OK, some of you may remember last week I touted the fact that I've had "absolutely no problems" with my '02 C240 I bought last August, and I didn't want to jinx it, well... this is long, but here are the details:

My wife and drove down to Lake Anna (Virginia) Saturday morning (about 125 miles away), along w/ my Mom and step-dad. They'd been in the car for a couple of short trips, but nothing long. So, I decided to "show off" TeleAid, so I called the concierge to ask for weather conditions down in Lake Anna. BTW, the response was very quick, and the woman got the general weather for the zip code area. Then I said my TeleAid subscription was up for renewal in August and my wife was saying we shouldn't renew. Anyway, on to the problem.

Didn't drive the rest of Saturday and Sunday until we went to dinner. Getting back into the car after dinner, I put in the key and didn't hear the steering wheel lock motor releasing the wheel. Took the key back out and nothing -- noticed also the wheel was already unlocked - hmmm. Put the key back in the ignition and couldn't turn it! Tried a few more times w/ no luck. So, I pressed the wrench button and got roadside service, again very quick and courteous response. The woman knew my whereabouts and said she located the nearest dealer about 35 miles away in Charlottesville. She contacted them and they said they'd have their service rep call -- it's now 7:30PM on SUNDAY. 10 minutes later he calls and says he'll stop by the dealer to pick something up and gets our exact location. It took about an hour for him to get there, but after all, he's about 40 miles away. He gets there (w/ his father just for fun), says he's seen a case where a fuse was blown (there are 3 that control things like steering lock and such) -- but not in my case (of course!). He suggests we have it towed to the dealer to have it checked first thing Monday. I agree.

Now, we're 20 minutes from my sister's house at the lake and we have 8 people to transport w/ only 1 5-passenger car, and out of the way for these guys. I ask them if they would mind taking some of us and they say sure. A friend w/ us assures me it's OK to leave the car for the hour that it will take for the flat-bed to get there -- the dealer works w/ the company all the time. OK.

This morning I call the dealer, yes the car is there and they'll look at it "soon" but they're very busy. Anyway, I finally decide to drive down there around 1:00PM, they still haven't checked it out. Finally around 2:00, they get it into the bay and attach the computer -- an open circuit in the steering lock. Really turns out the steering lock mechanism is "stuck" and not responding. They thought they'd have to order it, but lo and behold, they've got one in stock! They install it (have to remove the lower dash and some console) Anyway, by 5:00 we're ready to go.

All in all, I wish it didn't happen, but I was very pleased w/ the TeleAid and the dealer's complete support. BTW, it was Brown European Imports in Charlottesville, kind of a small dealership -- also sells Saabs.

I learned a couple of things. Always bring the spare key along, even though in this case it wouldn't have mattered. Also, I WILL be renewing TeleAid!

 

Must've been unpleasant, sorry. Glad the dealer was able to fix it right there.

 

Interesting story, MarkL. Sorry you had the problem, but it all worked out fine, so no real harm, I guess.

 

Mark,

I'm sorry it happen; car problems bite!

Let me know after this happens 3 or 4 times and I can talk to you about the lemon law. :p lol :p

(I'll keep my fingers crossed for this to be your one and only MB problem)

 

See, having an unreliable car like an MB can be fulfilling. Now you can see the tears of joy Beth, Pixmation and I feel when our cars have issues!

Don't worry, it will happen again and again and again. Don't take it personally, it's not you!

 

Supportive, ain't he? Tell him about the free car washes and cookies!

Not to knock Tele-aid, but Roadside Assistance and a cellphone would have gotten you the exact same result, except for finding the weather, which watching the Weather Channel for 5 minutes would have done.

As you said, you totally set yourself up by putting up the "my car has no issues, I don't know what you guys are talking about" post. I hope you've learned your lesson.

 

seems like no biggie. might be a 1/1000 case. it's just too bad that it happened when you are transporting ppl.

i just figure that even the most expensive car in the world will have problems, why wouldn't my car have problems. so, i'm not gonna be upset when problems strike. i just laugh it off because no car manufacture is perfect.

 

Sorry to hear about your problem. Glad it was resolved quick and that the dealership treated you nice though.

Good thing is: Now, you've had your share of problems. Look forward to many years of trouble free MB-driving

 

#1, no comment! And I wouldn't let anyone wash my car anyway
#2, true, but I was in a place I was unfamiliar w/ and I think the GPS positioning helped a lot in locating me and the nearest dealer. That and the other capabilities (auto accident notification, remote unlock), make me think it's decently-priced insurance. Plus we always forget to bring our phone charger!
#3 yeah, yeah, but I didn't have to tell you about the breakdown, right? My previous comments were prompted by some general conclusions by some board members that M-B's are nothing but problems. I think I also said I knew some problems are inevitable in a complex piece of machinery, and I would rely on the dealer's good diagnosis and work to resolve the problem. In this case, I think the dealer did a great job w/ a first-time diagnosis and fix, and an obvious commitment to a "foreign" M-B owner. This is how it's supposed to work.

 

Yeah, what was your guy's name?? Thanks, but I'm sure something else will happen -- next year! (Oh no, I don't want to jinx it again )

 

Well let's hope for the best, but it's a MB -- I assume you'll be asking my advice in a week or two :p. I'm hoping there is something special about Capri blue cars that don't break, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Cheers,

Beth

 

Looks like you hate MB

 

As insurance, it is actually quite expensive. AAA is $45. My full coverage liability and comprehensive insurance on the *whole car* is only a little more than double the cost of Teleaid.

But different people have different analysis and different levels of risk and willingness to spend money. Personally, I've been driving for over 20 years, in dozens of different cars, and I have not once during that time had a need for something like Teleaid.

Just like you didn't really need it, even without a cell phone you could have just gone back into the restaurant and called AAA or Roadside Assistance.

Are they going to charge you for the weather information? Because when I had mine during the year free period, I tried to use it for directions, to see how it works. In the 10 minutes it took the lady to figure out the directions, I had already figured it out myself, but the kicker was when she said "If I tell you the directions, you will be charged an additional $2.99 on your next bill." Umm, yeah.

 

Nah. He doesn't hate MB. Its just that his cars don't like him.

 

You got me all wrong, I love the loaners, car washes and cookies! I even love it more now with the Audio 10 and ASP pulley.