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I find it hard to believe how Daimler/MBUSA is not addressing this more proactively with their most loyal customers, us who choose to special order. Terrible black mark on the brand.
It's baffling that they would leave people who ordered months ago without a vehicle while fulfilling newer orders ahead of them. If someone today ordered a similar build to the one I ordered four months ago, they could easily give me the next one off the line, and have four months to fix the one sitting in the lot in Alabama and send it to Customer B. Maybe they could even, god forbid, fix the one on the lot in two months, Customer B gets it in half the time, and everyone wins.
It's baffling that they would leave people who ordered months ago without a vehicle while fulfilling newer orders ahead of them. If someone today ordered a similar build to the one I ordered four months ago, they could easily give me the next one off the line, and have four months to fix the one sitting in the lot in Alabama and send it to Customer B. Maybe they could even, god forbid, fix the one on the lot in two months, Customer B gets it in half the time, and everyone wins.
We've thought about this quite a bit, since we're in that situation.
Our view is: if a few of these "parts" become available, they're more easily put into a car on the production line.
Otherwise, you have to pull the cars off the open lots, put them back in the VPC, and then process them.
That's exception processing; our hypothesis is that once they get a large batch of the "parts," they'll start working on the backlog.
It'll take having a lot of them to complete to make it efficient enough to be worth it.
Until then, stopping production efforts of the assembly line is a waste of a valuable resource when you can sell something.
It doesn't explain the course of the incomplete vehicles with (potentially) declining value, but it seems logical that it's been considered by MBUSA.
Tough decisions for them, and clearly none of them have a positive outcome for them...or us.
I would want to know if my vehicle has been sweltering in a parking lot in Alabama and for how long. The heat, the oppressive humidity, the rain storms etc.
I would want to know if my vehicle has been sweltering in a parking lot in Alabama and for how long. The heat, the oppressive humidity, the rain storms etc.
I was told two months ago it was a major problem to re-enter
GLE’’s taken out of production back onto the production platform.
I did not want a vehicle that has been on the lot since April so reordered
6 weeks ago. No notice on expected delivery.
Just got a text from my SA that the roof spoiler and Dinamica headliner are a no-go on the new build. Seems crazy they can't secure these seemingly simple parts.
Since I don't feel like renegotiating the final price, I'm looking at adding a couple of options. The Dinamica headliner was $1,600, so it seems a natural fit to add the Airmatic suspension. Is it worth it? Is it a noticeably better ride?
Just got a text from my SA that the roof spoiler and Dinamica headliner are a no-go on the new build. Seems crazy they can't secure these seemingly simple parts.
Since I don't feel like renegotiating the final price, I'm looking at adding a couple of options. The Dinamica headliner was $1,600, so it seems a natural fit to add the Airmatic suspension. Is it worth it? Is it a noticeably better ride?
That's good to see. I'd be fine adding it later. My body shop is really good at blending and I'd feel pretty comfortable they'd make it look perfect. Do you have the Airmatic suspension? Thoughts on it?
That's good to see. I'd be fine adding it later. My body shop is really good at blending and I'd feel pretty comfortable they'd make it look perfect. Do you have the Airmatic suspension? Thoughts on it?
I would assume the accessory roof spoiler would come prepainted, but not sure. I have E-ABC, not base Airmatic, but I have had it on my two previous and like it. Also gives you the ability to raise and lower the vehicle. Only downside aside from cost is more things to go wrong.
I would assume the accessory roof spoiler would come prepainted, but not sure. I have E-ABC, not base Airmatic, but I have had it on my two previous and like it. Also gives you the ability to raise and lower the vehicle. Only downside aside from cost is more things to go wrong.
Yeah, that’s true. I’m debating dropping the warmth/comfort package and soft close doors to add the Airmatic. I figure if it has a remote start, who needs rapid heating seats anyway?
With the location of the door grab handles there isn’t a lot of leverage for a woman or child to close them. The Soft Close are turning out to be more desirable than I thought.
The 450 gets great mileage, I’m wondering if it isn’t engine availability or the E Boost holding them up.
With the location of the door grab handles there isn’t a lot of leverage for a woman or child to close them. The Soft Close are turning out to be more desirable than I thought.
