TwinCam

I think that there is a delay because my car has been sitting at the Brunswick, Georgia, VPC for more that 2 months and Mercedes cannot give me a delivery date. Maybe, if you had a 2021 S Class on order since last September, you would understand why I want some information on what is delaying my car. But, you do not have a 2021 S Class on order and are in no position to criticize those who do. Pontificating about “What makes you guys think there is a delay?” is out of order. And do not misquote me and say that I am “just exaggerating”. My car was ordered 8 months ago, that is a fact, and I was given a delivery estimate of mid January-early February by the dealer. The way Mercedes is treating their customers who have ordered an S Class is not acceptable and we would like some answers.

Wolfman

I guess you didn't read my earlier response. Unfortunately your ordering timeline has nothing to do with final release of the vehicle for that country. There is no delay; the netstar info is completely irrelevant pre-launch; that car would not have been delivered in January or February no matter COVID or Chip shortage or anything else.
It completely sucks to wait for a car that you ordered and have sitting. This has happened to many others unfortunately with several brands, not just MB.

There is a forum member that is waiting for his 2021 AMG GT63; built in Nov of last year, is already financially invested in the car and still doesn't have it to this day. Still at VPC. Different reason, same frustration.

That said, MB has to be blamed for false expectations. Based on that schedule they should have never called it a 2021model...

Germancar1

For one there is a severe lack of just general knowledge here about how new cars are certified for sale here. Secondly, just because I don't have an order doesn't mean I don't have common sense or that I haven't ordered a new car before and waited on it. I'll tell you again, your dealer is giving you misinformation, there was never any way this car was going to be delivered in January. The W223 wasn't even shown until September 2020, and there is no way you ordered one then, you likely put down a deposit for one, and there is no way a car shown in Sept in Europe will be on sale in January in the U.S. I don't need a S_Class order to know how this works. You guys are victims of dealer misinformation and generally not knowing how this works. No car released in Europe in Sept will be released to customers in Jan of the following year in the U.S. I agree they should be more forth coming with information, but this Sept-Jan/Feb timeline is totally unrealistic and shouldn't have been given to you by the dealer. That' all I'm saying here, not that you don't have the right to be upset. It was misinformation from the start.

M

mercedesmax

This is 100% correct.
The earliest the new S Class could have been released was April.
Recent Mercedes new car launches have been delayed, in part due to the new EPA testing regimen.

TwinCam

Just for some clarification. I did order the car in September, dealers had allocations and the order guides from MBUSA. The order was accepted by Mercedes in September. My car was built in February and arrived in Brunswick in early March. And there it sits. If the hold up on delivering the car is due to the new EPA regimen, why doesn’t Mercedes just say so?

mercedesmax

Mercedes told the dealers that the EARLIEST the S Class would be released was Spring 2021.
If your dealer misinformed you that is on them, not MBUSA.

TwinCam

Where did you find this information? I found a number of reviews that said Spring 2021 and “first half of 2021”. It was noted above that “No Way” did I order the car in September. I called my dealer and they said my order was placed on September 21 and Mercedes required a change on September 30 to add the warmth package because I had ordered exclusive Napa leather. The dealer then gave me the PO# and VIN for my car and said that I can contact MBUSA and they will confirm the order was placed in September.

Germancar1

I stand corrected on your actual order. We're still in the first half of the year. No car company is going to blame the EPA if that is what is holding it up. That is not a normal practice especially for a car that isn't technically "late" or delayed. This is why I said all this about the reason is only going to make you more upset. You will never know what the real reason is and we're still in the time frame that they said, whether it's Spring or first half of 2021. The misinformation is driving this frustration, not something MBUSA is or isn't doing. Watch and see, one day soon dealers will all have them just like nothing happened.

M

Sonic Boom

Similar situation for me. I ordered in SEP20 and car entered production early DEC20. Produced and trucked to German port arriving late JAN 21 and sat there. I was happy assuming I’d get it FEB/MAR21. Dealer said (supposedly) they have no control of the actual shipping; only MB Germany does.

Waited and waited and after repeated calls to dealer and last “story” I git was that a bunch of the cars (over 240] had a part issue that was holding shipping. Dealer didn’t know what was the part. I asked how could a car be marked complete and sent to port with missing part? Said it happens sometimes and they have some sort of shop at port.
Last update was parts issue resolved and shipped.

Not sure if it’s the truth or not. Dealer could say anything and I have no say; he could of said “you car fell of the truck and had to build a new one and I’d still not have a say or be able to question/doubt him LOL.

rnpalmer

Hi Rick, thank you for reaching out! We apologize for the U.S. 2021 S-Class release but we're excited to say that they will be in dealerships next month! This is from MBUSA👏👏

js_cls

My salesman sent me this, look at how many W223’s are just sitting waiting to go home to their owners.

Sonic Boom

Where is this port? Germany or Stateside?

js_cls

Baltimore, Maryland.

ajm0623

nothing but a sea of black, grey and white. again. nothing ever changes. yawn.

Germancar1

When the flip the switch every dealer in America will be awash in S-Classes.

