SL55 the story so far
Discussion
Hi
I had it delivered to me Friday 30th July 2010 so had it a week now.
It did not come with the First Aid Kit and full history as promised (the record of work done etc. it does have a service book)
Call dealer and they will send both of the missing items excuse is the printers are a bit slow - asked for them a week before. Week later still no Fist Aid Kit or documentation, Salesman says he was off during the week and will send them.
Done around 40 miles in the car and have the following issues
1. Parking footbrake sticky so does not release properly
2. Exhaust rattles when cold and sometimes when hot.
3. Rear window on passenger side has stuck up a couple of times when I was putting the roof down.
4. Suspect intercooler pump issue as used the Kompressor then the car only increased revs without much forward motion.
5. Between me test driving the car and delivery a small chip has appeared on the windscreen right in drivers eye line.
Now this car is under the MB Approved Used Scheme which quotes
"Our Approved Used Car Programme guarantees the incomparable driving experience that you expect of Mercedes-Benz.
We scrutinise every car to guarantee you the peace of mind you would normally associate with buying a brand new car. Only vehicles that have passed our rigorous safety, mechanical, electrical and history checks are awarded our 12 months' unlimited mileage warranty, 12 months' roadside assistance and our 30-day / 1,000-mile exchange plan."
I have spoken to the dealer who is about 110 miles away and they said take it to your local dealer and get them to call regarding any costs incurred. So my local dealer calls them to be told they will not foot the bill for work on the car. I am now awaiting call back from supplying dealer to add further annoyance to my life.
So I have covered no real mileage and have hassle already with a dealer who so far doesn't seem to give a toss. Could they further cheapen the MB brand anymore with their attitude.
If you are wondering why I got it from a dealer 110 miles away the answer is it was the right colour and spec that I wanted. Also returning it to the dealer would add 200+ miles and take me a whole day at least so is not really feasable.
I had it delivered to me Friday 30th July 2010 so had it a week now.
It did not come with the First Aid Kit and full history as promised (the record of work done etc. it does have a service book)
Call dealer and they will send both of the missing items excuse is the printers are a bit slow - asked for them a week before. Week later still no Fist Aid Kit or documentation, Salesman says he was off during the week and will send them.
Done around 40 miles in the car and have the following issues
1. Parking footbrake sticky so does not release properly
2. Exhaust rattles when cold and sometimes when hot.
3. Rear window on passenger side has stuck up a couple of times when I was putting the roof down.
4. Suspect intercooler pump issue as used the Kompressor then the car only increased revs without much forward motion.
5. Between me test driving the car and delivery a small chip has appeared on the windscreen right in drivers eye line.
Now this car is under the MB Approved Used Scheme which quotes
"Our Approved Used Car Programme guarantees the incomparable driving experience that you expect of Mercedes-Benz.
We scrutinise every car to guarantee you the peace of mind you would normally associate with buying a brand new car. Only vehicles that have passed our rigorous safety, mechanical, electrical and history checks are awarded our 12 months' unlimited mileage warranty, 12 months' roadside assistance and our 30-day / 1,000-mile exchange plan."
I have spoken to the dealer who is about 110 miles away and they said take it to your local dealer and get them to call regarding any costs incurred. So my local dealer calls them to be told they will not foot the bill for work on the car. I am now awaiting call back from supplying dealer to add further annoyance to my life.
So I have covered no real mileage and have hassle already with a dealer who so far doesn't seem to give a toss. Could they further cheapen the MB brand anymore with their attitude.
If you are wondering why I got it from a dealer 110 miles away the answer is it was the right colour and spec that I wanted. Also returning it to the dealer would add 200+ miles and take me a whole day at least so is not really feasable.
I will do after today. I was hoping to sort it out to our mutual satisfaction. In the end it is just the sticky brake and the exhaust that may not be warranty covered as I know the pump is. By the way the local dealer in Stratford upon Avon was very helpful and was sympathetic to my situation. I just think with the approved programme if a problem occurs within say 30 days then it is sorted regardless of warranty free of charge at a dealer that is local. They offer an exchange if not happy with the vehicle.
