lorinserbenz

I got my new SL500 last thursday and have driven it just a couple of times and had yet to clean till this morning. After claying the car and washing it twice I noticed some strange lines on the drivers fender.
I went ahead and finshied Zanioing the car then parked it in shade to inspect the fender. It appears to me that the car was damaged and fixed, or just left the factory the way it is.
I took it to my dealer MB of Tampa this morning, and they were VERY cool and helpful. The manager, salesman, and manger of the service dept all acknowledged the defect as its very visible in the shade. The first option was two have there body people refinish the fender. Right away that was NOT something I wanted to do but I was willing see what the body people would have to say. Well their response was the fender AND the door would need to be painted. NO way was I going to have paint work on 90k car thats 6 days old. My worries of resale issues and the paint not matching nixed painting it.
I told the mangager it wasnt acceptable to pay this much money and have the car devalued from paint work..
So they are going to get my another car.. Now the problem is finding one that has the same options. They told me that I would have to pay the difference if the new car has more options. I think I should only have to pay the "cost" price of the options. Afterall, its not my problem the car I bought is screwed up.
So far MB of Tampa has been FIRST CLASS with me, they jumped right on my issue and contacted the regional MB guy.
I hope this all works out as I REALLY love my car.

vkapoormd

That's good service...i doubt my dealer would be as accomodating; hope they can find you a car- i am sure with silver color, they can dig one up somewhere for you. Best of luck!!

carlosfernandez

I understand that this is your oportunity to add options to your car that you forgett or don't realice that you like it, for example distronic ( that's the only option that my car don't have so if I could I would ask for it) and also if you pay for it right now you save the interest that you pay for the total amount that you request to your bank as a loan ( that's what I does for my first MB an E 320 with primiun package does I pay directly to the dealer and only got a loan for the retail price of the car). Good Lock and enjoy your relationship with the dealer, most of us don't has a good one.

lorinserbenz

Yes they have been very accomadating... However I dont think I am being unreasonable. I took delivery last week at night and it was pouring too.
The spot is the size of two hands side by side...
I cant accept paint work on a 90k car thats a week old.

MBZFAN55

The "cost" price of the options, not counting "dealer holdback" etc is only 8 to 10 % below the "list" price.

lorinserbenz

Thanks for the info..

Juice it

I am begining to think it is better to buy a low mile 3-4k used model of what you want than buying it new. That way you can get a report from the dealer and see if the car is plagued with issues or not before buying. Buying new seems like it is more or less a crap shoot these days. Unless you want a funky color scheme (Lovin) this may be the way to go.

LovinMercedes

I am glad they are taking care of you. I am not sure how many dealers would make it this easy. You are fortunate although you are 100% in the right.

Good luck.

StephenK

Does anyone have a link to MB of Tampa?

I thought I saw one in the past where you could view their inventory, but now all I see is the Mercedes Benz generic style website for them.

Does anyone have a salesperson they would recommend at the dealership.

lorinserbenz

Ask for Gary Berg, he is the salesmanager. Tell him Larry Botkins sent you...
I have been friends with him for a number of years... PM me and ill give you his cell #
Jason Good is also good to deal with..

lorinserbenz

Go to www.autotrader.com and click on the find cars link. Select new, and enter a tampa zip (33624). You wont be able to see individual options but you can see the colors available. From the prices you can figure out what options the cars have.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/ncal.j...sp=y&cardist=5

AMGfan

Gary is a great guy...he did a national search for my E55 and was easy to talk to (i.e. you didn't feel you had to take a shower after talking to him).

PM me if you want his cell #.

RJC

Lorinser:


Your car may have been damaged during shipping to the US, generally the MB VPC does a very good job correcting any flaws but they must have missed this one. I'm very happy to hear that the dealer is being as accomadating as they are. Best of luck on the new one!

LovinMercedes

If you wanted to know if your car was painted at the VPC or if the dealer had it painted and never told you, somehow ask someone if the car had the white plastic all over the hood, fenders and trunk when it came in. You can tell if your car was painted by the VPC if this plastic covering had been removed prior to delivery to the dealership. If it hadn't, then your car was not painted at the VPC but at the dealer.

I would doubt that it came from Germany this way.

I am sure they probably don't remember how your particular car came in if it was on the dealer lot but at this point, who cares since they are getting you a new car.

You are doing the right thing here. I would never accept a new car just painted from anywhere but the factory. They say the VPC paint job is as good as factory but that is a bunch of bull. Yes they have the exact paint but at the VPC the paint is sprayed on while at the factory, the body is given an electrical charge and the paint is actually pulled onto the body.

I am glad they are taking care of you.

miroj

The car isnt 6 days old and it doesnt have a placenta attached to it. Its about 4-6 months old and if it has all the options probably more than that.

Why someone cant match the paint on the whole side of the car is anyones guess. However anyone that offers to blend a door is a fool. Its the whole side of the car or its nothing.

How the dealer puts up with you is anyones guess ....... "scrwed up" - hardly.

MBZFAN55

I toured the MB VPC in Perryville Md a few years ago and noticed a number of damaged vehicles that were in various stages of body shop repair. (A CL55 had extensive right rear damage from an errant Port of Baltimore employee who underestimated the power, and spun into a guardrail.) The VPC manager made a point of saying that damaged vehicles are NEVER sold "as new" to MB dealers, but rather as "used with previous damage" (like flood vehicles). It sounded a bit fabricated for the group I was in, until he said that MBUSA had been sued over a damaged vehicle, and the result was this new policy. Maybe someone on the "inside" knows if this is true.

lorinserbenz

Thats BS... All automakers have VPC centers that fix damage to new vehicles and they do not have to disclose repairs. As cheap as MB as gotten I highly doubt they would sell lightly damaged cars as used. I am proof they sell cars that have freight damage..
Someone posted a link to a story about a BMW VPC center, it told of how cars are damaged and fixed on a regular basis. Only cars that are heavily damaged are sold as used or destroyed.

lorinserbenz

WTF does that mean? So its cool for the dealer to sell me F-uped 90k to me?
YOU would accept a car thats had paint work already? OH and my car was built 02/05 so its not 6 months old.
MB's quality control flat out sucks... I am on car number two and the godda** radio doesnt work in the new one.

SL55406

You're whipped if you believe he shouldn't have the problem corrected to perfection and if they can't fix it, they need to buy it back and get him a new car and thats all there is to it. This isn't a Hyundai.