Mercedes is a Fraud....Do not buy

[pandaharo]

Mercedes sucks!

My 1997 E320 have cost me over 20k in repairs (exclude maintnance) to keep it running, I finally got rid of that piece of junk.

Their service is horrible too, broke my rear view mirror and wouldn't admit to it, had to call headquarter and threaten to sue before they fixed it for me (750 bucks). This was at Mercedes Boundary road in Vancouver. I highly suggest that (if you're unfortunate enough to own a Mercedes now) to go to a private garage for maintnance, I was reviewing my maintnance record and found that....
$4500 transmission failure occured 1 month after transmission fluid replacement
$4000 A/C compressor broke almost right after coolent replacement!!

Mercedes is a fraud....stay away.....if you have money to burn, just burn it!

[McLaren]

Well usually the people that can afford meredes can also afford the maintenance on them as well. It's not like you got a cavalier there or something that you can take to your local GM goodwrench crappytire garage.

It comes with the territory, sorta like how SUV drivers don't complain about gas prices.

[stealth]

I dont think anyone deserves to be ripped off just because they could afford a more expensive car.
Sorry to hear.
All I can say is even the best manufacturers put out lemons.
MB is actually in trouble as one of the least profitable divisions of Daimler Chrysler. they got a new boss from Chrysler whos supposed to fix things up.
I think they are experiencing what Cadillac did in the 70's, where they just havent done much in terms of improving and staying ahead of the pack, and everyone else is catching up, and able to do so more affordably.
Look for more innovations, and probably for them to move manufacturing to somewhere like mexico instead of expensive germany.

[Evil Techie]

my dad's 94 E320 is in very top shape even though is mileage on it is probably astronomical

he drives it in taipei taiwan
sends the car to private garage when it needs something to be repaired
and usually much cheaper than benz factory jobs...

IMO, mercedes is still doing great
their new E series is beautiful
i would buy that over BMW 5 series

btw my dad just got a new S500 in LA
and hes loving it

[gilboman]

my dad's 94 E320 is in very top shape even though is mileage on it is probably astronomical

he drives it in taipei taiwan
sends the car to private garage when it needs something to be repaired
and usually much cheaper than benz factory jobs...

IMO, mercedes is still doing great
their new E series is beautiful
i would buy that over BMW 5 series

btw my dad just got a new S500 in LA
and hes loving it

MB is junk in reliability according to all published sources. carwise, compared to a BMW, MB is overweight and very unfulfilling to drive. I know someone's family who drove had 2 E320's, ML320, SLK320, SLK350 and all have had extensive problems that could not be fixed. the E320's (2000+) all went back to dealer atleast monthly, ML320 was a nightmare, SLK320 had electrical problems every few months and the SLK350 has been on the road for 3months but in shop for 3 weeks already. needless to say, no more MB's.

MB's are status symbols to most asians who could not tell the difference between driving dynamics of a civic with a 911. They just care about the badge eventhough the car is junk compared to its competitors in reliabilty and design. MB has been in the crapper for a long time and while in Munich they crank out highly engineereed precision automobiles, MB puts out big hp cars that have a chasis that cant handle it.

[akide]

mercedes does suck,
i was driving a 2004 CLK320 convertible and was filling up gasoline and after paying for the gas, i tried unlocking the doors to get in and i couldn't get in, thank god I had the top down and was able to open the door, but then I tried starting the car and nothing happened.

Turns out the wiring around the battery got deattached and the whole car was basically useless since the mercedes depends on the battery to perform basically everything.

Had to call mercedes road side assistance and they towed my vehicle to the dealership. what a waste of my time.

[Neb]

MB is junk in reliability according to all published sources. carwise, compared to a BMW, MB is overweight and very unfulfilling to drive. I know someone's family who drove had 2 E320's, ML320, SLK320, SLK350 and all have had extensive problems that could not be fixed. the E320's (2000+) all went back to dealer atleast monthly, ML320 was a nightmare, SLK320 had electrical problems every few months and the SLK350 has been on the road for 3months but in shop for 3 weeks already. needless to say, no more MB's.

MB's are status symbols to most asians who could not tell the difference between driving dynamics of a civic with a 911. They just care about the badge eventhough the car is junk compared to its competitors in reliabilty and design. MB has been in the crapper for a long time and while in Munich they crank out highly engineereed precision automobiles, MB puts out big hp cars that have a chasis that cant handle it.

