GuyV

We purchased a 2014 G550 from a Mercedes dealer in Germantown Maryland. This is not my first rodeo and I did my research on the vehicles history and records before we pulled the trigger on this one. Our other car is a 2013 G550 - We love it and so I knew what to look for in regards to MX records and inspections. It all checked out and despite being a difficult time to buy a used car, we agreed upon a fair price and had the vehicle shipped to our home in Florida. All was right with the world. Let me repeat- Mercedes dealership!!!!
upon receipt of the car, the headliner was stained from front to back- not wet just stained, there are indications of rust under the lower windshield seal, on the upper rear door hinge and under the insulation under the hood and the passenger side wiper attachment is rusty. I have engaged with MBUSA and they have been very attentive so far but we are a week into this and so far the selling dealer has asked for pictures and given no reply to my request to make this right.
looking for a gut check here folks- we love our other G - and we know that any preowned car is not going to be perfect by any stretch but this is a Mess. We know that rust can be an issue on certain W463s - by my estimate these are small issues that can be addressed easily by a dealer. Anybody dealt with a similar circumstance and how did it work out - thanks for the replies

JD101b

Sorry to hear about your problems.

See this thread for rust issues: https://mbworld.org/forums/g-class-w...lass-rust.html

The "rust" you see under the bonnet insulation is actually adhesive. But the other areas you mention are notorious for rust.

Do you have any pictures?

By the way your other G probably has rust. Inspect it ASAP.

GuyV

the other G is a west coast vehicle- I have inspected it many times - not one indication on any known areas

streborx

Was this vehicle CPO'd by MB, and did you personally inspect the car prior to purchase?

GuyV

Not CPOd but this MB Dealer extends 6 months preferred coverage for exterior/ interior repairs, windshield damage etc -any new/ used vehicle purchased

you would think( and I did) that if they cover the vehicle with complimentary coverage that they would at least send it out the door up to MB standards - obviously not the case here

this was a purchase done online with a transfer from MD to FLA

simandang

Having bought many used and new vehicles but most importantly being in the industry myself professionally I am going to say you are SOL.

Depending on the paperwork you signed there is a 100% a piece of paper there stating that the vehicle was purchased as-is condition or some other similar word terminology.

Depending on how much noise you make the dealer might goodwill “cleaning” costs to fix the headliner and attempt at fixing the rust but as far as buying the vehicle back goes I don’t see that happening.

If you don’t want the vehicle depending on the deal you got you might come out ahead if you decide to trade it in as the G class market is the craziest it’s ever been.

JD101b

That is good to hear, but I have heard of low mileage, late model west coast cars (even one in ARIZONA) with rust. So be on the lookout.

Do you have any pictures? It might make it easier to determine what amount of work must be done to fix it.

GuyV

We are not looking for a buy back at this point- these issues are treatable and not to the level of structural integrity - G owners can expect some oxidation as they enjoy their vehicles into the future- if caught early.

The purchase was well done until this final portion-

We are just disappointed in the lack of attention to detail and due diligence- still waiting on an answer from EUROMOTORS Germantown MD

should be a no brainer -

“take it to your local MB dealership and we will take care of the rest- our apologies for dropping the ball on this one”

JD101b

MBUSA did fix some rust (but not all lol) on my G as a "favor". They won't cover any more unfortunately. I just got a $1700 quote to fix some rust spots on mine.

The problem is, the metal isn't well galvanized and the paint isn't great. The only way for Mercedes to properly treat the problem would be to take the truck, sand the entire thing down to bare metal, and respray with some heavy duty anti corrosive primer and paint (something like coal tar epoxy, which is used on ships).

I keep my truck in a humidity controlled garage which helps to dry out tough to reach areas. I'm going to paint the chassis and suspension components this fall with the aforementioned coal tar epoxy and perform an oil treatment (NH Oil, Fluid Film, etc) on all body panel cavities which will hopefully keep the rust at bay for good. But it is infuriating that I have to do that in the first place.

streborx

Caveat emptor.

JD101b

"The Best or Nothing"

streborx

Touché.

simandang

I believe I read here or another G forum of a user that bought a 2014 G550 from silver spring MD with 100k miles that needed timing chain work done.

after back and forth the dealer paid the Manhattan nyc dealer to cover the repairs which was around $7000 I’ll try to find the post

Good luck to you. If you are intent on keeping the truck I’d expect them to issue you a credit or go to some body shops/local dealer and get a quote for how much it will cost.

