cwoods817

Does anybody have any experience with MB buy-backs? I have had so many problems with my '03 SL500 that I have started the process. My car is back at the shop for the sixth time for a leak in the trunk. They fixed it six weeks ago, but it's baaack! I've had the transmission seals replaced, the top/windshield gasket leaked, the catalytic converter went up, brake rotors (12K mi.), the dash glove box wouldn't open, cold air escaping from an ill fitted console side panel, SOS warning to go to workshop immediately (the infamous no problem found). It's been in the shop so many times the Enterprise Rental/Loaner people know me by name. Even my salesman says they need to get me out of this car. I have an MB Credit lease with 15 months to go. I've offered to enter into a new lease if they'd do an early, 24 month termination on the current car. This can't cost MB much! If we fight and go the Lemon Law suit path, things will get ugly fast. Anybody have any suggestions?

Brunelleschi

You said you have offered to enter a new lease in exchnge for an early termination...what was their response to this offer?

lorinserbenz

I thought the lemon law only applied to the first year of ownership?
I have heard of MB buying back as a courtesy...
With all the problems you had they should..

cwoods817

The Maryland implementation of the Federal Lemon Law requires the problem to first occur within 15 months or 15,000 miles. Maryland's implementation is a little more stringent than the minimum 1 year, 12,000 miles. It does not matter that the car manufacturer has a warranty period longer than the MD law. I'd like MD to do it as a courtesy and the title doesn't have to be listed as a buy-back. MB can just support the "trade-in" as an early lease termination. So far, no luck with making progress on the easy way for all. If we go the legal route it gets nasty and costs escalate dramatically, as does customer satisfaction!! I hope they resolve it quickly.

RadSteve

A formal letter from an attorney that serves as a mediator might be able to accomplish just what you seek, pointing out the benefits to all involved with resolution of this issue, but sometimes it needs to come from someone other than the customer for them to see the light. Let us know what happens in any case.

tiggerfink

TN law states the below, so I am wondering what is the express warranty? I wonder if the express warranty is the standard 4-year warranty that Mercedes provide? I am also looking into the lemon, since my trunk is still leaking.

http://www.autolemonlaws.com/tennessee/lemonlaw.htm#1

tiggerfink

I got great news today. A lawyer told me I have a great case. In TN the Lemon law period is the express warranty. The lawyer also told me that it will not cost me a penny.

Wish me luck.

cwoods817

I certainly wish you good luck. I am not as fortunate as you at this point. We are still trying to get the leak to occur at the dealership. I have no problem getting it leak at home! It goes back again tomorrow.

tiggerfink

Get a bucket of water and pour it down the rear window two times. Leave the trunk partiton up and the partiton flaps should get wet.

david_101

to reproduce the leak, have you had them continuously douse the car in the wash station?

regarding replacing your car, suggest you get full copy of state lemon law. assemble complete repair history of your car. be certain the problems wth your car comport with statutory requirements of lemon law so the legal burden can be met. detail same on paper. personally present paper with comparison of lemon law and car history to dealership general manager. politely explain you have no choice other than to lemon the car, and that if they force you to go to such length, then you'll send explanatory memo to MBUSA president and marketing SVP with observations about dealership handling.

you mustbe prepared to follow through given good chance dealership will ignore your threat.

please continue to post your experiences.

david

tiggerfink

My attorney is sending MBUSA the initial letter to start the Lemon Law claim process. He told me that he will only work with MBUSA. I have fax to my attorney 11 work invoice statements, bill of sale, car registration, and initial loan documentation.

cwoods817

You are in better shape than I am as the MD Lemon Law limits leased vehicles to 12 months/12,000 miles vs. 15 and 15,000 for purchased vehicles. I have to proceed under the Magnuson-moss Warranty Act if they don't fix it, I returned it this morning for the seventh trip for a leaking trunk! Failing this, the remedies are very similar to the Lemon Law. it just seems easier to do an early termination of a lease than do a buy-back! Oh well, hope yours goes easily and quickly.

cwoods817

Mine leasks in the same place as yours. I remember the pictures you did and mine are the same. I can replicate the problem at will in my driveway which at the point I wash cars is tilted front-to-back by 10 degrees. On level land it doesn't leak much if at all. If the car is parked on a slant in the rain it will leak. I did a "hostage picture" yesterday when I got home from a "no-problem-found" visit to the dealer yesterday...I hosed the car down, dried it and then opened the trunk, held yesterday's newspaper in the picture and took the pictures that showed the large wet spots on the partition flaps! I took it back this morning much to their dismay.

tiggerfink

Looks like I have the same problems as you. Will any lawyer take your case? In TN, it will not cost me anything, because the manufacturer has to pay all legal fees. Goto this web site and see if they will take your case http://www.lemonlaw.com/. If they decide to take your case, it is free to you. If the problem started the first year and continued on, you may have a good lemon law case

1. Windshield replaced unde warranty
2. Center console repaired
3. Glovebox repaired twice
4. repaired water leak in trunk 4 times.

If you are a member of MBCA, they can help you out. MBCA has a representative at MBUSA to help out problems like yours. www.mbca.org. www.mbca.org

vantage78

Wow...incredible that such a problem cannot be resolved. Do the new 05s have this issue as well??

lorinserbenz

My car has been leak and trouble free...

cwoods817

Aren't you the person who went through three SLs before the fourth one was trouble free? And of course your car is only a couple of months old! I hope you never have a problem with this one.

tiggerfink

Darn,

I have to wait for two months from a response from MBUSA. Lawyer siad I have a great case, I just hope he is right.

cwoods817

Time is on MBUSA's side. They just hope to wear us down! They won't wear me down, I can assure you.

pilot20

LOL!

tiggerfink

lorinserbenz

Yep, I am picky *****... I could have easily let them fix the check engine light and issues with the other cars and more than likely had a trouble free car.
Something that I didnt know till recently is that none of the first three cars went through a PDI.

I know 6 people with Sl500's,Sl55's and an Sl600 none of them have had any issues with leaking or any other problems for that matter.

tiggerfink

Do they drive more than 5 miles a week?

lorinserbenz

Id say they all drive average miles... 1000 a month.

What is it with this group? . If your cars suck that bad and are broken all the time then why do you keep them? Is your life so mundane that complaining about your car on an internet forum is the only joy you have?
Seems really stupid to keep a car thats broken all the time. If ANY car I bought spent more than a two weeks in the shop I would DUMP it the first chance I got.
It seems like 80% of the people that come into this forum have nothing but negative things to say. .

They need to change the name of this website to B*TCHANDMOANABOUTYOURMERCEDES.COM

LovinMercedes

With all due respect to you as I have always respected everything you have said, I do have to disagree with this set of comments and I think you are being incredibly unfair to others.

First, not everyone can afford to dump a $100,000 car and take that loss. If you can then you are very fortunate but to criticize others that may not be as fortunate is unfair and not reasonable.

Secondly, I don't think anyone bought these cars expecting to have problems. I think people want to love their car but many are heartbroken as a result of all of the problems. I would think in this instance compassion would be an admirable quality instead of blasting them.

Everyone here is a Mercedes lover. The negativity comes from their experience with their cars and they are entitled to have them.

Nobody wanted a car with problems. Yours is fine but go back and read your posts when you were having problems with your car. Everyone was very supportive and I would think you might want to return that feeling to others that have not been able to solve their problems.

Just my humble opinion. Sorry.