NEGLIGENCE ALMOST CAUSED 2 DEATHS

I took my Vehicle in for it's FIRST service on Monday 7th May. I only got the vehicle back on the Tuesday as apparently they had to do a software update which kept bombing out....... I drove the vehicle from there back to work in heavy traffic (only about 10 km's away). I drove it again on the Wednesday to work and back (5,5 km's each way and again in slow traffic). I then parked my vehicle in the garage until Sunday 13th May, when my son and I went to Pretoria to "supposedly" have lunch with my daughter and to watch Dynamo. Needless to say, about half way there, my vehicle began shuddering badly. I managed to get across the R21 highway into the emergency lane and we checked to see if I perhaps had a flat. All looked in order. I then proceeded to drive in the emergency lane as the petrol station was still about 4km's away. I was only driving at 60 KPH at this stage. I drove for about 300mt when I suddenly hear a loud clack sound. I immediatley pulled off the road and realised that I cannot drive further.

I called the SOS number from my vehicle and told them what had happened. We sat on the side of the R21 for about 2 hours. I was totally stressed out as it was right near the Tembisa off ramp and NOT a safe place to break down.

The technician who came out to assist was really a wonderful person (Preshen was his name). He took one look at the vehicle and realised that my front left wheel had only 1 wheel bolt and the wheel had come off the vehicle, but because I had stopped, the wheel was stuck under the rim. His response was " Oh my God, oh my God....look at me, I have goosebumps all over my body. Do you realise that you are the luckiest 2 people right now to still be alive". We then realised that when my vehicle had been in for the service, the wheel nuts on that wheel had not been properly tightened. He then took a bolt/nut from each of the other 3 wheels just so that each wheel then only had 4 bolts holding each wheel and we could then at least drive home,

In my opinion, this is totally UNACCEPTABLE more especially from Mercedes Benz, seeing that 2 people could have been ****ed. We went through to the dealership at about 10h00 on the Monday and wanted to speak with the Dealer Principle, but was told that she was at a meeting at Head Office. We were then taken to their service manager Neil Gold, who at first was very blase about the entire situation. I asked him to call in the technician who attended to my SOS call and after seeing the photos he took and hearing his version of events, he seemed to be very willing to resolve our problem. He confirmed that the vehicles get serviced / checked by the person designated and then they get checked / inspected by another person, to ensure that eveything gets done properly. He promised to contact us and advise what all was wrong with the vehicle and also advise if there was any other damages done due to this negligence. He also promised that this matter would be investigated and that he would advise us what had happened.

He called me the same afternoon, at about 17h30 to advise that they had ordered the parts. I asked what parts needed to be replaced and guess what.....he couldn't tell me exactly which parts. He only mentioned the tyre and disc.????? I enquired about the service representative and the person allocted to checking the vehicle and was advised by Neil that they were still investigating and that he would call me back on Tuesday will answers to all this. NO call. On Wednesday, the service advisor (Nicolene) called to say they were still waiting for the parts, but could also NOT tell me which parts were necessary. I asked her to get Neil to call me URGENTLY......You guessed, no call.

Then today, Tuesday the 22nd May, I get a call from Nicolene again to advise that the parts still have NOT arrived. I asked which parts are these and was told something about the brake cover???? I then requested that she list ALL the parts ordered to repair my vehicle, but was told her system had just gone off so she's unable to give me this information. How ODD.

I requested her to get Neil Gold to call me URGENTLY. NO call again.....My husband then phoned Neil and he still could NOT give us further feedback but did however state that they were having a disciplinary hearing regarding this incident. BUT, this does not change the fact that 2 lives could've been lost.

We still have NO answers

requested that she list