Best way to handle a warranty issue with MB...???
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 158
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From: Toronto, Ontario
2006 CLS500, 21" Interad Turismo Wheels, Renntech Lowering Module
Best way to handle a warranty issue with MB...???
So here's my story, I purchased a 2012 CLS550 with 40,000 miles on it with 2 month left on the 4 year warranty. I purchased the car from a non-Mercedes dealer but before i went ahead with it I brought the car in to my local Mercedes shop and paid for the Mercedes Pre-Purchase Inspection for there blessing to ensure the car was in fair condition. There were a number of things I found with the car, the first thing was an intermittent hissing sound coming from the vents, the dynamic seating intermittently deflates, and was getting some suspension knocking from the front suspension. When they checked it out they said they couldn't repeat the issue and said it was fine, and took their word for it.
Well low and behold the issues are no longer intermittent and my 4 year warranty hit 4 months ago.........the A/C is completely dead, the dynamic seats deflate every day, and the knocking in the suspension has gotten a lot worse.
Do i have any recourse from Mercedes seeing as I reported these issues during the warranty period and now 4 months later they've failed?
I have a feeling they're going to say tough luck, warranty's up and have to pay, but before I give them the option to do that, I would like to be prepared for battle because I don't think this is fair.
Well low and behold the issues are no longer intermittent and my 4 year warranty hit 4 months ago.........the A/C is completely dead, the dynamic seats deflate every day, and the knocking in the suspension has gotten a lot worse.
Do i have any recourse from Mercedes seeing as I reported these issues during the warranty period and now 4 months later they've failed?
I have a feeling they're going to say tough luck, warranty's up and have to pay, but before I give them the option to do that, I would like to be prepared for battle because I don't think this is fair.
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 842
Likes: 64
From: Northern NJ
2015 E550 Coupe
No one thinks it's fair when they make a bad decision---you didn't buy the car from MB and I bet you never had the car services at MB.
However you trusted them to inspect your car and at that time they gave the car a clean bill of health-----now out of warranty you want to go back to MB because certain systems have failed and expect coverage---well you have really supported them I am sure they will provide the same courtesy!!
However you trusted them to inspect your car and at that time they gave the car a clean bill of health-----now out of warranty you want to go back to MB because certain systems have failed and expect coverage---well you have really supported them I am sure they will provide the same courtesy!!
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario
2006 CLS500, 21" Interad Turismo Wheels, Renntech Lowering Module
No one thinks it's fair when they make a bad decision---you didn't buy the car from MB and I bet you never had the car services at MB.
However you trusted them to inspect your car and at that time they gave the car a clean bill of health-----now out of warranty you want to go back to MB because certain systems have failed and expect coverage---well you have really supported them I am sure they will provide the same courtesy!!
However you trusted them to inspect your car and at that time they gave the car a clean bill of health-----now out of warranty you want to go back to MB because certain systems have failed and expect coverage---well you have really supported them I am sure they will provide the same courtesy!!
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario
2006 CLS500, 21" Interad Turismo Wheels, Renntech Lowering Module
Ouch! A bit harsh, but I have to completely agree with your assessment on this one. OP will likely have to pay for all the repairs out of his own pocket. No meaningful prior customer relationship of any sort to provide any incentive for the MB dealership to eat the costs on an out of warranty vehicle.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario
2006 CLS500, 21" Interad Turismo Wheels, Renntech Lowering Module
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 842
Likes: 64
From: Northern NJ
2015 E550 Coupe
OK. Thanks for the clarification. So while you've had other vehicles routinely serviced at this MB dealership, this one has never been. I would doubt that merely taking this particular vehicle in for a Pre-Purchase Inspection, where a number of intermittent items were identified by you or the MB dealership, would constitute any sort of liability requiring MB to repair them all under a now lapsed warranty.
The right approach would have been to have all the items immediately repaired while the vehicle was still under warranty. You say you had two months of warranty left on the vehicle when you bought it. So MB's argument will probably be that you had an ample window of opportunity to address these issues while the vehicle was still under warranty, but neglected to do so. See how they are going to put the onus back on you for waiting until things finally broke? Now that those intermittent issues have all become hard failures, as all intermittment issues ultimately do, you're looking for MB to do you a very expensive favor.
The only way I coud envision MB doing any of these repairs under some sort of "warranty" is if you were seriously looking for buy, not lease, a new MB in the very near term (the next few months). Then the dealership might be inclined to eat the cost of maybe one or two items in this list. Of the items you list, the most expensive repair looks to be the failed AC from my perspective. If the AC compressor is shot, you're looking at a big ticket repair bill right there. No idea what's wrong with your suspension based on your description, but that could definitely be the next most expensive repair item.
