rdtjr

I hesitate to post this as it is rather long but I need some help, especially on what to ask for a follow up. I have no experience dealing with car problems at this level. Any suggestions appreciated.

January 19, 2004

Paul Halata
President and CEO
Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc.
1 Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645

Dear Mr. Halata,

Re: Mercedes Benz 2003 E500 VIN: WDBUF70J53A349234

Last August I wrote you a letter praising the purchase experience of my car from Autohaus on Edens (“AOE”). Unfortunately, this letter is much different. I am now writing to let you know why I wished I never purchased the car. It is without a doubt a beautiful car - pewter/ash with a wood wheel - and attracts much attention. People have been surprised, and a bit disappointed, to learn that I cannot recommend the new E series specifically because of poor quality and Mercedes in general due to several bad service experiences. Instead, I have been recommending the Lexus LS 430 for those willing to sacrifice some performance for better quality and the Jaguar S Type-R for those who want better performance than the E500 and who are also willing to accept problems going in, albeit probably fewer than I have experienced with this car.

After 4,000 miles I took the car in to AOE for my first service. I had ten items that I wanted looked into - none related to drivability - except for my suspicions about the motor mounts. Although AOE had the car for seven business days, they only changed the motor mounts, replaced a torn door gasket and adjusting the windshield washer sprayers (poorly). After having the car for three days, the service adviser never called to ask if he could keep the car over the weekend: I had to call him. He was evasive when asked about what services had been performed so far and he did not offer to call me back. His service group did not diagnose the motor mount problem until the fifth day. After AOE returned my car, I had to bring the car back for 45 minutes of interior detailing to remove kick marks on the door and fingerprints all over the visor and headliner. I also ordered touch up paint four different times before I got it.

After about 5,000 miles I had serious transmission and audio system problems. I took it Mercedes Benz of Hoffman Estates (“MBOHE”). I was pleased with their responsiveness but the audio problem recurred the day after service and I am not convinced it is completely fixed yet. I now have a scratch in the clearcoat on the top of the upper left rear quarter panel consistent with someone leaning over the trunk while working on the audio gateway. Unfortunately, I did not discover this for several days and thus have no way to prove they did it. No one has detailed the car but me and I have never valeted it. My garage access door is to the right so the car is always loaded/unloaded from that side. I have no other explanation for its cause.

I have not had my car in for service since the above incidents and do not intend to return for any services not specifically covered by the warranty. A number of my neighbors with older Mercedes have recommended good, independent mechanics.

Recap of the actual repairs done to date:
§ Motor mounts replaced.
§ Transmission gasket replaced to stop transmission leak and prevent it from disengaging again.
§ Rear view mirror replaced.
§ Audio gateway replaced.
§ Audio software reinstalled.
§ Two door gaskets replaced (one delivered torn, one fell off while washing the car).
§ Audio software reloaded.
§ Windshield washers adjusted.

Recap of the ongoing or new problems. Starred* items are same or related problem already looked at by dealer:
§ Motor mount noise seems to have returned.*
§ Transmission seems to lurch sometimes when rapidly braking or moderately accelerating. I do not use manual shift functionality.*
§ Static in audio slowly returning. Completely lost audio for several minutes last week. Malfunction thrown off but disappeared when car started next time. Left audio also disappeared until car restarted*
§ Logic 7 seems to fade in and out - can even hear it change sometime during a song. Audio sounds no better than my old pickup’s most of the time.*
§ Have never been able to get garage door opener to work from the rear view mirror. No suggestion from dealer on how to make it work.*
§ Windshield washer fluid oversprays onto rear window – even when stopped – unless washer button depressed very lightly.*
§ Rain sensor very inconsistent. Wipers sometime come on when windshield is dry and don’t come on when windshield is almost obscured. Almost impossible to pass a car or truck when it is raining without being blinded. Don’t use automatic function anymore.*
§ Replacement rear view mirror rattles when going over bumps.*
§ Cannot save driver’s seat or M1 settings for primary driver’s key. Settings for steering wheel, mirrors and temperature all save properly for the key.*
§ Windshield wipers and lights occasionally come on after secondary key still in car but motor off for several moments.
§ Seat easy access for primary key suddenly began working after 3 months even though no settings were changed.
§ When in park, the engine is not all that smooth. Feels like it occasionally misses. When I lean against the headrest, my head gently sways back and forth.
§ Heater and front windshield defroster blowers completely cut out – just stopped - for several minutes on three separate occasions when the car was partially warmed up.
§ Windshield washer fluid ran dry without warning light appearing.
§ Sometimes difficult to latch cup holder. Many times it takes four or five tries.
§ Some type of waxy residue streaks on inside of driver’s door window after it is rolled down.
§ Brake pads are just beginning to squeal at 6,000 miles.
§ Brake pedal developed noise like pedal is loosening.
§ SBC system is constantly and loudly resetting itself in heavy rush hour traffic. I listen to this 1½ hours a day.
§ 0 slot in CD player periodically sounds like it is cycling, looking for a CD.
§ Occasional audible rap/knock sound from behind middle of dash.
§ Ambient temperature around driver ranged from 73 to 78 degrees when AUTO function engaged at 70.

