Non existent service & tired of being patient

Item: Mercedes-Benz South Africa
Rating: 1
Author: Claire G

Firstly I would like to state that this is a last resort for me. I have emailed you previously regarding this matter but to date have not even had an acknowledgement of my email. I have tried various other avenues however it appears that they are simply ineffective. On 13 May 2014, I took delivery of my vehicle from Mercedes-Benz Bryanston. I am told that the car had been pre-ordered by a customer who then decided not to purchase it. 16 April 2015, saw the car have its first service at the Bryanston dealership. During this it was noted that the fuel hose needed to be replaced. I thought it odd that this should need to be replaced, however as the car is under a maintenance plan I did not pay too much attention to this. Not long after this, I noticed that the engine was making a strange and loud noise when I accelerated at times. I took the car to the dealership and had one of the mechanics drive with me, however the car did not make any noise. Subsequently I recorded the noise whilst driving and played it to the service assistant who then called a mechanic to listen to the recording. The vehicle was then booked in again. I was advised that all four of my fuel injectors needed to be replaced, with no explanation as to why. The parts had to be imported from Germany and I was without my car for approximately a month, if not longer. The dealership did arrange a courtesy car for me however it was only when I refused to return the vehicle, as they needed it for another customer, that my car was ready for collection. This was 29 December 2015 and at a cost of R25 117.85 to Mercedes. During May of this year, I again complained to the service assistant when dropping my car for its annual service that the noise was not completely gone. However I was once again assured that there was nothing wrong. Role on August 2016, I began to notice that when I accelerated from a stationary position the car seemed to lack power. i.e I have to accelerate quite a bit to get out of my office ba*****t parking. The noise was still present. When starting the car in the mornings it cuts out and has to be revved in neutral for a while before you can drive off without it cutting out. The final straw was on Friday 2 September when it took me 5 attempts to get the car started during the middle of the day when it was parked outside in the sun. The vehicle is currently with the Bryanston dealership, I booked it in on Tuesday 6 September, for the above mentioned problems. On Thursday 8 September I was advised that the turbo charger on the engine needs to be replaced. In addition, a new key needs to be ordered from Germany. I was advised on the 7th October (a month after the car had been booked in) that although the turbo charger has been replaced, further issues with the car exist. All four fuel injectors require replacing. I would like to note that all four fuel injectors were replaced in November 2015. Thus not even a year later they require replacement once again? On Tuesday 11th October, my husband and I met with the Service Manager. We discussed the fact that the vehicle has spent several months, of the two and a bit years that I have owned it, on the floor in their service department. Moreover, we voiced concern that they do not in fact fully know what is wrong with the vehicle as they continue to replace parts. When asked why all for fuel injectors would need replacement yet again, the Service Manager stated that it was indeed a very rare occurrence and not something that he could answer. A possibility exists that the parts which I received the first time round were sub-standard. This begs the question whether the car that I purchased is in fact sub-standard? In addition, I was informed that the parts which are yet again being shipped from Germany were due to arrive two weeks ago, have still not arrived. Again I have received no update informing me as to the progress regarding the shipment of the parts and whether or not they have arrived. Tomorrow marks eight weeks to the day since the car was booked in and yet I still have to follow up on the progress. My husband and I made it clear to the Service Manger that we are deeply dissatisfied with the vehicle and the problems experienced thus far. We advised him that we do not wish to take the car back and as such requested that one of the following be done: Release me from the Agility finance lease OR Structure a preferable deal on a new vehicle The Service Manager committed to working with the Sales Manager to provide us with a good deal on a new vehicle. Upon the first phone call from one of the sales assistants, it was clear that she did not understand the history of the car and what had been agreed to with the Service Manager. The normal price on a vehicle was quoted to me and there was much talk around assessing my vehicle to determine a trade-in value. This was not what was agreed to. When calling to find out the settlement value on my vehicle, I was transferred to the sales assistant who had sold my car to me. She was not aware of the issues experienced and immediately said that she would go and talk to the Service Manager to better understand what had been discussed. She soon followed up to advise me that the Bryanston dealership would be willing to offer me an early trade-in on the vehicle, following which I would be eligible for the normal discounts that would apply as if I were a first time customer. Firstly this was, yet again, not what had been discussed and clearly shows that Mercedes Benz Bryanston are not committed to retaining existing clients, nor are they interested in rectifying what has to date been an incredibly poor brand experience. Secondly I was incensed that they should offer me the very same "deal" that they had called me about a few months back, when they were checking to see which finance leases were coming to an end. I would also like to highlight the poor service experience that I have had with Bid-Vest, the providers of the rental car which Mercedes Benz are currently paying for. During our meeting with the Service Manager, I informed him that the license disk on the car had expired on 30 September 2016. The car was delivered to me on 20 September. In addition a tyre pressure light continued to come on which led me to believe that there was a slow leak on the right rear tyre. To the Service Manager's credit, I received a call from Bidvest the very next day advising that they had received a complaint and wished to exchange the vehicle. I told the representative that I would drive to the nearest fuel station and fill up the car, before the driver arrived with the replacement car. He swiftly told me that the driver had to be present to ensure that I filled the car up correctly. I argued the point but eventually conceded as it was not worth my time or energy - I should add that as it turns out the driver for Bidvest ensured that the tank was filled to the point that you could actually see the fuel! The terms of agreement state that the car should be returned with a full tank of petrol, not that I should be subject to being watched over by one of their employees to ensure that the maximum benefit was reached for them, whilst I am left feeling cheated. In addition he advised me that should the tyre be damaged and need replacement that I would be liable. I found this unacceptable and he agreed to call Mercedes to discuss this. He soon came back to me advising that Mercedes Benz had informed him that I was to be held responsible. I can understand that Mercedes Benz cannot carry the cost for damages to vehicles, however I was the one who advised them of the issue with the tyre and the fact that the vehicle was delivered to me in this state. I now sit with a replacement vehicle, which does not contain a sun visor light on the drivers side. The central locking does not work at all whilst driving (i.e when you drive off the doors dont lock). I have raised the points with regards to Bidvest, not to be difficult, as these do not impact on my ability to drive the car, but rather in the hopes of drawing to Mercedes Benz's attention the poor quality provided by what I assume to be a preferred partner. This further highlights the horrible brand experience that I have had with Mercedes Benz and now associate with the brand. I am of the opinion that I have given Mercedes Benz Bryanston ample opportunity to rectify the situation. The vehicle has only ever been serviced at their dealership and they have been aware of all issues experienced.

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