49Tarheel

Last week I agreed to purchase a new 2022 GLE 350 4Matic without seeing the car other than videos sent to me by the salesman. I had planned to drive the 250 miles to the dealership, drop off my 2013 E 350 in trade and drive the new vehicle home tomorrow. Today, the salesman called to tell me that the dealership had determined that the “power steering pump” had been improperly installed at the factory, and that they needed a couple of days to obtain the part and install it.

I told the salesman that this was exactly why I have been nervous about buying this car …I.e., the bad publicity on issues with its reliability…and that I needed to think about whether this issue was a deal-killer.

Does anyone have any advice about whether I should forget about this particular vehicle and look for another one.

Thanks for the insight.

chassis

Strictly speaking the GLE350 has no power steering pump. It has electric steering assist.

Which power steering pump is the salesman referring to? Inability to educate a salesforce and poor vehicle reliability are consistent hallmarks of the brand.

49Tarheel

Thanks for the reply. Weird thing is that I have never had a mechanical issue of any kind (beyond what regular maintenance required) in the almost 9 years that I have owned my 2013 E 350.

E55Greasemonkey

MB quality has been in a nosedive since about 2014, and it's not just the one-sixty-lemon(167).

chassis

You have had no issues because you have the most reliable MB engine (M276) in the past decade or more. As "they" say: They don't make 'em like they used to. Either engine grenade or unexplained 48V battery failure are common across many MB models today.

shotgun_banjo

I think the vehicle is being sold to someone else. Ask to get a new one or walk away.

mikapen

Kudos to the dealership for a thorough PDI.

The Salesperson may not have described the situation fully, and asking the Service Manager for specifics would be the next step. Ask what might have caused the failure, and his opinion about associated future problems.

The GLE will be a nice replacement your E350. Go for it.

RockChips

Mercedes black death, drive-by-wire brake fiasco and a million other things predate 2014.

Mercedes always had junk reliability.

Its the reason why Lexus took off in the 1990s and 2000s.

mikapen

Lexus gained market share because of cheap price.
Their quality has been, and still is sketchy, especially in electrical and tech.

They offered the features they thought the buying public wanted (and they were right- optics over quality). Have you ever driven one of those Lexus boats? Can you say "Grand Marquis?"

chassis

Let's hear more about the power steering pump on the V167. The Mercedes salespeople have the scoop on this.

Aggie57

Why are you guys buying Mercedes if they’re junk?

CincyMBGuy

I, and I'm sure may other people use familiar terms with people when talking about changing tech. The average age of a Mercedes-Benz buyer is 55 years old. What term are they most likely to be familiar with, power steering pump or three-phase electric steering motor?

I have probably heard every single customer on an EQS test drive refer to the accelerator as a gas pedal. Technically is it a gas pedal? Of course not, it's a full EV. Does it perform the same function? Duh.

chassis

Duh, fully agree. What are the average IQ, net worth and adjusted gross income of the average MB buyer? I’m guessing higher than average on all accounts. MB salespeople calling electric assist power steering a “power steering pump” is a duh moment, fully agree with you.

RockChips

Buy the redesigned 2023 Hyundai Palisade.


https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...isade-revealed

E55Greasemonkey

Correction... "bought" ...many years ago .....not "buying." I can't think of any current production Mercedes that I would want to buy and own long-term. I can't be alone in those thoughts as most new owners are renting them.

CincyMBGuy

Using the average is setting the bar pretty low on all accounts, but the numbers are much lower than you are implying. I see the credit applications.

mikapen

You're right - they are making claims like "pretty face" (ugh) and screen (almost) as big as Mercedes.
Just ignore their 150-200% recall rate (depending on year). Get the big screen you've always wanted.

There's a Hyundai forum out there just waiting for you.

mikapen

The cars you've listed that you've owned, with the exception of the E55, were all questionable, with questionable reliability. (From your bio, "E55Greasemonkey Drives: ML63, E55, ML350, ML350 4matic, CLK430 Cabrio, NEVER a 2020 GLE!")

No comparison to the new V167 chassis and tech.
I've owned a few of those too, and the 167's are stellar improvements.

mb2be

It's sad but some dealers are **** these days. They have no problem turning around and sell to someone else that is more convenient/profitable to them.
I hope they take care of this. Except some Genesis models, I can't seem to see any appealing Hyundai or Kia. Reliable or not, they look weird IMO.

E55Greasemonkey

He's already here, a Hyundai with a Star.

Aggie57

So what makes you come back to this forum then?

dan1495

Excellent question. I have asked the same thing.

RockChips

Except, Hyundai brands have the BEST long term reliability among ALL manufacturers.

https://www.jdpower.com/sites/defaul...2/2022010a.JPG

mikapen

Hyundai had 200% recalls last year - it's been 150% since 2015.
JD Powers only asks "did your car meet your expectations," not how many trips it took to get it to work.

Similarly, CU reports on the friendliness (!) of the cupholders. One reviewer rated M-B unsatisfactory because their Big Gulp didn't fit. (I agree with them that you have to know to push the button to fit your Big Gulp. Not Intuitive for Big Gulp users, apparently.) Hyundai didn't baffle CU the reviewers with their cupholders, and that's a BIG achievement.

Check NHTSA for the real numbers.
Hyundai/Kia near the bottom with recalls and mandatory Tech Bulletins to fix things. Clearly their buyers expect recalls, so they aren't disappointed.