I need neutral advice on my Benz dealer situation. I purchased my first Benz on December 5, from a local Mercedes dealership. It was a pre-owned 2004 C230 Kompressor Coupe. It has 46,000 miles and is in seemingly great condition. I also purchased a comprehensive 4 year warranty from the dealer.

Here is my situation: Upon purchase, I requested the saleman go through the features with me before I left the dealership. I knew nothing of the capabilities of the vehicle, other than what was explained to me, most especially the Sport / Comfort mode. 2 weeks into owning the vehicle I read the operator's manual and noticed this feature, and also the fact that the switch on my vehicle is malfunctioning. I promptly called the salesman, who said the situation would be covered under my warranty. The service department called me to schedule an appointment and began to nearly fight with me over whether the issued would be covered or I would be financially liable. After speaking with the salesman again, he assured me it would be covered under warranty.

My thoughts are that the dealer should cover the cost of the repair themselves or produced an explicit and detailed report that their inspection found the Sport/Comfort mode to be in perfect working condition pior to sale. Of course, this should have been requested BEFORE the sale, so I take fault here. They seem unresponsive to admitting responsiblity for the issue. Granted, I should have been an informed consumer, and ultimately, I should have known all the features and tested them, not relying on the promise of the saleman that the car was fully inspected to be free of defects. Seems like a no brainer in hindsight (aren't all things! lol). I'm a bit nervous at what other issues may come my way, and not sure I want to deal with this Benz dealership.Other than this issue, I am very happy with the vehicle, and have gone though all the other features, etc to ensure no more surprises.

So what should I actually be expecting of the dealer and this sale? I'm thinking expect nothing, but should I shop around for a new Benz dealer to fix the work? Thanks for any replies you can give to me

 

A warranty can get sticky, so the first question is:

With whom was the warranty? The dealer itself, or a CPO through MBUSA? If MBUSA, and your dealer is being a tool, you're fine to go to another dealer to get it fixed. You could lose the ability for a free loaner, but that should be the least of your worries.

If you have a warranty, whether a particular feature is working at the time of purchase is irrelevant - it's up to them to fix it until the end of the warranty, unless they can prove that you caused the problem through neglect, which you didn't.

Stick to your guns, and I would suggest you go up the food chain at the Service Dept. first at your current dealership. Let the Service Manager tell you why they won't fix it, and if he/she does, then start shopping around.

 

Thanks for your advice Tommy,

The warranty I purchased with the vehicle was through Continental (Ultra Care warranty, which is supposed to cover everything the mfg warranty does and is valid at all Benz and other major car dealerships).

Seems as though there is discourse between the sales and serice staff, and I will for sure stick to my guns and also speak to the service mgr if I have issues at my appointment in 2 weeks

 

I don't know anything about Continental Ultra Care (but then, the only one I know about is MaxCare from CarMax where I got my car). The way MaxCare works is you pay a deductible ($75) for every warranty event. My service writer had a lot of good things to say about MaxCare and indeed, they have covered everything warranty related including a new key so far.

I would expect that an "extended warranty" (really an insurance plan since you're on the hook for a deductible) from an MB dealership would be every bit as good as MaxCare and it seems that your salesman seems to think so, too. I think you have the "chain of responsibility" right and they should take care of you. If not, there's always the BBB our your local Attorney General's office.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

Thanks Ncmudbug for your advice,

My warranty doesn't require any deductibles for work, so I am hoping the warranty is as good as the salesman says it is. I spent a few days before the purchase reading every inch of the warranty coverage & sales contract to cover myself. It seems to be very comprehensive, as it should be, because it cost a lot! lol

74 Lotus Europa? NICE RIDE!!! What color?

 

I would be interested to know why you think the Sport /Comfort Mode Switch is malfuncting ?

 

Carsy,

I determined the switch wasn't working because the car never switched into sport mode when I pressed the sc button, it only stayed in comfort mode, and the "C" on the elctronic display never switched to "S."

 

When did you switch it; while stopped or while driving?

 

Amdeutsch,
I tried the switch while it was in park. As that's what the operator's manual said to do

 

It sounds like your warranty is what your salesman promised.

Don't forget to tell us how it went!

Thanks for the comment about my Lotus. My Europa is white (see my signature ). You can see a few pictures by clicking on where it says "74 Lotus Europa". More pics here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lotuse...19382/pic/list

Good luck!

