C220CDi Service B

[robert.saunders]

C220CDi Service B - I knew it'd be a big one(!)

Got the car in summer 2004, all was well. A nice 2002 model Elegance SE in pleasant Travertine with nice electric memory leather seats.

B service today. My first service for this car.

Robinsons of Peterborough - pretty pleasant bunch, local to me (I purchased the car from Mercedes of Brighton).

Total including new discs and pads all round a nice £4 short of the magic £1000 .

Still, having now got up after laying down most of the afternoon with a soothing cloth on my brow I remember it has to go back (on Valentines Day!) for all the warranty work to be completed, namely:

Loose trim on drivers door - very sharp edges on there!
Anti roll bar bushes - of course, W203 trait I believe
Complete new handbrake assembly - another trait?!
New wash/wipe "system" - not sure about that, but it sometimes doesn't always 'wash' when it 'wipes'
New drive belt in engine area (technical aren't I?!) - very noisy, rattles at idle
Plus a few other bits they mentioned but it all blended into the ether TBH.

Still, they cleaned it well, they are all very nice people (seriously) and they seemed to have improved the horrendous left pull somewhat, and re-aligned the headlamps along with the usual B Service things they do.

I'm quite sure Robinsons are not the cheapest dealer, but then running such a car I don't really expect cheap servicing.

Anyway, wanted to share my experience with you all, as you're all such nice people.

Rob

 

[mark.t]

£996....and they ****ing cleaned it well ...not even my money and i feel faint...

 

[robert.saunders]

"oh well, it's only money", said my dad after i told him tonight.

yes, "quite" i thought - my bloomin' money though !

 

[Jukie]

Robert, hope you've fully recovered from the shock. Sorry to read of the issues you've had with the car.

Can anyone else confirm the "traits" that Robert mentions? Are W203s still that bad or has the quality improved in the last year or two? I know there were quality issues when the W203 was first introduced in 2000.

 

[Dave Kerr]

Robert, hope you've fully recovered from the shock. Sorry to read of the issues you've had with the car.

Can anyone else confirm the "traits" that Robert mentions? Are W203s still that bad or has the quality improved in the last year or two? I know there were quality issues when the W203 was first introduced in 2000.

I have a C220 03/03 and not had one problem, no loose trim absolutely not one problem. No rattles, sqeaks, electronic troubles nothing. In the two years I have owned it has been to the garage once for a service, mind you that was enough at £400.
I am off to the dealer next week to see about getting a new one I am that impressed with it. Manual 6 speed of course.

Dave

 

[pammy]

Robert - nice to read a post where even though you have a high bill you don't necessarily think you're being taken for a ride. I must admit - as nice as my delaership is though - if they handed me a bill for just shy of £1k - I think I'd have fainted . Did they not warn you first? or did they just do the work and present you with a fait a complit?

Good time to get all those little niggles sorted though before your warranty expires. I'd check the condition of your alloys as well as they're covered by warranty. If they've any pitting or marking, not caused by kerbing ) I'd get them in too. Mine were replaced after only a few months, sadly we didn't think of this with the Voyager and those alloys are quite a mess now .

 

[robert.saunders]

Thanks for the comments! Hey Pammy, you're quite right about the alloys, I do have one that is pitted. When it goes back week Monday I'll mention that. Nice tip :bannana:

I think the actual amount of money, although high, is really what I expect. Yes, they did call me before the brake work, which is fair enough, the service lady said I may want to sit down ha ha

To be fair though, the work they did on the left pull problem they haven't charged me for (not directly anyway!), it feels completely different now. It only drifts left slightly now rather than has a constant pull, which from what I can gather from other good posts on here is pretty much right.

But overall I am ok with the dealer, I would rate them higher than the dealer in Brighton where I originally purchased - I was only visiting family in Brighton at the time and decided to go looking at cars. Was quite happy with the A-Class at that point, funny what you end up buying on a whim. Ho hum

Dave Kerr - glad you are having a trouble free time with yours. I must admit apart from what I have mentioned they really are only minor problems, so all in all I am happy with the car - it drives even better now and it is a good motor. Such a shame the build quality doesn't seem too great - better than my old A-Class (a 2001 model, revised shape) but not as good as my dads 1993 190E which seems to be made of solid stone. Great cars, the 190 series - I can appreciate their well deserved following.

