Cheesed off with your Mercedes?

[Bobby Dazzler]

Cheesed off with your Mercedes, because it has touchscreens instead of buttons; servicing is too expensive; it gets through a set of Nankangs too quickly; it’s range is just 6% of what the manufacturer claims; the 3G module has been retired; you don’t like the “stuck on” iPad look; they’re not as well made as they used to be; residuals are terrible; you don’t like the agency sales model; the service you receive from main dealers is shocking; the main dealers are all thieves because they charge for labour whereas your own labour is free; EV chargers are all broken; the future is hydrogen and not EV; you can’t legally use seventh gear anymore after the dealer did a software update; your 2018 E 220d AMG Line Premium Plus Night Edition doesn’t have Apple CarPlay but you 2007 Renault Clio Campus does; it pulls very very slightly to the left; you don’t like the Panamericana grille; you do like the Panamericana grille; the main dealer parts counter in the local town charges more for genuine Mercedes-Benz parts than a Latvian mail order specialist charges for aftermarket parts?

If so then this might right be up your street.

'Toys For Boys Collection' - RPM Technik - Independent Porsche Specialists

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[HappytalkAgain]

Cheesed off with your Mercedes, because it has touchscreens instead of buttons; servicing is too expensive; it gets through a set of Nankangs too quickly; it’s range is just 6% of what the manufacturer claims; the 3G module has been retired; you don’t like the “stuck on” iPad look; they’re not as well made as they used to be; residuals are terrible; you don’t like the agency sales model; the service you receive from main dealers is shocking; the main dealers are all thieves because they charge for labour whereas your own labour is free; EV chargers are all broken; the future is hydrogen and not EV; you can’t legally use seventh gear anymore after the dealer did a software update; your 2018 E 220d AMG Line Premium Plus Night Edition doesn’t have Apple CarPlay but you 2007 Renault Clio Campus does; it pulls very very slightly to the left; you don’t like the Panamericana grille; you do like the Panamericana grille; the main dealer parts counter in the local town charges more for genuine Mercedes-Benz parts than a Latvian mail order specialist charges for aftermarket parts?

If so then this might right be up your street.

Mods: please change thread title to ‘MB Club review of the year’

 

[SpikyMikey]

Cheesed off with your Mercedes, because it has touchscreens instead of buttons; servicing is too expensive; it gets through a set of Nankangs too quickly; it’s range is just 6% of what the manufacturer claims; the 3G module has been retired; you don’t like the “stuck on” iPad look; they’re not as well made as they used to be; residuals are terrible; you don’t like the agency sales model; the service you receive from main dealers is shocking; the main dealers are all thieves because they charge for labour whereas your own labour is free; EV chargers are all broken; the future is hydrogen and not EV; you can’t legally use seventh gear anymore after the dealer did a software update; your 2018 E 220d AMG Line Premium Plus Night Edition doesn’t have Apple CarPlay but you 2007 Renault Clio Campus does; it pulls very very slightly to the left; you don’t like the Panamericana grille; you do like the Panamericana grille; the main dealer parts counter in the local town charges more for genuine Mercedes-Benz parts than a Latvian mail order specialist charges for aftermarket parts?

If so then this might right be up your street.

'Toys For Boys Collection' - RPM Technik - Independent Porsche Specialists

rpmtechnik.co.uk

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Accept third party cookies

Not quite got the budget?

 

[gr1nch]

Cheesed off with your Mercedes, because it has touchscreens instead of buttons; servicing is too expensive; it gets through a set of Nankangs too quickly; it’s range is just 6% of what the manufacturer claims; the 3G module has been retired; you don’t like the “stuck on” iPad look; they’re not as well made as they used to be; residuals are terrible; you don’t like the agency sales model; the service you receive from main dealers is shocking; the main dealers are all thieves because they charge for labour whereas your own labour is free; EV chargers are all broken; the future is hydrogen and not EV; you can’t legally use seventh gear anymore after the dealer did a software update; your 2018 E 220d AMG Line Premium Plus Night Edition doesn’t have Apple CarPlay but you 2007 Renault Clio Campus does; it pulls very very slightly to the left; you don’t like the Panamericana grille; you do like the Panamericana grille; the main dealer parts counter in the local town charges more for genuine Mercedes-Benz parts than a Latvian mail order specialist charges for aftermarket parts?

