Sees510

I reconnected with the case manager to ask what document Mercedes of Encino sent to prove they did the service. He said they sent him a repair order. I asked for a copy and he said I would have to contact the dealer.

I have contacted the selling dealer numerous times and they are unwilling to send me the repair order. I spoke to the service department and the gentlemen said he can't send me those records because they are before I owned the car. I contacted the used car manager, Neal, and he initially sent me some unofficial document which did list transmission service and the price. I showed it to my service writer in Oakland and he said it was not the repair order. So I called back and told the used car manager at Mercedes Encino the whole situation and why I needed the records. He got defensive and said they did the transmission service. He went further to blame the failed transmission on me for not paying for the extended warranty. I tried to explain that the fluid was burned and that even if they did the service, they did not do a satisfactory job, which is what the service writer and technician said where my car was being service. Neal, the used car manager at Encino then said it's probably because I live in the San Francisco bay area and there are a lot of hills. I knew I was not going to get anywhere with this guy. So I just asked for the actual repair order and he forwarded me to a lady in service named Nicole. Of course she did not answer, but she did call me back to inform me that she could not give me those "internal" documents.

The people at Encino Mercedes are crooks and once they have your money, they don't give a damn. Very poor customer service not only because they are not offering some sort of goodwill discount for the repair, but also because of my interactions with them trying to get this repair order. I seem to also have been unlucky with the case manager, Randy, who got assigned to my case. This guy acts like telling me bad news gives him a boner. He is the worst consumer advocate. I'm just fed up with this whole thing at this point.

On another note, my car has been into two different local Mercedes dealers for service multiple times since I have owned the car. The most recent in Oakland in January for a B service. If only the service writers I worked with checked the service history and recommended the service this would have likely been avoided. I mean isn't that their job? That's another reason why I am shocked Mercedes Corp has given me the shaft and has not provided any sort of relief to help restore some confidence in their company.

JALLEN4

It is certainly a shame you are receiving this kind of treatment. There is no good reason why you cannot be given the repair order copy. There are no privacy laws that would prevent that and if the previous owner's information is on the repair order, it can be easily redacted.

I would though still contend that the service was done if both Mercedes and the dealership are reporting that fact. I would also contend that simply not flushing the transmission at 39,000 miles means it would fail at 65,000. Millions of transmissions do not and most manufacturers don't even have a requirement at that low of a mileage. Mercedes is known to over stress maintenance, almost to a fault.

From past experience I will guarantee you many manufacturers would at least share some of the cost under these circumstances. That includes GM which has long been the "whipping Boy" for poor long term service.

I would not leave this alone were I you. I would immediately send a registered letter to Steve Zupbieta, President and Managing Partner of Mercedes of Encino. I would demand a copy of the repair order where the transmission service was done and ask for an explanation of why there was no assistance on repairs.

In addition, I would send a letter of complaint to MB-USA, the Attorney General of California, and the BBB of record in Encino. I would also send a letter to any other regulatory agency or consumer group I could find in the area. I can assure you, dealer's really don't want the complication of answering all the complaints and often find it simpler to make some conciliatory effort. Good luck!

Sees510

UPDATE

Since my attempts with Mercedes Customer Care were futile, I filed a complaint with the Bureau of Automotive Repair, which is a part of the State of California Consumer Affairs. They conducted an investigation. Initially, the agent handling my case informed me that the dealership provided him with documentation that they did service the transmission prior to selling the car to me.

Two weeks later, the agent called me back stating that his review did uncover that the transmission filter was not replaced at the time of the transmission fluid. He went to Mercedes of Encino and showed them his findings. They are now offering me $4,000 as a settlement. I paid $6,317.

1. Should I take the settlement as is?
2. Ask for more or 100% of repairs?

I think its fair for them to cover it 100%, but I do not want to risk it and then have to take them to court, which is time consuming and I might lose. It might be difficult to prove that the filter not being changed caused the transmission failure. One good thing though is I would be able to subpoena the records from the BAR to use in court. I'm still debating which route to take...

konigstiger

Here is a copy of the MY07 maintenance sheet for your vehicle documenting that MB requires filter change (service 20) https://mbworld.org/forums/4407442-post10.html

JALLEN4

We now know, conclusively, that work can be performed on our cars that does not show up on the Mercedes system and that it is not infallible. How ridiculous is it that a dealer would do the trans service and then try to save a few dollars by not changing the filter?

S_G7

It's good to hear the progress you've made so far. Sounds like you have strong evidence on your side if the transmission filter is required. Personally, I think at least 100% of the repair cost is fair. If you haven't already, I would consult with a lawyer to see what your options are with the new found evidence.

