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Mercedes-Benz • c230 • c240 • c320 • CL500 • CLK320 • CLK55 • G55 AMG • ML320 • S55 • SLK230 • Odds 'n ends --- News • Mercedes Hopes to Buff Its Image

For many, the Mercedes-Benz represents the height of automotive engineering, or something. For many others, it's a status symbol. The latter it most certainly is. The former some of our readers aren't so sure about.

One reason for the recent spate of complaints may have to do with the growing reliance on electronics in today's cars and porked-up SUVs. European cars have always been known for, shall we say, delicate electrical systems. Adding gadgets of the complexity now common in the Benz is a recipe for big trouble -- and very big repair bills.

Here are a few of the more recent complaints ...

Easter of Beverly Hills, CA November 16, 2009

My son installed the expensive tire rims onto the Mercedes Benz G500. He hit a pothole and unknown to him, it had dented the edge of the tire rims. While driving on the freeway at 65 miles, one of the tires let the air out because of the dent in the rim, and blew off. He, luckily, controlled the G500 from rolling over since it is top-heavy. But he was pretty shaken up; didn't know where he was, and luckily the tele-aid emergency road service person was able to calm him down.

I'm buying the lifetime service of 1,500.00 so that I don't have to keep paying 350.00 per year! Thank goodness since they were able to know exactly where he location was. Learned that you need to avoid potholes and not to speed over bumps in the road, to avoid having the air-gap in the tires with these designer-type rims.

Angela of North Hollywood, CA November 13, 2009

I am filing this complaint on behalf of my parents. They have challenges with the English language. They leased then purchased a 2006, MB E350 from MB of South Bay in 2005. It was my moms dream to one day own a MB her whole life. But about a year ago her dreams started coming to a crashing end when she started having major issues with the vehicle. The car has been in 2 different dealership locations for over 30 times during the past year, MB in Van Nuys and Cal Star in Glendale. The technicians and management staff have been unable to fix the power steering problem on this car for over one year. She is having a mental and physical meltdown because of the amount of times she has been going to these 2 dealerships and being ignored and laughed at (because of her language barrier!!!) by their staff.

The warranty on the vehicle will expire in about 400 miles and now she's being forced to purchase an extended warranty for 3000 on a car that doesn't operate AT ALL!!! The dealerships keep calling her back to pick up her car without fixing it...And at one time the car had over 230 miles on it while it was at the dealership for only 2 days. They claimed that they test drove the vehicle, but for 230 miles? We now know that the dealership employees want to make sure her warranty expires so she can either purchase the extended warranty after overhearing a conversation between 2 employees!! This is completely unacceptable. The management at either location has been rude and unhelpful. I think MB should think about who they authorize to sell and represent their product, because these 2 dealers are not good representation for MB. We are planning to file a lawsuit if no action is taken by corporate MB in response to this complaint. As a news reporter for the Armenian channel in Southern California, my mom will take a camera crew to interview and record the responses from dealership staff regarding lack of customer service at MB these locations.

Here are a few names of people that we have dealt with: Dwaine (supposedly in charge of our vehicle issue specifically) and Persian guy the manager (very rude and unprofessional) at the Van Nuys location and Emilio and Kelvin (the unknowledgeable technician) at the Glendale location.

Beatriz of Mexico DF, Mexico November 6, 2009

I have a E350, on september 10th the airbag open after falling in a pothole, they told me Mercedes needs more than a month to have parts in Mexico City, where there are several cars alike, how ever it has been more than two months and still they dont have the parts, it seems they need to change the seatbelt and there are none for a E350. I can not believe Mercedes can not provide parts for a E350.

Frank of Santa Rosa, CA October 16, 2009

bought a used 2004 clk320 mercedes with only 59000 miles on it and the auto transmission prematurally blew up with less than 1000 miles later54 1/4

michael of Roswell , GA October 16, 2009

Driveability issues: Cruise Control became disengaged; Driveshaft problems (clunk, clunk); car shifted into "low range" while driving normally. These all happened multiple times and began at around 80,000 miles. The car now has 127,000 miles on it. Thousands of dollars have been expended. Car is ML430 2001. Road service required on multiple occasion including towing

ali of Dhahran, United States September 27, 2009

Please be advised that I have 2006 VIANO Mercedes-Benz that I bought new from Juffali Agency in Dammam and since then I had frequent failure of the front powered windows. I had each one failed at least 3 times with no good reason. I understood that this the case with all similar type of this model due to manufacture defect in the design. Coming to your shop every three months to fix it and the ordeal of failure during travelling are not acceptable and result in hardship for me and my family.