I have been away working in the week and took another car and left the SL55 as I couldn't be bothered to listen to it and didn't want any more mileage on it. So feeling a little down as I usually buy private and then find a car I want and feel with the SL55 being a bit of a problem child I better have the assurance and backup of the network. But they are all separate franchises and don't really cooperate which leaves the customer in the lurch.
Time for an Aston I think....
Anyone have any tales of the Approved Used scheme? both good or bad.
I have been away working in the week and took another car and left the SL55 as I couldn't be bothered to listen to it and didn't want any more mileage on it. So feeling a little down as I usually buy private and then find a car I want and feel with the SL55 being a bit of a problem child I better have the assurance and backup of the network. But they are all separate franchises and don't really cooperate which leaves the customer in the lurch.
Time for an Aston I think....
Anyone have any tales of the Approved Used scheme? both good or bad.
Edited by SLacKer on Friday 6th August 16:29
l have had a ridiculous amount of warranty work done on my SL55.
l bought mine from MB Wolverhampton (a 240 mile round trip) but had all the warranty work done by MB dealer Hughes Of Beaconsfield (5 miles away) who have been excellent.
l think it depends very much on the dealer as to whether you get a good one or not !!!
l bought mine from MB Wolverhampton (a 240 mile round trip) but had all the warranty work done by MB dealer Hughes Of Beaconsfield (5 miles away) who have been excellent.
l think it depends very much on the dealer as to whether you get a good one or not !!!
Got a call back. The upshot is that they don't want to pay someone else (they suggested it) and they will pick the car up next week and sort it out. So the car will have covered about 350 miles with the delivery and return and delivery.
What a shower they all are the customer always comes last.
Will try and contact Mercedes UK Monday to see where I stand regarding the approved programme and whether that covers it.
What a shower they all are the customer always comes last.
Will try and contact Mercedes UK Monday to see where I stand regarding the approved programme and whether that covers it.
amg master said:
i thought the approved programe covers everything thats the whole point of the warranty is'nt it?
I think it is the intention of the programe to bring you peace of mind. What is not taken into account is the need for these individual franchises to make as much money as possible therefore they want my car back so they don't have to pay the other dealer. Sod the customer, sod the fact that by the time I get the car back the delivery driver will have covered 350 miles using tyres, petrol etc.I will pursue this Monday with MB UK and see if they stand behind the marketing fluff or whether it is a hollow promise.
I would have travelled the 1000 miles (including the 110 to the dealer) got it out of my system and returned it under the scheme. You still could but your month long appraisal is slowly being eaten away by your dealership whilst they attempt to fix the faults.
I hope this works out for you.
I hope this works out for you.
SLacKer said:
amg master said:
i thought the approved programe covers everything thats the whole point of the warranty is'nt it?
I think it is the intention of the programe to bring you peace of mind. What is not taken into account is the need for these individual franchises to make as much money as possible therefore they want my car back so they don't have to pay the other dealer. Sod the customer, sod the fact that by the time I get the car back the delivery driver will have covered 350 miles using tyres, petrol etc.I will pursue this Monday with MB UK and see if they stand behind the marketing fluff or whether it is a hollow promise.
k off as far as they were concerned. Local dealer have been excellent and have sorted out all the Tier 1 warranty work the car has needed.HUW JONES said:
SLacKer said:
amg master said:
i thought the approved programe covers everything thats the whole point of the warranty is'nt it?
I think it is the intention of the programe to bring you peace of mind. What is not taken into account is the need for these individual franchises to make as much money as possible therefore they want my car back so they don't have to pay the other dealer. Sod the customer, sod the fact that by the time I get the car back the delivery driver will have covered 350 miles using tyres, petrol etc.I will pursue this Monday with MB UK and see if they stand behind the marketing fluff or whether it is a hollow promise.
k off as far as they were concerned. Local dealer have been excellent and have sorted out all the Tier 1 warranty work the car has needed.Edited by SLacKer on Saturday 7th August 14:44
Hope it all works out for you Slacker but gotta tell you - I've had my SL55 for 18 months and overall it's been brilliant EXCEPT for Mercedes Benz completely appalling customer service. In my experience Head Office are no better than the branches either, I've given up on them completely.
Good luck - and you will notice a big difference in performance once the Charge air circulation pump is replaced.....and the weather cools down a little
Good luck - and you will notice a big difference in performance once the Charge air circulation pump is replaced.....and the weather cools down a little
Thanks for the support.
