wamochi

my GL is dead and needs a jump. i think one of my boys left a light on yesterday or something.

i call MB roadside for the first time ever (have never used them in the past, always AAA) because i'm at home and figure, why not give them a shot and it's included in my warranty

call at 9a. guy says MB san diego will call you within 15-20 minutes. no call by 10am. tech finally calls from car and says i can't get there until 1:30-2pm because i have a few other calls ahead of you.

i call back the 800 # - which is TERRIBLE by the way - a million prompts and enter phone number, etc. guy says they will dispatch to someone else, don't know when.

really terrible. avoid at all costs. sorry to vent!

rmemory

It's possible you were "prioritized" farther down the list since they knew you weren't stuck on the highway.


I'll always be a AAA member because of stories like these. I consider any other roadside assistance a backup plan.

mist68

My experience entirely different. We stayed overnight in Annapolis to attend our nieces graduation. The valet at the Gov Calvert Historic Hotel left our parking lights on.

Car was dead next AM. Called MB roadside and they arrived within 25 minutes, jumped the car and gave me his cell in case car went dead as we attended graduation.

Hat's off to MB of Annapolis. While the car was my wife's 2014 E550 4 magic, I follow this forum as we also have a 2014 GL 550-BTW, a great auto.

JimBarnhart

A pair of jumper cables or a battery charger/jumper would have gotten you running in 5 minutes. Not a criticism, you are entitled to service, just trying to get in the head of the people on the other end.

blittle

True.... I used to carry jumper cables and all sorts of stuff in my vehicles over the years, then....when I moved intro the MB world of "roadside assistance" I said..." not carrying all that stuff" "they will come rescue me!" i hope i am right! never have used the service.

fabbrisd1

Place a Roadside Service complaint thru Mercedes Customer Care - either call their toll free line - or place the complaint thru mBrace "i" button.

cyberorth

Do keep in mind that jumpers are not recommended on newer cars due to possible damage to the electronics if there is a surge or static electricity. I personally still carry them and ignore the recommendation, but FYI.

wamochi

I have jumper cables and have done it myself but no other car was here to jump me. I could have called and asked someone for help but I thought hey, this is included w new car warranty so they'll show up in 30 minutes and I don't need to inconvenience a friend or family member for a jump.

wamochi

Update - another dealer roadside suv showed up around 10:40 and jumped the GL. The check engine light stayed on after a few stops/starts and he recommend taking it to dealer to have the CEL looked at to see if that is the reason the battery discharged.

After the car was started , we looked in the back and no light switches were left on by my kids.

Dropped car off at 11:30 and dealer calls around 4:30 to say no error codes were noted and they clear the CEL and battery is tested and doing fine. They will check the voltage tomorrow morning to make sure there was no phantom loss sitting overnight.

wamochi

And yes I am a long time AAA member and have roadside with Allstate but just thought for once I'll give MB a try... Won't make that mistake again

cyberorth

I am with you. I want to know if I can rely on this service and you won't know any other way.

jbattan

I've used MB Roadside about six times over the years, serviced by two different dealers, and they've always been easy to use and prompt. As with all things, it probably boils down to the quality of the personnel you get at the time.

cyberorth

Also if you care, you can talk about it in the PL.

LeicaMan

I've never had problems with MB Roadside Service.

hyperion667

my experience was similar to yours: at home and figured, what the hell.....it did take a while, but like someone else said, they must prioritize the call....


I didn't really have any beef since it was essentially just an experiment

wamochi

I don't have a problem w prioritizing but at least tell the customer. For the record, AAA doesn't care if it's major or minor - someone shows up within 30 minutes in my area . For some reason I thought MB utilized the same network of providers , but I guess in San Diego they contact the dealers roadside SUVs instead.

And the 800# agents shouldn't tell you someone will call within 15-20 minutes and no one reaches you for over an hour.

It could entirely be the fault of MBSD because MB Escondido was dispatched next and sent someone out immediately.

mist68

Again, Annapolis MB was terrific-while some may consider it simple "jump", the self contained jump kit did not work and connecting to the exposed pegs did not work also-he had to disassemble and get to battery posts (GL550). He did it quickly and at end of day, it was a good experience.

I also had to use Porsche roadside when I had a flat with 911 Carrera S Cab-no spare. Took over 2 hours and then he could not drop us off for a taxi-on our own.

Keep the faith

cyberorth

You may be right. If the dealer dropped the ball, then it may not be the roadsides fault. All the more reason to follow fab's advice.

yovenim

Wondering about any experiences with Roadside Assistance. Did they get a service vehicle to you in a reasonable amount of time? Any other comments? I've never had to use it and am contemplating my insurance company's road service offering. Seems like extraction of a stuck vehicle is about the only thing missing from the free KIA offering. Thanks.

ygmn

they are all about the same since they all call pretty much the same local companies to handle your issue wherever you are.

Tow Companies signup with all these road side service peeps to ensure business.

Choose the one who provides the best service over the phone for you.
Who answers quicker? hate to be in a queue of 100 peeps.
DO they speak English as first language or is it their Third and you cannot understand them?

If you call, they answer and hang online with you until a tow truck is in route keep em.
Mainly issues come about because local tow companies are real busy or not many to come and help you for immediately.

I went with Insurance company since I want roadside for my other vehicles which are not MB too and lasts as long as I am current on insurance bill.

PLus USAA is just dayum good at customer service and keeping me happy.

BlownV8

Had to leave their auto after more than two decades as their rates became totally outrageous. Yes, great customer service.

kajtek1

Resurrection of 10 yo thread, but chances are we will all need roadside assistance sooner of later.
I own MB vehicles for almost 30 years and in the past, it was real MB assistance, when local dealer would send shop supervisor to put the car back on the road.
Later on, about 20 years ago, I called them for battery replacement and the guy, driving ML did not even have scanner with him. Would the car need towing, they would call local towing company.
Than 3 years ago my Sprinter died on the road and I called MB USA hotline. They found me local rollback, what was not easy as Sprinters are long and tall and they cover the towing cost to the dealer, what I would estimate around $700 worth.
My Sprinter was long past the warranty and in my 2 years of ownership, I never had it to dealer, yet they still cover it.
I called MB USA hotline several times with different questions and when there is answering system in force, I don't recall excessive wait time.
Then I heard about long wait time lately several times. Seems quality of life in USA goes down the drain in all aspects.