A Total Failure from Mercedes-Benz The Glen

I placed an online request specifically stating: “diagnostic test for engine, gearbox and suspension.” As I was considering purchasing a Mercedes, I naturally expected Mercedes-Benz to be the best people to evaluate a Mercedes vehicle. I chose the nearest official workshop — The Glen — to handle the inspection.

Being based in Cape Town, I wanted a professional report before flying up to view and test drive the car myself. What an immense disappointment. After paying R3 335 for this so-called diagnostic test, I received nothing more than a few generic notes on an invoice. My 83-year-old mother could have walked around the car and produced a report just like it.

There was no diagnostic report, no mention of the gearbox, no mention of the suspension — in fact, not even the slightest reference to the key mechanical systems that determine whether a vehicle is worth buying.

Even after contacting the main representative who referred me to this branch, I am still waiting for a proper, sensible response. If this is what “Mercedes-Benz service” has become under Motus, one has to wonder: has Mercedes already left South Africa?