I think the statement above is kinda stereotyping Asians. I am sure not only Asians drive MB. Just because they can afford them, alot buy BMW, Lexus, Audi etc. And are you saying ASIANS can't drive or tell the difference between a Civic and 911? too bad you will never be able to afford a 911 so you woudln't know either.

[Jovi]

Mercedes Benz scored 3rd last ahead of only Jaguar and land Rover in CR's 2005 New Car Reliability.

In other words MB is crap.

[Focus]

Buddy have a C230 kopresseor(sp?) and pay $1200 for the first maintainance at 12000km. That is a rip off.

[SoNgMaN]

Mercedes Benz scored 3rd last ahead of only Jaguar and land Rover in CR's 2005 New Car Reliability.

In other words MB is crap.

maybe you should try driving one of these vehicles you continually trash based on CR's reliability reports, rather then just reading a magizine on the 401 in your ford pinto.

[x-batman]

maybe you should try driving one of these vehicles you continually trash based on CR's reliability reports, rather then just reading a magizine on the 401 in your ford pinto.


Hehe, very descriptive :D

[Neb]

Again, like mclaren has said earlier. German cars are more expensive to maintain. That's the reality, don't buy it if u are not prepared to pay for expensive maintenance.

Buddy have a C230 kopresseor(sp?) and pay $1200 for the first maintainance at 12000km. That is a rip off.

[gilboman]

I think the statement above is kinda stereotyping Asians. I am sure not only Asians drive MB. Just because they can afford them, alot buy BMW, Lexus, Audi etc. And are you saying ASIANS can't drive or tell the difference between a Civic and 911? too bad you will never be able to afford a 911 so you woudln't know either.

its stereotyping asians who drive MB. Yes i may never afford a 911 but i can even feel the difference between a SLK350 which is heavy and disconnected and quite unfulfilling to drive compared to even a RX-8 which is the exact opposite.

[gilboman]

Again, like mclaren has said earlier. German cars are more expensive to maintain. That's the reality, don't buy it if u are not prepared to pay for expensive maintenance.

MB is not worth it..the car drives like crap, has poor quality yet you are paying extra for car and maintance and for what? certainly not its always fail engineering or disconnected driving experience.. just the badge and nothing more. atleast with a BMW you are paying for a superior chasis and driving enjoyment.

a MB is paying a 20k+ preimum on an accord but one that breaks down 5x as often but costs 5x more to maintain but is worse than an accord.

when you buy a MB, you only pay for the Badge b/c everycar in the class it competes in is better than it (maybe not worse than Jag though)

[gilboman]

maybe you should try driving one of these vehicles you continually trash based on CR's reliability reports, rather then just reading a magizine on the 401 in your ford pinto.

its not much enjoyment when the whole dash on the SLK350 is dead even the horn with the seat squeaking madly. Or how about the E320 with the steering wheel vibration that 10trips to the dealer couldnt fix?

there is no driving enjoyment at all in a MB

[Neb]

Some ppl buy MB becuase of the luxury and features of the car. Not just how it feels when driven. The material used, the fit and finish is not comparable to an Accord. Yes, they may break down more than an accord, most likely due to the over engineering in German cars. But, you are paying because it is made in germany (higher wages), more expensive material used, more R&D. They might not drive like a sports car, but they've improved significantly over the past 10 yrs. I've driven my GF's C220 from 96, then a SLK350, there are definite improvements. And sorry to hear that your SLK350 is having so many prob.


MB is not worth it..the car drives like crap, has poor quality yet you are paying extra for car and maintance and for what? certainly not its always fail engineering or disconnected driving experience.. just the badge and nothing more. atleast with a BMW you are paying for a superior chasis and driving enjoyment.

a MB is paying a 20k+ preimum on an accord but one that breaks down 5x as often but costs 5x more to maintain but is worse than an accord.

when you buy a MB, you only pay for the Badge b/c everycar in the class it competes in is better than it (maybe not worse than Jag though)

[Jovi]

maybe you should try driving one of these vehicles you continually trash based on CR's reliability reports, rather then just reading a magizine on the 401 in your ford pinto.

Here we go again....lol

Go play in traffic.

[PrinceMS]

MB is not what it used to be. Its a status symbol for a reason. If you look at diplomatic / official cars (in most asian countries) it used to be ALWAYS benz (same thing in middle east). Their reliability, performance, stability and ride (comfort oriented not sports) was legendary. Lately (maybe because of over engneering) and to make more profit - quality has gone down with new stuff.

