I was ripped-off to the tune of $4,000 to repair this problem.

Even though I towed the car in before extensive damage occurred, the dealership used this problem to do unnecessary repairs against my repair authorization. The damage to the timing cover and oil pan was not sufficient to warrant replacement and I told them not to replace parts with cosmetic damage.

Mercedes will not stand behind their products and will not stand behind their dealerships.

If in Dallas don't go near Park Place Motorcar, They will rip you off.

I have all of my replaced parts and will purse this to the bitter end.

I would not even expect this type of treatment from FORD. Mercedes has lost its Reputation in my book.

Bruce,

Sorry to hear your story. I also saw your post on mbca.org.

I suspect Ford or GM would have been more responsive. These companies are really trying to improve their quality and customer service. For many years U.S. based car companies took their customers for granted, and look what happened to their marketshare. The clock is ticking for Mercedes. Mercedes cares little for customer service. They are onl;y interested in selling new cars with lower quality parts and high profit margins.

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Dave

1998 E320
2001 SLK320
2000 Lexus RX300

Bruce file a complaint with NHTSA.ORG. I know it's a pain but this disregard by MBUSA is ridiculious.

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1999 C280 Sport, 1967 911s Porsche

We all know this part is faulty (bad design). There must be some techs that work for MBUSA who read this forum. Let's have your take on the problem. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/attachment.php?postid=431635

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1999 C280 Sport, 1967 911s Porsche

Hello,
The dealer in Raleigh, NC replaced my ML320's faulty crankshaft damper FOC without any hassles at all. While they were at it, the doors were readjusted to shut without slamming and the some switch that was causing the BAS lite to blink was replaced as well. The only thing that they did not do was wash the car before returning it!
I guess paying $500/- for front and rear brakes pads goes a long way...........
Have a good week.

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Nachi11744

Nachi,
With all the respect you received from the dealer, I am curious to know a couple of things as others may also.

1. What is the year, model and mileage of your car when you took it to them for the H/B service etc.?

2. Did you buy the car new from them? If they know you bought it used or from another dealer, sometimes their 'goodwill' is disregarded! MB dealer techs, comments please.

Tobias MB
4 MBs

I also had the Raleigh, NC Mercedes Benz dealer replace the crankshaft balancer on my 2000 ML 320 before failure based upon my request. They acknowledged the problem and replaced the balancer at no charge to me. At the same time they installed the (1) updated wiring harness for the auxilliary fans and installed the larger fuse, (2) updated window switch module and (3) replaced the right side catalytic converter which has proven to be an issue, again at no charge.

Please do not berate Mercedes commitment to customer satisfaction based upon your personal experience with what sounds like a dealership problem. There are some excellent Mercedes Benz dealerships out there who are trying to earn your business.

I replace these damn things all day long on A/B services when cars are in warranty. If I see a 00 00 balancer, I just do it.
However, once warranty is up.....Goodwill becomes a bigger issue.
Due to the way MBUSA changed it's goodwill proceedures,
Now it's a 30/30/30 split. MB pays 30%, the dealer pays 30%, and the client is supposed to pay 30%. This is becomming mighty expensive for dealers and for vehicle owners.

Granted, the balancer costs about $50. This is a whole load cheaper than dealing with a damaged main pan and timing case.
As a business, for us to give away thousands of dollars of goodwill work when we didn't sell the vehicle or when we sold it at no profit (common with ML's), it becomes a hard decision
to give these away. If MBUSA would cover or DSA things 100%
like they used to, it would be much simpler for dealers to repond to the clients needs.
Sadly MB has left us ALL out to hang in this situation. Dealers look like the bad guys and clients get stuck with the bill.
All the anger and energy needs to be directed at the source of the problem here. MBUSA
My dealership has been sufering too. We have been losing money for years now. We have lost 10 employees this year so far. Techs are concidering geting out of this business for good.
Clients are walking away left and right. And now we have have J.D. Powers telling the whole world how much we suck.
What a great time to be in this line of work!

DIESEL

Here's a picture taken this weekend after a short trip in the wife's 1999 E320 - engine started getting noisy as we pulled into the garage at home and guess what I saw.