No offense but to anyone else reading and thinking that CPO or certified means something....it does not. Many times I’ve bought CPO vehicles that should have never been CPO where the selling dealer than just uses the CPO warranty to fix the issues. It doesn’t end up costing them anything, if they had fixed the issues before they’d be on the hook. CPO is just a marketing gimmick.

This industry has few regulations and dishonesty is the normal.

streborx

Can't disagree here. I'd take the vehicle to a qualified indy-mechanic for a thorough shake down before coughing up the amount of $$ a used G sells for.

hard top

I don't think I'd buy a vehicle sight unseen. It needs to be in the daylight and I need my face all up in there.

C2 Turbo

Northern cars all have rust even if they are garaged, driven less and taken care of. it's just the nature of the beast. I hav always said, regardless of the dealership, mercedes, Ferrari, lambo, Toyota they all sell used cars and are in a buisness to make money even if that means screwing the customers

These long distance sight unseen purchases have made very easy for these dealerships to sell such compromised cars. Last year I passed on a 2015 E63S Wagon with 10k miles from a Mercedes dealership out of FL for they won't CPO the car. I kept asking them why not and got my answer when I asked them for undercarriage pictures. Car had extensive rust, no wonder they won't CPO the car.

Did you make any partial payment on the CC by any chance?

GuyV

Nope

i jumped into the deep end - my last purchase was California born and raised - W 463 no rust at all so… I got both spoiled and confident
my major malfunction was being too confident in the “ the best or nothing” mantra - as mentioned in the original thread - everyone of these items are small potatoes for a dealer to rectify. That said, it is either ineptitude ( they missed it all) or purposeful negligence- they sent the car to the buyer thinking we would not mention a thing. In the end I’m left negotiating again for a car I’ve already purchased. I love the product but I am beginning to bear real animosity towards the producer/ MB dealer. Again, this is an easy one. I’m not asking for a new vehicle. JUST MAKE THIS RIGHT!

GuyV

hard top

.

JD101b

Some people have suggested a class action and I am wondering if that is the best route to go down.

streborx

Don't know if this possible -- google "class action requirements" and you'll find that prerequisites for this are fairly complicated. The best route IMO is to scrutinize the vehicle listing to see if there was some misrepresentation made. If the vehicle was described as "MB CPO", and there are clear and significant exceptions to meeting these standards, there is cause to reverse the transaction. While "caveat emptor" applies in many cases, it doesn't include misrepresentation.

JD101b

Many people experience these problems AFTER they purchase the car. Even with extensive care and preventative maintenance, they can pop up.

makiii

In 2010 I bought my CLK350 from Euromotors. Bethesda, I live 129 miles away, after a week I called and said that at highway speeds the car has a vibration, I took it to their service, The wheels were out of round, they tried to fix - didn't work - they replaced the rims - no fuss, no back and forth - they just did it.

simandang

Mercedes will not certify any vehicle that is no longer under the original 4/50k warranty. They also cannot offer any factory extended warranty on those cars. However exceptions can be made if the car in question was a CPO already.

The rust had nothing to do with them not CPOing that car. It was simply out of factory warranty and no longer eligible.

The dealers don’t give a crap about rust and in many cases as long as they can get away with it accidents or poor service history. At the end of the day they are not paying for CPO repairs, manufacture is. This is why many cars that I’ve bought CPO before that shouldn’t have been CPO were fixed right away under CPO warranty after purchase. Had the dealer fixed those issues before CPOing the car and selling it to me, (as they are supposed to) it would have been on their dime. After I purchased it and they fixed it under CPO, the manufacture paid the dealer to do the work.

OP it seems you aren’t getting anywhere with the dealer or MB. I would file a complaint with the BBB. Believe it or not that will expedite your case. Complaining on social media is a waste, just check any dealer, most of them have tons of negative reviews across the board on various social media platforms. Now check BBB, you’ll see it’s a totally different platform and any half decent dealer cares about the BBB. Your case will immediately go to upper management.

places

Euro Bethesda is great! Always take care of us, no complaints. Never dealt with Euro Germantown so can't say.