Regardless, according to C&D MB offers better car ride than all competition (including BMW)

[gilboman]

Some ppl buy MB becuase of the luxury and features of the car. Not just how it feels when driven. The material used, the fit and finish is not comparable to an Accord. Yes, they may break down more than an accord, most likely due to the over engineering in German cars. But, you are paying because it is made in germany (higher wages), more expensive material used, more R&D. They might not drive like a sports car, but they've improved significantly over the past 10 yrs. I've driven my GF's C220 from 96, then a SLK350, there are definite improvements. And sorry to hear that your SLK350 is having so many prob.

yup, if you dont really care about the driving experience or reliabilty, MB's are decent in the fit and finish and quality of material used. But ya they have come a long way, the first C class were jokes but now are decent cars. but if driving is not important.. a lexus is miles ahead in quality of materials and service recieved.. its also cheaper too.

[Focus]

Again, like mclaren has said earlier. German cars are more expensive to maintain. That's the reality, don't buy it if u are not prepared to pay for expensive maintenance.

Sorry dude, I drive a 1998 BMW 328is and I have never see a maintainance bill for that high, not even 1/2 that. I if I am not mistake, all BMW made in German. And what is the logic of all 4 brake pad need to replace after 12000 km?

PS His car never been to track.

[trini]

When will you people get it.
If you cant buy an S class or something else from Mercedes before 1980 do not invest.
It's not worth it.Especially an E class they really came out for taxi companies.
Please invest in an Echo from now on.
This is all cumming from a Mercedes owner/collector and die hard.

[Invalid]

Well after reading all the posts ,i'll like to add that there is no other car that I enjoy driving other then my S500, for the past 24 years, i've owned from c220 ,240D, 300D. 300E, 380se, 560sl, 560sel...nothing feels like a Benz.Great road adhesion and predictability.Got to drive it to experience!

[Neb]

I had a 1995 BMW 325i also, and bills that high are often, there are many little electrical prob. and ECU problems. Costing 1500-2000.

Wel.. what can i sya.. there can still be lemons even though ti's made in germany : 0 and you got a good one i guess.


Sorry dude, I drive a 1998 BMW 328is and I have never see a maintainance bill for that high, not even 1/2 that. I if I am not mistake, all BMW made in German. And what is the logic of all 4 brake pad need to replace after 12000 km?

PS His car never been to track.

[ji2o0k]

well I haven't had the pleasure of driving a Mercedes, only sitting in my uncle's ML430. I have heard him complain about the car and little hitches that come about that need fixing pretty often.

After recently attending the International Autoshow and sitting in some new MB cars (like the E series and C series), I was really surprised by some of the materials used in it. The dials on the dash seemed cheap and plasticky and some parts of the interior were kind of cheap quality.

Just my two cents.

[pandaharo]

Well after reading all the posts ,i'll like to add that there is no other car that I enjoy driving other then my S500, for the past 24 years, i've owned from c220 ,240D, 300D. 300E, 380se, 560sl, 560sel...nothing feels like a Benz.Great road adhesion and predictability.Got to drive it to experience!

You are a lucky guy. But here is a few reasons why your cars might have not had problems.

1) Many are top of the line MB.
2) If you mean Diesel by the D, well diesel cars are more reliable anyways.
3) Many of the models are quite old, Mercedes WAS good back then.
4) I don't think Mercedes road handling can even compare to its competitors. I think road adhesion is just from the weight of the car. I had BMW 5-series and currently a IS300 and a Audi A4. All of their handling are off the charts when compared to Mercedes. I can say truthfully from the bottom of my heart that my RX330 handles WAY BETTER than the E320 and has better road adhesion.

Please understand that not ALL cars made by Mercedes is crap, its just that there is a HIGHER chance of getting a lemon then say from Toyota. Toyota rocks! :lol:

[iamthehub]

Mercedes Benz scored 3rd last ahead of only Jaguar and land Rover in CR's 2005 New Car Reliability.

In other words MB is crap.


I must agree that MB has problems, but here's my 2 cents.

1. A MB has way more electronics/computers than in a Toyota, so there is a greater chance of something breaking.

2. I own a MB, and I paid 3 times the price of my previous car. Therefore, I EXPECT 3 times the car. I don't want to sound cocky, but I don't think it's unreasonable. (A similar analogy would be in sports - last year Carlos Delgado made 5 times what Chris Woodward made, and therefore you EXPECT Delgado to deliver 5x more than Woodward) - bad analogy, but you get the picture.

