Getting Mercedes warranty claim honoured
Discussion
My 2006 Mercedes B200 Turbo has only covered 60k miles but is suffering from rust along the door bottoms of all 4 doors. It is now starting to come through the doors to be visible from the outside.
A couple of years ago, when I first noticed rust on the insides of the door, I took it into my main dealer (Robinsons in Norwich) who literally laughed at me when I suggested it shouldn't be rusting at 8 years and 30k miles old. (He also explained that modern Mercedes weren't very well built!) He filled in forms and took photos and sent them off to head office but the claim was denied.
The rust has now worsened so that it is starting to show on the outside of the doors so I have checked the warranty again. This is rust from the inside of the door - where the outer skin is folded around the inner structure - I believe should be covered by the 30 year warranty which states that "In the unlikely event of the bodywork or underbody rusting through from the inside, this will be repaired by a Mercedes Benz Service Centre free of charge for labour and materials." It does say that each time the car is serviced by a main dealer the warranty is extended for 2 years. It was serviced by them at the time I reported it and a year later so is within 2 years of the last service. The reason for rejection last year was that it wasn't from the inside and that, anyway, it only applied to the "chassis" as the man called it. I wasn't allowed to see the paperwork.
A search on here and my own experience suggests that MB are reluctant to repair rust. When I first tried my car was eight years old and that was therefore just outside the "good will" period. But I spoke to someone the other day who had been successful with a 10 year old car so I thought I'd try again. He did it by starting proceedings in small claims.
I've got to go in and take the documentation with me but is there anything you can think of to strengthen my case on the basis that it is better to get it agreed than be rejected and try to appeal.
Thanks
A couple of years ago, when I first noticed rust on the insides of the door, I took it into my main dealer (Robinsons in Norwich) who literally laughed at me when I suggested it shouldn't be rusting at 8 years and 30k miles old. (He also explained that modern Mercedes weren't very well built!) He filled in forms and took photos and sent them off to head office but the claim was denied.
The rust has now worsened so that it is starting to show on the outside of the doors so I have checked the warranty again. This is rust from the inside of the door - where the outer skin is folded around the inner structure - I believe should be covered by the 30 year warranty which states that "In the unlikely event of the bodywork or underbody rusting through from the inside, this will be repaired by a Mercedes Benz Service Centre free of charge for labour and materials." It does say that each time the car is serviced by a main dealer the warranty is extended for 2 years. It was serviced by them at the time I reported it and a year later so is within 2 years of the last service. The reason for rejection last year was that it wasn't from the inside and that, anyway, it only applied to the "chassis" as the man called it. I wasn't allowed to see the paperwork.
A search on here and my own experience suggests that MB are reluctant to repair rust. When I first tried my car was eight years old and that was therefore just outside the "good will" period. But I spoke to someone the other day who had been successful with a 10 year old car so I thought I'd try again. He did it by starting proceedings in small claims.
I've got to go in and take the documentation with me but is there anything you can think of to strengthen my case on the basis that it is better to get it agreed than be rejected and try to appeal.
Thanks
I went through this with my W210 E class and had a lot of repairs done under goodwill but for a solid case the car must have a full MB history, you must be the original owner and the panel must not have received any previous repair
At the time I had mine I had not heard of any of the repairs done under the warranty all were done under goodwill.
Cant help but think you should've pushed harder two years ago, but maybe a quote for repairs from an independent garage and a stern letter would be my next step but dont think you will get much joy with an 11 year old car , they couldn't care less with mine and it was less than 5 years old and I had given them £40k for it
At the time I had mine I had not heard of any of the repairs done under the warranty all were done under goodwill.
Cant help but think you should've pushed harder two years ago, but maybe a quote for repairs from an independent garage and a stern letter would be my next step but dont think you will get much joy with an 11 year old car , they couldn't care less with mine and it was less than 5 years old and I had given them £40k for it
Usual warranty re corrosion is perforation of a panel - i.e. it has rotted through from the other side of the metal & you now have a hole in the panel.
That this is Mercede's interpretation is borne out by this in your OP:
Any amount on this issue with MB on the web & this is a thread from PH from 7 years ago!: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=937...