Update on the exhaust. I checked the underside and found that the bracket that joins the exhaust together behind the diff is broken. The strap from the passenger side pipe is snapped allowing the drivers side to move and rattle.
In the picture you can see the strap near the top of each pipe.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize...
The reason why the exhaust rattles less when warm is that the rear pipe is inside the middle pipe and I guess it expands when hot causing the exhaust to move less.
How this got through an inspection and an MOT is beyond me. It would be simple to spot with the car in the air. Next is the challenge of getting it corrected by MB without a 250 mile round trip.
Update on the exhaust. I checked the underside and found that the bracket that joins the exhaust together behind the diff is broken. The strap from the passenger side pipe is snapped allowing the drivers side to move and rattle.
In the picture you can see the strap near the top of each pipe.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize...
The reason why the exhaust rattles less when warm is that the rear pipe is inside the middle pipe and I guess it expands when hot causing the exhaust to move less.
How this got through an inspection and an MOT is beyond me. It would be simple to spot with the car in the air. Next is the challenge of getting it corrected by MB without a 250 mile round trip.
Edited by SLacKer on Sunday 8th August 18:45
Edited by SLacKer on Sunday 8th August 19:11
SLacKer said:
i just picked a cl63 amg up from m b belfast 07 and when i got back (i live in midlands) found that the clamp on the back of the exhaust was broken took it to my local dealer had a look at it and ordered 1 for the next day all under the warranty programe. you should be able to take it to your local dealer regardless of where you brought it from.another example that i have is when my gear box was playing up on my ml63amg was brought from mb cov but broke down in bradford.was taken to mb bradford on truck and a new gearbox was fitted at a cost of £14000 pounds under warranty.
hope that helps
Well I got onto MB UK Customer Services on Monday morning and someone there is looking into the case.
I have requested that my local dealer (Stratford Upon Avon) sort out the issues and that any bill that arises is paid by someone other than me. I also relayed the information regarding the broken exhaust bracket to them and they seemed somewhat taken aback that it had not been to an MB dealer to diagnose that (implication is that as the owner you are an idiot and know nothing). They seemed to be sympathetic to my point that adding another 250 miles to the car with it going back to the supplying dealer was not ideal.
Now if it goes the usual way they will have to replace the exhaust back section on one side as they don't do things like welding so that will cost a fortune. Of course if they just took the two sections off and welded some exhaust hanger rod to both (one to fix the break the other side to reinforce the weak metal) then remounted the exhaust that would cost a lot less and I would be quite happy as long as the welding was done right.
I am a keen Mercedes man and have owned them over many years without issue. We got the ML via a dealer and had any issues dealt with very quickly without fuss but this one seems to be all the hassle I haven't had with the others. It is a pity as the few times I have driven it I have loved it. I am off to a client tomorrow and again will be leaving the car at home which kind of defeats the object of owning it. I was considering some new cars for next year with a 3 pointed star but with this I think maybe a new brand will get my business.
Having seen how they deal with things it would appear that the used car scheme should have a 28 day 1000 mile warranty on any issues arising from the car which are not your fault and this can be dealt with by any dealer. If they believe all the words they write they need to back it up with action that doesn't leave a new owner passing the car by on the drive and using another one. I am very fortunate that I have a choice of car for most it would be the only car and much worse inconvenience.
I have requested that my local dealer (Stratford Upon Avon) sort out the issues and that any bill that arises is paid by someone other than me. I also relayed the information regarding the broken exhaust bracket to them and they seemed somewhat taken aback that it had not been to an MB dealer to diagnose that (implication is that as the owner you are an idiot and know nothing). They seemed to be sympathetic to my point that adding another 250 miles to the car with it going back to the supplying dealer was not ideal.
Now if it goes the usual way they will have to replace the exhaust back section on one side as they don't do things like welding so that will cost a fortune. Of course if they just took the two sections off and welded some exhaust hanger rod to both (one to fix the break the other side to reinforce the weak metal) then remounted the exhaust that would cost a lot less and I would be quite happy as long as the welding was done right.
