What were the primary issues and did you request it or did the dealer/MB offer?

 

I had 5 damaged (3 with bubbles) or destroyed (2 blowouts requiring flatbed towing on two separate occasions) tires and three bent wheels in about 18 months just from regular driving. I initially called MB corporate to make a formal complaint and I casually mentioned that I thought the car was a lemon but I was going to ask if it was possible and if they were willing to swap out to 20 inch tires. But the minute I even uttered the word Lemon, they said they were compelled to implement a Lemon Law request. So I figured it could not hurt and went along with it not expecting it would be granted. 5 weeks later, I got a letter stating that MB would agree to buy back my car based on my service history.

 

I completed my buyback a couple of weeks ago on my 2022 S580. Like you, I had five new S Class sedans in a row. I now bought a CPO 2020 S560 with only 8800 miles on it and I’m quite happy. The W222, to me, is SUCH a better car than the W223’s. I feel as though I’m “back home” in this car, after a long, very uncomfortable journey. Hope you get a great ride next time.

 

For Mercedes to cave so quickly based on tire blowouts alone to me is an acknowledgment that they chose the wrong tire size for the car.

 

I agree. And my service advisor at the dealer said that he has a lot of them coming in with similar issues. Surprisingly, he also said they had tire/wheel problems with the EQS sedan.

 

Can you please post the VIN? I'd buy that and pop some 20s on it.

 

W1K6G7GB1MA040423

 

Just had my first tire failure on the 21s with Pirellis with less than 10000 miles Just curious has anyone sent this thread to MB corporate?

 

I’m absolutely convinced that during the CCP Virus fiasco, all the “old guard” at MB retired. They had their years in, everything was turning to shixt and they decided to throw in the towel. The younger folks who took their places have zero interest in what their long time customers think of their current offerings and no interest in anything we might say to them. In my experienced opinion, the W223 is a car that COULD have been great and SHOULD have been great, but the young bucks currently signing off on things in Stuttgart have tunnel vision, no thoughts for the future and have no appreciation for the legacy of the 3-Pointed Star.

 

Can you advise on how you were able to convince MBUSA to take the lemon law case on. My car has been in shop for a cumulative of 60+ days. 15 tires changed to date since March 2022.

Thank you

 

In California, if the car is out of service for a cumulative 30 days, it is automatically a lemon and MB really has no choice but to agree to a buyback. Check your state lemon law requirements.

 

In NJ it’s 20 days. Were you able to Lemon it due to the wheels/tires issue? Or was there something else wrong either the car ?

 

My 2022 S580 had 19’s and the wheels & tires were not the problem. Most everything else was. It was bought back.

 

My process was very easy. I called MB Customer care. I provided them with my contact information, and they looked up my account. I was quickly transferred to another department where the representative advised that he had reviewed my service history and that it qualified for buy-back. I did not even pursue a formal Lemon Law claim. MB simply made the offer on their own after I complained about the nightmare scenario with all of my blown tires and bent rims. I got a letter in the mail about two weeks later advising who the 3rd party pickup person was and I returned the car to the dealer, meeting him two weeks later. I exchanged the car for a $50,000 +/- check and that was it. Super easy. I do not know if me being in California made any difference. I was surprised at how streamlined the process was. Interesting - both reps I spoke to seemed well-aware of the post-2021 model year 21-inch wheel S Class problem. After 5 S classes in a row, with an S63 thrown in there too as well as 3 E classes, sad in a way to end my Mercedes run. My 2024 760i XDrive is on a ship sailing to California from Germany right now.

 

To be clear….MBZ paid you $50,000 for your S580 that probably cost you over $100,000?

 

I am imagining that it was a lease and the approximately $50K he got represented every penny he paid on the car so far, including sales tax. That was the way my buy back was handled. I believe that I also received the prorated amount of the remaining state license fees, but I can’t remember now for sure.

 

I believe I had the car for a little less than two years. It was a lease. There is a mileage calculation where there is a deduction for mileage which resulted in a few thousand dollar charge. In addition there was a dealer add-on of some equipment that you don’t get reimbursed for. I believe the MSRP of the car was about 135 or 140. When I did the calculation, I believe I received about 85% of my lease payments back. Fortunately, I had paid for the tire and wheel insurance so the replacement of all of the tires and wheels along the way was paid 100% by the insurance. But it was a major hassle. I had to have the car brought in on flatbed truck a couple of times and all the back-and-forth with the dealers, and in one instance, I had to bring the car back four times because the insurance company was requiring numerous videos of the damage. Total and complete fiasco.

 

Interesting. I had my car about 18 months and had put on about 12K miles. In my case, the only thing I was out of pocket on, were the non-run flat tires I had put on. There was no mileage deduction, I got every penny back.

 

I see you are in California. Looks like someone at Mercedes must have missed that. In California, the Lemon Law buyback calculation is: (Miles driven prior to first repair/120,000) x (purchase price) = $mileage offset. You got away without any mileage offset.

 

Might have been that “first repair” thing, as the car was a mess from day one. In addition to the one 30 day stint, I believe I had about another 26 days out of service at the time.

 

Can you run a wider front and rear time on the OEM 21" wheels?
OEM tires look too skinny

 

I have two sets of tires for my car as I split my time between Florida and New Jersey.
The original Pirellis that came with the car and the 21" v-multispoke AMG rims (graphite/silver) staggered.
They run smooth and quiet. In Florida they are my go-to tire. Love em.

But in NJ (just outside of Manhattan) the potholes are formidable. I have 20" rims (staggered) with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s.
They are no doubt beefier and have more tread than the Pirellis but have a noticeable louder hum. I have no idea where anyone can say they are as quiet as the Pirellis. No way - I found the opposite. Maybe because one set is 21 and the other is 20?...dunno,

If you're in a place with bad roads and potholes, the 20's are the way to go. With 21s you have to watch for every imperfection.
But the s-class is designed to look great with the 21" rims.

On a side note, I did have the 21" v-multispoke AMG rims with black accents, but in my opinion that painted black in the rims took away all the refinement commensurate with the S-class. When I saw them off of the car in the showroom, they looked awesome, but once I saw them live on the black s-class, it looked like something tricked out by kids trying to look cool. I put on the silver/graphite AMGs on instead and for me that is the ticket. I guess to each his own.

 

The P Zeros are probably the quietest and smoothest tire I've used. Even 25 series ride well. I'm thinking the reason they damage so easily is due to the soft sidewall.

 

The Michelins are louder than the Pirellis, all the reviews note that too.

 

I fully agree. The Pirellis are quieter but boy do they wear fast! Michelins are my go to for overall durability and longevity

This is my ride! Pirelli 21’s.