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DP

Spinny201

Sorry for the lack of updates. This is still an on going issue and I am a bit weary of posting the status. I do have some interesting things to report and I promise I will do so once this is all said and done.

Raymond Lee

I own BlueTec but I can say E350 is a solid car. Your car is frankly unbelievable! Maybe it got hit with auto heart attack. I would not hesitate to buy E350 anytime.

mnje350

++ I agree. I doubt you have anything to worry about either. I do not think this kind of thing is a regular occurrence. Certainly not enough to make me think twice about buying one.

Spinny201

Just got the offical word. Two of the pistons are damaged. The wristpin came loose and damaged them.

But here's the interesting part. Mercedes is REFUSING to give us a replacement engine! They are REBUILDING THE ENGINE!

This is insane - a BRAND NEW 2012 with a rebuilt engine? Yea we won't take a loss when we go try to sell this piece of junk. Who on EARTH buys a new car with a rebuilt engine??

Glad to see MBUSA really stands behind their products and long term customers. We will NEVER purchase another MB again after this fiasco.

Just wanted to share and tell you all to beware - I really do hope this NEVER happens to anyone but if it does, you can be sure that MBUSA will stick it to you good. It's obvious they do not care about their customers, especially ones who have been buying MB's for over 10 years.

sosh

Most likely they will not rebuild the the entire engine but just replace the damaged parts and rebuild those cylinders. Quite frankely I would not tolerate this. Check your states lemon laws and see if this qualifies as a lemon. Also consult with an attorney that has experience in this field. Your dealer should have been pushing MB for a replacement vehicle and making them aware of your history with them. But do remember, keep your cool be polite and factual but go for it!

mnje350

Wow that sux. I would ask the dealer what kind of a trade they would give you on a new one just to establish how much their f-up devalued the car. If it is below blue book then I would say you have a great argument for further discussion.

Best of luck to you.

Spinny201

Well we are going to refuse the car, plain and simple we did not pay over $60,000 for a car with a rebuilt engine at 1000 miles. Aside from that, we have a lawyer on this case.

I can assure you we will not ever drive this car again. On top of that, the lady working the case at MBUSA is completely rude and has said "oh well" to us several times. This really is crazy to me, you buy multiple cars from a company, one being over $60,000 - it breaks down with 1000 miles and instead of fixing it the right way, they go the cheap route and when you complain they tell you "oh well"..

They honestly do not care and I can honestly say that by the way everyone at MBUSA has treated us. It's like it's a joke to them.

I will keep this thread updated, and again I am not saying that this will happen to you, but know if it does mercedes will NEVER do the right thing so keep that in mind when you buy your next mercedes.

rjm

The response from Mercedes is totally unacceptable. Stick to your guns and post this incident on every Mercedes-Benz forum you can find. I would NOT accept a new car with a rebuilt engine at 1000 miles either.

ttoE550

You should probably get yourself a lawyer right away. If nothing else to have someone explain that you are most likely hurting any claims you have in your statements to MB and on this board. Refusing the car? Refusing a repair MB deems acceptable? I am guessing that has implications for the lemon law clock. And I really mean no offense, but MB has no incentive to do more than what is minimally necessary to fix the car since you made it clear nothing short of replacement of the car would be acceptable to you.

ttoE550

Just read that you already have one. Good. I am curious how a strategy of refusing to take the car can help.

It's funny. While I would have been perfectly happy with a new engine, I would have not wanted a rebuilt one!

BenzV12

This makes no sense at all, how can they give you a warranty that this new rebuilt engine will run perfectly
May be your engine damage seemed not major to them but the way they get down the issue is not suitable

michael10128

I have been following your thread since day one, Just awful. I had a similar experience at 1500 miles which became 3K miles due to constant refusals to fix. I had a brand new CLK430 - after 1500 miles the valves were tapping like diesel, after constant pleading and calls to MBCC, they rebuilt the engine and it was fine. Top half of the engine is fine to rebuild but you are talking about block and pistons....STOP THE CLOCK

I am not a mechanic but if the pistons were damaged, who can tell if the block had any damage, via scraping by broken parts etc. This wont show up now, might not show up for years. The pin that came loose could have damaged tons of other components. While i dont think it will hurt resale, its really the long term impact on the motor and a ruined experience.

You will eventually get a new motor, especially with an attorney. Based on my experience you should (unfortunately) look at MBUSA Customer Service as an insurance company. They will refuse your claim and offer you the minimum until you bring a lawyer into the equation. BTW, i think that the dealer you purchased it from is terrible. I think Englewood is much better and for your next car i strongly suggest Ray Catena. They are outstanding in every aspect.

As a car guy, i just feel terrible because 90% of the joy in getting a new car is within the first 2K miles...Sorry ...

BenzMan369

Good for you!!

