Advice on who to complain to

[mercedes lover]

I took my ML to a specialist today to find out what the clunking noise was when steering. I thought it might be bad tie end rods. I did another post on what this problem could be. When I bought my car from a Volvo main dealer, it had a warning light that they said they would fix before I picked the car up, which ended in me picking up my car 1 week late as they said it was at Mercedes being fixed.

When I picked the car up the Sales person said that they had to pay a Mercedes dealership to put in a new steering rack and it cost them £700. Anyway after taking the car to a specialist today he found the car has had a reconditioned steering rack, and they hadn't done the bolts up which he said if they had come off I would have the lost the steering. He said there is no way Mercedes would have fitted the reconditioned one.

So basically I feel a little cheated as they lied about the repair. And very annoyed at leaving me with a dangerous rack. What steps would you advise to take, should I complain to the manager of the Volvo dealership? I now had to pay to put right their shoddy repair.

 

[jonathan]

if it was me i would ask to speak to the manager of the dealership and put you thoughts to him and throw it back at him how would he feal if it happend to him and it was his children traveling in the car give him your bill for putting the car right and if he doesn't want to know then mention the papers or the ferret and watch him twitch. i think the most you could ask for would be the cost of the repairs but its your call. all the best jon.

 

[jonathan]

you could also ask to see the bill from mercedes for the work carried out as stated and if they have one then your problem is with mercedes

 

[mercedes lover]

Thanks for your advice, I think I will write to the manager of the dealership. I am a bit annoyed as I am driving 400miles to France in 2 weeks and have a 1 year old baby and if the steering had gone at 80mph, we would have been in real trouble. How can someone forget to tighten steering bolts up, crazy.

 

[mercedes lover]

you could also ask to see the bill from mercedes for the work carried out as stated and if they have one then your problem is with mercedes

Ah good point, thanks for that, in my letter I will ask to be sent a copy of the bill so that I can take it up with Mercedes myself. If they have not been honest then they will have to admit that it didn't go to Mercedes.

 

[Dryce]

How can someone forget to tighten steering bolts up, crazy.

It happened to my car (non MB) a few years back a week after it had been in for a warranty repair. Bolts only thumb tightened. A week later the left side track rod end disconnected while the car was pulling right out of a junction onto a main road.

At low speed the car mounted the offside pavement and then veered back to the nearside and came to a halt. There were no pedestrians or oncoming traffic. The driver was left in quite a shocked state mainly due to the loss of control.

That wasn't quite the end of it. The car was recovered some time later by the dealer. Their recovery driver was told the car was uncontrollable and the steering had come apart. However the car had been moved and the wheels hand steered while it was being pushed. So he didn't listen and presumably the front wheels looked normal (parallel). Attempting to drive it instead of winch it on to his recovery truck resulted in the car pirouetting across the road into our neighbours' garden.

 

[robertjrt]

A few question come to mind;

Did you know you were expected to pay for this part?

Were you informed that it was a "Re-Conditioned" part?

What evidence do you have for he alleged "Sub-Standard" work?

Will the person who found the alleged sub-standard work put it in writing?

What was wrong with the existing rack?

Have you seen it or the reason for the replacement?

Who decided to change the unit?

What reason were you given for not asking for your approval before exchanging the rack?

As far as I know there is no way you can be charged for something you did not; ask for, ordered, requested, approved, acknowliged by default.

 

[st13phil]

So basically I feel a little cheated as they lied about the repair. And very annoyed at leaving me with a dangerous rack. What steps would you advise to take, should I complain to the manager of the Volvo dealership? I now had to pay to put right their shoddy repair.

If I've read your original post correctly, certain recitification work was carried out either by the Volvo dealer or someone they subcontracted the work to prior to sale of the vehicle to you. Your purchase of the vehicle was subject to this rectification work being carried out.

Assuming the above to be correct, then your issue is with the Volvo dealer who has apparently supplied you a vehicle in unroadworthy condition (i.e. the steering rack was not properly secured). Unless the sale was made somehow conditional on a new genuine MB steering rack being fitted prior, I don't see why that would be actionable by you unless you could prove that the salesman's incorrect statement that a new genuine MB steering rack had been fitted was an inducement to purchase and materially affected your purchase decision.

Other than venting your spleen at the Volvo dealer's Sales Manager and demanding reimbursement for the rectification work you had carried out (you may have difficulty doing this if you didn't give the Volvo dealer adequate opportunity to carry out the diagnosis/rectification work themselves first), I don't see any other recourse. You may also consider contacting Trading Standards if the Volvo dealer doesn't play ball (and consider using that as a threat in negotiation with them if necessary) to report them for selling an unroadworthy vehicle - which is a very serious offence.

Health warning: All the above is just advice from some bloke on t'Internet

 

[mercedes lover]

The agreement was that they would sort the few problems out that I found. I didn't mind if it was Volvo or Mercedes, just as long as it was done properly. I was meant to pick the car up after my holiday but when I got back they had said the car was at a Mercedes main dealer being fixed as they couldn't fix the problem of the warning light on the dash.

