CLK200 - unreliable escalation process

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S

scoman

New Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2009
Messages
14
Location
Gerrards Cross (Bucks)
Car
CLK 280 sport Cabriolet
HI
Not sure where to put this cry for help

I have a CLK 200 sport 4 years old which I have owned for approx 7 months, it is a bit of a DOG - its still under MB approved car warranty fortunatly as the following is a potted history.

Collected car and reported tyres with new large gouges "2" accross in sidwall - after argument lasting 2 weeks got tyres repalced.

Next car had couple of occasions that the car instruments all died came back about 1 hour later

Next car towed in as all electris died - had instrument cluster replace - took 2 weeks.

Further intermittant electical failures
Dealer said drive it untill it fails completly!

Next rear suspension knocking noise - had rear springs replaced 2 weeks

Next battery died

Now Shuuder from front of car - Still waiting for fix
Also Water leak and passenger side ECU failed - waiting for fix dealer cant find leak but reckons its been leaking for many months.

Total miles on car 34000 Total miles since I owned car 2100 miles - mainly becuase dealer has had car or has been broken down waiting for repair.

Dealer and MB in UK response is that they will try to dry car out and fix it

Wiring loom is burnt out in number of places

How can I escalate to get something done
UK say its up to dealer - dealer says " thats what warrnty is for " but surley this must be most unreliable car in the world

Anybody any suggestions, on what to do next!!
 
I'm not a legal type person, but would think you have grounds to reject the car if its that bad!

Good luck!
 
I think you might have had it too long now to reject.

I'd go for a letter to the MD of Customer Services in Milton Keynes, and ask for an extended warranty to restore your faith in the brand, and give you confidence that any issues still outstanding by the end of the existing warranty will be taken care of at no cost to you.
 
I'd PX it if all else fails for another, but get them to take it off your hands for what you paid or as close as...
 
I'd try to get them to give you a refund. Trading Standards ?
 
Haven't you heard of a lemon car?

That may be the reason why it on sale after it had been abused.

It not necessary all Merc cars are approved by Merc.

If you want to avoid, buy new.:D
 
If this a MB main dealer, please name them. I believe that the dealer should fight the customers corner (deluded fool :)

As previous post suggest, try to PX it back, good luck
 
Update and thanks for all your comments

OK guys thanks for your comments

Checked legal positiona and it appears I may have a case due to number of reports and low mileage, as the first of the 4 electrical faults was reported early in my ownership period then under the sale of goods act 3 attempts to resolve a fault is all I need to accept.
One thing I missed is that last time the car was in the garage (Hughes of Beaconsfield) a full inspection of the car was supposedly done which showed the car to have NO FAULTS - The battery failed a few weeks later and the windows electrics and water leak was found about 3 weeks after that, The Technician reported the other day that the leak is very small as yet they can not find it and it has probably been there for months!
The technician also worried me by saying it is something they have experiance of and have had a silmilar problem many times"

As for Mercedes customer service they are very variable it appears there role is to support the Garage against the customer, having told me they sympathise with my problem and agree something should be done. but then reply and state " the garage are the experts and claim that this is just a normal repair"

Will keep updates but now waiting for response on sale of goods act comment I put to them and waiting to see if I need and independant engineers report.
Having told MB and Huges my position MB have last night said that they are in talks with Huges to consider my comments regarding rejecting the car and would reply by Thursday at 10:00 So legal team on hold at moment.

Annoying thing about it all - we actually love the car (well we love other CLK's) and all we want is to get a good reliable CLK, so if we get to be able to reject the car we will get another CLK (sometimes think we are mad but CLK is definitly the nicest looking and drivable 4 seat convertable)
 
MB message recieved from Directors office

A Biq wake up on MB quality

Jessica in the directors office at MB Tongwell gave me the quote of the day.
"If you buy a secondhand car you must expect a few faults"

The car 4 years old CLK has had 4 electric failure 2 Mobilo call outs and rear ssupension and water leak and brake fault in 1023 miles
:rolleyes:So guess thats it after 4 years its a disposalble item then!
 
scoman said:
A Biq wake up on MB quality

Jessica in the directors office at MB Tongwell gave me the quote of the day.
"If you buy a secondhand car you must expect a few faults"
Click to expand...

Complete bull**** on their part. You cannot expect a second hand car to be immacculate and scratch free but you must expect it to work and function as a new car.

Yours hasn't.

Keep pushing them....
 
I think you have been very unlucky..

however I really cannot see how you will prove that the car was not fit for purpose at time of sale..

The things that have happened just seem to be bad luck rather than anything that may have been there before purchase.

I think its good they came around on the tyres.. normally I wouldnt expect a dealer to replace tyres unless there is strong proof the gouges were there at time of sale.
 
scoman said:
OK guys thanks for your comments

Checked legal positiona and it appears I may have a case due to number of reports and low mileage, as the first of the 4 electrical faults was reported early in my ownership period then under the sale of goods act 3 attempts to resolve a fault is all I need to accept.
One thing I missed is that last time the car was in the garage (Hughes of Beaconsfield) a full inspection of the car was supposedly done which showed the car to have NO FAULTS - The battery failed a few weeks later and the windows electrics and water leak was found about 3 weeks after that, The Technician reported the other day that the leak is very small as yet they can not find it and it has probably been there for months!
The technician also worried me by saying it is something they have experiance of and have had a silmilar problem many times"

As for Mercedes customer service they are very variable it appears there role is to support the Garage against the customer, having told me they sympathise with my problem and agree something should be done. but then reply and state " the garage are the experts and claim that this is just a normal repair"

Will keep updates but now waiting for response on sale of goods act comment I put to them and waiting to see if I need and independant engineers report.
Having told MB and Huges my position MB have last night said that they are in talks with Huges to consider my comments regarding rejecting the car and would reply by Thursday at 10:00 So legal team on hold at moment.

Annoying thing about it all - we actually love the car (well we love other CLK's) and all we want is to get a good reliable CLK, so if we get to be able to reject the car we will get another CLK (sometimes think we are mad but CLK is definitly the nicest looking and drivable 4 seat convertable)
Click to expand...

You have a weak spot on the CLK, this is not the only CLK, there are thousands around the country for sale at the moment, get another one. This car is total lemon and been cursed, if you dont get rid of it now, you will regret it later. Get you money back and look for another CLK. Plenty of sellers at the moment just because the £400 road fund starting April 2011.
 
Well big step forward

:) Spoke to director (Simon Egg) of Hughes of Beaconsfield- what an understanding man, he has agreed that this car is not as it should be that we need to come to an agreement where he gets us into another CLK which we will enjoy. We have another meeting today to try to get a solution.
So it could be that very soon I could have another CLK and I am sure that listening to other CLK owners I dont think they are all bad!are not all bad!
 
Things look a whole lot better now

:) Looks like we have got very close to a deal with the dealer, and one which I think is fair to both of us.
Dealer concedes we have been very unlucky and had a bad experiance, also accepts that we have no faith in our car so a deal allowing us to swap car almost as if we were in first 28 days and in process upgrade to a better model with small finacial adjustment.

So if all goes well then I could be in a newer, better, low mileage CLK, by end of week.

Some of my loss of faith in Mercedes and Dealership are now partly restored. will update when deal finalised.
 
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