So My Car is Totalled (long post)...
06-24-2008, 01:02 AM
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Essex County, NJ
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
2011 E350 Sport 4Matic - P2 & Drivers Assist / 2010 C300 Sport 4Matic - P2 / 2013 Porsche Cayenne S
So My Car is Totalled (long post)...
June 14th, Saturday night, I'm coming home from Newark airport when the skies decide to open up. Torrential downpour, low visibility and people too scared to go at a normal speed all over the road. I get on the Jersey turnpike and suddenly find myself at a dead stop. A sea of red tail lights everywhere and a few people reversing back to the nearest exit. I flip on the traffic and weather for NY/NJ on Sirius and hear that because of an accident the turnpike is at a stand still. No problem, I think to myself, I'm going to outsmart everyone and turn off the exit where I'm at (15e) and cut through Newark to get to 280 and go home that way. I turn off at the exit and at the bottom of the ramp there is some water standing still. It wasn't deep so I powered through it without any problems. I get onto Raymond Blvd where there is substancially more water. I let a few car go by to judge how deep the water is and see that it's not deep its just vast (pretty much the whole city block was one gigantic puddle). I slowly ease through the flooded city block and keep going down Raymond Blvd. There are a few more block where the entire block was covered in water but after seeing other cars go though I knew how deep the water was, no problems; so far 
About two blocks later there is a small underpass that nobody is daring to go across. A few big SUVs a inching through it but sedans are standing on the edge not daring to go though. A few SUVs make it OK a few just barely. Ironically a Hummer got stuck but a Range Rover made it through without breaking a sweat. A few cars start lining up and daring to cross this mini river on the sidewalk. I saw an Infinity G35 make it across and a Toyota Prius. The sidewalk was about 3-4 inches high and that made all the difference. I'm cranky that I have to deal with this nonsense and I'd rather be home so I throw all caution to the wind and decide to join the line of cars up on the sidewalk trying to make it through. In retrospect this was a mistake.
So I'm up on the sidewalk easing into the water and everything is going according to plan. I've done this many times; I'm in a german tank and I have four wheel drive. I'm the king of the world; clearly I was mistaken
So the water is about up to 1/2 of 3/4 of the way up to the wheel. Suddenly the cars before me stop ! I look ahead and see that a gate has swung open and is blocking the way of the car two cars ahead of me and there is nowhere to go. Now, I'm in water already trying to keep the revs up so that no water will go into my exhaust. Stoping or reversing was out of the question so I did the next logical thing I could think of in that split second; I did like Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame, would do; I told everyone to hang on in the car; floored the accelerator to get the revs up and jumped the car off the curve and proceeded to power out of the water. In my mind it would have worked great but I overlooked one small thing; there was a Jeep Cherokee powering through the water next to me and when it passed me the wake from the waves it generated covered my car's hood sending gallons of water in through the grill 
My poor car had the momentum to get out of the water but then the engine coughed a few times and then went silent. I tried all the ticks up my sleeve to get it to start back up again to no avail. I saw an ABS failure message flash on the dash felt the breaks clamp down and my break pedal sink in all the way into the floor. Just f-ing dandy; here I am with a car full of people at dusk on the shady part of town with a dead Mercedes. It didn't look too good.
After unsuccessfully attempting to start up the engine I finally gave up and hit the TeleAid button in the car and got a nice lady on the line. She located my car remotely and dispatched a tow truck to my current location and offered to call the police for me. She also informed me that because I went through the water and since it is not covered by MB's warranty I would have to pay the cost of the tow. I agreed and she gave me the name and number of the towing service she dispatched for me. She also gave me her name and direct number where I can get in touch with her if I needed any more assistance and there was no power in the car. All in all the TeleAid service was top notch. To make a long story short I've waited for about an hour and a half for the tow truck to show up but it never did. I finally ended up calling another towing company who finally did show up (20 minutes later) and put my car on their flatbed. This tow truck driver explained to me that the other company is taking so long because they do not tow people while it is raining nor if the person's car is stuck in water because it could damage their truck also (at this point the water had drained and my car was on dry pavement). In the end after waiting around for two hours my car is finally mobile again on the back of the flatbed and headed to the dealership to be dropped off.