My wife and I are fiscally conservative consumers. We decided to splurge on the occasion of our 20th wedding anniversary and my 50th birthday last year. While we do not regret spending the money for a luxury car, we certainly do regret spending the money on this car. I regretted it the most last week while I was trying to drive home unable to see, cold, listening to the SBC moan and groan over the sound of a second-rate audio system. And I am $63,000 the poorer for it.

So what do I do, Mr. Halata? Do I take it to a dealer, knowing that both dealers I have dealt with so far have been unsuccessful in repairing the car and left it in no better - or worse - condition than when I brought it in? Do I just put up with these problems in order to avoid building up a repair record that will damage the value of this car when I dump it? What do I do? I am looking for an answer.

Sincerely,



Rick Turley
(xxx) xxx-xxxx
rick.turley@xxxxxxxx.com

PS – I have posted this letter on a MB owners forum at the following URL. Many owners have had problems with your vehicles or dealers, although most not to the same extent I have had. I am sure the members will be interested in your response to this letter. I will certainly post it.

moa4r

i'd suggest sending/faxing this letter to the owners/managers of the dealerships that wronged you before going all the way to the top. aslo, imo you are being a little bit nitpicky in many of your complaints and you should focus on the bigger problems you're having with your car...

overall, my suggestion to you is to have pateince when dealing with your car's problems, and go to a dealer you've never been to in your area (preferably one you've heard good things about) and explain your problem to their service people in detail and try to develop a friendly relationship with them so they do not screw you over...(one suggestion is to bring them donuts/miffins, etc in the morning) but in general, one's attitude and the way you come off can be the difference in the results you get from these people...remember, to you your car is the most important thing, but to them they just want to get the job done and move on, so you need to do something that will make them take extra care of you/your vehicle...
anyway, thats my $.02 good luck with everything.

Brother Benz

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

Regarding your letter, I would shorten it and stick to the significant problems. You certainly have some high impact issues and I think the comments about detailing and scratches take away from the severity of the quality faults.

I had a lot of problems with my ML and I swore I'd never buy another MB. The new service manager at my dealer completely turned me around. All it took was someone willing to work with me to get things right intstead of the stiff arm that some service managers give you.

alewifebp

My experience with letters is that they should be kept short and to the point. Cut out some of the smaller issues, or group them together in a single sentence to emphasize that even more problems exist. Keep the major points at the top of the letter.

You may even briefly mention the points (while still expressing your deep satisfaction), and ask that a higher up contact you by phone, where it will be much easier to discuss some of these points.

And has been pointed out, one letter to the GM of the dealership explaining the issues with customer service that were not taken care of properly, and another to MB USA explaining your complaints about the general quality of the vehicle, and your disappointment therein.

DaveFr

Sorry about all the problems you're having with your E500. You've certainly had many more problems than I and most owners have encountered.

I echo the other comments about focusing your letter on the most serious problems. In addition I'd delete the final paragraph and references to things such as a "second-rate audio system." IMHO, the final paragraph destroys any incentive MB would have to help you because you declare that you are going to "dump" the car. Why should they care about someone who is no longer going to be a MB owner? To me, your draft comes across as more of a rant than a letter from someone intrested in fixing the many problems you've encountered. Just keep the old adage in mind about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar and I think you'll get better results.

nyca

I have heard that you get the best attention when sending a letter like this via fedex or UPS overnight (2nd day) service.

rdtjr

Thanks for the good suggestions. That is why I posted here. Now that I have vented a bit I can move on. This has really been a frustrating experience. I should have bought the Infinity G35 for commuting and pocketed the other $30,000 as my head and not my heart told me to.

Will try to find a better dealer. I bought from an "award winning" one and the other had a good word of mouth reputation but there are others out there in Chicago.

alewifebp

I echo DaveFr and nyca's comments. Even sending it certified also indicates that it is more important than a run of the mill letter.