The car is still under Starmark warranty and the harmonic balancer is specifically referenced as a covered part, so we will see if MB pays up.

Attached Thumbnails

 

An guess what I found lying in the engine compartment? This despite careful quarterly visual checks. The car has 39k on the clock, and is driven conservatively.

I told the wife to get a real car next time - a W126.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Dr. Diesel, How refreshing to hear such an honest appraisal of the situation. Wished i lived in Washington State. Doesn't sound to pleasant for you guys either.

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1999 C280 Sport, 1967 911s Porsche

Hello,
The ML320 in question is a 2000 with 44,000 miles on it supplied new by this dealer. When I moved to Raleigh in 1996, this dealer had a *reputation* and I did have a few issues with them regarding a 1989 260E supplied new by them as well. I politely pointed out to them that I am not a first time Mercedes owner, so it will take more than their *average* expertise to impress me.

Showing a picture of my dad's 1954 170DS and discussing the work they do on the cars at *their* level made the right impression. And I do know my way around the pre-1990s cars. I guess the bit that really caught their attention was when I repaired the inoperative odometer on the 260E and it actually worked !

Since then, they always:
1. Do not repair or replace anything without my permission
2. They discuss the issues at a , how should I say, *technical* level.

The ML has not been without it's problems, at 4,500 miles I had them
1. Replace noisy sunroof
2. Wheel alignment
3. Replace the front center console cover
4. Replace the fuel pump and harness
5. And of course the upgraded electric fans etc. etc.

I always make it a point not to behave in a boorish manner but I have seen it where customers scream, shout and generally behave like Attila the Hun, but it serves no purpose. If they do a reasonable job for a reasonable outlay, I have no problem, just do not try to bull**** me. Have been driving Mercedes and BMWs for almost 30 years now, so try it with someone else!

Not related to Mercedes, but the Mitsubishi dealer in Raleigh, NC refused to replace a cracked head on a 99 Eclipse(one year old at the time). The engine was losing coolant and oil at an alarming rate. They said that the oil consumption was within Mitsubishi's published limits and would not budge, even telling me that I was not a *Mitsubishi trained tech* so I had no business doing any diagnostics. I finally had an oil sample analysis done that showed 100% coolant contamination of the oil and only then they relented, but they replaced only the BARE head and cylinder head gasket, everything else was reused and even on the day the car was traded in, the timing belt cover was still rubbing on the cam sprockets. So, if you think Mercedes dealers are the pits, think again.

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Nachi11744

Another dealership that deserves an honorable mention is M-B of Houston North. When the balancer on my '98 ML failed, I attempted the repair myself. Charlie Johnson, the shop foreman, thought MB should help with the repair, since the balancers are known to be defective. He thought at least M-B could pay for the repair if I pay the towing bill, which would have exceeded the cost of the repair. The ML had 77K miles at the time. When M-B refused, he explained the job in detail, and was always helpful back when we lived in Texas. Likewise, the parts department staff were knowledgable and helpful.

We like our new home in Michigan better, but I think Houston has a better dealership than my nearest dealer now.

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Lenny

There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games. --Ernest Hemingway

'10 GL550/'04 BMW 545/'99 BMW 323/'98 ML320/'87 VW GTI (race)

DR.DIESEL- Mercedes should have more people like you. I can feel your delima here, bro. I agree that we should direct our energy and anger at the source of the problem, MBUSA.

Greetings to Forum Members from Beijing: After reading horror stories on this site and others, I decided to have the dealer in Beijing inspect my harmonic balancer. No evidence of wear or problems. The dealer made some inquiries and said that they would replace at no cost, even though my car has been out of warranty for 3 years ever since I moved from the U.S. to China.

My question to forum members is should I have this work done even though there are no problems with the balancer. I have 40k on the car. I have had quite a bit of work done at Beijing Star Mercedes and am generally satisfied with their work. They are good but not quite up to U.S. standards. The service manager is telling me it is an all day job - something about having to remove the radiator, and securing the crankshaft. Is this a difficult job? I hate to mess with things when everything is OK now, but also do not want an unexpected problem to develop later. I would appreciate any advice on this matter. Thanks. charles

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Charles G. Krips
99ML320
Beijing