Jukie, yes, again from what I can gather from the forum, the traits seem to be the pulling problems, bushes on the roll bars, handbrake issues etc but I am glad to get these sorted under warranty as it expires in March. I think I would have been more than unhappy with the invoice otherwise


Anyway thanks all for reading. Any comments gladly read with interest

Take care

Rob

 

[robert.saunders]

Update message

Update - apologies in advance for this long post.

Hi all - thought I'd finally update this thread with the latest on this service/warranty work and subsequent dealer failings. (I know I rated this dealer highly before - this has now slipped to useless and shoddy; what's new?!)

Let me begin:

Well, when the car was serviced (visit #1) the warranty work was not completed. So it was duly booked in for the work (visit #2), which comprised:

Replace V belt
Replace alternator pulley
Renew anti roll bar links
Replace diff output seals
Replace one-way valve for wipers
Replace entire handbrake/pedal assembly

They were also due to repair some loose trim on the drivers door and also eliminate an engine noise.

On collection, the car felt fine. However, loose trim not fixed. Engine noise absent but returned. And lo and behold a nice dent inside the car where the driver door butts to the dashboard near the handbrake release lever. Looks like a screwdriver or something was left wedged in the area when the door was shut. So, the "dealer" damaged my car, whilst in their care.

Called dealer, arranged them to eliminate engine noise and fix door trim and repair their own damage.

On visit #3 they eliminated the engine noise – something loose near the heater under the bonnet. However, in investigating they managed to loosen all the wiper assembly and so when I put the wipers on, on collection, the passenger side wiper mangled the driver side wiper and threatened to fly off the car. They fixed this there and then despite having supposedly tested all their work on the job card. I also noticed a nice new piece of damage near the gear selector where the trim had been dented inwards. So I pointed this out and asked why the other trim wasn’t fixed etc.

So, the car was booked in for the repair work to their own damage and the loose door trim. This would be visit #4.

I collected the car today. The work they have done is so shoddy I was smacked of the gob. They used some form of “filler” on the dents on the drivers door and dashboard area, which actually looks ok-ish, but the “filler” they used was obviously sanded down somehow and left a very rough surface and a change of colour. I have the full leather interior in beige, so it stands out a mile. The same applies to the area near the passenger footwell, by the gear selector. This small dent in that area, now having been repaired, looks a totally different colour and feels like rough sandpaper to touch. To top all this off someone kindly put blue ink from a pen all over the drivers seat.

So, I spoke to the aftersales manager, and explained my anger/disappointment/sadness/frustration – you choose. It will be booked in for visit #5 in a few weeks for a total renewal of all the trim they have cocked up and next week I will visit to have the leather cleaned.

Words fail me – despite this lengthy post (sorry!) but they are very much mistaken if they think I will ever grace them with my money at any point in the future!

 

[splang]

I have a 04/2004 just pre facelift which I have now had from new for 9 months.

It has been in about 12 times to deal with rattles and poor build quality. For example - today I went in to arrange for them to replace the drivers door speaker because of sound distortion.

TBH I dont blame the dealer - just the build quality of mercedes.

 

[Brian WH]

I hope they lent you something decent whilst all this work was going on.

A large bill followed by further problems, not good at all. Dealer would have been feeling a tongue lashing if it was me.

 

[robert.saunders]

Oh blimey don't get me started on the courtesy car. I appreciate on the service & warranty work to get what I am given. However, I was generally given an A-Class but I did have a C-Class when the service work was done. I booked a C-Class each time afterwards but always got an A-Class! How cheap of them, considering it was consistently going back to fix THEIR own faults!!

However, today again I had an A-Class (despite booking a C-Class) but got very annoyed with them and by a miracle a C-Class 230K Avantgarde appeared, which I have to say I was impressed with... (the car, not the fact I got it!)

