mediasteam

When I went to pick up my car from MB dealer (after car was serviced) while was waiting for the service agent (or driver) to bring the car out I discovered between the time I paid my bill for the service and waited they lost my car key. Few minutes later when the dealer confirmed that they lost the key a service manager apologized to me for waiting and offered to loan one of their car and assured that car was in the shop and even showed it to me where it is parked.

After 4 days they still haven't found the key and offered to disable the lost keys (I do not have a spared key which I told them I lost) and get a new key for me but my question is if they get me a new key, lost key contains a mecanical (regular) key that someone can use to get in my car and especially since it was lost in the dealer, employees have access to my address and argued that I do not feel safe and they should replace the locks too.

I am talking to the manager about this issue, and gave them another week to find my key, don't you guys think they should replace my locks? Please advise if anyone had similar situation and what the outcome was? If they do not agree to changing lock should I take it to bbb or court?

I am currently driving their loaned car for last 4 days.

raymond g-

breach of security remains if the key isn't found. you should be made whole,
which means all conditions, enjoyment of security, should be restored to that
enjoyed prior to the breach. electronic as well as mechanical locks should be
revised, in my opinion.

MBs have reputation as having more challanging locking system than others.
to simply change electronic locking, yet leave untouched simple mechanical
access into your vehicle leaves open the possibility of loss of property stored
within the trunk, pax compartment, and glove box.

Hold your ground. They will change them....all.

p.s. if it was lost at the dealer, staff or public could have picked it up.
until they produce the key, one would have to presume that the worse
case scenario is a possibility - it's out there on the streets. I doubt that
they would be so cavalier as to tell you 'dont worry about it'. if they as
so much as imply this, be clear that you will share your experiences with
other MB owners.

mediasteam

Thank you Raymond for your thoughts and advise. So far things are being handled very politely, I told them I am willing to wait another week for them to find the key as the manager itterates that the key is somewhere perhaps in another one of their loaner vehicle and they should find it soon and that he appreciate me being patient.

By the way, the service I had done on my car cost me over 4k. I have been going to them for most of my major service and my experience has been great with them. I really hope they find the key and everyone is happy.

Kev04C320

If they couldn't find it, insist that they should replace ALL locks, not just the exterior locks.

Alexbenz

i'm pretty sure they will issue you another key unless you want them to change the locks and keys all together......

zam2000

I think you should go with the path of getting your old key disable, and simply take the new key. Here's why:

1. The mechanical key could only be used to open your door and trunk at most, nothing else. Can't be used to start the car or even operate the garage openner.
2. Unless you tag your key with your address or license plate number, for anyone who found it, there's no way to trace the key to the car. Remmember, only the manufacture can trace key back to car, even dealer can't do that (they can only problem new key for your car). And it's unlikely a dealer personel would send it back to Germany to trace the car, even if they do so, once the key is tagged as disable, it's all void.
3. Knowing the complexity of the key system in Mercedes, you are more likely to encounter problem during this whole lock replacement, or the consequence of it.
4. Down time.

To Mercedes, having a mechanical key is just as having a rock: either open the door w/ the key, or smash the window and get it. Not much else could be done.

Barry45RPM

Personally, I think you are worried for nothing.

1. A loose MB key found by anyone will not identiy itself as to which car it could possibly fit, so no one will know its for YOUR car.

2. If it IS tagged with an RO number tag, someone with access to the shop's computer system will have to access the RO number to find out where the car "lives".

3. No one from the dealership is going to go to your home to steal your w210, there are many newer & better vehicles out there to steal, and the majority of people employed by the dealership are honest, hard working people, not car theives. They handle expensive new cars, keys & dealership money all day long every week. They are surrounded by MBs all day... they aren't anything more than work for dealership people. And remember, they want to keep their jobs.

4. The car is insured. This is NY... there are tons of Benzes here. Its not the "Mona Lisa". Its replaceable... quite easily. (Another reason why no one from the shop is coming to steal it)

5. They will replace your key, which is really all you are out. Don't look to punish them just for the hell of it. They can easilly recoup the money you cost them by punishing them from your future repair bills without you even knowing it... painlessly too, a couple of dollars extra here, and a couple extra there, or just one extra part "replaced".

6. Don't be paranoid. No one's coming to drive your car off. Its not like you lost the labeled key to a bus station locker filled with a suitcase full of cash from a bank robbery!

7. I'd worry more if I couldn't find my Cell Phone for a few hours, or my wallet.

mediasteam

First of all I like to thank you guys for inputs on my lost key delima.
They finally have decided to replace all the locks (driver side, trunk, and gloves compartment) since they couldn't find the key. Ofcourse they will order the new locks and key, etc. which will take another week or so and who knows what will go wrong this time. So after some thinking I told them instead of going through this I would accept if they make me two sets of keys (instead of just one) and documents showing they disabled all lost keys.

They ofcourse agreed with my offer, anyone have any take on this approach?

raymond g-

I'd work with them in good faith. Presuming that you will continue to patronize
their establishment, I wouldn't think you'd want to gouge them in punitive
fashion. Get the keys (Smart, valet, mechanical) set, tumblers changed (may
even be easy if single tumbler mod) and leave it be. You're not suggesting
that you should have 2 Smartkeys and 2 valet/flat keys and 2 mechanical
keys, are you? Because that would seem excessive to me

I would think that this is where you're simply asking to be made whole, not
whole, plus another set, plus free Starmark, plus free schedule A/Bs etc...
(you get my drift?).

blume

do what you have to do until you are completely happy with the results, period. and, good luck!

mediasteam

what's a "tumblers"?

I do have the original valet key. So instead of them giving me one set of smart key I asked for two smart keys and I'm assuming regular keys will come with them. Another word they are NOT changing anything, they are simply disabling the lost keys and giving me two new keys. Do you know what I mean?

jago1244

demand new vehicle!
argue that the security risk remains even if keys are disabled AND locks are changed! an unscrupulous tech at the dealer may copy keys for self in order to surreptitously access your vehicle at future point.

may i suggest an SL65 as satisfactory compensation?

mediasteam

Lol.

!!!!!NJ Drive

yeah as a courtesy car until they get you an SLR

Barry45RPM

and be sure that they kill the lot jockey that lost the key, and have them burn down the parts department.

mediasteam

haahaa.... very funny guys... poking fun at me.

Hope you don't have to go through this!

... hey maybe I should keep the loaner car they gave me, perhaps report key lost? lol ... just kidding, so far they have been nice.