I have been following the trail of information regarding the retrofitting of the Navigation System into our cars. There has been very little info lately, has anyone recieved any more news?

 

It was reported on this forum about a week ago that mbusa will make an announcement on 2APR. All ears are open.

 

Yes...today was to be the big day. I would guess that no one has heard from MBUSA or else they would have posted.

Noticed that everyone was quiet and did not post on the Navigation subject until today:p

Guess we will have to start whining again if we don't hear something today or tomorrow.

Ed

 

I know Ed! It's pretty damn funny... all weekend long... dead silence on the issue... It's almost as if we were all holding our breath until today...

I couldn't help myself and called my salesman today... he said he checked on Monday and there was no new information... I told him that there was a rumor that there would be more information in an official MB memo today, and he said he would get in touch with the factory guys and let me know...

It really feels close, but I'm not sure about this one... either retrofits or new installs... but the pre-wiring on the E55 being started up again has GOT to be a good sign...

-NavNut

 

I was told last night at ther dealership where I got my Car that everyone that had given a deposit was going to get their money back because they are not going to come out with the Nav System for the E 500 . I have waited two Months for te System and now they give me the bad news.Check out Nav-Tv.com

 

Ok... So I don't doubt that they screwed up with people who ordered the nav/got their car AFTER December of 2002... I believe that prior to that time, some people payed for and got pre-wired cars... sometime at the end of last year/beginning of this year, they stopped pre-wiring cars (I think it might have been around 1/17/03) and were told to stop taking money for the nav option. If you're in this catagory, I don't know what to tell you... if you are in the catagory of people who ordered/paid for/and actually got a prewired car last year, everything seems to point to the fact that MB will try to make good on that promise, however much labor or however many dollars it will take to make that right.

If you ordered and actually paid your dealer money for the nav at the beginning of this year, I think you got screwed... I don't believe the dealer was supposed to do this... I believe the dealer was TOLD not to take the order and not to promise a nav retrofit. As a matter of fact, I physically saw a note from the factory kicking back a nav order back in February... I thought it was obnoxious, because the memo basically said that they were deleting this option on the build list, and proceeding with the rest of the order minus that one option... I would have been irritated if I were the customer.

We're in a situation now where it looks like they have solved whatever supplier/technical problems they were having, and are actually pre-wiring some E-class cars again (the E55...) and actually factory building (for Australia) some E-class cars with the new dvd-nav.

It sounds like MB is gathering the information from dealers about people who ordered and paid for the nav back when it was being pre-wired and it sounds like they are going to make good on that promise.

I think there was a critical three to four months where if you ordered/had your car built in that time period, that you neither got pre-wiring (new version or old version) nor was your dealer supposed to take your money for that option, nor was he to promise or even imply that you could get the option retrofitted.

I think the above is the best I can gather from various sources. I don't believe anyone who paid for and got their car during the time when dealers were told they could offer that option have been told that they will not get the option retrofitted... Is this incorrect to anyone's best knowledge? Anyone get their E-class LAST year and ordered/paid for the nav during that promotional "We'll pre-sell you the nav at our dealer cost"-offer with the promise for a retrofit, been told that they would not get their retrofit? I don't think anyone in that catagory has been told that they would not get their nav retrofitted...

If you got your car after that magical promotional time, I believe the dealers had explicit instructions to not promise you a retrofit nor take your money for the option... so I don't know what happens there... seems like a dealer issue, not an MBUSA issue.

As an aside... I don't see on www.nav-tv.com the option to get a new nav system... is it on the dealer section? I only see the option to get a tv-tuner module if you already have the nav installed. Is this incorrect?

-NavNut

 

After 1/1/03, cars were not pre-wired, before that they were. But I think there is nothing certain about pre-wired cars being able to take the Navi retrofit, because there are a lot of rumors that the pre-wiring was not sufficient for the retrofit, and this is why they stopped pre-wiring cars after 1/1/03, so they did not get exposed to more liability.

My dealer told me today, that they are expecting some news by next week, and it is looking like they will either refund $1625+bonus or put in a new car. Factory production may start from May, but not certain....once again this is coming from my dealer, nothing confirmed....still waiting

 

$1625+bonus or put in a new car


What do you mean by " put in a new car"?

 

I'm an engineer by profession, and I really despise "week for week"-slips... Are you serious? This week he says "next week?"

-NavNut

 

Who originally posted the "April 2" date? I am not sure who posted that but I do remember that there was enougth validity that we "almost" believed it.

Hopefully, it was abhansali...as his dealer is now saying next week.

Ed

Edit: I went back and looked...I think this is it and it was Bmms8

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...ril+navigation

 

Navnut: My car, delivered last October, was pre-wired and I included the nav at $1625 in my lease, with an IOU for later install (same for voice activated V60). I posted, when it happened, what my dealer told me a couple of weeks ago: there would be no retrofit and MBUSA would propose something to compensate me for that. Today, they said that MBUSA would be sending a letter directly to me (and others in my situation) to let me know what they are going to do. My salesman indicated that he didn't know what they will be doing or telling me, much less when the letter will be coming!!!!

Jeff

 

Jeff...A letter to each of us from MBUSA would probably be a much better way to handle this situation, but, the communication and performance up to this point doesn't lead me to look for them to do it a better way.
I can't imagine what a mass confusion there would be if all the dealers were involved. We haven't had many cases of the same story from dealers on any issue. Not sure it is the dealers fault, just poor communication from MBUSA.

Hopefully, we are near a explanation from them.

Ed

 

not me on 4/2, I think it was jhb and it was something that MBUSA told him. jhb (or shall I say Mr. President..), please have you heard anything new from the "regime".

 

it was me that they told. i called back, and they said no new info, only that they are switching companies, or getting one that is really good or something. they said maybe at the end of the month, but i guess that really means next year

 

DaimlerChrysler has the nerve to post an article on their Online Magazine website referring to thier advanced technology in navigation systems:

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No gift of prophecy is required to predict that navigation systems and telematics will play a crucial role in future road traffic. Whereas just over one million vehicle-based navigation systems were in operation worldwide in 1996, the ten-million mark will be reached this year; the annual rate of increase is currently more than thirty percent. Mercedes-Benz cars are very strongly represented in this high-tech area: Last year, every fifth Mercedes-Benz came equipped ex-factory with a navigation system.

Even present-day applications provide a high level of convenience and safety, but as the above development examples show, the DaimlerChrysler researchers are already in the next-generation navigation world.
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Hahaha! Yeah, right!

 

DaimlerChrysler:
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Statistically, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars are leading the way in navigation systems: Some 20 percent of all cars newly registered last year were fitted with such a unit.
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http://www.mercedes-benz.com/e/servi...nik_005a_1.htm


Hahaha! These guys have me rolling!