MBsc10

Hey, I'm new to this forum and own a 2016 GTS with 35k miles. I'm seeking all advice on what my next steps should be with regard to a serious mechanical problem. My check engine light came on (not blinking) and within a few miles a "transmission malfunction - stop" warning came up on the driver's screen. The transmission kicked itself into neutral, would not go back into drive, and I coasted to the side of the road. I shut the car off, waited a few minutes and restarted it hoping that the system would reboot without the error message. It did but the "check engine" stayed on. I got it home. Dealer said the diagnostics were that the "rpm sensor" inside the transmission was the issue and it could not be repaired and if they even tried, there's no guarantee that it will work.

Their recommendation - replace the transmission for the low, low, price of $20k. I'm not sure what to do next. It's not a recall item. I don't understand how a highly engineered performance machine like this blows the transmission with only 35k miles on it. No racing etc.. Can anyone guide me on your experience? is the dealer claim is true? Might there be some warranty I don't know about? All advice appreciated. I incorrectly posted this same note to the wrong sub forum in the first place. Help! Thanks.

Tom
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djjoonie

I just had the same problem, had the car towed to nearest mb workshop today...
So, I was driving for about 5 mins and tranny kicked out of gear into neutral out of nowhere with the same message and a message saying "parking lock mulfunct. apply parking brake" when I stopped. I shut the car off to restart but the car just died like it had no battery when i pressed the start/stop button. the window wouldn't even go down slightly when open and closing the door. so after about 5 mins i pressed the unlock button on the key and it came back to life like nothing ever happened. so I thought it might be gimmick in electric system, so i started driving again but the gear popped right back out again to neutral with the solid check engine sign now.. I am now thinking there might be a slight chance that the battery is acting out since I was listening to music for a while without engine running turn system back on when it auto shutoffs from the system. I just hope that its just simple battery issue, but we will find out!

Orcbolg

Have you already had your driveshaft recall done? I had the same issue, and that's what it was.

Surge

This could be a loose ground wire - the service tech should check all wiring, especially in the rear trunk. Good luck!

Surge

Have you had the car since new? Have you flushed the transmission/diff oil? I think it’s a good idea at about 40k km.

MBsc10

Thanks to everyone for their advice on my transmission problem. The dealer believes that the source of the problem is a defective "rpm sensor". That unit is buried inside the transmission case. Diagnostic fault codes were 072100 and P0721. They claim that the only option is to replace the transmission. They have offered minor compensation but nowhere near the $20k total cost of replacement. What bothers me even more is that the trans fluid was checked for metal shavings and there were none. So there is nothing mechanically wrong and would be spending that kind of money for a bad sensor. Not to mention that the transmission will be resold for something like $13k-$15k as a remanufactured unit once the defective sensor is replaced back at their factory. Meanwhile I'm stuck with the bill.

There are no outstanding recalls and the trans fluid was changed as a result of investigating the source of the problem. I had two different dealers evaluate my situation. I even looked into buying a trans from a salvage yard. I was told that the unit would not work because it could not be re-programmed to my car. Not even the best transmission repair shop in town that specializes in exotic cars is willing to take on this project. What a mess! I've appealed to MBUSA on their woefully low offer to assist in the cost of replacing my transmission. What a terrible disappointment for such a high-performance auto with 33k total miles. Beware.

Surge

If you can buy a remanufactured unit then it can definitely be coded to the car. An RPM sensor does not need to be coded to the car anyway.
This tells me you can absolutely get a refurbished transmission or get this one repaired.
Look for a shop that deals with these transmissions specifically, or Ferrari transmissions, as the same unit is in a Ferrari or two.
Get the dealer just to remove the trans then ship it to this shop.

superswiss

Sounds like nobody is willing to open up the transmission and rebuild it. Could be because with the GT it's a transaxle that also contains the e-diff. A somewhat complicated unit to mess with. Unfortunately, DCTs are complicated and full of sensors that can go bad. The sensors themselves are cheap, but they can't be replaced w/o taking the whole transmission apart. So even a repair is several thousand dollars. I've had a gear position sensor go bad in my previous Audi RS5's DCT out of warranty. The dealership, though was willing to take the transmission apart and replace the sensor. The sensor was like $100, but the quote for the job was $6000, however it was a known issue for those sensors to go bad, so Audi together with the dealership agreed to lower the price to $5000 and then do a 50:50 cost split, so it ended up costing me $2500. Still a lot of money to replace a cheap sensor. It was kinda the final straw for me to sell the car. I love DCTs, but they have too many moving parts.