Before I continue on with my story I would just like to take the time to thank my dealership for all their help and professionalism they handeled me. Seriously; I felt like royalty the way they have treated me and they took care of all the work for me. So I'm talking to my Service Advisor about what happened to my car and he's telling me not to worry about it it happens a lot especially after flooding and they give me a loaner until they figure out what's up with the car. The loaner is a brand new C300 4matic with Pano roof, iPod and it only has 2,000 miles on it. They tell me to keep the car as long as I want they'll get back to me about my car. I guess now would be a good time to mention that the car I mistook as a submarine was a 5 month old E350 4matic with almost 4,000 miles on the odo; it was practically brand new. Two days go by when my SA calls me and tells me that they found water in the engine and air intake so it's not going to be covered under warrantly but rather I should get my insurance company involved; they will take care of everything for me they just need the name of the company and my agent's name. The loaner car ? Don't worry about it; keep it and use it until they figure out what to do with the car.
Two more days go by and I get a phone call from my SA that sent chills down my spine; my car is totalled and it needs to be salvaged by the insurance company. It turns out that the entire engine got ruined and to replace it with a brand new one would cost $25,000 and it was cheaper to salvage the car by the insurance company. I don't have to pay a dime the insurance company, my dealership and MB financial worked everything out. All I have to do is to go and collect all my things from the car. I'm devastated and feel guilty for killing a Benz that was barely on the road. My sales rep calls me to give me his condolences and asks me if there is anything he could do for me. I told him I'd like a new car and give him the specs that I want. An hour later he calls me back and tells me that he's got the car for me fresh off the boat. The car has 6 miles on it. I can come down whenever I want to take a look at it or it I'd like to shop around with other car companies that would be OK too, he can hold the car for me. Seriously that was so surreal that I was starting to think that I was in an episode of the twilight zone. For a car salesmen not to preasure me into a deal but to tell me that it's ok to look at other cars while he hangs on to a car for me is pretty rare. Anyway to make a long story short this was last Friday afternoon. Saturday I went down to the dealership to take a look at the car. It was exactly what I wanted, we filled out some paperwork and today (Monday) I brought the car home.
I'm still actually amazed at how the unfortunate event of me killing my car had such a happy ending. After unintentionally drowning my car I got a brand spanking new one without paying a dime. My insurance company took care of the tow charges for my old car and the salvaging. I'm not sure if my rates will go up (I suspect they might) but I was expecting to get royally screwed over by them (as with all insurance companies) but I was pleasantly surprised by them. They are New Jersey Skyline and I can't thank them enough for their swift and professional work. And of course a huge thank you to my dealership whom I knew from the past that they were good but in this case they proved that they were better then good; they were absolutely fantastic; Globe Motor Car Corp. in Faifield, NJ (http://www.globemotorcar.com). I'm not big fan of car salesmen but if you are in the area and you want to deal with people who are not out to screw you over you definately need to stop by and give them a try. Their sales department is excellent and their service department is outstanding. Anyway; the moral of the story is to use common sense when you come across a flooded street. Don't be like me; do yourself, and your car, a favor and wait until the water receeds a bit. Its really a bad phone call when your SA calls you to let you know your car needs to be salvaged.
About two blocks later there is a small underpass that nobody is daring to go across. A few big SUVs a inching through it but sedans are standing on the edge not daring to go though. A few SUVs make it OK a few just barely. Ironically a Hummer got stuck but a Range Rover made it through without breaking a sweat. A few cars start lining up and daring to cross this mini river on the sidewalk. I saw an Infinity G35 make it across and a Toyota Prius. The sidewalk was about 3-4 inches high and that made all the difference. I'm cranky that I have to deal with this nonsense and I'd rather be home so I throw all caution to the wind and decide to join the line of cars up on the sidewalk trying to make it through. In retrospect this was a mistake.