M

TwinCam

Good news, thank you js cls! I called MBUSA and all they would tell me is “they will be released soon, check with your dealer”. I asked if the cars were held up for EPA certificate of compliance and they said “different issue, check with your dealer who is your best source for delivery information”. So, I called back my dealer who said that the last information received from MBUSA was that delivery would likely start in June. Mercedes did temporarily shut 2 plants in Germany in April due to the chip shortage, but the Sildenfingen plant kept running. LED screens were also in short supply.

ALANPRIEBE

My S580 came off the line May 10th, was on the Apollon Highway Vessel May 16th, the ship is moored in England right now, tomorrow leaves for Baltimore and then on to Brunswick. With the release date bouncing around, if true, will sit in Brunswick for at least 4 weeks? As far as pricing, anyone with a built car has a MSRP Sheet but with the computer chip problem that will probably change, I would think that's why there is no pricing on the Mercedes U.S. Website?

ALANPRIEBE

Chatting with MBUSA is like chatting with my dog, not many real answers just "talk to your dealer"! And, it seems like every dealer has a different release date answer.
It jerks my chain that a huge company like Mercedes can't be honest and forthcoming with their customers?

Vegas Benz

Although I don't know, I would assume some cars are built that are still awaiting parts, but many cars have been shipped to other countries and are awaiting the "launch date". Do you think the cars that are shipped are complete? I would hope so. There is something we don't know or need to know, but Mercedes accepted our orders, and for those who's cars have been built, sitting parked outside for months is not right.

ALANPRIEBE

Not Right, it's terrible! I mean Mercedes is at fault for not keeping their (most times) loyal customers in the loop better [I mean order a 2021 car and hope you get it before it's a year old and the 22's are out] than they are but the pandemic and the fallout from poor judgement, planning or guessing by subtractors and suppliers I think is the real issue? Pandemic hit, things got shut down, everyone figured lockdown, no going out or traveling! As time went on people figured it was safer traveling by car, most times alone and instead of the car market crashing it picked up. I didn't realize that the "new computers on wheels" takes 50 to 150 computer chips to make everything function. You know a tricked out S Class is probably closer to 150 than 50? Supply and demand is a slippery slope. So now there is a chip shortage, our relation with China isn't the best for trade so I think price increases is a reality from all manufacturers, china or elsewhere. I'd bet China will supply chips to friendlier nation before we see them? It's all rumors and B.S. now with no actual facts coming from anyone, particularly Mercedes, time will tell?
The CEO of Mercedes in September told us how wonderful the new S Class is, I'm sure like myself everybody went wow, I need one on those! And now the frustration of waiting. My car was supposed to be built the end of June, moved to the beginning of May. Off the line 05/10, on ship 05/16, due in port 06/03 and (we'll see) how long of a wait from there. Some of you people have been waiting four, five months already, sorry!

TwinCam

I spent many years heading a joint venture with the Chinese government. Beijing Benz Automotive Company, the equivalent of MBUSA, is 51% owned by a Chinese billionaire who is very well connected with the government. China is Mercedes largest market with a huge potential for growth, while the US market is mature. The S Class is the preferred car of government officials and Chinese businessmen. I suspect that the limited number of semiconductor chips at Mercedes are going into S Class cars for China in exchange for certain market accommodations, at the expense of US customers. Nothing would make Chinese government happier than to hear that the US S Class introduction was delayed, and not one S Class has been sold in the US market, in order to take care of Chinese officials. The cars sitting in the US are likely awaiting chips. If this sounds far fetched, read the Daimler AG quarterly report which highlights the importance of the Chinese market and covers the impact of the chip shortage. I may be completely wrong, but the secrecy on the part of Mercedes leads me to believe that the delay in the S Class introduction in the US is solely a marketing decision. No one at Mercedes is talking.

ALANPRIEBE

You may certainly be correct. I just don't see the marketing advantage to the wait and release date being a moving target, although if June 1st does happen then it's not moving? As far as marketing I could see if they released it as a 2021 1/2 like Ford has done, then people think, oh boy, I'm getting a 2022 early, I think you're spot on with your China theory. When I ordered mine I knew up front about the wait, but some of the folks that bought last year didn't. Buy a new Mercedes (US Market),, told mid year release, now mid year might be closer to third quarter? I'm hoping in the next few weeks things straighten out and we know more?

TwinCam

The moving target is because the chip shortage became more acute as the year went on. Daimler AG recently stated that they expect the chip shortage to subside by year end when more capacity comes on line. I don’t know where Mercedes sources their chips, but a major fire at a chip plant in Japan aggravated the situation and the power outages in Texas also had a negative effect on US chip production.
https://6park.news/en/mercedes-benzs...d-traffic.html

Germancar1

You guys are only doing this to yourselves. You all have run amok with assumptions now. Holding yards for cars have been used since forever. Cars sit outside all the time, for months, this is nothing new. You're probably right about it being something you don't need to know about. Now what would bother me is getting a 2021 this late in the year. These should have been 2022 cars IMO.

M

Vegas Benz

This forum is for the discussion of the new 2021 and 2022 S-Class. The car is being held up for some reason. The launch date was widely announced as 1st half of 2021. We still have a month and a week, but there are forum members that ordered their car early and were told an approximate build date and a guess at a time to be shipped (delivered). My car is scheduled to be built 3 decade July and hearing other members experience is helpful. Sharing our information and thoughts is why we are here. I don't recall anyone making statements that were harmful. Second hand statements were stated as such, as were assumptions and speculation.