The 450 gets great mileage, I’m wondering if it isn’t engine availability or the E Boost holding them up.
That's interesting. My 4-year-old Miss Independent loves to close the doors by herself, but really isn't able to shut them all the way. Hadn't considered that. It's tough because I haven't driven both suspensions to compare. Maybe I'll reach out to my SA and see if I can get into one of each for a ride. Build doesn't start until September, so I've got time to make some changes.
And, yes, I've gotten to the point where I'm completely overthinking everything, mostly because I'm obsessed with this vehicle and just want to get it in my driveway.
Thinking about how my SA said today that the roof spoiler isn't available (as GregW mentioned previously), and my original build had it selected, is it at all possible that's what's holding up the vehicle? They would have shipped it without the spoiler, right?
Thinking about how my SA said today that the roof spoiler isn't available (as GregW mentioned previously), and my original build had it selected, is it at all possible that's what's holding up the vehicle? They would have shipped it without the spoiler, right?
The spoiler is a VPC installed item right? I don’t think it’s holding up the build.
Just to keep people informed - I ordered a GLE 450 in the UK back mid April with an expected delivery late September.
Was told today it's been pushed back to November. The reason from the dealer is:
Currently the new GLE450 models have all been delayed.
It seems the certification for the new WLTP regulations is causing some problems.
Unfortunately at the moment it appears your new car has been delayed to November.
I will keep watching and hopefully when resolved the production will move forward.
Might have to start looking to get something else...
Just got an update from the dealer. Apparently the car has been built (it was originally scheduled to be built in July), its got a VIN and a port number. So at the moment it's just waiting at the port in the US to be shipped to the UK, got an estimated arrival date of 30th August. So some good news (at least for now until the dates move again ¬.¬)!
My September delivery is delayed to December (order was in early April) with these explanations:
"In regard to the lead time, I am receiving mixed/changing updates from the factory on our system, which I have been querying with head office. It appears the production slot (which we are always told is subject to change) has been moved backwards, closer to the end of the year, which may be due to being a new model. Further, as the vehicle is built in Tuscaloosa, often timings change due to shipping expectations.
(The model as a whole does not start production for the first customer deliveries until July, assuming no delay, and it takes 3 months at least for the first deliveries – production and shipping times). The current date on the system shows December arrival, however, I have been advised to monitor the dates on the system as these may change again."
I had an update from my dealer yesterday. She confirmed that the vehicle has completed production in the US and is on track to arrive in the UK on the first week of September!
I had an update from my dealer yesterday. She confirmed that the vehicle has completed production in the US and is on track to arrive in the UK on the first week of September!
Wow the last two posts in a row with positive news. This is great!
Skipping ahead to the question from Stephen Reitman from Societe Generale:
Stephen Reitman
Good morning, A operational question. You've mentioned that you have very strong demand for the new GLE. And I guess, GLS, but I guess, the problem is being you won't be able to supply the vehicles in sufficient quantities. How far are you through resolving those problems - bringing up to the full production levels that you plan to be at?
Thank you.
Ola Källenius
So starting with the launch of the GLE and then also the GLS, which is imminent in our operations in Tuscaloosa in the United States. We started that launch late last fall and primarily, due to supplier constraints, we have not been able to follow the launch we had originally set out to do.
The product itself is very hard. We received tremendous feedback from our dealers and from customers. But it's not satisfactory position when you can't deliver and you have demand. We have put together comprehensive measures, primarily at the suppliers, but also at the plant to tee up in the second half of the year to get back on track.
We used the traditional shutdown that is around 4th of July, just a couple of weeks ago, to do retooling at many of the suppliers where we've had constraints and we're ramping up after that retooling. And also here I would say I'm cautiously optimistic, even though you have after every tool like that some issues that you have to go through. And it feels like I'm looking every day at these numbers and the team on the ground are cautiously optimistic that they can turn that situation around.
So we believe yes, that availability will be significantly better in the second half of the year. And also, some of that stock Harald alluded to that as part of the working capital that we have built up that is sitting to be finished that we can wind that stock down in the next months to get into a more normal situation. This is one of our absolutely top priorities right now for the second half of the year.
07-20-2019, 11:33 PM
DAIF) Q2 2019 Earnings Conference Call July 24, 2019 1:30 AM ET