So I'm up on the sidewalk easing into the water and everything is going according to plan. I've done this many times; I'm in a german tank and I have four wheel drive. I'm the king of the world; clearly I was mistaken
So the water is about up to 1/2 of 3/4 of the way up to the wheel. Suddenly the cars before me stop ! I look ahead and see that a gate has swung open and is blocking the way of the car two cars ahead of me and there is nowhere to go. Now, I'm in water already trying to keep the revs up so that no water will go into my exhaust. Stoping or reversing was out of the question so I did the next logical thing I could think of in that split second; I did like Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame, would do; I told everyone to hang on in the car; floored the accelerator to get the revs up and jumped the car off the curve and proceeded to power out of the water. In my mind it would have worked great but I overlooked one small thing; there was a Jeep Cherokee powering through the water next to me and when it passed me the wake from the waves it generated covered my car's hood sending gallons of water in through the grill My poor car had the momentum to get out of the water but then the engine coughed a few times and then went silent. I tried all the ticks up my sleeve to get it to start back up again to no avail. I saw an ABS failure message flash on the dash felt the breaks clamp down and my break pedal sink in all the way into the floor. Just f-ing dandy; here I am with a car full of people at dusk on the shady part of town with a dead Mercedes. It didn't look too good.After unsuccessfully attempting to start up the engine I finally gave up and hit the TeleAid button in the car and got a nice lady on the line. She located my car remotely and dispatched a tow truck to my current location and offered to call the police for me. She also informed me that because I went through the water and since it is not covered by MB's warranty I would have to pay the cost of the tow. I agreed and she gave me the name and number of the towing service she dispatched for me. She also gave me her name and direct number where I can get in touch with her if I needed any more assistance and there was no power in the car. All in all the TeleAid service was top notch. To make a long story short I've waited for about an hour and a half for the tow truck to show up but it never did. I finally ended up calling another towing company who finally did show up (20 minutes later) and put my car on their flatbed. This tow truck driver explained to me that the other company is taking so long because they do not tow people while it is raining nor if the person's car is stuck in water because it could damage their truck also (at this point the water had drained and my car was on dry pavement). In the end after waiting around for two hours my car is finally mobile again on the back of the flatbed and headed to the dealership to be dropped off.
Before I continue on with my story I would just like to take the time to thank my dealership for all their help and professionalism they handeled me. Seriously; I felt like royalty the way they have treated me and they took care of all the work for me. So I'm talking to my Service Advisor about what happened to my car and he's telling me not to worry about it it happens a lot especially after flooding and they give me a loaner until they figure out what's up with the car. The loaner is a brand new C300 4matic with Pano roof, iPod and it only has 2,000 miles on it. They tell me to keep the car as long as I want they'll get back to me about my car. I guess now would be a good time to mention that the car I mistook as a submarine was a 5 month old E350 4matic with almost 4,000 miles on the odo; it was practically brand new. Two days go by when my SA calls me and tells me that they found water in the engine and air intake so it's not going to be covered under warrantly but rather I should get my insurance company involved; they will take care of everything for me they just need the name of the company and my agent's name. The loaner car ? Don't worry about it; keep it and use it until they figure out what to do with the car.
Two more days go by and I get a phone call from my SA that sent chills down my spine; my car is totalled and it needs to be salvaged by the insurance company. It turns out that the entire engine got ruined and to replace it with a brand new one would cost $25,000 and it was cheaper to salvage the car by the insurance company. I don't have to pay a dime the insurance company, my dealership and MB financial worked everything out. All I have to do is to go and collect all my things from the car. I'm devastated and feel guilty for killing a Benz that was barely on the road. My sales rep calls me to give me his condolences and asks me if there is anything he could do for me. I told him I'd like a new car and give him the specs that I want. An hour later he calls me back and tells me that he's got the car for me fresh off the boat. The car has 6 miles on it. I can come down whenever I want to take a look at it or it I'd like to shop around with other car companies that would be OK too, he can hold the car for me. Seriously that was so surreal that I was starting to think that I was in an episode of the twilight zone. For a car salesmen not to preasure me into a deal but to tell me that it's ok to look at other cars while he hangs on to a car for me is pretty rare. Anyway to make a long story short this was last Friday afternoon. Saturday I went down to the dealership to take a look at the car. It was exactly what I wanted, we filled out some paperwork and today (Monday) I brought the car home.
I'm still actually amazed at how the unfortunate event of me killing my car had such a happy ending. After unintentionally drowning my car I got a brand spanking new one without paying a dime. My insurance company took care of the tow charges for my old car and the salvaging. I'm not sure if my rates will go up (I suspect they might) but I was expecting to get royally screwed over by them (as with all insurance companies) but I was pleasantly surprised by them. They are New Jersey Skyline and I can't thank them enough for their swift and professional work. And of course a huge thank you to my dealership whom I knew from the past that they were good but in this case they proved that they were better then good; they were absolutely fantastic; Globe Motor Car Corp. in Faifield, NJ (http://www.globemotorcar.com). I'm not big fan of car salesmen but if you are in the area and you want to deal with people who are not out to screw you over you definately need to stop by and give them a try. Their sales department is excellent and their service department is outstanding. Anyway; the moral of the story is to use common sense when you come across a flooded street. Don't be like me; do yourself, and your car, a favor and wait until the water receeds a bit. Its really a bad phone call when your SA calls you to let you know your car needs to be salvaged.