If so then this might right be up your street.

'Toys For Boys Collection' - RPM Technik - Independent Porsche Specialists

rpmtechnik.co.uk

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Accept third party cookies

Thanks for the Christmas laughs .

Yes, I've got some gripes.

* LEDs that fail after about 10 hours of use (the driver's door handle) but will cost £900 to replace because the main dealer says it takes multiple hours to do as Mercedes never expected them to fail. When challenged on the price they requoted a "just for you" £650. Rejected the offer.

* Main dealers who "forget" to update the Maps (3 updates from new) then get shirty when you remind them to do it, after you realise there are new roundabouts where your satnav says is a straight through road. Then, said dealer, no more after 2 updates because it's been too long between them! Grrrr. I will test them on this if I ever go back!

* Main dealers who are supposed to give you a like for like replacement courtesy car. The dealer is in the sticks. Mine is an S350d. They've never kept the marketing promise, they've been A, C, E... And they charge for insurance!

* Main dealer receptionists who treat you like an inconvenience that gets in the way of their coffee breaks or "work" on their computer. After 5 years, they still treat you like a stranger.

* An audio software system that is horrendously antiquated playing through very decent hardware (I had spent good money on a Burmeister upgrade). No favourites, or playlists, or play memory. It's like the £20 mini portable mp3 player that I had in the early 2000s. I have ended up using my phone over Bluetooth.

* Charging for every little service available for the car, eg Car location via Mercedes Me, live traffic on the satnav.

* Tyres that don't last long even with very careful driving. Too many sets of top end tyres to count (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S previously Pirelli P Zeros). Mileage below 40K.

* A model of Mercedes (S350D AMG Line Premium) that there is no known option for a towbar! Mercedes do not supply an option, nor do any other 3rd party manufacturers, apparently because of the rear bumper. The local tow bar centre was stumped. How hard can it be for Mercedes to have designed one for this common S-class model?

* Electrical problems from, virtually, day one. Keyless Go unit failed, main battery drained because the under-door lights decided to remain on 24x7, the door handle LED mentioned already, Distronic and Lane Assist off because of "Auxiliary Battery Malfunction" even though both batteries are newish and fully charged (checked).

* The replacement cost of a thimbleful amount of "perfume" in the glove apartment atomiser, about £70-80. More expensive than Chanel No.5 for the missus!

Apart from these gripes I'm still loving driving the car and don't want to change it .

 

[HappytalkAgain]

Thanks for the Christmas laughs .

Yes, I've got some gripes.

* LEDs that fail after about 10 hours of use (the driver's door handle) but will cost £900 to replace because the main dealer says it takes multiple hours to do as Mercedes never expected them to fail. When challenged on the price they requoted a "just for you" £650. Rejected the offer.

* Main dealers who "forget" to update the Maps (3 updates from new) then get shirty when you remind them to do it, after you realise there are new roundabouts where your satnav says is a straight through road. Then, said dealer, says no more after 2 updates because it's been too long between updates! Grrrr.

* Main dealers who are supposed to give you a like for like replacement courtesy car. Mine is an S350d. And they charge for insurance! They've never kept the marketing promise, they've been A, C, E...

* Main dealer receptionists who treat you like an inconvenience that gets in the way of their coffee breaks or "work" on their computer. After 5 years, they still treat you like a stranger.

* An audio software system that is horrendously antiquated playing through very decent hardware (I had spent good money on a Burmeister upgrade). No favourites, or playlists, or memory. It's like a £20 portable 2001 mp3 player that I had. I have ended up using my phone over Bluetooth.