For example, I will not accept the fact that my climate control has a problem. I'll take it back, and make them fix it. When I had a Civic years ago, I had AC problems, but no money to fix it, so I just lived with it. So theoretically, this problem doesn't get scored in CR's Reliability reports. So, if these CR Reliability reports show MB as the 3rd worst car, it is kind of 'skewed'. The MB owner EXPECTS/DEMANDS little problems to be fixed, whereas a Honda Civic owner will overlook these problems because they cannot be bothered to take time off work to take it to the dealer... I've been on both sides.

To that end, my next car will probably NOT be a MB. I'm not to impressed with the new styling of the cars. BMW's look cool, but I'll be honest, my Toyota is the workhorse in the family.

And a funny thing - with all these car-jackings, car-thefts etc..., it's sometimes better to just have a car that nobody wants (ie. 1983 SAAB 900) :D

[gilboman]

I must agree that MB has problems, but here's my 2 cents.

1. A MB has way more electronics/computers than in a Toyota, so there is a greater chance of something breaking.

2. I own a MB, and I paid 3 times the price of my previous car. Therefore, I EXPECT 3 times the car. I don't want to sound cocky, but I don't think it's unreasonable. (A similar analogy would be in sports - last year Carlos Delgado made 5 times what Chris Woodward made, and therefore you EXPECT Delgado to deliver 5x more than Woodward) - bad analogy, but you get the picture.

For example, I will not accept the fact that my climate control has a problem. I'll take it back, and make them fix it. When I had a Civic years ago, I had AC problems, but no money to fix it, so I just lived with it. So theoretically, this problem doesn't get scored in CR's Reliability reports. So, if these CR Reliability reports show MB as the 3rd worst car, it is kind of 'skewed'. The MB owner EXPECTS/DEMANDS little problems to be fixed, whereas a Honda Civic owner will overlook these problems because they cannot be bothered to take time off work to take it to the dealer... I've been on both sides.

To that end, my next car will probably NOT be a MB. I'm not to impressed with the new styling of the cars. BMW's look cool, but I'll be honest, my Toyota is the workhorse in the family.

And a funny thing - with all these car-jackings, car-thefts etc..., it's sometimes better to just have a car that nobody wants (ie. 1983 SAAB 900) :D

thats why you get a lexus.. technology that is integrated and works well witht he car not the MB method of throwing all crap in the car w/o regard to ergonomics or ease of use, or if it works at all.

Lexus focuses on service and quality of the car, MB is trying to con you to pay a large preimum for inferior car just b/c it has a badge that meant a good car a couple decades ago.

and a low end MB (E-class or below) won't have much more electronics than a mid-high range toyota or lexus. if you include the new toyota hybrid's of c ourse, the MB will be like comparing a tricycle to a car in terms of technology

[pandaharo]

thats why you get a lexus.. technology that is integrated and works well witht he car not the MB method of throwing all crap in the car w/o regard to ergonomics or ease of use, or if it works at all.

Lexus focuses on service and quality of the car, MB is trying to con you to pay a large preimum for inferior car just b/c it has a badge that meant a good car a couple decades ago.

and a low end MB (E-class or below) won't have much more electronics than a mid-high range toyota or lexus. if you include the new toyota hybrid's of c ourse, the MB will be like comparing a tricycle to a car in terms of technology

Agreed, MB just has problems. I see more and more of my friends trading in their MB for other cars than the other way around nowadays. Good to mention one of my friend's ML320 timing belt failed at 37000km, it was under warranty but man that sucks (she got rid of that car right away).

[weedb0y]

My dad's 300E ran with literally no Transmission fluid for couple of months until one day it wouldnt budge..Then he looked and it was empty! 1989 300E..Solid machine..

[radeonboy]

It's a given. It's not wise to buy American, German, European cars when they are older. Costs to much to maintain as they fall apart quickly. Case in point: Uncles old 80's BMW. Damn he had to spend so much money on the junk to fix it so he could drive it. The engine sounded like ass...etc.

No car has the reliability such as the Japanese cars do. Specifically Honda and Toyota.

[kornstar369]

i am so shocked to hear such bad reviews on benzo.
i would have never thought.why? of course cause you're paying an arm and a leg for their autos...and apparently their crappy service

[Kai Viti]

Well after reading all the posts ,i'll like to add that there is no other car that I enjoy driving other then my S500, for the past 24 years, i've owned from c220 ,240D, 300D. 300E, 380se, 560sl, 560sel...nothing feels like a Benz.Great road adhesion and predictability.Got to drive it to experience!
I'm impressed, and you're just turning 16 next week? I'm really impressed. I feel so imadequate with my Maytag, er, I meant Maybach ...from Dinky Toys. :evil:

[Kai Viti]

thats why you get a lexus.. technology that is integrated and works well witht he car not the MB method of throwing all crap in the car w/o regard to ergonomics or ease of use, or if it works at all.