Last edited by LaicepsYdobon; 06-24-2008 at 04:08 PM. Reason: Needed to add paragraphs to make it more readable
06-24-2008, 01:39 AM
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
Wow - what a story.
So I guess the next question is - what did you change about your new car? Same color/options, etc.?
So I guess the next question is - what did you change about your new car? Same color/options, etc.?
06-24-2008, 04:19 AM
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,408
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
06-24-2008, 07:01 AM
#6
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Essex County, NJ
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
2011 E350 Sport 4Matic - P2 & Drivers Assist / 2010 C300 Sport 4Matic - P2 / 2013 Porsche Cayenne S
Exactly same as the old one; E350 4matic luxury model with P1 package. However the new car is Capri Blue (old one was Artic White) and this car got the wooden steering wheel and came without any stickers/license plate holders from the dealership.
Trending Topics
06-24-2008, 08:30 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
1972 280SE 4.5
Wow! Glad to hear that you're ok! It's been coming down in buckets for weeks now here in South Florida. Artic White and Capri Blue, my two favorite E-Class colors! :-)
I'm glad you wrote about your good experience. We all tend to write only about bad experiences in here. It's important that we give recognition to dealers (and other companies alike) when they treat us well.
Good luck with the new ride!
I'm glad you wrote about your good experience. We all tend to write only about bad experiences in here. It's important that we give recognition to dealers (and other companies alike) when they treat us well.
Good luck with the new ride!
06-24-2008, 09:16 AM
#9
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 3,254
Likes: 0
Received 12 Likes
on
12 Posts
03 E500 and Corvette
You are lucky you have no injuries. In Katrina country we have learned water is nothing to trifle with. I would expect you rates to go up if you hit a fly and smash it on the paint. So for now you should be very cautious.
Gald you got a new car out of the deal. Your ins. co. could have depreciated it as the ins. co. did our contents from Katrina and given you 30% of the ACV.
Gald you got a new car out of the deal. Your ins. co. could have depreciated it as the ins. co. did our contents from Katrina and given you 30% of the ACV.
06-24-2008, 09:22 AM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Mercerville New Jersey
Posts: 801
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
1991 560SEC Teal 1989 420SEL Ice Blue 1984 500SEC White
June 14th, Saturday night, I'm coming home from Newark airport when the skies decide to open up. Torrential downpour, low visibility and people too scared to go at a normal speed all over the road. I get on the Jersey turnpike and suddenly find myself at a dead stop. A sea of red tail lights everywhere and a few people reversing back to the nearest exit. I flip on the traffic and weather for NY/NJ on Sirius and hear that because of an accident the turnpike is at a stand still. No problem, I think to myself, I'm going to outsmart everyone and turn off the exit where I'm at (15e) and cut through Newark to get to 280 and go home that way. I turn off at the exit and at the bottom of the ramp there is some water standing still. It wasn't deep so I powered through it without any problems. I get onto Raymond Blvd where there is substancially more water. I let a few car go by to judge how deep the water is and see that it's not deep its just vast (pretty much the whole city block was one gigantic puddle). I slowly ease through the flooded city block and keep going down Raymond Blvd. There are a few more block where the entire block was covered in water but after seeing other cars go though I knew how deep the water was, no problems; so far
About two blocks later there is a small underpass that nobody is daring to go across. A few big SUVs a inching through it but sedans are standing on the edge not daring to go though. A few SUVs make it OK a few just barely. Ironically a Hummer got stuck but a Range Rover made it through without breaking a sweat. A few cars start lining up and daring to cross this mini river on the sidewalk. I saw an Infinity G35 make it across and a Toyota Prius. The sidewalk was about 3-4 inches high and that made all the difference. I'm cranky that I have to deal with this nonsense and I'd rather be home so I throw all caution to the wind and decide to join the line of cars up on the sidewalk trying to make it through. In retrospect this was a mistake.
