R17,000 service. Engine dead 48 hours later. 66 days without my car. No accountability

11 August 2026 — I telephoned Bedfordview and reported the symptoms.

12 August 2026 — I brought the vehicle in. The workshop diagnosed a cylinder 2 coil failure — the exact component their technicians had handled five days earlier. Despite diagnosing an active misfire, they scheduled the repair for 17 August and sent me home to continue driving the car. No one warned me that driving with a misfiring cylinder causes serious internal engine damage. I had come in with alternative transport already arranged, fully expecting to leave the car. That decision was made entirely by the dealership.

14 August 2026 — The engine catastrophically failed. The vehicle became immobile and had to be towed back to Bedfordview. Their own job card records the complaint as: "funny noise while driving after workshop visit." They then quoted me R248,966.60 for an engine replacement — and indicated I should pay for it.

What followed was equally unacceptable. I raised my concerns in writing, citing the Consumer Protection Act, and refused to authorise any repair at my cost until the cause of failure was properly investigated. The responses I received were slow, evasive, and dismissive:

• Written questions sent multiple times went unanswered for weeks • On one occasion, after sending a detailed written request, the only response I received was a single word: "Note" • I was passed between the Service Advisor and Service Manager with no resolution from either • The matter was escalated to Mercedes Technical, then to an independent engineering company, then to Wear Check for oil analysis — a process that has now taken over 9 weeks and is still not concluded • The dealership at one point cited a delay in sourcing the correct containers for the oil sample as the reason for further delay

As of today, 19 October 2026, my vehicle has been at Mercedes-Benz Bedfordview for 66 days. I continue to pay monthly finance, insurance and tracking on a car I cannot drive. Despite multiple written requests, no courtesy vehicle has ever been offered or provided.

My concerns are straightforward:

1. The component that failed was physically handled by the dealership's technicians during the service. Their own pre-service diagnostic confirmed no engine faults. It failed within 48 hours. 2. They diagnosed an active misfire on 12 August and sent me home anyway. The engine failed before their own repair date. That decision was theirs, not mine. 3. They have never answered, in writing, why the coil failure was not connected to the spark plug work, or why I was sent home with a misfiring engine. 4. They expect me to fund an investigation into whether their own service was performed correctly. I have declined.

This is not the standard of service expected from a premium brand charging premium prices — particularly one handling expensive, complex vehicles where the stakes of poor workmanship are this high. I have escalated to Mercedes-Benz South Africa Customer Care (***), and if this matter is not resolved satisfactorily, my next step is the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa.

*** | Invoice *** | Job Card 337853 | MB SA Customer Care ***