BeachBunny

HELP!!!

So, my 2015 E350 is a great car...but the dealership sucks. I have a few issues with the car and hnave taken it there THREE times in a row and they're still not fixed. Unfortunately all of the problems are intermittent in nature. They refuse to troubleshoot it unless they see the failure in front of their faces.

Does anyone have any advice on this or any of the following problems?

A few of the issues:Sadly, I do like the car, but the dealership experience has really soured me on Mercedes-Benz. I have friends and family who are interested in buying 2016 Es (both are very serious buyers) but I'm not so sure I can recommend the car if the dealership is unable to fix the basic systems of it. One of them was going to put the order in last week but I told them to hold off and possibly consider a different brand.

Ironically, all of the sophisticated options on the car (Distronic, etc.) are performing as they should.

Anyone have any thoughts?

channey

I have the same issues with 2 & 3.

Problem #3 is well known even though MB won't admit to it.

Problem #2 my dealership tells me it's designed to work that way. I had a loaner car that did the same exact thing. It only seems to happen when I have the temperature set below 72°F. If you look in the owner's manual it mentions something about the auto-climate control being set to 72°.

BeachBunny

I have a very difficult time believing that #2 is "normal" operation. Literally, the system goes to FULL heat only on the driver's side for about 30 seconds then goes back to cooling. The dealer tried "fixing" this by raising the evaporator temperature . They also then tried resetting the stepper motors. It feels more like a loose connection to me, but I can't get them to even turn a screwdriver and pop the panels off to check. If it doesn't happen in front of their own eyes, it doesn't happen is their attitude.

This is on top of the **** poor followup (read: NONE). I dropped my car off for an oil change with the squawk list. NOTHING heard from them for over a week then finally "your car is ready." Oil change done, nothing else done...except a nice scratch in the steering wheel leather and the car was filthy. Their excuse? They "couldn't see" any damage to the steering wheel and regarding the cleanliness of the car "well, that's what happens when you pay people minimum wage."

I expect better. For crying out loud, Infiniti does better than this. Even the local Kia dealer knows how to wash a car.

instantfob

4) Reboot the command system if it goes into fits. Hold down the ON button for 30 seconds for reboot. Also turn off ECO to keep AC working.

7) Rattles. MBUSA will tell you it's normal. I had a long saga on that.

CLICK HERE

BeachBunny

Re #4 -- It sounds like the hard drive is going bad to me...just like it would in a regular computer. Of course, this dealership turns the car on, sees the navigation screen come up and says "It's working fine...see, there's the map." Then again, I've only been working in the tech/computer field for 30 years...so what do I know?

Re AC: I'm normally doing highway driving so ECO doesn't make a difference either way in cooling performance. Even after being on the road for 30+ minutes of straight highway driving the car's interior is still far too warm, even with MAX AC or AUTO/65F set. This is the #1 area where I miss M45. That thing, even after being on the road for 10 years, was still belting out 38F air from the vents.

Re #7 -- I'm not sure how many rattles/squeaks you've had with yours, but mine are minimal compared to the Infiniti M45 I had. It took close to 100,000 miles to get rid of all of them. Probably had a good 5-10 lbs of felt tape in that car by that point. That said, from 100,000 to 218,000 miles no more squeaks/rattles in it. BUT the initial days with the M45 were terrible. 40 year old NYC subway cars rattled less than the M45 initially did. BTW, every single time I've brought the car in I've complained about the tranny being rough. Unlike squeaks/rattles, powertrain issues ARE lemon-law eligible.

instantfob

7) It was just one metallic rattle in the B pillar that would drive me nuts (imagine someone shaking their metal band wrist watch next to your ear as you drive). Verified by the local techs as well. MBUSA just decides to play hardball. My 2012 E350 Bluetec had zero rattles.

PaulE550

Is there another MB dealership in the area you can take the car to? The one you're using doesn't seem to be too interested in either providing good customer service (actually listening to the customer and trying to resolve the issue(s)) or in customer satisfaction for potential repeat business / referrals.

Did you try calling MBUSA corporate to see if they would intervene with the MB dealership on your behalf?