* Charging for every little service available for the car, eg Car location via Mercedes Me, live traffic on the satnav.

* Tyres that don't last long even with very careful driving. Too many sets of top end tyres to count (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S previously Pirelli P Zeros).

* A model of Mercedes (S350D AMG Line Premium) that there is no known option for a towbar! Mercedes do not supply an option, nor do any other 3rd partu manufacturers, apparently because of the rear bumper. The local tow bar centre was estimated. How hard can it be for Mercedes to have designed one for this common S-class model?

* Electrical problems from, virtually, day one. Keyless Go unit failed, main battery drained because the underdoor lights decided to remain on 24x7, the door handle LED mentioned already, Distronic and Lane Assist off because of "Auxilliary Battery Malfunction" even though both batteries are newish and fully charged.

* The replacement cost of a thimbleful amount of "perfume" in the glove apartment atomiser, about £70-80. More expensive than Chanel No.5 for the missus!

Apart from these gripes I'm still loving driving the car and don't want to change it .

Great to see you matey.

(Moaning ole begger)

 

[GeeJayW]

Cheesed off? Definitely not with the car, though it's not been perfect (few cars are).

However, it is clear that Mercedes services and customer service have declined substantially since we got our first one and indeed even since 2017 when we bought our current car. They still market themselves as a premium car maker and price their products accordingly, but the unwillingness to support 'legacy' vehicles and long-term customers is disappointing to say the least.

Don't know if we will replace our current car with another Mercedes. That said, we did some running about in it last week (500-600miles or so) and it is still a very capable car.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Thanks for the Christmas laughs .

Yes, I've got some gripes.

* LEDs that fail after about 10 hours of use (the driver's door handle) but will cost £900 to replace because the main dealer says it takes multiple hours to do as Mercedes never expected them to fail. When challenged on the price they requoted a "just for you" £650. Rejected the offer.

* Main dealers who "forget" to update the Maps (3 updates from new) then get shirty when you remind them to do it, after you realise there are new roundabouts where your satnav says is a straight through road. Then, said dealer, no more after 2 updates because it's been too long between them! Grrrr. I will test them on this if I ever go back!

* Main dealers who are supposed to give you a like for like replacement courtesy car. The dealer is in the sticks. Mine is an S350d. They've never kept the marketing promise, they've been A, C, E... And they charge for insurance!

* Main dealer receptionists who treat you like an inconvenience that gets in the way of their coffee breaks or "work" on their computer. After 5 years, they still treat you like a stranger.

* An audio software system that is horrendously antiquated playing through very decent hardware (I had spent good money on a Burmeister upgrade). No favourites, or playlists, or play memory. It's like the £20 mini portable mp3 player that I had in the early 2000s. I have ended up using my phone over Bluetooth.

* Charging for every little service available for the car, eg Car location via Mercedes Me, live traffic on the satnav.

* Tyres that don't last long even with very careful driving. Too many sets of top end tyres to count (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S previously Pirelli P Zeros). Mileage below 40K.

* A model of Mercedes (S350D AMG Line Premium) that there is no known option for a towbar! Mercedes do not supply an option, nor do any other 3rd party manufacturers, apparently because of the rear bumper. The local tow bar centre was stumped. How hard can it be for Mercedes to have designed one for this common S-class model?

* Electrical problems from, virtually, day one. Keyless Go unit failed, main battery drained because the under-door lights decided to remain on 24x7, the door handle LED mentioned already, Distronic and Lane Assist off because of "Auxiliary Battery Malfunction" even though both batteries are newish and fully charged (checked).

* The replacement cost of a thimbleful amount of "perfume" in the glove apartment atomiser, about £70-80. More expensive than Chanel No.5 for the missus!

Apart from these gripes I'm still loving driving the car and don't want to change it .

....but apart from that.........

 

[gr1nch]

Great to see you matey.

(Moaning ole begger)

Thanks Ant, you too. Hope all's well. Any gripes yourself?