So I'm up on the sidewalk easing into the water and everything is going according to plan. I've done this many times; I'm in a german tank and I have four wheel drive. I'm the king of the world; clearly I was mistaken So the water is about up to 1/2 of 3/4 of the way up to the wheel. Suddenly the cars before me stop ! I look ahead and see that a gate has swung open and is blocking the way of the car two cars ahead of me and there is nowhere to go. Now, I'm in water already trying to keep the revs up so that no water will go into my exhaust. Stoping or reversing was out of the question so I did the next logical thing I could think of in that split second; I did like Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame, would do; I told everyone to hang on in the car; floored the accelerator to get the revs up and jumped the car off the curve and proceeded to power out of the water. In my mind it would have worked great but I overlooked one small thing; there was a Jeep Cherokee powering through the water next to me and when it passed me the wake from the waves it generated covered my car's hood sending gallons of water in through the grill My poor car had the momentum to get out of the water but then the engine coughed a few times and then went silent. I tried all the ticks up my sleeve to get it to start back up again to no avail. I saw an ABS failure message flash on the dash felt the breaks clamp down and my break pedal sink in all the way into the floor. Just f-ing dandy; here I am with a car full of people at dusk on the shady part of town with a dead Mercedes. It didn't look too good. After unsuccessfully attempting to start up the engine I finally gave up and hit the TeleAid button in the car and got a nice lady on the line. She located my car remotely and dispatched a tow truck to my current location and offered to call the police for me. She also informed me that because I went through the water and since it is not covered by MB's warranty I would have to pay the cost of the tow. I agreed and she gave me the name and number of the towing service she dispatched for me. She also gave me her name and direct number where I can get in touch with her if I needed any more assistance and there was not power in the car. All in all the TeleAid service was top notch. To make a long story short I've waited for about an hour and a half for the tow truck to show up but it never did. I finally ended up calling another towing company who finally did show up and put my car on their flatbed. This tow truck driver explained to me that the other company is taking so long because they do not tow people while it is raining nor if the person's car is stuck in water because it could damage their truck also (at this point the water had drained and my car was on dry pavement). In the end after waiting around for two hours my car is finally mobile again on the back of the flatbed and headed to the dealership to be dropped off.
Before I continue on with my story I would just like to take the time to thank my dealership for all their help and professionalism they handeled me. Seriously; I felt like royalty the way they have treated me and they took care of all the work for me. So I'm talking to my Service Advisor about what happened to my car and he's telling me not to worry about it it happens a lot especially after flooding and they give me a loaner until they figure out what's up with the car. The loaner is a brand new C300 4matic with Pano roof, iPod and it only has 2,000 miles on it. They tell me to keep the car as long as I want they'll get back to me about my car. I guess now would be a good time to mention that the car I mistook as a submarine was a 5 month old E350 4matic with almost 4,000 miles on the odo; it was practically brand new. Two days go by when my SA calls me and tells me that they found water in the engine and air intake so it's not going to be covered under warrantly but rather I should get my insurance company involved; they will take care of everything for me they just need the name of the company and my agent's name. The loaner car ? Don't worry about it; keep it and use it until they figure out what to do with the car. Two more days go by and I get a phone call from my SA that sent chills down my spine; my car is totalled and it needs to be salvaged by the insurance company. It turns out that the entire engine got ruined and to replace it with a brand new one would cost $25,000 and it was cheaper to salvage the car by the insurance company. I don't have to pay a dime the insurance company, my dealership and MB financial worked everything out. All I have to do is to go and collect all my things from the car. I'm devastated and feel guilty for killing a Benz that was barely on the road. My sales rep calls me to give me his condolences and asks me if there is anything he could do for me. I told him I'd like a new car and give him the specs that I want. An hour later he calls me back and tells me that he's got the car for me fresh off the boat. The car has 6 miles on it. I can come down whenever I want to take a look at it or it I'd like to shop around with other car companies that would be OK too, he can hold the car for me. Seriously that was so surreal that I was starting to think that I was in an episode of the twilight zone. For a car salesmen not to preasure me into a deal but to tell me that it's ok to look at other cars while he hangs on to a car for me is pretty rare. Anyway to make a long story short this was last Friday afternoon. Saturday I went down to the dealership to take a look at the car. It was exactly what I wanted, we filled out some paperwork and today (Monday) I brought the car home.