Em Bee Lover

When I put mine into "reverse", it sometimes needs pretty solid acceleration to actually move backward. There's a sense of slipping.Same with "drive", from time to time.

Would you be kind enough to share the last numerical digits of your VIN?

It would give me some solace/idea if mine is in a questionable range.

My '07 was the 117123rd off the line. If yours was substantially earlier, I might not have to hold my breath so long....j

Anyone know at what production number the transmission issue was addressed and fixed?

Thanks.

brianw430

To revive an old thread, any new developments here? I had the same thing happen to me tonight on my 2007 S550 4Matic with 70,000 miles. I was pulling up my driveway, which is about 200 feet at a fair incline and it just wouldn't go...the usual revving, but no go. I put it in park, waited about 5 seconds, put it in drive, hard shift and took right off. Haven't driven it since.

I bought it used with a transmission service at 40,000. My VIN ends with 111733 if that helps anyone.

Just looking for some input as to where to begin the "service/salvage" process for the tranny. Shall I simply begin with a complete service and see how that changes the "slippage"?

I don't see any mention of the "electric plate" in this thread.

ImInPA

This does not seem to be the case on my 2012. I call my service advisor and he told me that it is not until 40k. I have the new fluid and slightly tweaked 7G+

ImInPA

brianw430: That really sucks to hear. I am wondering if this is unique to the 2007s? Very similar mileage to the OP. I have 2012 S350, which simply has gobs of torque (455 ft-lbs) and have given some thought to the strain that must put on the transmission. My S350 is the first non-new car I have purchased since college. I purchased mine with <10k miles and 6 months old. You never know how the previous owner treated the vehicle. I have co-workers that own cars I would not trust to be in great shape, no matter what services were performed. I sure hope you make out better than the OP. Keep us posted.

brianw430

Thank you for the thoughts! Its going in for a tranny flush, filter and fluid. I want to see if there are any particulates in the fluid. I am driving it today with no issues thusfar.

The local dealer wants $576 for flush, fluid and filter...fyi.

I will certainly keep you posted!

fstshrk

If the selling dealer did the service, it should show up in the MVI. We have two CPO Mercedes and we requested and got the MVI dump before purchase for both of them.
At this point, I would take the $4K and call it a day. That reminds me, our R320CDI is going to be due for a major service soon since it is reaching 65K miles. I may just ask them to flush the fluid again. The transmission on the R320CDI is much harsher shifting than my 08 S550 4Matic. It has always been this way. I am planning on asking the dealer to check it out before our CPO Extended Warranty runs out.

brianw430

So I've clocked about 200 miles on the tranny service. They flushed the system, changed fluid and filter and inspected engine and tranny mounts. They did say the fluid was "dirty" but no particulate in the fluid. It has a noticeably smoother shift and it "feels" as though it shifts cleaner and quicker. No slight hammer upon shifting, I only noticed this a couple times prior to service. This is obviously all "by the seat of my pants", but it seems to run smoother, shift smoother.

They said the mounts were fine and I do get the occassional vibration in the steering wheel, but not very often, so maybe they are showing initial signs of failure.

jys

I owns S550 and the car is having transmission problem, hard shifting... would you please give me some advise on how you get your car fixed?
Thanks.

brianw430

How long have you owned the car? Do you have full service records? When was the last tranny service?

This will help those more capable to answer your questions.

I just had my tranny FLUSHED and fluid and filter changed and it completely smoothed out any shifting issues I had prior...which were minimal, but noticeable.

Bottom line, get the tranny serviced and FLUSHED if it hasn't been done within the prior 40,000 miles. Don't let them tell you it cannot be flushed. My service advisor tried to tell me this and I pushed back a little and he went out and got the technician and he confirmed that he could do it, and he said it is a good idea as well. So the service advisor got to learn something that day!

jys

Thanks for the reply. I bought the car on 2011, it has 35000 miles on it. Couple days later I found this hard shifting problem. It has been serviced multiple times but the problem alwary came back. The dealer did a full service on the transmission when the car had 38600 mile. But, it didn't fix the problem. What do you mean FLUSHED?

brianw430

To flush the "system" they will have to hook their machine up to the cooling line I believe. To my understanding there is a machine that actually pumps new fluid through the whole system and they keep pumping all fluid out until the old is gone, then start pumping new, fresh fluid into the system. If you search, I believe the converter holds a fair amount of fluid that doesn't come out unless the system is flushed.

There are others here that can better answer that aspect...hopefully someone can clarify exactly how a flush is done.