I am a keen Mercedes man and have owned them over many years without issue. We got the ML via a dealer and had any issues dealt with very quickly without fuss but this one seems to be all the hassle I haven't had with the others. It is a pity as the few times I have driven it I have loved it. I am off to a client tomorrow and again will be leaving the car at home which kind of defeats the object of owning it. I was considering some new cars for next year with a 3 pointed star but with this I think maybe a new brand will get my business.
Having seen how they deal with things it would appear that the used car scheme should have a 28 day 1000 mile warranty on any issues arising from the car which are not your fault and this can be dealt with by any dealer. If they believe all the words they write they need to back it up with action that doesn't leave a new owner passing the car by on the drive and using another one. I am very fortunate that I have a choice of car for most it would be the only car and much worse inconvenience.
1. Parking footbrake sticky so does not release properly
2. Exhaust rattles when cold and sometimes when hot.
3. Rear window on passenger side has stuck up a couple of times when I was putting the roof down.
4. Suspect intercooler pump issue as used the Kompressor then the car only increased revs without much forward motion.
5. Between me test driving the car and delivery a small chip has appeared on the windscreen right in drivers eye line.
[/quote]
I do hope you get this all sorted so you can actually enjoy the car to its full abilities. When I bought my car it was a low mileage example with limited use, the boot would stick as would the rear window on the passenger side, I found that all the little niggles would erode the more I used the car.
I have also had a windscreen replaced by Autoglass since I took ownership of the car (~£700 but paid through insurance) and I experienced a squeaking sound once fitted, this again vanished after some road use.
Edited by Gouki on Wednesday 11th August 11:54
Well it is off back to the supplying dealer today. The conversations with Customer (lack of) Services was a waste of time. Their attitude is the dealer is right and I should shut up, they talk way to much requiring you to butt in to get your point across.
So off it goes and I await the call to tell me the exhaust bracket break is my fault and I should pay for it
I did however find out that the inspection was done in May so an opportunity for the bracket to go although I find it hard to believe it just snaps with no sign of failure.
So if I have learnt anything from this is don't trust anyone to check the car even if they are a main dealer. As for the approved used scheme it is just a lot of hot air that looks good on a website. If you do buy from a main Mercedes dealer make sure it is more local say unto 30 miles.
Oh yes I still haven't got my first aid kit. I have been assured (again) that it will return along with the car. I think that car salesmen in these places spend so much time lying they don't even know they are lying anymore.
I am looking for a new career and think I could do it better. Anyone for an AMG specialist in Worcestershire.
On a positive note Lady S took the Sl to the supermarket last night and as I was driving back from a client I met her there and followed the car home. She left me for dead up the hill, I was in the ML though. It looked fantastic and as soon as these issues are resolved I intend to run some back to back tests SLK32 SL55 tests.
So off it goes and I await the call to tell me the exhaust bracket break is my fault and I should pay for it
I did however find out that the inspection was done in May so an opportunity for the bracket to go although I find it hard to believe it just snaps with no sign of failure.
So if I have learnt anything from this is don't trust anyone to check the car even if they are a main dealer. As for the approved used scheme it is just a lot of hot air that looks good on a website. If you do buy from a main Mercedes dealer make sure it is more local say unto 30 miles.
Oh yes I still haven't got my first aid kit. I have been assured (again) that it will return along with the car. I think that car salesmen in these places spend so much time lying they don't even know they are lying anymore.
I am looking for a new career and think I could do it better. Anyone for an AMG specialist in Worcestershire.
On a positive note Lady S took the Sl to the supermarket last night and as I was driving back from a client I met her there and followed the car home. She left me for dead up the hill, I was in the ML though. It looked fantastic and as soon as these issues are resolved I intend to run some back to back tests SLK32 SL55 tests.
Edited by SLacKer on Friday 13th August 11:39
SLacKer said:
So if I have learnt anything from this is don't trust anyone to check the car even if they are a main dealer. As for the approved used scheme it is just a lot of hot air that looks good on a website.
I think that car salesmen in these places spend so much time lying they don't even know they are lying anymore.
I am afraid that this is all true. You are no better off buying a used car from the main dealer than you are buying at auction. Indeed, where do you think the dealer got the car?I think that car salesmen in these places spend so much time lying they don't even know they are lying anymore.
And as for car salesmen, the thing is, they will always be car salesmen. Except when they are being estate agents. To a man they are all thick, ignorant
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