502Bill

I have no experience with this shop. Might be worth a phone call.

https://www.exoticars-usa.com/dct-du...ce-and-repair/

roadtalontsi

I'd try another dealer. Speed sensor should be available separately from an entire transmission. Also doubt that's the issue. Surge and I know that the real problem likely is. Where are you located?

MBsc10

I'm located in Greenville, SC. The car is at a dealer in Charlotte, NC. It has been a nightmare. Dealer insists that there is no wiring issue but they can't explain why there was a premature failure. No transmission shop will touch this problem. Extremely disappointing outcome.

Surge

So sorry to hear this! I’m sure it hasn’t been fun.

There are however transmission shops that will repair it. I would post in the Ferrari Chat forum, as there are models that have the same unit.

Peezy63

have you received the letter on warranty extension on transmission leak? Here is my story in link below so I have some feedback that may or may not be of help cuz I spent months on reimbursement and I just went in circles. Be happy to answer any questions cuz I spent about 16k on a new transmission (out of pocket)…No customer service from Mercedes dealership or MBUSA…(then got hit by a drunk driver about a year later).

Lemme know if you have any questions.

https://mbworld.org/forums/coupe-roa...ranty-now.html

https://mbworld.org/forums/coupe-roa...-soonorip.html

PA in CA

My transmission sensor failed and the only fix is a new transmission at 20k. Luckily I bought an extended warranty so it was all covered. It’s not uncommon with these cars

MBsc10

Thanks. I spoke with them. Very good shop. It's a risky disassembly and reassembly. Also there are so few GTS's around that no one has the experience to do this repair work. Getting the parts from MB is way hard.

W205C43PFL

re: your update on your other thread... How come MBUSA didn't cover the entire cost, wasn't it part of the extended transmission warranty according to the letter another forum member posted?

Orcbolg

Frustratingly, that warranty extensions ONLY applies to "leaks", as stupid as that is. You may be able to find a dealer who's willing to mark it down as such, but that's easier said than done.

Honestly though, this really does sound exactly like the issues I had when my car's driveshaft started slipping, and needed the recall done.

W205C43PFL

Ugh...

ChrisHimself

currently considering offloading the car after this thread.. 50k miles

Viper98912

Wow, did not realize this was such a flaw in the GT's

W205C43PFL

at least if anything happens (hopefully not) you should be covered by that extended warranty?

W205C43PFL

I guess things happens... it is what it is.

MBNRG

This same Trans is shared across multiple Ferrari models, and other makes as well.

Orcbolg

I believe it expires next year.

ChrisHimself

not the original owner, i'm just a guy faking it til i make it

original was 4yr/50k

$8000 to extend 3 years, it's like 10k if you're not the original owner or you add it on after buying the car. I just left the dealer as these were coming out so I know their sales tactics. They're quite literally getting you to spend $10,000 in post-tax money on top just to drive a car with peace of mind when it should ideally have zero issues whatsoever anyway. This does not include the $5000 service contract so you can get 25% off parts and labor upfront. Thats $15,000 of your money at the minimum they get to hold onto forever, god forbid you crash the car and all of it gets torched. The secondhand market on these should be much worse than they are but people don't understand how much of a pitfall this particular scenario is yet. People harp on the 600 and 65 v12 cars for their service costs after they were already 15+ years old, consider these cars are still under warranty some of the time and being abandoned.

For example one of the worst most insane parts I have ever seen were the $4500 Arnott Airmatic struts for the Maybach 57/62. Cept it makes sense why those break and it happens once after 100k and you got to do Maybach stuff for a ton of years. Having your transmission go out while driving the car to work is one of the most cruel things a car of this quality and expense could do to you.

Mercedes does NOT want to warranty these transmissions, basically once they diagnose a sensor goes out which is a small part, they tell you it's wear and tear and they get away with not warrantying the entire unit. Mercedes trying to compete with Porsche by leaning on Ferrari for drivetrain stuff has got to be one of the dumbest decisions ever. How does Aston Martin get the benefit of Mercedes engineering, yet Mercedes lets themselves down on their supercar lol.