Loaner cars?
06-21-2005, 11:01 AM
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Loaner cars?
Hello all,
Are loaner cars a policy that changes dealer to dealer or do all dealerships have minimum requirements from MBUSA? What are the loaner car options?
I wanted to bring in my car in for some minor issues I'm having and they're telling me they don't give out loaner cars. I didn't purchase either Benz from them. I remember in the other dealership (different state) they gave me a MB loaner car.
Cheers
Are loaner cars a policy that changes dealer to dealer or do all dealerships have minimum requirements from MBUSA? What are the loaner car options?
I wanted to bring in my car in for some minor issues I'm having and they're telling me they don't give out loaner cars. I didn't purchase either Benz from them. I remember in the other dealership (different state) they gave me a MB loaner car.
Cheers
06-21-2005, 12:17 PM
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If your car is under warranty, and it's a warranty issue, they should be giving you a loaner car or paying for a rental. I'd call the 800 number. Honestly, I wouldn't take my car to a dealer that tried to pull that. I've never once bought a car from the dealer that ended up servicing it -- and for $175/hr they can afford to pay for a loaner car. Dealers make their profit off of used cars and service, so I'm surprised they wouldn't try to make people's service experience better.
Let me guess: they're the only dealer within 300 miles so they can get away with it?
Let me guess: they're the only dealer within 300 miles so they can get away with it?
06-21-2005, 01:44 PM
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12' C63 P31, 06' Supercharged Range, 08' BMW 550i
Originally Posted by naadp
If your car is under warranty, and it's a warranty issue, they should be giving you a loaner car or paying for a rental. I'd call the 800 number. Honestly, I wouldn't take my car to a dealer that tried to pull that. I've never once bought a car from the dealer that ended up servicing it -- and for $175/hr they can afford to pay for a loaner car. Dealers make their profit off of used cars and service, so I'm surprised they wouldn't try to make people's service experience better.
Let me guess: they're the only dealer within 300 miles so they can get away with it?
Let me guess: they're the only dealer within 300 miles so they can get away with it?
06-21-2005, 01:49 PM
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2003 CLK 320
I am fairly sure this varies from dealer to dealer. Some dealers give preferred treatment to customers who bought there car there as well so shop around.
06-21-2005, 01:55 PM
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1989 Toyota Tercel EZ - dyno'd @ 70whp/77wtq
Where are you? In Bay Area / Silicon Valley, almost all dealers give loaners as long as you have an all-day or overnight service (I even got a loaner for Service A) not just oil change (I don't go to dealer anyway for oil change)... mainly C240s, though.... until a worker there told me that I shouldn't settle for less than an E-class next time given that I drive an AMG. 
Why didn't he show up earlier?
Why didn't he show up earlier?
06-21-2005, 02:37 PM
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I was under the impression that the dealers get a special purchase price and some sort of reimbursement for providing loaner cars on warranty work that gets billed back to MB.
With three dealers within 20 miles of each other, the dealers here know better than to try the "you have to have bought your car here" crap because people would just go to one of the other shops and they'd loose out on over $100/hr in pure profit, after covering their costs...
With three dealers within 20 miles of each other, the dealers here know better than to try the "you have to have bought your car here" crap because people would just go to one of the other shops and they'd loose out on over $100/hr in pure profit, after covering their costs...
Last edited by naadp; 06-21-2005 at 02:39 PM.
06-21-2005, 10:33 PM
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C63 / ////AMG
It varies from dealer to dealer out west:
Fletcher Jones Las Vegas - either a complimetary Enterprise rental or loaner if they have your lemon, I mean ML-class, for an extended period of time. They were cool--when a head gasket blew on my 89 300E back in 2000, they gave me a loaner... (Thanks Tom!!)
Rusnak Arcadia/Pasadena - no loaners if your vehicle is out of warranty period. Usually they're so busy you end up with an Enterprise rental anyways - free of charge.
South Bay Mercedes - Enterprise rental. Even if you bought it from there. They're a really busy service location...
Look these dealers sell so many friggin' Benzes they don't have a loaner fleet, and even if they do, they reserve them for extended service visits--to cut their losses from Enterprise. I actually heard one of my SA's arguing with an Enterprise rep about some extra charges...
Even So. Cal. Porsche dealers have maybe one loaner, all the rest use that damn enterprise crap...
In the end, if I'm in a hurry, and don't like the Enterprise selection, I just get a ride home & drive one of my other cars
Fletcher Jones Las Vegas - either a complimetary Enterprise rental or loaner if they have your lemon, I mean ML-class, for an extended period of time. They were cool--when a head gasket blew on my 89 300E back in 2000, they gave me a loaner... (Thanks Tom!!)
Rusnak Arcadia/Pasadena - no loaners if your vehicle is out of warranty period. Usually they're so busy you end up with an Enterprise rental anyways - free of charge.
South Bay Mercedes - Enterprise rental. Even if you bought it from there. They're a really busy service location...
Look these dealers sell so many friggin' Benzes they don't have a loaner fleet, and even if they do, they reserve them for extended service visits--to cut their losses from Enterprise. I actually heard one of my SA's arguing with an Enterprise rep about some extra charges...
Even So. Cal. Porsche dealers have maybe one loaner, all the rest use that damn enterprise crap...
In the end, if I'm in a hurry, and don't like the Enterprise selection, I just get a ride home & drive one of my other cars
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06-22-2005, 12:30 AM
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Thanks for the response guys. Got it sorted.
Drove in with the CL600 and the attitude was quite different. I am now servicing my C32 AMG for warranty work and getting a MB loaner car. I detest double standards, so needless to say that as soon as the warranty is up, I won't be using this dealership's services for anything.
Cheers
Drove in with the CL600 and the attitude was quite different. I am now servicing my C32 AMG for warranty work and getting a MB loaner car. I detest double standards, so needless to say that as soon as the warranty is up, I won't be using this dealership's services for anything.
Cheers
06-22-2005, 01:05 AM
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The worst dealership for loaners has always been United Auto in North Scottsdale, Arizona. They have the following brands at one location: Porsche, BMW, Mini, Acura, Audi, Land Rover, Jaguar, VW. It seems that no matter what you bring in, you get a base model Hertz rental (Chevy Aveo) and the opportunity to upgrade out of pocket if you want. Plus, they nail you with a $15 a day "fuel charge" regardless. To top it off, when I bought my BMW and brought it in for service the first time, I was 20 and their onsite Hertz location refused to rent to me because I wasn't 21, and their shuttle driver refused to drive me home so I could drive my other car because my house was almost 30 miles away.
Just when you think it's bad, remember there are worse dealerships out there
Just when you think it's bad, remember there are worse dealerships out there