El Cid

Appears to me that it is not the dealer, but the car itself. Just because they cannot find the problem and MBUSA will not reimburse them for lengthy, expensive searches, don't blame the dealer. Cars are way too complicated with several computers or electronic devices, not to mention the myriad of other systems on cars. Many items have not been adequately tested for durability and performance prior to a supplier shipping them to DAG.
Personally, I think DAG/MB produces too many variations of too many models with too many features and powertrains.
If you really believe it is dealer, contact MBUSA consumer services and ask for an Executive Case Manager. Be forewarned though that they are in process of moving from NJ to Atlanta, so things may take a while.
Re: AC, do you have a panoramic roof? If so, this may be part of the problem. Not sure about MB, but I have another make that has one and it is noticeably warmer. Panoramic roofs do not have an thicker/insulated panel, but rather a thin shade that rolls up. Add all the extra glass surface absorbing and radiating heat and it places a burden on a system.
Good luck, but MB is far from "The Best or Nothing."

Diamond White W212

The 2015 GLK Loaner car that I'm in does that as well. I've noticed that several time in the 30 days I've been in that car.
We won't bother going into why I've been in a loaner car for 30 days...thats another thread.

dbldpr

for the ac make sure ac button is pushed in and on. I would find another dealer in floriday and see what they can do about your problems.

hyperion667

find an indy shop! I drive 45 minutes through hell(traffic and lights) to get to mine, but it's well worth it

PeterUbers

Ah yes, the transmission clunking.

El Cid

Why take a new car still under warranty to an independent repair shop? You might be able (at a fee) to get their opinion, but still up to MB dealer and MBUSA to pay for the fix. And they will not pay for work done by an indpendent.

GuestFromTampa

Which dealer you went to ?

hyperion667

peace of mind, and to show the dealer we will not put up with their style of customer care

pdisher

NICE!

El Cid

I doubt any dealers are going to accept a "report" from an independent when they supposedly could not find the problem. Especially when the dealership has to convince MBUSA to pay for the costs of repairs.
Of course, all of this presumes that the indy can actually identify the source of the issues and determine a correction. Also that the indy will be willing to give the customer a report in writing of all this so the customer can attempt to get MB dealer to do the work.
Don't forget, the indys do not wish to start a fight with MB as they may need them for parts in the future.
Why would an indy take a risk knowing the customer is probably never going to return and will get future services from the MB dealer?
Will still require that customer pay the indy and the inconveinence of the car being at the indy's for as long as it takes.
And it really doesn't show the dealership anything other than that customer doesn't trust them.
Better to work with MBUSA customer care to resolve the issue.
Contact the president/CEO of MBUSA directly if necessary.

hyperion667

I think you are missing my point Elcid.......and yes, it will show that customers do not trust the dealers, that equals less money for them, which is how they speak: in dollars not satisfaction

El Cid

"Show that customers do not trust the dealers." And that will develop a good relationship between this customer and dealership and MBUSA how? Even if goes to another dealership, this customer is starting off with a report from an indy basically criticizing another dealership and MBUSA.
Going to an indy at this stage is too early. Better to work through MBUSA and perhaps Lemon Law process if necessary.
Of course, you assume that an indy will be able to discover the problems and explain how to correct them in the first place.
Still say it is the vehicle and not the dealership.

retna7

100% agree.

Whether it be a dealership or indy - a business is only as good as the people who work there. There is no guarantee that an indy will provide a greater customer service experience or ROI for your time / money. The best we can do is educate ourselves as much as possible regarding our issues (ergo this site) as nobody is going to care more about our circumstances that us. Develop relationships with the people at these places of business and lower your expectations a bit. We are dealing with human beings - and humans are more than uniforms. Be cool, relaxed, and informed vs anxious, presumptuous, and demanding. You'd be surprised how people react to a positive attitude. Your positive attitude should be based on the fact that you're driving a 2015 with a B2B warranty so you're ahead of the game here by sticking with MB dealerships / MBUSA. Might be worth it to drive a few miles to the next dealership after researching the customer service experiences of others via Yelp, calling them, and (calmly) discussing your situation . If one person doesn't meet your expectations at least you've crossed a name off the list and can move to the next. Even at the same dealership you can have a stellar service adviser one desk over from a horrible service adviser. Good Luck!!!

hyperion667

I'm merely operating and basing my comments from my own personal experiences with the dealer I have purchased 4 brand new cars from, and the one(different) dealer that I have used for a warranty related item(brake pads), that were not done right....


yes, people make mistakes, even highly trained people that are expected to perform at a higher standard: Mercedes Benz......make mistakes........


did I ever tell you about the time the shop foreman backed my brand new S class out of the customer bay into a curb? and the damage it caused to the front lip?
that was the last straw for me at that dealership in regards to service......I could go on.....


