July 22, 2003
Mercedes-Benz is replacing nearly 2,000 E-Class cars in the United States because they were not equipped with the navigation system purchasers had ordered, Autoweek reported.
Another 1,000 customers who expressed an interest in the navigation system but didn't prepay will be given coupons good for $3,250 toward the purchase of their next Mercedes-Benz.
The company said that because of a supplier problem, the DVD-driven "Comand" navigation, stereo and cell-phone system wasn't ready when the redesigned E-Class was launched last fall.
The 2,000 buyers who had ordered the system got their cars minus the navigation system. They were told it would be installed by dealers when it was ready. But company officials say that about six weeks ago, they decided the retrofit would be too complex and time consuming and decided to replace the cars.
"It's one of the few times we couldn't deliver as promised," a company spokesman said.
The new E-Class is priced at $47,670 for the V-6 E320 and $56,570 for the V-8 E500. A series of problems with the model has affected Mercedes-Benz's standing in quality surveys.
The problems, which include wind noise and the complexity of the stereo system, contributed to Mercedes-Benz' decline in the latest J.D. Power survey. The brand fell from 128 to 133, just one point above average.
