get the A/C fixed, etc.
and not the dealer.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-engine-e320-clk320-ml320-motor-v6-clean-98-03_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33615QQitemZ8068903552QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V
July 20th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Your complaints strike me as unjustified. Your car lasted 100K. You did not buy a guaranty that the car would last beyond the warranty.
October 30th, 2006 at 9:39 am
I have bought 3 Mercs, I changed them every 4 years, when I was in Hong Kong until 1999. They were very good, I never need to pay anywhere more than US$200.00 all these years. In 1999 I bought a 1000 miles sport version E430 from Foreign Motors West, the german made E430 was truly good, I drove that for 3.5 years and changed to ML 430 when the mini nightmare began. The dealer as squeezed by Merc and they turn their profit acquiring tactics to the cleints. If the problem is the leak, they will say the pump, which is a lot higher in labor and in parts. They will replace similar parts and it turns out they give wrong diagnoisis and attend the wrong problem. We paid upfront and cannot really argue to the nearest repair cost. I am sorry for the service manager and the staff who work there, esp the sales team, their salary based on the first comment/review from the new car owner. Their commission will be vastly slashed if the new car owner complaints. This is so unfair, how can the sales responsible for their quality. ML is made in America and here they do not know how to supervise and override. Huge problemssssss with a lot of other industries, even in Banking and government. Just do not buy things from American factory - hurtful to say and more so to act against our own country. I do not know how we can catch up, other countries are aggressive and imposing acute attitude for accuracy and we are doing the opposite. Since USA bought the Merc. our quality drops far and fast. BMW sedan is catching up by 10 folds in the past 5 years in Asia. BMW X series SUV also has a lot of problems, it is made in AMerica too. Too sad to see the head of the country is brainless and the neck of the country is useless. Sad.
November 3rd, 2006 at 3:56 pm
I PURCHASED MERCEDES ML 350, 2006 IN APRIL 2006. FROM DRIVER’S SEAT, THE LEFT SIDE VIEW MIRROR IS ONLY PARTIALLY VISIBLE! I SHOWED THIS TO HBL DEALERSHIP IN TYSONS CORNER VIRGINIA, AND THEY AGREED TO THIS DESIGN ISSUE, WHIC CANNOT BE FIXED, EVEN IF IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD.
WHEN THE AC IS TURNED ON, MANY TIMES, DUE TO VARIATION IN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES, SMALL FOG FORMS OUT OF THE WINDOW NEAR THE WIDOW DUCT LOCATION, NOW COMPLETELY OBSCURES THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR! THE MIRROR CANNOT BE USED ANY MORE BY THE DRIVER, CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD! AGAIN THE ISSUE IS AGREED BY THE DEALERSHIP AS DESIGN ISSUE. THE BEST REMEDY AS SUGGESTED BY David Sullivan (703-448-2205) AT THE TYSONS DEALERSHIP IS TO SHUT OFF THE AC DUCTS ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSGENGER SIDE! THIS IS THE RESPONSE I GOT, FOR PAYING HIGH PRICE FOR THIS EXPENSIVE CAR. CONTACTED MERCEDEZ BENZ AT 1800-367-6372 EXT 6, CAROL, ID# 4635. SHE STILL THINKS THE CAR HAS NO ISSUE! SHE FELT AT THE BEST SHE CAN DO IS JUST APOLOGIZE! SAFETY, ESPECIALLY IN BAD FOGGY WEATHER SEEMS TO BE OF LEAST CONCERN TO THEM!HAve filed complaint with National Highwat Traffic Safety.
January 4th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Just read your blog
Just decided not to purchase a 60K Mercedes I was looking to buy.
People have to vote w/their feet in order to force corporate changes.
I’ll never go into another Home Depot lest to be raped for the $200 M bill they owe their ex-CEO.
January 26th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
To David who says you should be happy at 100K? Are you serious, have you really owned more than one Mercedes? I strongly disagree with you, and feel the writer’s dissatisfaction is strongly justified.
I have owned, personally a 1989 450 SL, a 1993 190 2.6, a few older 280 SE’s (1971 and 1980), and most recently my C220 1995.
My C220 1995, 12 years later, 120,000 miles had its engine ruined (actually, it was the cylinders, gasket heads, engine block and valves…etc) which all stemmed from a coolant leak. Yes, the car was driven five miles home, and towed to dealer. Too late, not worth repairing three garages said. A simple coolant leak driven for five minutes should not destroy an engine, but there were other issues I would later find out. (estimated repair to start at $3K)
Sorry David, my fathers 280 SE, 1971 had over 200,000 miles on it. He sold it to a collector with 220K miles. My accountant bought a 300 SE from 1988, with 150K miles on it. Now, he is 288K. Moral of the story… the old Mercedes easily could get 100-200K miles on it. I think the ones from the 1990’s are made more shabby and not as durable.
The fact that my 1995 died from a simple coolant leak, and the Kelley BB value was less then the cost of replacement, saddens me.
Here is the P.S.
My wire harness was about to need replacement too, because in 1995, they were made from bio-degradable material. The dealer said, that was a weird year in making them, but there was another $1,800 I would be dinged for. He did not want me to sink $3K in it, and then have to invest another $1,800.
So David, the old school good Mercedes from the 80’s, easily lasted to 200K miles, if not more. All you had to do was taken them in for oil changes, and regular maintenance. I did that for my C220, but bad luck was against me.
