pixmation

Originally was brought in for the SRS warning stays on. I talked to the service rep today and he told me that they just received a bulletin about the harness for the SRS wiring connector cannot be used in the C230K. Since it's related to the airbags and it's an safety issue, MB will not allow them to release the car, not until the correct parts has arrived. In which case, the rep has no idea when the part will be here.

From his explanation (which has lost me long time ago), they originally just to replace the connector, then discover something else that need to replace the wiring, and now this. Also have something to do with needing to get into the trunk area where the wiring is.

Isn't bulletin something similar to a recall for defective parts?

jack230

Not release the car? Are you saying that you want your car, and they won't give it to you?

C230K

Back in September, my Coupe was held for a week, had to a factory install problem with the shoulder harness. From what they said, the car hits port and is fully inspected and must pass before going to the dealer. Guess it's better now than later. I know the pain in waiting, best of luck and enjoy.
Tom

pixmation

yeah, won't give me the car because of safety concern.

probably don't want me to sue their *** off if anything happen while their safety features in question. Maybe I should ask if I can get a SLK loaner instead of the E320.

greg230

what kinda loaner car do you have??? my dealership gives m,c,e,slk cars as loaners.... 2 weeks with an slk sounds ok to me.

jack230

I would just like to point out one little thing: they can't keep your car from you if you don't want them to. It's your car--not theirs.

But.... If you're happy with an E-class.

pixmation

I have been driving the E320 for two weeks, driving all over LA doing advertising for them.

mbtech208

Actually, if it's safety-related, they can keep your car from you. You don't have the right to demand your car back, its not that simple. GM went through this not too long ago when the 2002 TrailBlazer/Envoy/Bravada SUVs came out. Their was a recall because the lower balljoints were seperating from the steering knuckle, causing the vehicle to lose control. Dealers were tracking down owners at home, at work, wherever they may be, and literally taking their vehicles from the owners, with notification of course. They would leave a loaner vehicle for the owner to drive. My aunt and uncle had this happen with their 2002 Bravada. Although in all cases, I'm sure if you really wanted it back, you could sign some kind of waiver. But if it's safety-related and they're fixing it for free anyways, is it worth it? Why bother?

jack230

From a legal standpoint, a dealer can't keep a car from it's rightful owner, unless the customer doesn't pay his or her bill or something like that.

What is illegal, though, is to render inoperative safety equipment on a vehicle. I don't know if this is what happened in Pixmation's case, but if a car went in for a problem and, for example, an airbag were deactivated in the process of repair, which required a part not in stock to reactivate, then the dealer will have violated federal law if he were to give the car back to the customer. And yes, if there were an accident, and the driver argued that the deactivated safety feature caused injury, then the dealer and manufacturer would be in a mess. However, that alone does not give the dealer the right to keep the car from its rightful owner. (BTW, I asked another lawyer in my firm who has worked extensively in auto-safety cases to confirm this.)

The thing to do would be to explain the situation to the customer instead saying that the customer can't have the car back.

Of course, MBTech, if it's safety related, and I had an E320 in its place, I wouldn't care too much. But, there's always someone that would.

pixmation

Just talked to the service rep.

Yes, the harness connector connects ALL the safety features in the car, airbags and seatbelts. So that's the reason that they are keeping the car there, also to quote his words, "the car is completely apart right now." Well, I wonder how "completely" it is.

Unfortunately they don't have SLK loaners, only E320, C320 and ML320. I am getting bored with the E320, maybe I will see if I can switch to ML or C later.