When I picked the car up the sales women told me that the car had been to a Mercedes dealership and they had to put a new steering rack and she stressed that they had to pay Mercedes £700 for the job. If they had said they had put a reconditioned rack then fair enough. I just don't like being misled. I will write to the Sales manager to complain and see if I can get the money for putting it right, using the fact that the car was dangerous.

But to be honest I am not going to stress too much over it as I don't want a big to do. But hopefully I can get an explanation of why I was misinformed about a new part being fitted by Mercedes when it seemingly wasn't. If I am right by law they can’t finalise a sale telling you something was done that wasn’t.

 

[LTD]

The real complaint is the poor workmanship which could have resulted in a serious problem or accident.

It should also be remembered that to some people 'new' can mean 'another'.

 

[prprandall51]

You appear to have bought a car from a dealership that is happy to foist a sub-standard repair onto you (to the point of putting your life in danger) and is then happy to lie to you about how and where the repair was done.

Normally, I would suggest a soft approach and had they not lied to you I would suggest following this line. But in the circumstances, I suspect you will merely get denials and platitudes.

I would be firm and insistent from the first. Write to them demanding immediate rectification of the rack, the costs of a full MB inspection of the vehicle undertaken by an MB dealer or specialist plus costs of any further rectifcation, and a substantial credit against the purchase price for your distress and inconvenience.

Alternatively, return the car as unfit for sale and immediately notify Volvo UK and also the Trading Standards Officer. Then demand they re-imburse you for any out of pocket expenses (insurance, hire car, etc.) and threaten the small claims court fast track to get these if necessary.

 

[mercedes lover]

Can't believe it, I filled up with petrol today and now my fuel gauge has stopped working, it's still on empty even though I have filled it full. Any ideas on what this could be?

 

[corned]

You may also want to examine the MOT certificate which would have had to come with the sale documents. Who performed the test? And whoever tested it - why was this not picked up? Security of all suspension and steering components is part of the test, is it not? Thumb-tight mounting bolts should have been exposed then.

 

[mercedes lover]

I didn't get a new MOT from the dealership, the MOT had been done by the previous owner 1 month before I purchased the car, so that was prior to the to the steering column being replaced. Also the MOT says yes in the box for advisory notice, but I didn't get that part as they only gave me the MOT with the notice removed.

 

[corned]

Sorry - I assumed that, having bought via a dealer, the car would have come with a new 12-month ticket.

If you want to know what the advisories are, go to the www.vosa.gov.uk site and type in the certificate number on the appropriate page.

 

[EDZ649]

The real complaint is the poor workmanship which could have resulted in a serious problem or accident.

It should also be remembered that to some people 'new' can mean 'another'.

Exactly! If you don't get the right answer from the manager I would go straight to trading standards and tell him so!

 

[mercedes lover]

Thanks for that, I looked it up and the advisory note is for Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b). But I also found out i had failed the day before on it's original tset for the following Reason(s)

for refusal to issue Certificate
Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.6)
Offside Rear Coil spring fractured (2.4.C.1a)
Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)
No Advisory Notice issued

I take it I will need to replace the rear nearside rear sping at some point. Is that a big job.

 

[lynall]

Well if the spring has not broken i would give it a good greasing or waxoyl and see how it goes, at one time you couldnt buy just the spring for the ml you had to buy the whole strutt assembly for about £300 but i am sure you can now get just the spring.

Gauge fault is probably sender at fault, do a google, seems if it starts to work as the fuel drops if so sender track has worn away.



Lynall

 

[219]

With many parts being fitted by dealers , it is the norm to fit reconditioned units , which have been rebuilt to 'as new' condition and really are just as good as a brand new unit .

This can apply not only to larger items such as engines and gearboxes , but going down the scale through items like differentials , steering boxes or indeed racks to items like alternators , starter motors or brake calipers . Back in the old days it was also accepted pracice to have brake shoes relined rather than replace outright and this can still happen with HGV's .

Mercedes do advertise their factory exchange programme as being 'greener' than throwing away repairable items whilst assuring the same quality and reliability as a brand new unit - thus Mercedes factory reconditioned units carry the same warranty as brand new units . I would have no problem with a factory exchange unit being fitted but agree it would be better to inform the customer at the time to avoid comeback later .

The matter of the rack not being fitted correctly is another matter entirely and wholly unacceptable as it endangered not only the occupants of the vehicle but potentially anyone else who could have been involved in a resultant crash . This should be fully investigated and pursued so that at least the mechanic involved is made aware of the possible consequences and will hopefully never make the same mistake again . If the sub standard job was indeed carried out in a Mercedes dealership I would imagine their head office would take this very seriously .

Looking now at the issue of the faulty fuel guage and varoius other items mentioned , considering this is a fairly new , and high value , vehicle - I'd speculate the OP has been sold a 'lemon' and a return under the sale of goods act might seem appropriate .