Enjoy!

 

NCMUDBUG,
I will for sure post comments on how things turned out.
Love the pics of your Lotus! She is one gorgeous ride! That's awesome that you bought her new & have transformed her over the years! Very cool!

 

Thanks Annette! Nice of you to say that! It's been a labor of love. It's one of those things that's never finished.

 

NCMUDBUG,

You sure have done a great job at keeping her looking good! A true work of art

 

You should check and read in the brochure provided what is and isn't covered in your aftermarket warrantee, which states pretty much exactly what you do get covered. It will be printed in with your finance paperwork and will name the level of care plan, and the millage it started and will end (and time)

Your car will not be CPO through MB, nor will the dealer do any original CPO or warrantee work as it is out of warr by time by many years.

Also the service department has schedulers who do not tell you weather its going to be covered because they don't do the work or most of the time know what is involved in these cars. You need to take up weather its covered by your service advisor and the warrantee company, if its not covered, its not on mercedes. The issue is then between you and your warr company, them for not covering it, or you for not purchasing high enough coverage.

Also the sales guy can say all he wants, until you have it in writing on a "we owe" or "get ready" form as its commonly referred to, if you want sales to pay for the repair, no one will fix or repair your car in service without it.

Also none of the MB "comprehensive" or any other new car inspection test "transmission modes" so I don't know if you can fault them for something they didn't check, its a used car its sold "As Is".

You need to speak with the sales manager and have them write up a "we owe" for the repair and pass it to your service advisor if its something they accept is at their fault (doubt it), this will show its ok to repair your car and they will pay. If not then its the warrantee route, however like said that will depend on coverage.

Remember salesman are giant liars, they tell our customers here they are guaranteed a loaner car (which their not) and many another thing. Don't trust them if there tongue came notarized. Get it in writing

Good luck

 

Fixed that for you.

Unfortunately Annette the Benz dealership only cared until you signed the dotted line. Past that, you're on your own. I'm not sure that you'll find "transmission modes" in any warranty brochure.. though transmission electronics should be covered.

You could always try a different dealership even though they're all the same (read: ethics not a strong point).

Perhaps someone with a ton of 722.6 knowledge can step in here and we can help you solve the issue without having to involve any moron part-swappers at a dealer.

 

adidasc230:

Actually, the service writer told me the car was throughly inspected before it was sold and there were no issues, and this fature was check out. I did ask her to produce paperwork regarding this, but then she wasn't sure.

But at the end of the day, it's a small thing compared to missing something major, and no one is 100% acurate, including myself, so it is what it is.

I do take what my salesman's promises with a grain of salt, and at the same time, will hold him to his word, but don't expect it to be honored. Juts trying to walk that fine line. And you are right the "we owe" is on him, if that is the case and their fault, but I don't expect that to happen.

I think my issue was more the abrupt manner of the service rep who discounted my warranty as covering nothing, even before it is diagnosed. Of course, no one but the tech after inspection knows what is occuring here! So it's all just talk, until I take it in and the cause of the issue is discovered. And her insistence that I preauthorize my credit card for diagnois fees (I agree) and all repair claims to be done (I disagree, as I might not want the work done, or might want it covered under my warranty, if valid).

I have been in contact with my warranty company, and know the terms explicitly, and how to properly handle the potential claim. So we shall see.

However, I did learn a valuable lesson to know the features of the vehicle BEFORE purchase, as this whole issue could have been fixed before I signed on the dotted line.

 

LILBENZ230:

Yes I did have to take a closer look at the term s of my contract to figure out how the transmission mode is covered. A quick call to the warranty company confirmed this too. Depending on the diagnosis, it should either be transmission electronics or switches. In either case, it is covered. So hopefully all will go well...I laugh as I say this...because you know

And I think diy advice would be wonderful, of course I don't want to tear the car apart, but wouldn't it be nice to have a simple home garage fix!!!

 

There are lots of DIY posts on this forum and a lot of people who can walk you through how to do things yourself. It's amazing how much the dealer wants to just change spark plugs and that is something almost anybody can do. I would start by getting your service book and seeing what service is coming next and maybe planning on doing some of that.