That this is Mercede's interpretation is borne out by this in your OP:
Norfolkandchance said:
I believe should be covered by the 30 year warranty which states that "In the unlikely event of the bodywork or underbody rusting through from the inside"
If it's just spreading from damage on the same side of the metal - bottoms of doors esp on low cars are frequently scraped on high kerbs etc, done it myself & see it as a SMART repairer, or spreading from stone chip damage & I see a lot of that too - then that isn't perforation & wouldn't be covered by the warranty.Any amount on this issue with MB on the web & this is a thread from PH from 7 years ago!: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=937...
Edited by paintman on Wednesday 11th January 14:58
paintman said:
Usual warranty re corrosion is perforation of a panel - i.e. it has rotted through from the other side of the metal & you now have a hole in the panel.
If it's just spreading from damage on the same side of the metal - bottoms of doors esp on low cars are frequently scraped on high kerbs etc, done it myself & see it as a SMART repairer, or spreading from stone chip damage & I see a lot of that too - then that isn't perforation & wouldn't be covered by the warranty.
Any amount on this issue with MB on the web & this is a thread from PH from 7 years ago!: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=937...
Thanks, I had done a search. I was asking specific questions about evidence and arguing cases for the second time which is why I bought it back up. If it's just spreading from damage on the same side of the metal - bottoms of doors esp on low cars are frequently scraped on high kerbs etc, done it myself & see it as a SMART repairer, or spreading from stone chip damage & I see a lot of that too - then that isn't perforation & wouldn't be covered by the warranty.
Any amount on this issue with MB on the web & this is a thread from PH from 7 years ago!: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=937...
Edited by paintman on Wednesday 11th January 14:34
In my case, the corrosion is visible from the outside of the car but clearly has its origins on the inside of the car. It is not from damage to the paint from scrapes or stone chips - it starts about 8mm above the bottom of the door and runs the whole length of the door, though it is only coming through in patches. I suspect it is from water running down the inside of the panel, having got past the seal at the bottom of the window, and collecting at the bottom.
^^^^ Good idea.
Normal for water to get into a door with opening windows as it will pass the seal, esp at the ends. The water that gets into the door drips off the bottom of the window, ending up in the bottom where it exits via the drainage holes.
It's stopped from getting into the car itself by the weather sheet (big sheet of plastic) or shaped covers which cover the holes in the door frame. If this protection is missing or damaged then water gets into the car, causing wet carpets & much puzzling as to where it's coming from. The sheets on the front doors of my RRC were missing altogether & I could have kept fish in the front footwells after heavy rain
Are there any rust holes on the door, inside or out or is it spreading from a common point such as the joint of the inner & outer skins?
If corrosion is bubbling & paint surface is not intact it might be quite difficult to prove that it hasn't originated from chips. I don't know what value there might be in having the car assessed, although I'm not sure who would be the best for that purpose in the event it has to go to small claims.
Normal for water to get into a door with opening windows as it will pass the seal, esp at the ends. The water that gets into the door drips off the bottom of the window, ending up in the bottom where it exits via the drainage holes.
It's stopped from getting into the car itself by the weather sheet (big sheet of plastic) or shaped covers which cover the holes in the door frame. If this protection is missing or damaged then water gets into the car, causing wet carpets & much puzzling as to where it's coming from. The sheets on the front doors of my RRC were missing altogether & I could have kept fish in the front footwells after heavy rain
Are there any rust holes on the door, inside or out or is it spreading from a common point such as the joint of the inner & outer skins?
If corrosion is bubbling & paint surface is not intact it might be quite difficult to prove that it hasn't originated from chips. I don't know what value there might be in having the car assessed, although I'm not sure who would be the best for that purpose in the event it has to go to small claims.
Thanks for the replies.
The rust is on the inside of the doors where the outer door skin joins the inner structure, having folded round the bottom of the door. Only a few sports have come through to the outside on each door. The whole length of each of the 4 doors is effected. There is no other rust on the car that I know of, certainly not on the outer skin. It is, in my opinion, too consistent a pattern to have been caused by damage. You would have to damage the bottom of the door, from the inside, on all 4 doors without causing any damage anywhere else.