 

[HappytalkAgain]

Thanks Ant, you too. Hope all's well. Any gripes yourself?

All good here buddy.

Gripes? Me?? Nahhhhh. Love my Vito to the moon & back.

 

[kam09]

Thanks for the Christmas laughs .

Yes, I've got some gripes.

* LEDs that fail after about 10 hours of use (the driver's door handle) but will cost £900 to replace because the main dealer says it takes multiple hours to do as Mercedes never expected them to fail. When challenged on the price they requoted a "just for you" £650. Rejected the offer.

* Main dealers who "forget" to update the Maps (3 updates from new) then get shirty when you remind them to do it, after you realise there are new roundabouts where your satnav says is a straight through road. Then, said dealer, no more after 2 updates because it's been too long between them! Grrrr. I will test them on this if I ever go back!

* Main dealers who are supposed to give you a like for like replacement courtesy car. The dealer is in the sticks. Mine is an S350d. They've never kept the marketing promise, they've been A, C, E... And they charge for insurance!

* Main dealer receptionists who treat you like an inconvenience that gets in the way of their coffee breaks or "work" on their computer. After 5 years, they still treat you like a stranger.

* An audio software system that is horrendously antiquated playing through very decent hardware (I had spent good money on a Burmeister upgrade). No favourites, or playlists, or play memory. It's like the £20 mini portable mp3 player that I had in the early 2000s. I have ended up using my phone over Bluetooth.

* Charging for every little service available for the car, eg Car location via Mercedes Me, live traffic on the satnav.

* Tyres that don't last long even with very careful driving. Too many sets of top end tyres to count (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S previously Pirelli P Zeros). Mileage below 40K.

* A model of Mercedes (S350D AMG Line Premium) that there is no known option for a towbar! Mercedes do not supply an option, nor do any other 3rd party manufacturers, apparently because of the rear bumper. The local tow bar centre was stumped. How hard can it be for Mercedes to have designed one for this common S-class model?

* Electrical problems from, virtually, day one. Keyless Go unit failed, main battery drained because the under-door lights decided to remain on 24x7, the door handle LED mentioned already, Distronic and Lane Assist off because of "Auxiliary Battery Malfunction" even though both batteries are newish and fully charged (checked).

* The replacement cost of a thimbleful amount of "perfume" in the glove apartment atomiser, about £70-80. More expensive than Chanel No.5 for the missus!

Apart from these gripes I'm still loving driving the car and don't want to change it .

My main dealer quoted me £250 to change 1 door handle led.. courtesy was a brand new a class saloon but didn't have to pay anything for it.. my mercedes me features like location n live traffic are free for me.. and yes the maps not being done by previous owner(s) is very annoying so I'll have to do myself via 3rd party company!

 

[MSG2004]

I thought you were writing about me, lol.

The problem is and my dad found out in the mid 60's (his first merc) that once you go MB, there is no going back.

The main reason I went MB was in 2004 when there were no other reliable automatics imo, s i bought a 2003 auto merc.

TBH, the GLE drives straight, but the c classes always pulled to the left

 

[Smiley]

The main reason I went MB was in 2004 when there were no other reliable automatics imo, s i bought a 2003 auto merc.

TBH, the GLE drives straight, but the c classes always pulled to the left

Plenty of more reliable cars if that is what you want.....starting with every Lexus, Toyota, Honda.....

 

[Smiley]

Thanks for the Christmas laughs .

Yes, I've got some gripes.

* LEDs that fail after about 10 hours of use (the driver's door handle) but will cost £900 to replace because the main dealer says it takes multiple hours to do as Mercedes never expected them to fail. When challenged on the price they requoted a "just for you" £650. Rejected the offer.

* Main dealers who "forget" to update the Maps (3 updates from new) then get shirty when you remind them to do it, after you realise there are new roundabouts where your satnav says is a straight through road. Then, said dealer, no more after 2 updates because it's been too long between them! Grrrr. I will test them on this if I ever go back!