And this may be difficult, but rather than even sending it to the CEO, if you knew the names and addresses of others that deal with your situation directly. There has to be a regional manager for the northeast, or a director of customer service. This directs it to people who will more likely be able to read and act upon it, whereas the CEO will never read the letter.

greenm

Agree with others, make it shorter and get rid of the minor issues. Here is what will happen when you send it to Halata:

You will get a response from MBUSA that they are handing your complaints off to a zone rep., and that he will contact you in a few days. The zone rep will call you to discuss your problems. The zone rep. has authority to make the dealer fix the problems, but in my experience you will just get lip service. See what he has to say, then go from there. Some zone reps. are pretty good, most are not.

Halata is interested in one thing, and one thing only, selling cars. MBUSA will not get involved unless there is a lawyer contacting them. Even if one threatens a lemon law suit, the zone rep. will be your contact until one actually files suit. The corporate culture at MBUSA is arrogance, they do not like to admit that they are wrong. You can read about other owner's dealings with them at:
http://www.mercedes-benz-usa.com

konigstiger

Rick, check your PM!

MB-JIM

The first thing you need to decide is are you merely wanting to vent your feelings or do you want some specific action taken to correct any problems with your car and make you a happy MB owner.
If you simply want to vent your feelings then send the letter and expect nothing in return. If you are looking for help then consider the following:
First eliminate the beginning part where you are recommending Lexus and Jaguar cars. Also the part at the end as previously mentioned that states "when I dump it."
Most of your real dissatisfaction seems to be the result of incompetent service departments. You should separate the service department complaints from other things. e.g A knowledgeable technician should have told you that the Logic 7 setting is only satisfactory with strong radio signals. The garage door opener may not work on some systems and requires a rather complex procedure with some others.
I believe if you are looking for corrective action you should make your list of the unresolved problems and arrange to meet the area service manager who is frequently at your dealership and discuss the problems and solutions.

michael10128

i would stick to the primary issues - dealer and quality.

you might attach a separate sheet listing your service repairs in cronological order. At that time you may include the scratch. I went through your hell with my clk, however i had significantly more and larger problems.

focus on the unaceptable service and quality and challenge them to get it done. Use each incedent to back it up.

my 2cents

mallard

rdtjr,
I recently sent a letter to MBUSA regarding changes made to my order without notification to me, resulting in the car being delivered without options I specifically ordered. I, too, originally wrote a very long letter venting all my frustrations, then had others read it for outside opinions. I took what was originally a 3 page letter down to one and a half, preferring to stick to the original issue and asking for a specific solution. In your letter, you do not tell them what you want done. Let them know what it will take to make you happy. Many of your complaints are with the service department and I feel those should be addressed first with the dealership's General Manager, then up the line to Zone Manager if the problems are not resolved.

I sent my letter via certified mail last Saturday. Got a call from the recipient on Wednesday letting me know the Zone Manager would call Tuesday of next week (with Monday being a holiday). I was told they should be able to add the options to the car, but no promises were made. I was told the Zone Manager had ultimate authority to fix the problems.

Sorry to hear about all your problems. I've had some of the ones you mention, and the car did spend a week in the shop. However, they fixed everything and the car has been great ever since. Only 3,100 miles so far and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the bugs are worked out and it will be relatively trouble free from here.

Good luck with your situation and let us know what the end result is.

Dr Chill

Here's the edited version


January 19, 2004

Paul Halata
President and CEO
Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc.
1 Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645

Dear Mr. Halata,

Re: Mercedes Benz 2003 E500 VIN: WDBUF70J53A349234

Last August I wrote you a letter praising the purchase experience of my car from Autohaus on Edens (“AOE”). Unfortunately, this letter is much different. I am now writing to let you know why I wished I never purchased the car. It is without a doubt a beautiful car - pewter/ash with a wood wheel - and attracts much attention. People have been surprised, and a bit disappointed, to learn that I cannot recommend the new E series specifically because of poor quality and Mercedes in general due to several bad service experiences.


After 4,000 miles I took the car in to AOE for my first service. I had ten items that I wanted looked into - none related to drivability - except for my suspicions about the motor mounts. Although AOE had the car for seven business days, they only changed the motor mounts, replaced a torn door gasket and adjusting the windshield washer sprayers (poorly). After having the car for three days, the service adviser never called to ask if he could keep the car over the weekend: I had to call him. He was evasive when asked about what services had been performed so far and he did not offer to call me back. His service group did not diagnose the motor mount problem until the fifth day. After AOE returned my car, I had to bring the car back for 45 minutes of interior detailing to remove kick marks on the door and fingerprints all over the visor and headliner. I also ordered touch up paint four different times before I got it.