Lexus focuses on service and quality of the car, MB is trying to con you to pay a large preimum for inferior car just b/c it has a badge that meant a good car a couple decades ago.

and a low end MB (E-class or below) won't have much more electronics than a mid-high range toyota or lexus. if you include the new toyota hybrid's of c ourse, the MB will be like comparing a tricycle to a car in terms of technology
You're fulll of it. You can fool some of the people some of the time...if MB is that bad, it wouldn't exist anymore. If MB is crap, maybe Mr Toyota should stop copying & emulating Mercedes from late 80's, especially their design. Maybe it's time that Toyota upgraded their design on their so-called flagship car.
Nothing beats my Lada, except maybe the original Fiat124. :evil:

[kornstar369]

lol
omg lada....my pops used to drive one....

[careener]

I thought I'd throw this info about MB into this thread.

From DetNews auto insider..
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0502/14/autos-87402.htm

"..In an e-mail to employees obtained Friday by The Associated Press, Mercedes Chief Executive Eckhard Cordes said that increasing competition in the premium car sector has resulted in "enormous price pressure."

"Because of higher raw material prices and worse foreign-exchange assumptions, these difficult market conditions will further intensify and burden our business in the current year much more severely than previously," Cordes said.

On Thursday, DaimlerChrysler said its fourth-quarter net profit fell 63 percent to 526 million euros ($712 million) from 1.4 billion euros a year ago as Mercedes, once its star division, struggled with quality problems and the dollar's weakness against the euro, which hurt its results in the key U.S. market.

While once-troubled U.S. unit Chrysler more than doubled its fourth-quarter operating earnings to 386 million euros ($523 million) from 143 million euros a year ago, earnings at Mercedes nearly evaporated -- falling to just 20 million euros ($27 million) from 784 million euros...
Details were lacking, but the plan also was to include measures to fix problems at ultra-compact maker Smart, which is part of Mercedes. Smart has been losing money, though the company hasn't said how much. "

[kornstar369]

if theyre making that much profit, they should sell these cars at 10K each

[gilboman]

You're fulll of it. You can fool some of the people some of the time...if MB is that bad, it wouldn't exist anymore. If MB is crap, maybe Mr Toyota should stop copying & emulating Mercedes from late 80's, especially their design. Maybe it's time that Toyota upgraded their design on their so-called flagship car.
Nothing beats my Lada, except maybe the original Fiat124. :evil:

hm..Lexus is the #1 luxury car sales leader in the states. the LS430 trounces the S class in all comparison tests.. Lexus used to emulate MB but a much better version of it. MB is like the beta tester while Lexus is the final release MB exists b/c there are people who dont care about reliability/value/performance/quality and just the badge. and then there are the just cluesless people

that's why suzuki, mitsubishi, VW are still around just like MB

MB is lagging and for past couple years have seen it fall behind more and more from leader lexus and BMW. and losing ground to newcomers Acura and Infiniti at the low end and BMW and Lexus all through the model range. MB is crap period. that includes their AMG cars as well.. yes great HP but **** chassis.

[frogger]

Lexus is a good bet for a nice and reliable but usually boring compared to most of the competition. If I was in the market for a luxury sport sedan, I'd probably risk an S8 or Quattroporte, and at the lower end an Infiniti M45. If I have a problem, they can pick the car up from my house while dropping off the loaner.

[gilboman]

Lexus is a good bet for a nice and reliable but usually boring compared to most of the competition. If I was in the market for a luxury sport sedan, I'd probably risk an S8 or Quattroporte, and at the lower end an Infiniti M45. If I have a problem, they can pick the car up from my house while dropping off the loaner.

yup... thats why MB is getting killed. their cars are not sportsedan or rewarding to drive compared to a BMw. but their service/reliability/quality/price sucks compared to a lexus. they got serious issues to address and they most certainly have not even begun to address them.