The right approach would have been to have all the items immediately repaired while the vehicle was still under warranty. You say you had two months of warranty left on the vehicle when you bought it. So MB's argument will probably be that you had an ample window of opportunity to address these issues while the vehicle was still under warranty, but neglected to do so. See how they are going to put the onus back on you for waiting until things finally broke? Now that those intermittent issues have all become hard failures, as all intermittment issues ultimately do, you're looking for MB to do you a very expensive favor.
The only way I coud envision MB doing any of these repairs under some sort of "warranty" is if you were seriously looking for buy, not lease, a new MB in the very near term (the next few months). Then the dealership might be inclined to eat the cost of maybe one or two items in this list. Of the items you list, the most expensive repair looks to be the failed AC from my perspective. If the AC compressor is shot, you're looking at a big ticket repair bill right there. No idea what's wrong with your suspension based on your description, but that could definitely be the next most expensive repair item.
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Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario
2006 CLS500, 21" Interad Turismo Wheels, Renntech Lowering Module
OK. Thanks for the clarification. So while you've had other vehicles routinely serviced at this MB dealership, this one has never been. I would doubt that merely taking this particular vehicle in for a Pre-Purchase Inspection, where a number of intermittent items were identified by you or the MB dealership, would constitute any sort of liability requiring MB to repair them all under a now lapsed warranty.
The right approach would have been to have all the items immediately repaired while the vehicle was still under warranty. You say you had two months of warranty left on the vehicle when you bought it. So MB's argument will probably be that you had an ample window of opportunity to address these issues while the vehicle was still under warranty, but neglected to do so. See how they are going to put the onus back on you for waiting until things finally broke? Now that those intermittent issues have all become hard failures, as all intermittment issues ultimately do, you're looking for MB to do you a very expensive favor.
The only way I coud envision MB doing any of these repairs under some sort of "warranty" is if you were seriously looking for buy, not lease, a new MB in the very near term (the next few months). Then the dealership might be inclined to eat the cost of maybe one or two items in this list. Of the items you list, the most expensive repair looks to be the failed AC from my perspective. If the AC compressor is shot, you're looking at a big ticket repair bill right there. No idea what's wrong with your suspension based on your description, but that could definitely be the next most expensive repair item.
The right approach would have been to have all the items immediately repaired while the vehicle was still under warranty. You say you had two months of warranty left on the vehicle when you bought it. So MB's argument will probably be that you had an ample window of opportunity to address these issues while the vehicle was still under warranty, but neglected to do so. See how they are going to put the onus back on you for waiting until things finally broke? Now that those intermittent issues have all become hard failures, as all intermittment issues ultimately do, you're looking for MB to do you a very expensive favor.
The only way I coud envision MB doing any of these repairs under some sort of "warranty" is if you were seriously looking for buy, not lease, a new MB in the very near term (the next few months). Then the dealership might be inclined to eat the cost of maybe one or two items in this list. Of the items you list, the most expensive repair looks to be the failed AC from my perspective. If the AC compressor is shot, you're looking at a big ticket repair bill right there. No idea what's wrong with your suspension based on your description, but that could definitely be the next most expensive repair item.
My Mercedes dealership didn't find the issues, I reported it to them, they dismissed them, and I had to pay for there time because they "could not repeat the issue" as they put it.....if I returned and they did not find anything wrong again, they would have charged me again and said the same thing....
So how can i get an intermittent issue repaired if it isn't broken, but clearly there was something wrong with it, i even video recorded the sound the A/C was making and they said it wasn't good enough, they had to see/hear it themselves....
Lastly, this all transpired during the winter months, so i wouldn't have known that it failed as I wouldn't have used it, all i could report was the sound that was coming from the vents every now and then, eventually it stopped....it eventually failed i take it. Now that it's spring, I turn it on and bingo, no A/C
This is all so wrong to me, doesn't Mercedes offer some sort of grace period for situations like these?
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Super Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 842
Likes: 64
From: Northern NJ
2015 E550 Coupe
MB doesn't offer warranty grace periods anymore than any other auto manufacturer does. The only time I've ever seen a dealership give out free service (from any auto brand), which is what you're asking for at this point, is when they see the near term potential for a new, more expensive vehicle sale being part of the mix. Even then, it's a rare thing.