After about 5,000 miles I had serious transmission and audio system problems. I took it Mercedes Benz of Hoffman Estates (“MBOHE”). I was pleased with their responsiveness but the audio problem recurred the day after service and I am not convinced it is completely fixed yet. I now have a scratch in the clearcoat on the top of the upper left rear quarter panel consistent with someone leaning over the trunk while working on the audio gateway. Unfortunately, I did not discover this for several days and thus have no way to prove they did it. No one has detailed the car but me and I have never valeted it. My garage access door is to the right so the car is always loaded/unloaded from that side. I have no other explanation for its cause.

I have not had my car in for service since the above incidents and do not intend to return for any services not specifically covered by the warranty. A number of my neighbors with older Mercedes have recommended good, independent mechanics.

Recap of the actual repairs done to date:
§ Motor mounts replaced.
§ Transmission gasket replaced to stop transmission leak and prevent it from disengaging again.
§ Rear view mirror replaced.
§ Audio gateway replaced.
§ Audio software reinstalled.
§ Two door gaskets replaced (one delivered torn, one fell off while washing the car).
§ Audio software reloaded.
§ Windshield washers adjusted.

Recap of the ongoing or new problems. Starred* items are same or related problem already looked at by dealer:
§ Motor mount noise seems to have returned.*
§ Transmission seems to lurch sometimes when rapidly braking or moderately accelerating. I do not use manual shift functionality.*
§ Static in audio slowly returning. Completely lost audio for several minutes last week. Malfunction thrown off but disappeared when car started next time. Left audio also disappeared until car restarted*
§ Logic 7 seems to fade in and out - can even hear it change sometime during a song. Audio sounds no better than my old pickup’s most of the time.*
§ When in park, the engine is not all that smooth. Feels like it occasionally misses. When I lean against the headrest, my head gently sways back and forth.
§ Heater and front windshield defroster blowers completely cut out – just stopped - for several minutes on three separate occasions when the car was partially warmed up.
§ SBC system is constantly and loudly resetting itself in heavy rush hour traffic. I listen to this 1½ hours a day.
§ 0 slot in CD player periodically sounds like it is cycling, looking for a CD.

So what do I do, Mr. Halata? Do I take it to a dealer, knowing that both dealers I have dealt with so far have been unsuccessful in repairing the car and left it in no better - or worse - condition than when I brought it in? Do I just put up with these problems in order to avoid building up a repair record that will damage the value of this car when I dump it? What do I do? I am looking for an answer.

Sincerely,



Rick Turley
(xxx) xxx-xxxx
rick.turley@xxxxxxxx.com

PS – I have posted this letter on a MB owners forum at the following URL. I am sure the members will be interested in your response.

allenjdmb

although I do believe some of your expectations may be a bit overreaching, and no more complicated or aggravating than many other complex vehicle issues--but that's not the problem.

The problem is that you're wasting your breath. They don't care.

This is not the Benz organization of the 70's or even the 80's. This is the new Daimler Chrylser who doesn't give a damn about what was the finest "mass" brand, nor the long term customers that they used to have, and had earned thru the years. They are only concerned about one thing, and that is more units. The manufacturer is the only person in this process with any substantial profits left. I've bought three new Benz products in the past 18 months, all with their own unique problems. Are the cars better than they were a couple years ago? Yeah. Are they anywhere near as good as a real Benz car should be? Not close.
Your expectations are based on the previous product and an organization who cares. Unfortuantely, these situations no longer exist.
I'l say it one more time. When I complained to my regional rep about the lousy quality and customer service, he said:
"Well, we used to make the best cars. Now all we want to make is money".
Sad.

etenn

The reply (if you get one) will be interesting. MB's dealer network is as bad as it can get. This includes both sales and service. Now the dealers are being bought by the monster companies like AutoNation, etc.

The road is all downhill. I have been lucky to have a good dealer but understand that one of the huge system type companies is trying to buy them out.

rdtjr

Thank you all for your input. I have decided not to send the letter but take up the major issues over the next few weeks at the better of the two dealers. I will have a more complete track record of fixed/not fixed issues and can begin escalating up the chain of command.

konigstiger:

Sent you a PM back with the information you requested. Thanks.