* Main dealers who are supposed to give you a like for like replacement courtesy car. The dealer is in the sticks. Mine is an S350d. They've never kept the marketing promise, they've been A, C, E... And they charge for insurance!

* Main dealer receptionists who treat you like an inconvenience that gets in the way of their coffee breaks or "work" on their computer. After 5 years, they still treat you like a stranger.

* An audio software system that is horrendously antiquated playing through very decent hardware (I had spent good money on a Burmeister upgrade). No favourites, or playlists, or play memory. It's like the £20 mini portable mp3 player that I had in the early 2000s. I have ended up using my phone over Bluetooth.

* Charging for every little service available for the car, eg Car location via Mercedes Me, live traffic on the satnav.

* Tyres that don't last long even with very careful driving. Too many sets of top end tyres to count (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S previously Pirelli P Zeros). Mileage below 40K.

* A model of Mercedes (S350D AMG Line Premium) that there is no known option for a towbar! Mercedes do not supply an option, nor do any other 3rd party manufacturers, apparently because of the rear bumper. The local tow bar centre was stumped. How hard can it be for Mercedes to have designed one for this common S-class model?

* Electrical problems from, virtually, day one. Keyless Go unit failed, main battery drained because the under-door lights decided to remain on 24x7, the door handle LED mentioned already, Distronic and Lane Assist off because of "Auxiliary Battery Malfunction" even though both batteries are newish and fully charged (checked).

* The replacement cost of a thimbleful amount of "perfume" in the glove apartment atomiser, about £70-80. More expensive than Chanel No.5 for the missus!

Apart from these gripes I'm still loving driving the car and don't want to change it .

You are in a perfect position - keep the car and switch to an independent for servicing and repairs.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Plenty of more BORING cars if that is what you want.....starting with every Lexus, Toyota, Honda.....

Fixed that for ya!

 

[fabes]

Odd one out here.

No gripes....
Got a free inspection off the main dealer when in for an airbag recall (and the all clear - I think they were disappointed...)
Got a filler cap 20 % cheaper than I could from eBay at the main dealer.

Apart from me putting new tyres on out of choice not need it's been faultless.

Some of the above stories are scary
How do main dealers exist.

 

[ioweddie]

loved mine for 7 years from new C220d premium plus estate. Got rid after expensive air suspension problems.
Bought a New VW Taigo 1.0 R line DSG. Which I actually prefer. Mad I know but in my opinion Mercedes are now no better than mainstream cars. Keep on the forum though because the Taigo one is crap. Merry Christmas from the Tropical of Wight,. Cheers Eddie

 

[GeeJayW]

loved mine for 7 years from new C220d premium plus estate. Got rid after expensive air suspension problems.
Bought a New VW Taigo 1.0 R line DSG. Which I actually prefer. Mad I know but in my opinion Mercedes are now no better than mainstream cars. Keep on the forum though because the Taigo one is crap. Merry Christmas from the Tropical of Wight,. Cheers Eddie

Didn’t know that the S205 had air suspension, our doesn’t…

 

[ioweddie]

Didn’t know that the S205 had air suspension, our doesn’t…

Mine had it was added to the order from new. Big mistake in hindsight.

 

[rich1068]

Plenty of more reliable cars if that is what you want.....starting with every Lexus, Toyota, Honda.....

I take great pleasure in telling people that I bought a Mercedes this time round because I couldn't afford a Lexus, Toyota or Honda

 

[ALFAitalia]

How do main dealers exist.

Because there are loads of gullible people around....you see them on here all the time. Those that believe dealers are the best, those that believe that main dealers have better fitters, those that believe the that a MDFSH will give a better PX value (even if it did I bet it would not cover the extra money they paid out for servicing and completely unnecessary work). Those people will defend their illogical decision to the death. They are the sort that probably import compressed air from Germany so air to have genuine air in the tyres! That said it's their money and their choice. I've worked at main dealers.....would I take my cars to one?.....nope. DIY or indie for me.