The rust is on the inside of the doors where the outer door skin joins the inner structure, having folded round the bottom of the door. Only a few sports have come through to the outside on each door. The whole length of each of the 4 doors is effected. There is no other rust on the car that I know of, certainly not on the outer skin. It is, in my opinion, too consistent a pattern to have been caused by damage. You would have to damage the bottom of the door, from the inside, on all 4 doors without causing any damage anywhere else.
Does your car have a full Mercedes Mercedes service history?
I have always found Robinsons (BSE) to be very good re any warranty claims, but these have to be approved by Mercedes. If there is a gap in the SH, ie not all Mercedes for example, or missing or late services, Mercedes might try to wriggle out of it.
It would be worth speaking to their service Manager if you already haven't, sometimes the guys on the service desk need a bit of pushing.
I have always found Robinsons (BSE) to be very good re any warranty claims, but these have to be approved by Mercedes. If there is a gap in the SH, ie not all Mercedes for example, or missing or late services, Mercedes might try to wriggle out of it.
It would be worth speaking to their service Manager if you already haven't, sometimes the guys on the service desk need a bit of pushing.
Monkeylegend said:
Does your car have a full Mercedes Mercedes service history?
I have always found Robinsons (BSE) to be very good re any warranty claims, but these have to be approved by Mercedes. If there is a gap in the SH, ie not all Mercedes for example, or missing or late services, Mercedes might try to wriggle out of it.
It would be worth speaking to their service Manager if you already haven't, sometimes the guys on the service desk need a bit of pushing.
It doesn't have FMSH. It has some. But the warranty in the service book doesn't mention the need for it. I'm not asking for good will, I don't think, I'm asking them to honour the statement. I have always found Robinsons (BSE) to be very good re any warranty claims, but these have to be approved by Mercedes. If there is a gap in the SH, ie not all Mercedes for example, or missing or late services, Mercedes might try to wriggle out of it.
It would be worth speaking to their service Manager if you already haven't, sometimes the guys on the service desk need a bit of pushing.
Norfolkandchance said:
It doesn't have FMSH. It has some. But the warranty in the service book doesn't mention the need for it. I'm not asking for good will, I don't think, I'm asking them to honour the statement.
Is there not some overall statement that the Mobilo / MobiloLife warranty is only valid with full service history?MB have made a real hash of Mobilo - I think there are four schemes, and some of them can be reinstated by having a dealer service and some can't. Its coverage is often a lot narrower than owners think it is - once the car is a few years old then with most of the schemes it only covers breakdowns.
I think this is why a lot of claims were dealt with under goodwill, but IIRC they'll only go back 8yrs.
Give it up and move on. Mercedes have fought 1000's of people who wanted their 30 "warranty" honoured since the rust crisis of the early noughties, they are very adept in wriggling out of the claim and have much deeper pockets than you, there is no way they will allow a precedence to be set by repairing your car.
Do what we've all done, get rid and never buy another Mercedes - my 25 year old Alfa has no rust at all!
Do what we've all done, get rid and never buy another Mercedes - my 25 year old Alfa has no rust at all!
Norfolkandchance said:
Monkeylegend said:
Does your car have a full Mercedes Mercedes service history?
I have always found Robinsons (BSE) to be very good re any warranty claims, but these have to be approved by Mercedes. If there is a gap in the SH, ie not all Mercedes for example, or missing or late services, Mercedes might try to wriggle out of it.
It would be worth speaking to their service Manager if you already haven't, sometimes the guys on the service desk need a bit of pushing.
It doesn't have FMSH. It has some. But the warranty in the service book doesn't mention the need for it. I'm not asking for good will, I don't think, I'm asking them to honour the statement. I have always found Robinsons (BSE) to be very good re any warranty claims, but these have to be approved by Mercedes. If there is a gap in the SH, ie not all Mercedes for example, or missing or late services, Mercedes might try to wriggle out of it.
It would be worth speaking to their service Manager if you already haven't, sometimes the guys on the service desk need a bit of pushing.
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