I see MB will get squeezed even more as the new Lexus GS and IS hits the showrooms as well as Infiniti and Acura going for a major push as well. and what does MB counter with? smart car and B-class :lol:

[Kai Viti]

Lexus is a good bet for a nice and reliable but usually boring compared to most of the competition. If I was in the market for a luxury sport sedan, I'd probably risk an S8 or Quattroporte, and at the lower end an Infiniti M45. If I have a problem, they can pick the car up from my house while dropping off the loaner.
The new M45 is nice & quite a radical change to the previous model. They have an AWD version also.
I personally like the new BMW 530xi. Don't know why all these manufacturers don't have AWD on their more powerful engines.

[kornstar369]

i dont know about you guys but ive thought a mb as more classier than a lexus....

[gilboman]

i dont know about you guys but ive thought a mb as more classier than a lexus....

not when you look inside and feel the materials and realize while MB is a jumble of buttons, the lexus keeps it simple and intuitive and the way you get treated from the dealer is way way better at lexus than MB.

[elty]

not when you look inside and feel the materials and realize while MB is a jumble of buttons, the lexus keeps it simple and intuitive and the way you get treated from the dealer is way way better at lexus than MB.

but I think in a lot of ppl mind, Benz is THE luxury car while everything else is just a copy cat.

[weedb0y]

word..Benz is the main one. Everyone knows that. Its all about the name and style. Practicality doesn't go with that otherwise we would all love our reliable econoboxes!

I got the money and I have a car that shows it! Thats mainly the mentality!

[nerdonsite]

Agreed. MB sucks. my friend owns an ml320 and a c320 4-matic. the ML is such a piece of junk. there are way too many squeaks and rattles and its not even 3 years old. Ive also been in his c320 and the interior feels and looks cheap. I would say that a camry contains higher quality materials than that car. Most people do buy these cars for the name because no one in their right mind would buy them for their quality. I would rather go with a lexus or a bmw. I would even buy a Cadillac (STS is an awesome car btw, my dad used to have one) over a Benz.

[kornstar369]

i think we should all just drive goolies or k-cars

[turanuk]

BMW is the way to go ;).

Man I wish I could afford one of the new 3's....even though I think the old ones looked better.

[trini]

Haha Bavarian Market Wagon!
Just as bad even worse.
Stick to an echo.

[gilboman]

but I think in a lot of ppl mind, Benz is THE luxury car while everything else is just a copy cat.

which is why MB is able to sell inferior products at an inflated price. MB is the <a href=../autolink/redirectpage.php?linkid=64 target=_blank>Bose</a> of the automotive world and that is giving them too much credit already b/c <a href=../autolink/redirectpage.php?linkid=64 target=_blank>Bose</a> sound quality is average while MB cars are below average.

[mlc2000]

Do people still *BUY* MB? I thought everyone just lease, then turn the car and all its expensive problems over to those really can't afford them, people who buy used.

[NLI10D]

i'm impressed with bmw's service. whenever i drop of one of our cars (domestic) i always have to go take the bus somewhere. who wants to wait for an hour or two in the dealership. but when i drop off our bmw for a service, i get a drop off and pick up anywhere i want. its one of the perks but it comes at a very hefty price. not happy with the "change oil" light being reset only by bmw dealers, anyone know how to do this so i could bring the car to a regular mech?

[gilboman]

i'm impressed with bmw's service. whenever i drop of one of our cars (domestic) i always have to go take the bus somewhere. who wants to wait for an hour or two in the dealership. but when i drop off our bmw for a service, i get a drop off and pick up anywhere i want. its one of the perks but it comes at a very hefty price. not happy with the "change oil" light being reset only by bmw dealers, anyone know how to do this so i could bring the car to a regular mech?

you are getting shafted, you should get a loaner everytime.

but you really cant compare a domestic to a luxury brand like BMW since your service costs more as well as your car than the domestic. More fair comparison would be to other luxury brands

[iamthehub]

you are getting shafted, you should get a loaner everytime.



No they don't give loaners to everyone. Only their 'best' clients. I get one sometimes, but that's because we've had 4 of 'em (and probably given them enough money to buy a 5th one). I know the Downtown MB (DVP/Dundas) has around 10 loaners. I book my appointments a few weeks in advance just so I can get one.

[gilboman]

No they don't give loaners to everyone. Only their 'best' clients. I get one sometimes, but that's because we've had 4 of 'em (and probably given them enough money to buy a 5th one). I know the Downtown MB (DVP/Dundas) has around 10 loaners. I book my appointments a few weeks in advance just so I can get one.

that sucks real bad..either that or they are playing you. if they dont have loaners, they should rent you a car.

[kornstar369]

that sucks real bad..either that or they are playing you. if they dont have loaners, they should rent you a car.


theyre there to make money, not loose money....thats prob why they didnt do that, they give.

