Sux.
s430 didn't start yesterday. all key wont turn. wont lock or unlock. Road side checked the battery but it was OK. but notice the instrument cluster reading 00000 miles.

Called in for a tow. Car couldn't get out of "park" so basic they have to drag the car on to the flat bed.. Sux. ...

Asking for a loaner car today and Penske MB say they are booked for MB loaners. and I may get a rental.. Sux..

Just got the S430 for about 6 weeks. I especially pay more to get a 02 so I dont have to worry about this stuff. Sux.. again......

Wife's all pissed off... Sux... some more.....

Good thing I got STARMARK. I'd be screwed if I bought it thru private party...

Dealer (Penske mercedes) never called friday night to confirm car dropped off ... sux...

Called early saturday morning for a loaner.
" sorry we have no more mercedes loaners, we can get you a enterprise rental." ......Sux again......

Called saturday late afternoon to check on status
" Sorry we didnt have a chance to look at your car.. We will look at it first thing on Monday morning." ...... Sux some more............

come to think if it they never called to let me know how my car is doing ..

Any of you get treatment like this?

I would think my car was dragged in the night before I would be first in-line before some of the walk-in services...

I'm suppose my S430 out of commission is not that important..

I have Lexus and BMW that never needed service relating to system failure..
This is my first MB and it fails and dealer ignores me.

This really Sux......

The funs continues.

I called the service department in the morning.. Basically told me that someone may get assign to the car today.

a service adviser finally called me. and told me they might look at it today. Also they do not have a loaner car for me. loaner cars are booked 2 weeks in advance. so basically he had nothing to tell me about my car.

If my business sense serves me correct.. If the dealer is that busy with appointments and service request. Shouldn't they expand the service department and get more loaner cars for customers.. This is pretty unacceptable in my standard.

sorry but I just have to vent.....my car is out of comission for 4 days now and no one looked at it yet.

Sorry to hear your dilema. There are some dealers that really sucks, unfortunately.

Your situation sounds remarkably familiar to my C240. I parked at the post office and when I came back out same thing, key wouldnt turn or lock, and I had no power to anything. Car basically shut down. Turned out it was the ignition system itself. Mine is a 6 speed though so it didnt need to be dragged.

Congratulations on the purchase of your new Mercedes. Just watch the neighbors as they drive by in envy. Give a wink and nod at the paper boy who wants to be just like you when he grows up. Feel the satisfaction of knowing that all of your x-girlfriends now refer to you as "the one that got away." Then quietly retire to your luxurious stateroom and commence bawling.

Mercedes.... what is love without pain?

My car was dragged in on Friday. finally got the car back on Tuesday. Turned out it was a dead battery. Which the MB road side service fail to diagnose. Although there was good voltage to the battery it didn't have enough power to release the remote / ignition system.

I still think the road side service could have diagnose the problem better. I didn't like that my car had to be dragged on to a tow truck while in Park gear. and lost use of the car on my vacation days.

I rather had my car jump started and drive to my original dealer which I purchase the car from.. I would get better service than to Penske mercedes which took 2 complete days before even looking into my problems.

I'm glad it isn't anything major but lack of service in a timely matter to a simple problem is what I'm really unhappy with my "nearest MB dealer"

I've notice that my exhaust pipes are hanging unevenly now. The tow must have bent something. .. not making any noise or anything but I notice it when I follow my wife when she was driving it home. SUX....

Thats a little odd that the battery is already smoked on an 02.

about 5 weeks passed. Second episode of the problem returns. Cannot start the car again.. Same symptoms. Tried jump starting the car myself. No success. Currently waiting for Roadside.

How often do you use the car? I had an 02 S430 and the battery died every time I did not drive the car for 10 days or more. I went through four batteries in two years. Roadside came out and replaced the battery at my home within 1 hour every time, so it wasn't that big a deal. It was so predictable, I could have called Mercedes from the airport on my way home from vacation. Just which system causes the battery drain was never determined. I believe all 02's have the problem. I tried keeping the lights off auto, powering down the head unit and even removing the disc, but never solved the problem.

I have an 04 now and the battery is fine on this one.

We use the car pretty much everyday. Roadside came out and disconnected the battery and then re-connected it. The car started right up after that. Roadside service said it was like rebooting the Car.

Roadside service person also told me it isn't a battery issue but something deeper in the electronics that is not reading the car keys. I still need to bring it in to have it checked out.

Car will be going to the dealer tomorrow.

Can you check into the car's service history? Specifically whether the car's been into the dealership for the same problem prior to your ownership ...

Hopefully they get to the bottom of your car's problem and you never go thru this again.

I sympathise with your situation. I can tell you the quality of the service all depends on the quality of the dealership. My local dealership it probably the worst in the country. As a matter of fact, the Mercedes Rep said they have one of the worst scores in the country. The couldn't diagnose a flat tire. I take my car to another dealer in Jacksonville, they sell and service a bunch of cars and thru their volume they run across most everything that happens to these cars. It would be worthwhile to check into another dealership if there is one within reason.

BATTERIES and Mercedes Benz, in all of my mercedes with the exception of the 05 SL600, I have gone thru numerous batteries. They seem to eat this things. I will give you another scenario about my local dealer, battery is dead in my SL320, I call and tell them I can jump it and bring it to them to get a battery switched out, service bafoon says they are booked for about 2 weeks, if I dropped off the car, he would try to squeeze it in in a few days. I called roadside assistance and even though that car was out of warranty, they sent a person to the house that afternoon, who switched the battery for the same cost of me going to the dealership. WOW, send a mechanic across town and lose shop time to change my battery at home. Doesn't sound like the best use of time for them.

It almost pays to have another battery on hand for these cars.

The first time the car was towed to "my Nearest dealer". This time I'm bringing it to my place of purchase. in Anaheim Hills Ca. Hopefully they will be a better. I should look into the vehicle history since There is a California Lemon law that if the similar problem persist at lease 4 times within warranty period that Car can be consider a lemon and dealer or manufacturer have to buy it back or give me another similar car.

Let just hope they will change out parts and have it fixed.

got the warranty history. Not a pretty picture. I made some comments to the service advisor..

Looking at the history, this car may be able to qualify for a lemon buy-back.

Dealer kept my car for 3 day. found some electrically draw from the command unit.

invoice noted that some device stayed ON all the time so it will drain out battery.

Dealer Swapped out the command unit. Hopefully this will end the woes of car not recognizing the keys.

Thank god for MB warranty but I'm at 48800 miles now....yikes. I have starmark but I really hope not to have more problems.

Next time it doesnt start my attorney will contact MB.