I'm still actually amazed at how the unfortunate event of me killing my car had such a happy ending. After unintentionally drowning my car I got a brand spanking new one without paying a dime. My insurance company took care of the tow charges for my old car and the salvaging. I'm not sure if my rates will go up (I suspect they might) but I was expecting to get royally screwed over by them (as with all insurance companies) but I was pleasantly surprised by them. They are New Jersey Skyline and I can't thank them enough for their swift and professional work. And of course a huge thank you to my dealership whom I knew from the past that they were good but in this case they proved that they were better then good; they were absolutely fantastic; Globe Motor Car Corp. in Faifield, NJ (http://www.globemotorcar.com). I'm not big fan of car salesmen but if you are in the area and you want to deal with people who are not out to screw you over you definately need to stop by and give them a try. Their sales department is excellent and their service department is outstanding. Anyway; the moral of the story is to use common sense when you come across a flooded street. Don't be like me; do yourself, and your car, a favor and wait until the water receeds a bit. Its really a bad phone call when your SA calls you to let you know your car needs to be salvaged.
About two blocks later there is a small underpass that nobody is daring to go across. A few big SUVs a inching through it but sedans are standing on the edge not daring to go though. A few SUVs make it OK a few just barely. Ironically a Hummer got stuck but a Range Rover made it through without breaking a sweat. A few cars start lining up and daring to cross this mini river on the sidewalk. I saw an Infinity G35 make it across and a Toyota Prius. The sidewalk was about 3-4 inches high and that made all the difference. I'm cranky that I have to deal with this nonsense and I'd rather be home so I throw all caution to the wind and decide to join the line of cars up on the sidewalk trying to make it through. In retrospect this was a mistake.
So I'm up on the sidewalk easing into the water and everything is going according to plan. I've done this many times; I'm in a german tank and I have four wheel drive. I'm the king of the world; clearly I was mistaken
So the water is about up to 1/2 of 3/4 of the way up to the wheel. Suddenly the cars before me stop ! I look ahead and see that a gate has swung open and is blocking the way of the car two cars ahead of me and there is nowhere to go. Now, I'm in water already trying to keep the revs up so that no water will go into my exhaust. Stoping or reversing was out of the question so I did the next logical thing I could think of in that split second; I did like Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame, would do; I told everyone to hang on in the car; floored the accelerator to get the revs up and jumped the car off the curve and proceeded to power out of the water. In my mind it would have worked great but I overlooked one small thing; there was a Jeep Cherokee powering through the water next to me and when it passed me the wake from the waves it generated covered my car's hood sending gallons of water in through the grill My poor car had the momentum to get out of the water but then the engine coughed a few times and then went silent. I tried all the ticks up my sleeve to get it to start back up again to no avail. I saw an ABS failure message flash on the dash felt the breaks clamp down and my break pedal sink in all the way into the floor. Just f-ing dandy; here I am with a car full of people at dusk on the shady part of town with a dead Mercedes. It didn't look too good. After unsuccessfully attempting to start up the engine I finally gave up and hit the TeleAid button in the car and got a nice lady on the line. She located my car remotely and dispatched a tow truck to my current location and offered to call the police for me. She also informed me that because I went through the water and since it is not covered by MB's warranty I would have to pay the cost of the tow. I agreed and she gave me the name and number of the towing service she dispatched for me. She also gave me her name and direct number where I can get in touch with her if I needed any more assistance and there was not power in the car. All in all the TeleAid service was top notch. To make a long story short I've waited for about an hour and a half for the tow truck to show up but it never did. I finally ended up calling another towing company who finally did show up and put my car on their flatbed. This tow truck driver explained to me that the other company is taking so long because they do not tow people while it is raining nor if the person's car is stuck in water because it could damage their truck also (at this point the water had drained and my car was on dry pavement). In the end after waiting around for two hours my car is finally mobile again on the back of the flatbed and headed to the dealership to be dropped off.Before I continue on with my story I would just like to take the time to thank my dealership for all their help and professionalism they handeled me. Seriously; I felt like royalty the way they have treated me and they took care of all the work for me. So I'm talking to my Service Advisor about what happened to my car and he's telling me not to worry about it it happens a lot especially after flooding and they give me a loaner until they figure out what's up with the car. The loaner is a brand new C300 4matic with Pano roof, iPod and it only has 2,000 miles on it. They tell me to keep the car as long as I want they'll get back to me about my car. I guess now would be a good time to mention that the car I mistook as a submarine was a 5 month old E350 4matic with almost 4,000 miles on the odo; it was practically brand new. Two days go by when my SA calls me and tells me that they found water in the engine and air intake so it's not going to be covered under warrantly but rather I should get my insurance company involved; they will take care of everything for me they just need the name of the company and my agent's name. The loaner car ? Don't worry about it; keep it and use it until they figure out what to do with the car. Two more days go by and I get a phone call from my SA that sent chills down my spine; my car is totalled and it needs to be salvaged by the insurance company. It turns out that the entire engine got ruined and to replace it with a brand new one would cost $25,000 and it was cheaper to salvage the car by the insurance company. I don't have to pay a dime the insurance company, my dealership and MB financial worked everything out. All I have to do is to go and collect all my things from the car. I'm devastated and feel guilty for killing a Benz that was barely on the road. My sales rep calls me to give me his condolences and asks me if there is anything he could do for me. I told him I'd like a new car and give him the specs that I want. An hour later he calls me back and tells me that he's got the car for me fresh off the boat. The car has 6 miles on it. I can come down whenever I want to take a look at it or it I'd like to shop around with other car companies that would be OK too, he can hold the car for me. Seriously that was so surreal that I was starting to think that I was in an episode of the twilight zone. For a car salesmen not to preasure me into a deal but to tell me that it's ok to look at other cars while he hangs on to a car for me is pretty rare. Anyway to make a long story short this was last Friday afternoon. Saturday I went down to the dealership to take a look at the car. It was exactly what I wanted, we filled out some paperwork and today (Monday) I brought the car home.