I am deeply saddened by MB's decision. I support and admire your position.

Just my unprofessional opinion here, but if you did let them go ahead and repair the engine, they may possibly want you to sign off on the repairs before they begin and again upon accepting the repaired vehicle. In your situation, I wouldn't want my signature on anything indicating I approved the repairs, especially in light of your overwhelming reluctance to have the vehicle repaired.

I am not a car expert, but - do they know what caused the wrist pins to fail simultaneously, thereby damaging the pistons? Wrist pin failure I believe can be due to improper original installation, improper manufacture of the part itself, or possibly other problems in the engine. Totally unacceptable to own a brand new Mercedes Benz with that and four more cylinders hanging over your head.

With the approval of your attorney, please keep us informed.

Continued best wishes for justice!

BenzMan369

Precisely!

BetterTomorrow

So sorry to hear about your trouble. I think it could've been a whole lot easier if the dealer you bought the car from (prestige) would stick up for you.

After all this drama, you would not want this car in your sight so you have two choice, I would assume.

You should estimate the trade in value after the repair and subtract that from your purchase price.

You can eat that difference, swallow the pain, and move on. Sometimes headaches are just not worth it especially when you are dealing with something you despice. Or you could use that difference to hire a lawyer and get as much back as possible. If you take the second route, you might want to include Prestige in the picture for their utter disregard for their customer.

Most of all, good luck to you.

bigben320e

This is exactly why I said earlier on other threads, MB is going to learn a lesson the hard way again. Did they not learn from the QC issues back from the circa 99-04 mess?

Apparently not, no wonder I keep hearing people are dumping MB's and going to Audi, Hyundai (don't laugh). A rebuilt engine at less than 1,000 miles is ridiculous. Somehow from the start of this thread I knew the OP was going to get screwed. A sad and forgone conclusion, I would raise hell on all forums, MBUSA, local news, and beyond. I would like to know how this turns out, glad the OP has a lawyer, but the sickening part he is out of:

Time
Money
Stress

MBUSA/dealer should have done better by this.

MinnBobber

you may want to see EXACTLY what they mean by "rebuild".

--just replace damaged pistons and rods?

or

-- new shortblock which is entire lower engine block and pistons/rods/crank?
They just put your top end---heads, exhaust, all the external attachments like power steering and brake pumps, etc onto the new short block.
This would be much more acceptable to me.

My wife had this done on Acura 3.2 TL with 60,000 miles which developed engine ticking. At 60K it was kind of like getting a new engine so not like at 1K miles...

BM2BZ

sorry to hear all the troubles you are going through, spinny. i wouldn't let them do anything to the car if you are not planning to take the car back with a rebuilt engine. just either have it sit in their lot or take it back home. it might not be necessary but find a trustworthy mechanic and go to your lawyer w/him as your lawyer might not be knowledgeable for this kind of issue. document everything, including your phone calls and emails. look at the bright side, if your lawyer is good, you could probably get more than a new car. good luck !

bigh123

Hopefully once you get an attorney in the mix and send a letter to their legal department they will respond and then some. They don't want to spend legal fees. They can save money by giving you a new car, fixing and reselling the other instead of legal expenses plus larger concessions for breaking any lemon laws.

Spinny201

I was told they are just replacing two pistons. One is in the US one is in Germany. 5-7 days on the parts, 2 days to rebuild/install and 2+ to "road test".

Not that any of it matters, we will never remove the car from the dealership. After Monday I will let everyone know more.

I would like to thank everyone for your support and suggestions!

hofb99

We are definitely behind you all the way, SPINNY! And I pray that all will work out in your favor in the end... Such a shame, though, that M-B would put you through this and take such a HUGE RISK losing you as a valued return customer (because that's what a good business is all about--gaining trust and ensuring you return again and again...as you have!). Subsequently, they can also count on losing a whole lot more consumer business because they MUST know you ain't exactly gonna keep quiet about it! Really dumb on their part. Makes me want to turn and run away from M-B right now if that's potentially how I'll be treated should serious issues arise--and this is our first M-B! GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS!!!

WEBSRFR

So sorry to hear about this. Mercedes should be ashamed of themselves for the miserable support and attitude towards you. It is completely unacceptable to have paid for a new car and have a rebuilt engine at only 1K miles with god knows what else wrong with the engine and car.

I would not even buy a USED car if I pull up the VMI and find the engine was rebuilt so what Mercedes has offered you is completely unacceptable.

They should have replaced the car with a new car.

RJC

How many days has it been and how long will it take the dealership to get the parts and rebuild the engine? 30 days out of service in most states for LL is the magic number.

BM2BZ

i have a feeling that your case will be settled very soon, spinny. not only a lawyer is involved but i'm sure those mbusa people are watching closely with almost all the forums. i'm quite sure we'll hear some good news from you soon.