Comand Availability
This is a message I got from my dealer today. Seems like MB may be facing a buy back IMO which is not really a bad thing for those of us who prepaid. We've enjoyed our cars during this time and then get a new one with Nav to start over again. That's fine with me.
Message:
Mercedes is trying to come to grips with the size of the problem that
they have created. The current rumor is that the Nav system will not be
retro-fitable at all. I don't know if they have a plan yet-I'll let you
know when I hear.
Along with some others..maybe you included, I would not have bought the car if Navigation was not available. I did not order until the memo came out advising 1st quarter retro fit and a $500. discount for prepayment. I won't settle for anything else.
Amazing how this jumps back and forth each day.
If they can convince the retrofit customer to take his $1625 back, or give up the quest, they don't have a shop time issue. I have seldom seen a shop manager or service advisor eager to get into something that is new. (Neither is the typical high turnover salesman going to advise you of any issues that might hurt him and the sale.) When you deal with "problems" all day, be they minor or major or simply scheduling, it's sometimes human nature to try to avoid anything new. My 2 cents.
Last edited by drb; Mar 11, 2003 at 10:36 AM.
I think MB will instruct dealers to send your check back with a note that the Command navigation will not be available in the 2003 model year as originally planned, and thank you for your interest in MB products.
I am really screwed. The only reason I bought the car was because I thought navigation would be retrofittable. However, I did not prepay. My dealer didn't know that I was suppose to. So he discounted my car an extra $500 and said to pay full price when navigation becomes available. I doubt they will do anything for me now.
Anyway, it seems to me that although COMAND might be the most "elegant" solution to nav, it is by no means the only one. There are companies like Garmin that make very capable GPS units (I have a StreetPilot III) that are easily and economically replaceable as technology advancements warrant. I'm not sure that the same will apply to the COMAND system.
This will be my first MB experience, and I must say that I am very disappointed in the way MB has handled this whole fiasco, but the comments of many on this board lead me to believe that the car is truly what I want, even without COMAND.
I'm not saying that my decision can or should work for others, and a $60k car should include nav capability, but I'm tired of putting all this effort into my decision. I truly hope that MB will do what is right and make good on their promises of COMAND availability to all of you that have taken delivery under those expectations.
Many thanks to all here for the invaluable info and insight you share.
Last edited by rtrider; Mar 11, 2003 at 01:55 PM.
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Shows how this forum is invaluable to a buyer. You would be screwed by your dealer if you were not informed via this forum.
My suggestion would be the following. My dealer has still told me April production is what MBUSA is saying. Also, from all the activity (liking asking dealers for counts, etc), my gut tells me "something is up" and they may be close to having COMAND ready. Why don't you have them order your car for April production without COMAND, and then if it becomes available in the next week or 2, then they can add it to your order at the last minute. You're maximum talking about 2-3 weeks more (assuming they could otherwise produce your car right away), but you will be having a possibly good chance at getting COMAND. After waiting this long, it may not be that bad.
Me personally, I am waiting until April, if they don't have it available, I will change my car to a 2004 available Sept or so. My current car works, and I will just use it for 6 more months, but then get a brand new model year car.
rtrider,
Shows how this forum is invaluable to a buyer.
To make matters worse, MBUSA not making good on its promise to supply the NAV as promised in writing to those who bought the car would be a public relations nightmare, at a time when MB can afford it the least - those of you who saw this week's Wall Street Journal article on MB's decline in the Consumer's report rankings know what I mean.
Bottom line - no way does MB not make good on the NAV system - either via retrofit, reacquisition, or cash compensation substantially hgiher than the $1625 originally paid. Bank on it!
Given that MBUSA publicly circulated a letter advising of the availability and the date of availability of NAV and also collected $1625 as part of their invoice for a vehicle ordered with NAV, in my opinion a strong legal case exists that NAV being available was a major factor influencing a buyer to order this car, and that if NAV is not available, reacquisition of the vehicle would be the result of legal actions that would be filed.
To make matters worse, MBUSA not making good on its promise to supply the NAV as promised in writing to those who bought the car would be a public relations nightmare, at a time when MB can afford it the least - those of you who saw this week's Wall Street Journal article on MB's decline in the Consumer's report rankings know what I mean.
Bottom line - no way does MB not make good on the NAV system - either via retrofit, reacquisition, or cash compensation substantially hgiher than the $1625 originally paid. Bank on it!
pat a., is your opinion based on your legal knowledge (are you a lawyer?) or did you pass facts to a lawyer who provided this response to you? What letter are you referencing, and where might that letter be found?
thanks
Ed
http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e...e000091046.cfm
Last edited by etenn; Mar 12, 2003 at 07:49 PM.