I'm still actually amazed at how the unfortunate event of me killing my car had such a happy ending. After unintentionally drowning my car I got a brand spanking new one without paying a dime. My insurance company took care of the tow charges for my old car and the salvaging. I'm not sure if my rates will go up (I suspect they might) but I was expecting to get royally screwed over by them (as with all insurance companies) but I was pleasantly surprised by them. They are New Jersey Skyline and I can't thank them enough for their swift and professional work. And of course a huge thank you to my dealership whom I knew from the past that they were good but in this case they proved that they were better then good; they were absolutely fantastic; Globe Motor Car Corp. in Faifield, NJ (http://www.globemotorcar.com). I'm not big fan of car salesmen but if you are in the area and you want to deal with people who are not out to screw you over you definately need to stop by and give them a try. Their sales department is excellent and their service department is outstanding. Anyway; the moral of the story is to use common sense when you come across a flooded street. Don't be like me; do yourself, and your car, a favor and wait until the water receeds a bit. Its really a bad phone call when your SA calls you to let you know your car needs to be salvaged.
Bruce
06-24-2008, 11:29 AM
#11
Super Member
I'll be honest dude, it's great you ended up with a new car but that was a pretty dodgy move. Coming from the motorcycle world, impatience kills!
Hopefully your insurance premiums are reasonable. Have you found out how much more you have to pay?
With insurance here in BC, years of accident free driving (with full discount) will net you a "freebie" accident which entitles you to one at fault accident... Do you guys have a system like that in the US?
Hopefully your insurance premiums are reasonable. Have you found out how much more you have to pay?
With insurance here in BC, years of accident free driving (with full discount) will net you a "freebie" accident which entitles you to one at fault accident... Do you guys have a system like that in the US?
06-24-2008, 01:08 PM
#12
Junior Member
Allstate claims to have such a policy but not in California.
Glad to hear everything worked out. I figured the depreciation from driving a car off a lot would of cost you some.
Glad to hear everything worked out. I figured the depreciation from driving a car off a lot would of cost you some.
Last edited by NVR ENUF; 06-24-2008 at 01:10 PM.
06-24-2008, 03:20 PM
#14
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Essex County, NJ
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
2011 E350 Sport 4Matic - P2 & Drivers Assist / 2010 C300 Sport 4Matic - P2 / 2013 Porsche Cayenne S
I'll be honest dude, it's great you ended up with a new car but that was a pretty dodgy move. Coming from the motorcycle world, impatience kills!
Hopefully your insurance premiums are reasonable. Have you found out how much more you have to pay?
With insurance here in BC, years of accident free driving (with full discount) will net you a "freebie" accident which entitles you to one at fault accident... Do you guys have a system like that in the US?
Hopefully your insurance premiums are reasonable. Have you found out how much more you have to pay?
With insurance here in BC, years of accident free driving (with full discount) will net you a "freebie" accident which entitles you to one at fault accident... Do you guys have a system like that in the US?
I don't think my insurance company gives you a "freebie" accident after a certain amount of time but I do believe All State does. I think the reason why I had such a good experience with my insurance company was because I never had a claim with any insurance company before and I never got a ticket or any other points on my license. I'll let you know how much my rate increased; my wife is dealing with them now so I'll ask her.