 

[230K]

Visiting a mercedes dealer is very much like a pube on the rim of the toilet.


Sooner or later you get pissed off

Sorry to hear about your trouble but it is like most dealers the gloss makes you think they are the experts, but the gloss wears thin and you realise that they are only spivs in suits.

230K

 

[sparkyspost]

Oh dear, thats not so good to hear.

Damage to trim on one occasion could be forgiven as an accident, damage to trim, and rubbish repairs on another occasion = incompetence / lack of respect.

Makes you wonder what kind of numpty they have working there, to damage an expensive car not once by three times.
Then to do a shoddy job in repairing it... Not good.

With all the hassle you have had with them causing damage etc, you could go back to them and say that you want:
Either a refund on the last service cost (50%?)
The next service free,
Or something else that may come to mind that you want.

You should definately keep track of all the issues, contacts and visits.
Also the fact that after booking a courtesy car the one booked was not supplied.
With this info you should contact MB HQ in the UK and copy in the Dealership head person. Some of the guys on here have the contact details, and you might be able to do a search to find it.



Anyway, best of luck with it all.

Cheers

Sparky

 

[Piff]

Try airing your grievances with:-
Mercedes Benz Customer Assistance Centre NV
Gaetano Martinolaan 10
6229 Maastricht
NL
PO Box 1456
6201 Maastricht NL
Fax 0207 975 7074
Phone 00800 1 777 7777
e-mail [email protected]
You should be surprised how your main dealer will react to your problems once MB CAC become involved!
Don't forget to copy your main dealer with the correspondance.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Try airing your grievances with:-
Mercedes Benz Customer Assistance Centre NV
Gaetano Martinolaan 10
6229 Maastricht
NL
PO Box 1456
6201 Maastricht NL
Fax 0207 975 7074
Phone 00800 1 777 7777
e-mail [email protected]
You should be surprised how your main dealer will react to your problems once MB CAC become involved!
Don't forget to copy your main dealer with the correspondance.

I called the MB CAC on the freephone number when our A160 went back under warranty as a non starter (failed ignition switch).

Basically Greenoaks (Slough) the supplying dealer had it for about 2 days before even looking at it. Not impressed by the courtesy received from Greenoaks, i. they couldn't even find the car after it was towed there and ii, I had to constantly chase for updates to be told we're really busy we'll look at it in the morning (My translation - it's warranty work we don't get paid much for, we'd rather deal with paying customers at £95 per hour!)

Frustrated with the run around I called MB CAC, within 3 minutes I had the Service Manager of Greenoaks being very apologetic saying he had Masstricht on phone. He told me that my car would be ready & delivered back home that evening. Arrived home from work to find the car back and fully valeted.

Result! :bannana:

 

[Flash]

I would keep well away from this Stealership group - normally it Cus Services in Ireland that deal with complaints and if was to be escalated further it gets passed on to someone else may be the guys down Netherlands?

Flash

 

[Blue Lightning]

Robinsons of Peterborough - I'll remeber them, thanks robert.

 

[Piff]

Rumour has it that MB CAC fines offending dealerships £1000 for disgruntled customers. I'm not sure if that is when a problem is brought to their attention or if they fail to resolve problems.
My problems are with MB Watford - car with several faults & shoddy bodywork repairs! Still negotiating, but involvement of MB CAC seems to have lit a fire underneath them.

 

[Blue Lightning]

I just had a quote from Andy gayle in Birmingham, an independent MB specialist, for a B service on a C220 CDi, W203. His quote is £150 + VAT!

 

[Dieselman]

Rumour has it that MB CAC fines offending dealerships £1000 for disgruntled customers. I'm not sure if that is when a problem is brought to their attention or if they fail to resolve problems.

The dealer gets 48 hours to come up with a satisfactory action plan and then has to implement it to the customers satisfaction.
If they fail on either count a fine £1000 ensues.

MB phone the customer during repair times and after to ensure th customer is being kept upto date and is then happy with the repairs.