It's not an issue with MB. That's just how I've found all auto manufacturers and dealerships work. Lexus, Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, they're all the same when it comes to what happens after a vehicle warranty expires. The day after your warranty runs out, the cost of repair falls on you unless you had an item repaired by them when the car was still under warranty and the limited guarantee on that specific part was still in effect.
I do have sympathy for you, as you have what I would think is a lot of things wrong on a four year old car. I would have to question how well it was maintained by the previous owner. Even when they were only intermittent issues, that's a lot of issues to me. Luxury cars in general are fairly expensive to maintain and they do eventually break and need repair. That's why we all budget for that eventuality.
It's not an issue with MB. That's just how I've found all auto manufacturers and dealerships work. Lexus, Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, they're all the same when it comes to what happens after a vehicle warranty expires. The day after your warranty runs out, the cost of repair falls on you unless you had an item repaired by them when the car was still under warranty and the limited guarantee on that specific part was still in effect.
I do have sympathy for you, as you have what I would think is a lot of things wrong on a four year old car. I would have to question how well it was maintained by the previous owner. Even when they were only intermittent issues, that's a lot of issues to me. Luxury cars in general are fairly expensive to maintain and they do eventually break and need repair. That's why we all budget for that eventuality.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario
2006 CLS500, 21" Interad Turismo Wheels, Renntech Lowering Module
MB doesn't offer warranty grace periods anymore than any other auto manufacturer does. The only time I've ever seen a dealership give out free service (from any auto brand), which is what you're asking for at this point, is when they see the near term potential for a new, more expensive vehicle sale being part of the mix. Even then, it's a rare thing.
It's not an issue with MB. That's just how I've found all auto manufacturers and dealerships work. Lexus, Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, they're all the same when it comes to what happens after a vehicle warranty expires. The day after your warranty runs out, the cost of repair falls on you unless you had an item repaired by them when the car was still under warranty and the limited guarantee on that specific part was still in effect.
I do have sympathy for you, as you have what I would think is a lot of things wrong on a four year old car. I would have to question how well it was maintained by the previous owner. Even when they were only intermittent issues, that's a lot of issues to me. Luxury cars in general are fairly expensive to maintain and they do eventually break and need repair. That's why we all budget for that eventuality.
It's not an issue with MB. That's just how I've found all auto manufacturers and dealerships work. Lexus, Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, they're all the same when it comes to what happens after a vehicle warranty expires. The day after your warranty runs out, the cost of repair falls on you unless you had an item repaired by them when the car was still under warranty and the limited guarantee on that specific part was still in effect.
I do have sympathy for you, as you have what I would think is a lot of things wrong on a four year old car. I would have to question how well it was maintained by the previous owner. Even when they were only intermittent issues, that's a lot of issues to me. Luxury cars in general are fairly expensive to maintain and they do eventually break and need repair. That's why we all budget for that eventuality.
You sure about that? I just received full repairs on every issue I had........$0
Every single item was covered under warranty!! Both front shocks, replaced. Dynamic seating, replaced. Air conditioning unit check out OK, no leaks, turns out it was some kind of an actuator that failed, also replaced.
For anyone reading this, let this be a lesson to the naysayers, don't take no for an answer and stick up for what you believe is right. Did I have to argue and plead my case with them, you bet, but in the end they did what was right and repaired the issues on their dime!!!
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Ontario
2006 CLS500, 21" Interad Turismo Wheels, Renntech Lowering Module
No one thinks it's fair when they make a bad decision---you didn't buy the car from MB and I bet you never had the car services at MB.
However you trusted them to inspect your car and at that time they gave the car a clean bill of health-----now out of warranty you want to go back to MB because certain systems have failed and expect coverage---well you have really supported them I am sure they will provide the same courtesy!!
However you trusted them to inspect your car and at that time they gave the car a clean bill of health-----now out of warranty you want to go back to MB because certain systems have failed and expect coverage---well you have really supported them I am sure they will provide the same courtesy!!
For anyone that gets responses like these from people who haven't got a clue, let this be a lesson to them. Don't accept no for answer, and fight for what you think is right.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 397
Likes: 11
From: san diego
2001 viper rt-10, 2007 SL65
Had a similar problem with BMW. If I can recall properly, it went like this. I bought her,my daughter, a used 318i under warranty. We were getting a check engine light and brought it in a couple of times for that specific problem. As I recall, it had to do with the gas cap cover not being closed all the way and not to worry about it. Same thing occurred when the warranty expired. Now it was an expensive repair. Can't remember the specifics. I reminded them of their previous responses and they eventually covered the repair under warranty.