06-24-2008, 03:35 PM
#15
Almost a Member!
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Denmark
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mercedes-Benz 2006 W211 E320 CDI Avantgarde stationwagon
Thats quite a story, im sorry for the loss of your brand new car, but at least it worked out pretty good
and congratulations with your new set of wheels!
- Anders
and congratulations with your new set of wheels!- Anders
06-24-2008, 05:24 PM
#16
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 3,003
Received 47 Likes
on
41 Posts
2009 SL550 Roadster Diamond White, 2008 CLK550 Coupe Obsidian Black
Sorry about the car my friend, but I'm glad things worked out in the end.
Insurance companies suck in CA. I think mostly because of them getting screwed on claims by people in this state and many of them being Benzes too.
Insurance companies suck in CA. I think mostly because of them getting screwed on claims by people in this state and many of them being Benzes too.
06-25-2008, 06:48 AM
#17
MBWorld Fanatic!
"After unintentionally drowning my car I got a brand spanking new one without paying a dime."
There is no such thing as a free lunch. Insurance companies are in business to make a profit, not hand out free cars.
There is no such thing as a free lunch. Insurance companies are in business to make a profit, not hand out free cars.
06-25-2008, 07:44 AM
#18
MBWorld Fanatic!
I can't believe they want $25m for a 6 cylinder engine!
One lesson learned, NEVER punch the gas in standing water. Keep in mind your engine is a vacume, punching it creates a ton of suction just when you need it least. The best thing to do is maintain enough engine revs to keep you moving but that's all...
Congrats on making it out of this one relatively unscathed...
One lesson learned, NEVER punch the gas in standing water. Keep in mind your engine is a vacume, punching it creates a ton of suction just when you need it least. The best thing to do is maintain enough engine revs to keep you moving but that's all...
Congrats on making it out of this one relatively unscathed...
06-25-2008, 09:31 AM
#19
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Essex County, NJ
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
2011 E350 Sport 4Matic - P2 & Drivers Assist / 2010 C300 Sport 4Matic - P2 / 2013 Porsche Cayenne S
I didn't get it from the insurance company I got it from my dealer. The insurance company payed off the remainder of my lease and brought the car from MB Financial. I'm not sure how much my insurance increased though; I'll post it when I find out.
06-25-2008, 10:51 AM
#20
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: NY/NJ
Posts: 2,116
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
2012 W212 E350 Bluetec
I can't believe they want $25m for a 6 cylinder engine!
One lesson learned, NEVER punch the gas in standing water. Keep in mind your engine is a vacume, punching it creates a ton of suction just when you need it least. The best thing to do is maintain enough engine revs to keep you moving but that's all...
Congrats on making it out of this one relatively unscathed...
One lesson learned, NEVER punch the gas in standing water. Keep in mind your engine is a vacume, punching it creates a ton of suction just when you need it least. The best thing to do is maintain enough engine revs to keep you moving but that's all...
Congrats on making it out of this one relatively unscathed...
06-25-2008, 07:48 PM
#21
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Essex County, NJ
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
2011 E350 Sport 4Matic - P2 & Drivers Assist / 2010 C300 Sport 4Matic - P2 / 2013 Porsche Cayenne S
OK so my wife got a call from the insurance company that they've picked up the salvaged car from the dealership and have the car in their possession. From now on the case is closed on their end. They also mentioned that our insurance rate will not go up ! When my wife told me this I could not believe it and called the insurance company myself. They told me the same thing; our insurance rate will not go up because this was not an accident we were involved in nor was it a moving violation. It was an act of God that took our car out (OK I admit I had a pretty big hand in it also). So; wow ! Of course I can not verify that until next March when I have to pay my insurance bill again but so far this has been such a surreal experience. I think I have to reconsider my views on insurance companies.
06-25-2008, 07:49 PM
#22
Almost a Member!
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Denmark
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mercedes-Benz 2006 W211 E320 CDI Avantgarde stationwagon
That's pretty amazing, my company would definitely have made my rates go up, no doubt, but congratulations on that outcome!
06-25-2008, 08:03 PM
#24
Almost a Member!
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Denmark
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mercedes-Benz 2006 W211 E320 CDI Avantgarde stationwagon
Yeah I understand why, it's pretty amazing O.o I have never crashed / totalled a car before - only minor damages, mostly parking - and I had to do some fighting and I've had several companies in my time :P - yet again, amazing, and congratulations
