Mercedes Benz South Africa needs to wake up and smell the coffee

Now and then I get a call from Mercedes Benz or from Grand Central Motors in Midrand to ask me if I am in the market to buy another vehicle or not. I always ask the same question and that is: WHERE WILL I SERVICE MY CAR AFTER I BUY IT?

I bought my car with 0km from Grand Central Motors. It had issues with the computer box which were not picked up when the car was being tested prior to me collecting it, not picked up after I sent it back and they had it for the whole day but only picked up when I took it back the second time. Be that as it may I thought, no problem, I have the backing of Mercedes Benz South Africa.

Little did I know I wrong I was considering the service resolution process that Mercedes Benz South Africa had in place. So, here is my latest story following a disastrous stint with the timing chain that failed to be fully sorted by three dealerships before Mercedes Benz South Africa had to send their technicians to Grand Central only to tell me: Oh, it was a faulty Vacuum Pump. Mind you, they sent their technicians because I called and asked them what was wrong with their "DTech" technicians driving from Pretoria to Midrand to resolve the problem.

So I took my car in for service. I later collected it in the afternoon to take a drive 240km into North West. An hour later, another 120km to Klerksdorp. When I got to Klerksdorp, my hood was spitting smoke. I stopped at the Shell Garage on the R30 in Klerksdorp to check what was going on only to find out that the OIL cap was not closed by the dealership after the service. So it was the oil hitting the engine steel parts that was generating the smoke.

After a call or two and a chat with the Cargo Motors technician on Standby, I topped the oil up, closed the oil cap and off I went. Took in my car to Grand Central the following Monday to be checked as they said my oil cap might be worn out and may need replacing. They confirmed that it did not need replacing and apologised for the mishap.

A couple of days later, my cooling system started giving an alarm. I was in the Free State at the time and got my Service Advisor (Mr Afrika who had by then left John Williams) to have a look at it by performing a water pressure test. We found the leak and fixed it albeit that I would get a permanent fix when I get back to Midrand.

I kept topping up my water now and then for the next couple of days as I was closing off a project 60km from Midrand or the next three weeks. My engine seized within this period. I got my car to Grand Central and they checked it only to tell me that they needed to first attend to my cooling system. I agreed. the work was done and I paid.

They then told me I had to pay to fix the engine. While I am liable for that, I am not convinced that I am 100% liable and that Grand Central is 0% liable. I say so because it is my believe that the failure of the cooling system was accelerated by the oil not doing the proper lubrication due to the reduced oil pressure. Mecerdes Benz however stands with the dealership with the assertion that there was still oil in the car as the oil level sensor did not pickup but says nothing about the compromised oil pressure.

In launching a complaint, Mercedes Benz consulted the dealership to get their side of what happened and then put that through to me as their stance as well. Mind you, I had to call them to get feedback and they were just chilling.

I once again after extensive research, have raised this issue with Mercedes Benz on 30.11.2018. To date I have had no response. When I called in today to get a response I am told the consultant dealing with my case, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE GIVEN ME SOME RESPONSE BY NOW, is on lunch and he will get back to me. What if he falls with a heart attack I asked and No he wont, was the response.

I am utterly disappointed with Mercedes Benz and the ever so declining service we receive from the majority of their dealerships. These dealerships are regarded as Mercedes Benz South Africa as their eyes and ears. This even under circumstances were they as the dealership are compromised. In cases where they could lie.

I am so looking forward to the changes in the automotive industry regarding the servicing of cars. I am on a mission to discredit the service that is given by Mercedes Benz South Africa for I do not believe they live up to what they promise.

Tebogo Mohohlo is my name and I have no problem standing up to the claims that I am making for they are facts and can be proven as such.