I am usually a calm guy, but when pushed, and tried and tried again I become weary and defensive when it comes to my 100K+ cars

El Cid

My expereinces have been exactly the opposite. Deal with the SA and other personnel in a professional, calm and objective manner and things go very smoothly. Have received outstanding service from the SA and dealership. Not only at MB, but others as well. When a problem arose I contacted corporate offices for resolution without resorting to a conflict with the dealership.
I have used independent service shops. Generally found them to be less knowledgeable and poorly trained and more prone to mistakes even on very common American and Asian makes. When they did something wrong (and they did), it was "sue me." You have no recourse since the indy is privately owned and not subject to any oversight. Whether "certified," "recommended," "approved" or whatever.
If you go into a dealership expecting a fight, chances are you will find one.
As I said, before, it's not the dealership, but the car. Call MB customer service or write to the CEO. It Works!!!!

BeachBunny

Hi all, I figured I'd give an update to "The Best or Nothing." After going back & forth with corporate for awhile, they finally decided they were tired of paying for the same dealership to keep not fixing my car and damaging it further. This was after they insisted I take it to the same dealership 4-5 times.

So, I took it to a different dealership. MUCH different experience. They've taken things very seriously and do seem to be doing everything in their power to make this car work. When I've stopped in to see how the car's doing, the car was immaculate -- much better than when I left it. They even cleaned the denim marks off the seats.

That said... my car's been in the shop for almost 7 weeks now, currently waiting on even more parts from Germany to arrive. While they've given me a brand new 2016 E350, nicely equipped, as a loaner car, I am starting to wonder if I'll ever have my car back again. It is interesting to note that the 2016 E has some of the same problems (random heat, clunky tranny), but also has some of its own (strange reverse-polarity with the speakers, won't recognize the key at times, collision assist sounds the alert when there's nothing going on). Sadly, the car doesn't have Distronic, so I've actually had to drive, which defeats the point of owning a Merc -- I bought the car for Distronic. As of this morning I've put 3,000 miles on this loaner, probably 5,000+ on all of the loaners I've had this year.

I will say the loaner's AC *is* able to keep up with the Florida heat, despite it being a black car, so obviously they can occasionally make one which blows cold air.

On mine, I do know that they've replaced the 360 degree camera module...twice, COMAND's been completely replaced once. Rear window shelf's been replaced, and the car's interior has been literally in pieces in the dealership's garage as they check all of the connectors, wiring, etc.

The dealership wasn't willing to say anything bad about Mercedes corporate, but there's the sense that they're not getting the information they need to fix the car. It's almost like MBUSA is a re-seller and the brains are in Germany, but the US dealers only get to talk with MBUSA who is only interested in pushing metal. I could be well wrong on this.

I am starting to wonder, especially in light of my loaner E having many of the same problems, can Mercedes-Benz actually build a car which works? Do the European models have all of these problems or are these specific to the US-spec ones only? With the E-Class being their most sold car around the world, I have a difficult time believing they're all like this. Is the S as problematic as the E?

Anyone have any thoughts/ideas? The car's been in the shop for ~33% of its life so far.

El Cid

BB: sorry to hear your problems are continuing. Perhaps MBUSA would do a buy-back? Maybe it is time to consider a Lemon Law case, but these are state by state and South is known to favor manufacturers over consumers.
The latest Consumer Reports Buying Guide (annual issue) summarized that electronics are the number one complaint in today's cars. Regardless of the brand. Overall, MB is slightly below mid-pack in reliability. The "E" is one of two MB's rated average; rest are below average.
I think people's expectations of what a car should be and how it should be equipped have far outpaced automotive engineers' ability to design all the "gee-whiz" technology people want in their cars.
For MB's part, you can add the multitude of different engine/transmission set-ups and models, as well as the relatively low production but expensive to produce models.

jahquan3

That stinks @BeachB. I've heard of a few cases like this with MB's having extended stays in the shop. I've never seen this with cars I've typically had before I purchased an MB. I hope all works out well, and you are a much better person then me. My head would've exploded by now