[demha88]

i heard the m-class was the worst

[iamthehub]

that sucks real bad..either that or they are playing you. if they dont have loaners, they should rent you a car.

I somewhat agree with you, in that when you spend that kind of money, you'd expect to have a loaner. However, look at it from the dealer perspective, how many loaners would they need? They use MB as loaners, and they have all the classes: C, E, ML, CLK. The average price of the loaners would probably be mid $40K's to low $50's (just guessing coz the C-Classic starts around $38K, and the E class I had as a loaner is about ~$60K). They have more C's than the other cars. They obviously wouldn't buy a bunch of Toyota Echos for loaners, so their cost to provide their service would be in the range of $400-500K. Sure they write off that, but this is $$ that won't generate cashflow for them. It's just a nice perk for their preferred clients. Now if they had a fleet of Smart Cars for loaners, that would be very cool.

[iamthehub]

i heard the m-class was the worst

The earlier models (Pre-2002) were crap. They're built in Alabama, and the quality was probably on par with a GMC Jimmy.

[iamthehub]

i think we should all just drive goolies or k-cars

goolies???

[gilboman]

I somewhat agree with you, in that when you spend that kind of money, you'd expect to have a loaner. However, look at it from the dealer perspective, how many loaners would they need? They use MB as loaners, and they have all the classes: C, E, ML, CLK. The average price of the loaners would probably be mid $40K's to low $50's (just guessing coz the C-Classic starts around $38K, and the E class I had as a loaner is about ~$60K). They have more C's than the other cars. They obviously wouldn't buy a bunch of Toyota Echos for loaners, so their cost to provide their service would be in the range of $400-500K. Sure they write off that, but this is $$ that won't generate cashflow for them. It's just a nice perk for their preferred clients. Now if they had a fleet of Smart Cars for loaners, that would be very cool.

MB usually use C class as loaners either the C230sedan or C230 hatchback coupe. If MB and Lexus (ones i have first hand experience with) can give their customers loaners/rentals for service i dont see why cant your dealership as well. I dont want to wait around a hour for my car nor deal with hassle of getting them to drop me off and pick me up. With lexus i usually just drop off the car the nite b4, get the loaner and return it when my car is ready the next day. or if i'm real lazy i ask them to drive the loaner to my house and for them to take my car away.

[iamthehub]

MB usually use C class as loaners either the C230sedan or C230 hatchback coupe. If MB and Lexus (ones i have first hand experience with) can give their customers loaners/rentals for service i dont see why cant your dealership as well. I dont want to wait around a hour for my car nor deal with hassle of getting them to drop me off and pick me up. With lexus i usually just drop off the car the nite b4, get the loaner and return it when my car is ready the next day. or if i'm real lazy i ask them to drive the loaner to my house and for them to take my car away.

Actually I've personally had an E320, as well as an ML320 as a loaner (as well as a handful of C230's -hatchback, and C320's Sedan/wagon).

I don't think they'd come to my house (I live in Oakville, I take the car to Downtown MB).

[pandaharo]

MB in Vancouver doesnt give you a loaner after warranty (you have to pay for it if you want one) and they never drop the loaner at your house. Lexus and BMW in Vancouver brings loaner to your door. I've never been to Lexus or BMW dealer except when I bought the cars, in fact, their agent came to my house with the car for me to test drive. Audi gives you a free loaner but also don't come to your door.

[Neb]

Most dealerships dont' give loaners unless the vehicle has to stay in overnight. If it's just an oilchange they all have shuttel service, heck even my Mazda dealer does it.

And when u do get a loaner, whenever we bring our BMW in, it's a rented vehicle from Enterprise, not even a 3 series.

[blizzah]

Just because people can't afford something, or they are jealous of something, they all tend to bash it. That's why sports players, expensive cars, and rich businessman are always hated. A MB interior similar to a Camry? You gotta be kidding me.

If MB was a worse car than Toyotas and Hondas, then MB would not be able to sell any cars. Of course your paying a premium on a BMW, MB or Audi for having the logo on your car, but some people have the money to buy that logo and decide to.

[gilboman]

Just because people can't afford something, or they are jealous of something, they all tend to bash it. That's why sports players, expensive cars, and rich businessman are always hated. A MB interior similar to a Camry? You gotta be kidding me.

If MB was a worse car than Toyotas and Hondas, then MB would not be able to sell any cars. Of course your paying a premium on a BMW, MB or Audi for having the logo on your car, but some people have the money to buy that logo and decide to.

a bose is your dream sound system then isnt it?