We are dealing with a will known quality agency that should resolve such short fall in time and demonstrate to the customers that we invested a lot of money in a quality and reliable product. I demand immediate attention and compensation on this unfair deal.

Oscar of Milan, Italy September 22, 2009

Maddening Mercedes After 10 wonderful years with a BMW 528, a terrific car in any respect, I fell on a Mercedes E 320 SW. The car looks superb, has any possible optional, any possible electronic gimmick. Well, electronics… Let’s forget a fuel consumption which is 40% higher than my previous BMW for sloppier performance, forget that. The electronic gimmicks are a nightmare. Have you ever seen a car with an instruction manual of more then 600 pages? Well, you may say, for such a complex artifact it’s normal. All products today have thick users’ manuals. I would argue on the 600 pages.

Apart from that, any product you may buy does not require reading much instructions, from pc to mobile phones to digital cameras etc. we deal with complex electronics day and night. Starting and operating any new device is usually very intuitive, you read instructions only to deepen few advanced features. With my Mercedes it’s the other way around.

Two main features that exacerbate me: a) no control is intuitive as it should be, it’s the Mercedes’ way, not consumer’s way things work on a Mercedes; b) the car arrogates to replace human decision-making privileges, so that you never really understand what’s happening, why certain functions are inhibited, why certain controls are automatically inserted or disconnected. Did it ever happened to you that two little babies remain trapped in the car because it (the car) has decided to protect them? Did it ever happen to you that you can’t park the car in an automatic car park because it does not allow you to leave the gear box in the neutral position? Or to find the battery gone (I had to call the breakdown truck twice in a year) because when you parked the car the evening before it decided that something was wrong and did not shut off the bloody equipment as you intended to do? You may think I am a technology illiterate; well, I am an aerospace engineer. I could go into many more details which were pissed off by the Mercedes engineers, but I think you got the idea. Don’t buy a Mercedes.

Mian of Kasur, Pakistan September 20, 2009

Recently I bought Mercedes C200 and still I drove with 3300km .Since dated 18-09-2009 I was coming to my office suddenly AC left the cooling and only blower is working. I stop the Car and after some time restart the engine but Ac was fail to work. I was very surprised and still in very low millage I found problem in Mercedes car which is known as a premium car. I have been informed to our local dealer Mercedes by Cell phone and emails. But still I could not receive any feedback from them and even they could not contact to me for any alternate car. I am not satisfied with their poor service.

Tayseer of Budaiya 80, Bahrain September 14, 2009

I have a Mercedes C 240 Class Model 2001. I hear sounds when ever I turn or break. (I thought these are the shock absorbers.) I made an appointment on Sept 13, 2009 to take my car on Sept 14 , 2009 at 7:30 a.m. I was at Mercedes ON TIME. When I talked to the service man he asked me if I had an appointment. He checked with the receptionist and my appointment was not there. So he turned his back to me.I talked to someone else who seemed to be his boss , he declined even talking to me. So I had to cancel all the logistics I arranged, had I left the car at the agency, and went back home with my Mercedes without being treated well.

This is a very uncivilized and unprofessional manner that Mercedes has. This is not the first time it happened to me. Not to mention that whenever I took my car, for fixing at Mercedes garage, some other mishap takes place in the car. I think having the name Mercedes is not enough for company to be good. [Their] dependence on Royal people to own your car and not take care of other customers , will make Mercedes reputation tarnished especially if a letter about the service is published in the newspapers.

Robert of street, MD September 7, 2009

In March I bought a 2009 Mercedes GL550 SUV that is rated to tow 7800 lbs. Last week I hooked up my trailer to tow, the reason I bought it, and none of the trailer lights worked. I tried another plug and the same thing happened, no lights. I hooked the trailer up to my friends ford pick up and all worked fine. I called my local Mercedes Benz service department, told them what was going on. He said let me cal MB headquarters and I will call you back. He called back in about an hour and said Mercedes does know that there is a problem with trailers WITH LED lights and they have no fix or a plan to fix them. I asked what we could do and he said nothing.

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