My sad example, justifies the initial post. Four time Benz owner, not any more. Never missed a check up, oil change, or maintenance.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:28 pm
many of the comments here are people crying over spiled milk. I have been servicing Mercedes benz for years and have never had any internal engine issues. I feel that the quality that had dropped to an unacceptable level over the late 90’s and early 01-03 were mainly electrical in nature. The quality today is better than it has been in the last ten years. Recently J D Powers ranked Mercedes Benz rated he S class, the E class, and the Sl were rated best in class. Mercedes Benz moved up to number five this year from 26th last year. But while electrical and software issues had been a problem those problems have disapated. Moreover, the Asian manufacturers have had increasing problems with engines and drivetrains. Toyota had a sludge problem that was a result of a poor PCV system and told millions of owners that it was neglect.
And while employed with Toyota I overhauled 10-20 engines per month. In six years with Benz I have overhauled only a few.
It is interesting though that the Asian car owner is more than happy to spend monies on servicing the auto they own. The high line clients are now balking at spening 400 dollars annually to maintain their expensive cars.
It makes me wonder about the engine job mentioned here. Did the owner have a hose that leaked and then drive the car overheating the engine. Engines do not just blow up. they give major signs that something is wrong. Noises, steam from the front end, drivability issues. Oh and gauges and lamps that tell you the car has a malfunction. But when some thing catastrophic occurs the owners plead the unthinkable……none of the early warning systems alerted them to the issue. To top it off, because they spent a few thousand dollars more then if they had purchased an Avalon, when a failure happens at 100,000 miles it is the manufacturer that is blamed.
Consumers must realize that they must shoulder the responsability for repairs. The manufacurer does not guarantee a product forever. When is it your problem……oh …never..it figures.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
I’ve owned a 2004 E-class and it has not given me any problems whatsoever. The unique characteristics of Benz owners is that they’re pickier than most. So you hear about ALL the problems even small ones.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:10 pm
I had been driving a 450SL for the past 10 years. Brought it to Bud’s Benz, a “reputable” mercedez place located near my home, and couldn’t believe the poor customer service. I was leaving town, so thought I would have it worked on to get it started before putting it up for sale. Car wasn’t running, so called them and they suggested a towing service and to bring it in. I did, using the towing they suggested. On Monday I went in to sign the car in for work before leaving, and they said they would get back to me. After two weeks I called them, and they had no news. A few days later they said I needed to give them a 1000.00 up front before they would look at it, so I charged it. Home the next week, after 3 weeks in their care, they still hadn’t looked at it ins pite of having been paid. On Monday I asked service manager, and she informed me that my car would be next. On Friday, I returned having heard nothing from them, and them having been paid and I was angry. I told the service manger that she had lied to me about being next. That afternoon, I returned hoping they had looked at it, and the mechanic informed me that since ” I had been rude” to the service manager they wouldn’t work on it. My car sat there for over a month with them paid, and I ended up towing it to another shop who got it running for 1300 which I paid. Don’t ever do business with Bud’s Benz in Douglasville, Georgia. They used to be good, but have gone way down hill! They let people know with high prices and poor customer service that they dont care about customers, and certainly don’t need them.
As for Mercedez Benz, my car is now running and it was expensive to fix the problem, but it runs.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:13 pm
I had been driving a 450SL for the past 10 years. Brought it to Bud’s Benz, a “reputable” mercedez place located near my home, and couldn’t believe the poor customer service. I was leaving town, so thought I would have it worked on to get it started before putting it up for sale. Car wasn’t running, so called them and they suggested a towing service and to bring it in. I did, using the towing they suggested. On Monday I went in to sign the car in for work before leaving, and they said they would get back to me. After two weeks I called them, and they had no news. A few days later they said I needed to give them a 1000.00 up front before they would look at it, so I charged it. Home the next week, after 3 weeks in their care, they still hadn’t looked at it ins pite of having been paid. On Monday I asked service manager, and she informed me that my car would be next. On Friday, I returned having heard nothing from them, and them having been paid and I was angry. I told the service manger that she had lied to me about being next. That afternoon, I returned hoping they had looked at it, and the mechanic informed me that since ” I had been rude” to the service manager they wouldn’t work on it. My car sat there for over a month with them paid, and I ended up towing it to another shop who got it running for 1300 which I paid. Don’t ever do business with Bud’s Benz in Douglasville, Georgia. They used to be good, but have gone way down hill! They let people know with high prices and poor customer service that they dont care about customers, and certainly don’t need them.
As for Mercedez Benz, my car is now running and it was expensive to fix the problem, but it runs.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
We were loyal MB customers who bought 7 and leased 1 of their cars from 1976-2005. All were diesels save the chintzy 2006 E350 (lease). The diesels were something to behold, built to standards that epitomized Mercedes Benz in the eyes of the world and earned them the reputation they have chosen to throw away. Our travails begain when the badly designed 603.970 6 cylinder diesel engine gave out on our 1991 350SDL. Research proves that MB knew since the beginning about the defects in 30-50% of these engines, but kept it a secret as the dealers waltzed the customer with this and that explanation for 1 quart/500 mile oil consumption. When the warranty expired, MB swiftly old the customer where he or she could go. When we contacted MB USA, one Ron St. Pierre, the NE Manager, said MB couldn’t help us as “news of that could get around”. We wrote to the company in Germany and got an impertient letter from one of their little minions at MBUSA named Lisa Tognetti. She told us that she was happy to deny our request for assistance and “thanked us” for the opportunity our letter had afforded the little twit to confirm MB’s corporate position.
I’ll ride a large dog before I buy another Mercedes. The design and quality of their post-1998 cars has declined appallingly. Anyone thinking of doing business with them should know that Daimler Benz and MB USA have the morals of opium dealers. Buy a Mercedes at your peril.