 

MCMUDBUG:

Thanks for the advice. I do have a B service in 5,000 miles, so I can get a heads up on what that entails and what I can do and what I can't do

This forum is so great. It seems so invaluable in terms of diy and every other MB related issue! I'm so glad I discovered it. The people in this forum are very cool, too

 

There is an extended warranty out there that is backed by MBUSA, (i.e. buy your car new and get close to the end of the warranty what they will offer you) and it is pretty darn good, but definitely not cheap. That sounds like what you may have, and if so, you will probably not have any issues.

That and the CarMax "Max Care" extended warranty are both actually supposed to be pretty decent.

Hopefully you will have a good experience.

 

AnnetteMMc,
Dealer's can be such dix.
If you have crappy service advisor, ask for another one.
That's worked for me.
One wouldn't cover stuff, the other would.
I had the factory warranty and then the full factory extended warranty,
and still when I'd ask if stuff was covered they'd say no.
I had to start taking the warranty in with me to read it to them.

I thought they would know, they sold it to me, but no.
So they'd say, sign to show you agree to pay for this,
and I'd read from the warranty and they'd go, "oh".

Lastly if you don't get good results from changing advisors,
try changing dealers if possible, and if that doesn't work,
write MB USA a letter.
I made contact with a regional tech rep this way, and when the dealer got out of line, I called him.
They kissed my **** to the very last day of the warranty, and I've never gone back.
Try to find a reputable indy mechanic.
B service is just an oil change and inspections.
Anything they actually replace costs extra, so yes,
you got some learnin' to do.
Start with the DIY section of the forum.
Welcome aboard! Another coupe!!! Yeah!

 

MW ATL,

THANKS!!

 

C230 Sport Coup,

Thanks for the info. I will for sure take the warranty in with me when I get it serviced, and also get into contact with MB if there are issue. I'm big on letter writing (they hate that, lol)!
BTW, Love your Coupe...Blue! Oh, she is beautiful!

 

I finally had my appointment to fix this sport/comfort mode malfunction issue.

As expected, it was a fight at the service department! Thankfully my salesman stepped in and his department covered the cost.

There were so many unprofessional aspects of this service department, I'm not sure where to start.

This was an issue that turned out to be a faulty connection between the switch and wires. The service writer claimed the warranty company would not cover the cost because there were no parts used, this turned out to be untrue in the end, as the issue of non-coverage occured because of his failure to call the company first and approve the work to be done. This procedure was explained to him when I arrived. He acutally had the work perfomed, then informed me it was done and handed me the bill. I never authorized more than a diagnosis. I feel these service writers are cheats, who look for the $ commission, and deny a valid warranty to a potential long tern customer!

Finally, the original pre-sales inspection report was produced for me and it turns out their version of a "Rigid Certified Inspection" is a detail job and a seat belt inspection. There was no other aspect of the vehicle checked. This was in contrast to the other service writer who, over the phone, stated the car had been inspected for this issue and none was found, as a comprehensive inspection is performed by the department on all pre-sales vehicles. In person, she retracted and said all that is done is a saftey inspection, re: seat belt inspection.

I would never go back to this dealership again, for service or sales. While I like my salesman, and thankful he covered my costs today, I am fearful of the job the service deparment does on its pre-sales vehicles as well as the way they do business. I'm glad the previous owners maintained the vehicle well and that I purchased the warranty! Live and learn

 

That's a real shame, but sadly not unexpected. I don't think my stealer is that bad (in fact, I think my service writer is pretty good, but their pricing structure is WAY out of whack).

I only have experience with MB's and CarMax's xxx point inspections and they are both pretty close. The inspection for a CPO is a bit better than CarMax, but the vast majority of the checks are stuff like radio, windshield wipers, seat belts, etc. Stuff that requires almost no technical expertise. It's been a while so I can't say for sure, but I don't even think MB did a compression check for their CPO inspection.

As you figured out, for stuff you can't do yourself, you need to find a good indy. Ask around, check the Internet, maybe even join Angie's List. In the mean time there are lots of maintenance tasks that you can learn to do without large outlays for tools and require minor technical know-how. Maybe a friend can help you. Another thing you might want to consider to joining a local MB Car Club, a sports car club, etc. There would likely be lots of people who would be glad to help show you how to do simple things on your car that would save lots of money. It's really easy to save money on simple things. Call you stealer's service department and ask them how much it costs to change your spark plugs! You will be amazed!

Good luck!