Here is MB response to my request they replace my defective wiring harness. I say we flood this lady with calls.




Dear Mr. Kulawik:

Thank you for your E mail.

We regret your concern over the needed repairs to your 1992 400E, but trust
you can realize that it is difficult to comment with specifics regarding
the issues you are having with your vehicle from this distance.

Once a vehicle leaves our possession, many factors are beyond the control
of a manufacturer that have a direct bearing on repairs which may become
necessary as age/mileage accrues. Additionally, it has been our experience
an original manufacturing defect in workmanship or material will present
itself shortly after a vehicle has been placed into service or well within
the Limited New Car Warranty.

Mr. Kulawik, while we recognize your feelings, we also seek your
understanding there comes a reasonable point in time when a manufacturer
must relinquish responsibility with a vehicle, and the owner becomes
accountable for repairs. Considering your E-Class is 14 1/2 years old,
after review it has been determined that Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC cannot
relate any currently needed repairs to a manufacturing responsibility and
must respectfully decline offering post-warranty financial assistance (even
if you brought your vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership for
repair).

While we realize this is not the response you anticipated, please be
assured this decision in no way diminishes our appreciation of you as a
Mercedes-Benz owner, as we fully recognize your patronage of our brand.

The opportunity to review this matter is appreciated.

Sincerely,



Honora D.
Customer Relations Liaison
1-800-367-6372 (ext. 6307)

 

That's really bogus, so they couldnt find a fault at first and now that it has reared its ugly head they decided to brush it aside...tisk tisk.

 

I read that modern era autos are designed to last 7 years, period. At 7 years, as far as the mfgrs. are concerned, they need to be crushed and a new one purchased . They would like that wouldn't they!

 

sad to hear that they can't be of any help, but at the same time not surprising, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a automobile manufacturer out there that after 14+ years would be willing to fix a defect in the vehicle... That sucks man, whats your next course of action, gonna get it fixed? or are you gonna sell the car?

 

I can't believe that Mercedes would ever say that though. Their brand used to be considered the best example of a reliable car. That may not be true right now, but I can't imagine that it's intentional. They would love having the image of a manufacturer whose cars that last 30 years... But that may very well be true of other manufacturers. Especially American ones.

Imagine how much waste would be generated in the world if everybody replaced their cars every 7 years!!

Anyway, back on topic... It was definitely worth a try. It's too bad that Mercedes obviously made a mistake by using biodegradable insulation, but they won't own up to it. But I also see their point- they can't go replacing parts on cars that old. There is a certain point where the responsibility falls on the owner, even if it was a defect. Cuz I bet most 14 1/2 year old cars have more problems than yours does! But like I said, worth a try.

 

I've heard about a similar case with Nissan Patrol off road vehicles where certain Diesel engines were prone to mecanical failures, where Nissan wouldn't reward any claims after affected vehicles were 7 years or older...

The problem with all of us here is that we are just a very small percentage of people who own those rarer vehicles that are kept in better condition than usual and have a high emotional value, while most other cars our age have been totally written off. Sometimes we forget that our cars are also a hobby, and a hobby costs $$$ (or €€€ in my case!)

 

I couldn't agree with you more. If I didn't love my car so much, I would've sent it to the junk yard after owning it for 6 months. I have spent almost 3 times what my car is worth on maintenance!!! oh well!

 

All I know is that my 1991 Civic, that I only got rid of back in January, is 15 1/2 years old, cost a third of what a w124 did when new, and had 210,000 miles on it and the only problem it ever had was a tendency to eat cv joints every year or two and it was on its second trans. No flames, please, my point is that cars can and should last a long, long time. Even crappy ones like hondas.

I don't think it's unrealistic to expect non-moving, non-mechanical parts to last 20+ years. However, I am not surprised that MBUSA will not replace these parts.

I think that the cost of replacing all of the wiring harnesses would be picked up by the consumer eventually, so there's not much point.

BUT, MBUSA should sell replacement wiring harnesses AT THEIR COST as a way of meeting us half way on this issue.

 

I hear you. And Hondas are not crappy cars by the way. They are extremely reliable and low maintenance. Just because they aren't luxurious it doesn't mean they are crappy. Only snobs and the uninformed truly believe that Honda's are bad cars. If you're talking about riced-out hondas... then that's a different story! lol

 

i mean crappy when compared to something like a Mercedes. Hondas are great cars. I've owned two civics in the past and they both ran like champs. My point was more that my 15.5 year old honda didn't have parts rotting out on it and neither should a Mercedes. Hell, my 20 year old Rabbit ran great until the day it had its poor little head caved in.

 

I brought my 300ce to replace my accord with 170ish thousand miles still on the original clutch...But after owning the Benz for a couple of months I realized i better keep that honda around...

 

Well I bit the bullet an replaced my wiring harness. Even helped the mechanic since I wanted to learn more about the car. One good thing came about tho...The dealership I picked the harness up from will do the outstanding recall on it with no problems all I have to do is set up an appointment. Not bad for a 12 yr old E320.

 

We kept my wife's 95 Celica after we bought her BMW. The Toyota has only 128k on it and it's just starting to feel broken in. She still uses it as her main car and only puts about 5k miles a year on the BMW.

 

well, it sounds like we all agree that buying a Mercedes isn't the smartest financial decision. But when they run well, it's like a beam of sun from heaven shines on you. lol

 

I have to agree. Yes, 14 - 15 years old is a long time to have a car on the road then expect the manufacturer to replace a defective part. It is a hobby - and an expensive one. I will keep you all updated on my cause. I am not totally done with MBUSA yet, although I am fairly confident my efforts are for not. What the hell, worth a shot.
I do like the idea of working out a deal to obtain a harness at their cost. I might try that angle.
Steve

 

You may not like it, but I have to agree with MB on this one. If they open the door to that, then why not open the door to other items that don't age well?

I don't know if you knew about the harness issue when you bought your car - if you did, then you accepted the responsibilities when you bought it; if you didn't, then you didn't do your homework before purchase. If the car was 4-5 years old, I'd say MB has an issue on their hands. If it was a safety issue, I'd say MB has an issue on their hands. Otherwise, I say you have an issue on your hands.

I like my MB and I bought it knowing the risks - I don't want a Honda.

 

The wiring harnesses have been known to go out on our model MBs. I know a few people who have had to deal with this issue. Think about it, no matter how good the construction on anything manufactured it's bound to degrade in some manner. If you ask me 14 yrs. before a wiring harness craps out is a hell of a lot better than having your brand new Ford Focus ignition cylinder crap out. I believe although problematic at times (and depending on the owner) MBs are worth every dime.

 

The response doesn't surprise me. As much as I'd love to see Mercedes take the blame for the faulty harnesses and do a recall, I know that from a business standpoint it is impossible. The w124 hasn't been in production for a long time, all warranties have expired, and the costs associated with such a recall would be huge. Many cars have similar problems that are not adressed by the dealerships too, so it's not like we're all getting screwed by Mercedes. Just think of the harness as another routine maintenance item...like brake pads or something!

I'm glad you wrote them a letter, and I'm impressed with their (mostly) well-written reply.