It was posted on autospies, August 30 Volume. Try the link below...let me know if it doesn't work
Ed
http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e...e000091046.cfm
The worst thing about this whole thing is not that they constantly delay the new navi. That is almost par for the course with today's high-tech gadgets. The worst thing is how MBUSA and their dealers have gone about it all -- the lack of communication from the dealer to the customer. Many dealers say that MBUSA haven't told them much. I don't buy that. Even if that were true, I, as a customer don't want to hear that. That should be their in-house problem.
I just can't understand why MBUSA promoted vaporware in the first place. They should have sold the previous navi in the 2003 E-class until the new one became ready. They should not have even promoted or hinted of a new navi system until it became ready and available. I can't believe that after all these years MBUSA has been in business they are just now realizing that selling vaporware will bite you in the ***.
Anyway, I am very upset about this whole thing because I have waited over a year for this navi system. However, as it turns out, I am lucky that I have waited. I did not like the idea of having the dealer retrofit a new, complex navigation system so I chose to wait until it became available. I sympathize for those of you who have chosen to go with the promised retrofit. I rather have waited than to be on that retrofit list. But then, at least, you got to drive a new Mercedes E in the interim.
I ordered a 2004 E500. Word from the dealer confirms the bad news: No navi retrofits for 2003 E-class. They are awaiting word from MBUSA on how to compensate those who have ordered navi pre-wired.
The worst thing about this whole thing is not that they constantly delay the new navi. That is almost par for the course with today's high-tech gadgets. The worst thing is how MBUSA and their dealers have gone about it all -- the lack of communication from the dealer to the customer. Many dealers say that MBUSA haven't told them much. I don't buy that. Even if that were true, I, as a customer don't want to hear that. That should be their in-house problem.
I just can't understand why MBUSA promoted vaporware in the first place. They should have sold the previous navi in the 2003 E-class until the new one became ready. They should not have even promoted or hinted of a new navi system until it became ready and available. I can't believe that after all these years
MBUSA has been in business they are just now realizing that selling vaporware will bite you in the ***.
Anyway, I am very upset about this whole thing because I have waited over a year for this navi system. However, as it turns out, I am lucky that I have waited. I did not like the idea of having the dealer retrofit a new, complex navigation system so I chose to wait until it became available. I sympathize for those of you who have chosen to go with the promised retrofit. I rather have waited than to be on that retrofit list. But then, at least, you got to drive a new Mercedes E in the interim.
Ed
If I had a dollar for every different MB dealer, MB German and MB U.S employee we have got opinions and thoughts on I'd be driving a Maybach by now.
A lot more dealers are of the opinion that there will be a retrofit occuring and to be honest I can't see why not.
As long as the prewiring is there it should,as in the case of the W220 S Class's COMAND system, be just a case of removing and unclipping the APS 50 unit and replacing it with the COMAND II unit, just like many dealers,etc have done when replacing one type of stereo in the car for another.
Last edited by Callaway; Mar 14, 2003 at 12:35 AM.
The reason I find this interesting is because when I really pushed back and made all the calls, (to MB NYC Eurodelivery who contacted the factory) I got the story that they have no projected date for when they will start factory installing the nav...
I also found that they don't expect to be rolling the 04 model year until September... so when I made it clear to my dealer that I need a car, mid to end of July in Europe, and if I have to walk down the block to the Bimmer people and order a 540 to get a car in Europe this summer if I will, he basically backed way off, and said, (to the effect), Oh heck, we can wait a couple more weeks and see if they start accepting orders with nav... we can still put in the order in early April for early July Euro-delivery...
So this makes me wonder if they were told from higher up to put people off to '04 if they can... who really knows? Noone I'm afraid...
-NavNut
Can you blame the dealers? Do you want to tell customers that it maybe available and then have to tell them every week or every month "not yet..". Then you would have more people upset.
From the information I have received from my dealer and MBUSA, the new navi system is just about ready for production. It's just that if you were to order a 2003 E today, you'd probably would't receive delivery in the US no sooner than June or July, which to me would be worthless to order a 2003 model year car. That's why I went ahead and ordered a 2004 E.
On the 2003, I think if you get in April production, you can get the car in May. I have pretty much made that my deadline, that if I don't get April production, I'm going to wait for 2004 also.
This kind of implies that if you're expecting an '04 for September delivery, I wouldn't hold my breath. It'll probably be more like October. I have been told (and maybe this was to set low expectations) that when I do have my Euro-delivered car shipped, to expect the shipping to take 6 to 8 weeks...
Just a point of reference for people expecting '04's... all information of course is only as reliable as my dealer, through the childhood game of telephone...
-NavNut