Have you seen a MB C class or previous SLK class interior? it is much worse than a camry/accord. Yes people can buy the logo if they choose to, but at the sametime know that you have a much inferior car in every aspect than a car that costs about half as much and you pay so much more for your car b/c of the badge. Dont go delude yourself into thinking the acutal car is better than those that costs half as much. But to a lot of people who dont care or dont know any better, they dont mind paying a 30% premium just for a MB badge when a much better car but with a different badge can be had for much less.

[pandaharo]

http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/08/pf/autos/cr_auto_reliability/

Lonely Soldier Boy posted this in another thread about how bad VW's are, scroll down and you can see VW's aren't too bad compared to Mercedes. LOL.

Least reliable sedans includes: MB S-CLASS, MB E-CLASS, MB C-CLASS. OMG ins't that their whole lineup of sedans?

MB steals the show with 3 of the top 6 least reliable sedans!

...their Engineers having too many beers on the job?

[B0000rt]

http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/08/pf/autos/cr_auto_reliability/

Lonely Soldier Boy posted this in another thread about how bad VW's are, scroll down and you can see VW's aren't too bad compared to Mercedes. LOL.

Least reliable sedans includes: MB S-CLASS, MB E-CLASS, MB C-CLASS. OMG ins't that their whole lineup of sedans?

MB steals the show with 3 of the top 6 least reliable sedans!

...their Engineers having too many beers on the job?

Woot, they only have the C-Class V6 in there, our C-Class is an i6 ('97 C280) :D

[Neb]

Woot, they only have the C-Class V6 in there, our C-Class is an i6 ('97 C280) :D

Isn't ur 97 C280 a V6? according to carpoint it is. Unless u have a C36

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Spec_Glance.aspx?modelid=1922&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=2&sub=0

[Evil Techie]

we all know that the ML320 sux
cause its made in the states

as for their sedan line up, are S really that bad?
im wondering how the 2005 S500 is

i know some E series from 2002+ are having their shares of the problems

but S is the flagship car and shouldnt be that unreliable

[gilboman]

Wow...I just realised that so many people hate MB.
Personally, I have a 03 E320 and a 97E230 back in Taiwan, never had any problems. Only went in for maintenance and the E320 went to get fixed once recently, but that's the result of car accident. I thought the service in Vancouver is quite nice as well. Got loaners even when it is not overnight (for maintenance). The loaners are always another MB which is nice (a 04 ML350 for me last time)
I guess I'm lucky then for having such little problems.

you are lucky..but MB service still sucks compared to Lexus... Lexus gives you loaners for everything as well, only they drive to your house at your conveinence , drop off loaner and take your car away. (i usually get it the nite before so i can use the loaner the next morning i go out). When we got the car, they came to our house to program the homelink sensor. burnt a bulb, they came to house to change it.

MB service while not bad is several notches below lexus. its like McDeal compared with Canoe with MB being McDeal :lol:

on a sidenote, friend with new SLK350, on the road for 3 months, been in the shop for past 3.5 weeks and counting :cry:

[kornstar369]

When we got the car, they came to our house to program the homelink sensor. burnt a bulb, they came to house to change it.


serious?
w0w...that is excellent service on their part...
that would make me wanna buy a lexus...just knowing that id be "taken care of"

[kornstar369]

Lexus has good service?
I was going to get a lexus until when I went to the dealer in Auto mall in richmond. The worst experience ever. That day I was wearing casual clothes, when I arrived in the dealer, no one cared and the sales jjust kept on chatting to themselves. Then around 5 mins after, some people well dressed went in there. And guess what, the sales instantly went over to them and started offering them help. But when I went to Mercedes right after, I was offered the same service as everyone else. That's why I refuse to buy Lexus from now on.

maybe they just saw someone "young"?

[kornstar369]

I actually went that time with my dad who is kind of old...so...umm...maybe it is only that dealership


could be that as well. us youngens always get the third degree and i hate it

[gilboman]

Lexus has good service?
I was going to get a lexus until when I went to the dealer in Auto mall in richmond. The worst experience ever. That day I was wearing casual clothes, when I arrived in the dealer, no one cared and the sales jjust kept on chatting to themselves. Then around 5 mins after, some people well dressed went in there. And guess what, the sales instantly went over to them and started offering them help. But when I went to Mercedes right after, I was offered the same service as everyone else. That's why I refuse to buy Lexus from now on.

sux2bu then.