CLK55 rust warranty issues

[peterg1965]

I took my CLK55 into MB of Blackpool the other week for a rust warranty assessment. Both rear arches need sorting with rust on the inners arch lips and one corrosion blister on the drivers side. Both front arches are also showing the early signs of corrosion on the inner lips. Additionally there is a little bit of rust in the engine bay on the drivers side, on the seams and welds.

I got the answer back from MB Customer Services today via MB Blackpool.......

......... They will not touch the passenger side rear arch as it has had paint before, but not under my ownership. They will repair all the other rust issues, apparently the front wings are replaced and the rear arch shot blasted and treated before repaint. However, they have asked for a 45% contribution from me! When I asked why, it is because I have only owned the car since 8 February and the stipulation for the warranty is that I have to have owned the car for 12 months (I thought it was 6). Anyway the 45% contribution amounts to about £810+ VAT and the repair to the passenger side rear (not covered) would be about £450+VAT. So, the best part of £1500!!!

Any thoughts on what I should do, does anyone have any experience of MB asking for a contribution? is it worth contesting the case with MB Customer Services in the hope they will waive or reduce the customer contribution?

 

[JonnyCJ]

Had my old CL500 roof done after 9 months with no quibbles. Find out who did the first repaint and if it was via Merc, go back to the bodyshop and ask for it to be done properly !

Also ask what they will do if you wait for another 8 months and then claim ? Would seem worth it to me to have a bit of rust for 8 months and save £1500

 

[wemorgan]

So if you wait for 12 months of ownership will the contribution be less?

Plan B - when you're ready to sell the car get the rear arches done privately ~£300-£400 so it will be looking its best and you'll get maximum value back.

 

[puffsorted]

I took my CLK55 into MB of Blackpool the other week for a rust warranty assessment. Both rear arches need sorting with rust on the inners arch lips and one corrosion blister on the drivers side. Both front arches are also showing the early signs of corrosion on the inner lips. Additionally there is a little bit of rust in the engine bay on the drivers side, on the seams and welds.

I got the answer back from MB Customer Services today via MB Blackpool.......

......... They will not touch the passenger side rear arch as it has had paint before, but not under my ownership. They will repair all the other rust issues, apparently the front wings are replaced and the rear arch shot blasted and treated before repaint. However, they have asked for a 45% contribution from me! When I asked why, it is because I have only owned the car since 8 February and the stipulation for the warranty is that I have to have owned the car for 12 months (I thought it was 6). Anyway the 45% contribution amounts to about £810+ VAT and the repair to the passenger side rear (not covered) would be about £450+VAT. So, the best part of £1500!!!

Any thoughts on what I should do, does anyone have any experience of MB asking for a contribution? is it worth contesting the case with MB Customer Services in the hope they will waive or reduce the customer contribution?

Their lying, it is 6 months. The MB assessor who looked at mine (and I only got the car back last Saturday) give this as the criteria - must have MB or Independant SH, must be less than 8yrs old, paint must be less than 100 Microns (factory will be about 80-90) , must have owned the car 6 months. My arch was 98! Microns (phew!) indicating it had had a very light coat of clear lacquer - probably to cover a light scratch that hadn't gone in as deep as the paint.
No quibble with mine at all, even got a courtesy car FOC for the week they had it.

 

[Will]

Hi Peter,

It sounds like a convenient way of saying to you 'You're on your own'

£1500 would probably be close to the about the amount MB would pay the bodyshop including the cost of the wings. So your 45% probably amounts to near enough the full invoice amount IMHO. I don't think bodyshops get paid full retail labour rates for warranty work (?)

If the sticking point is purely the duration of your ownership (I, likewise, thought it to be 6 months) then consider approaching the matter from this angle. Ask them to clarify where the 12 month stipulation is from etc?

Even if you had to wait 8 months to cover the cost of the agreed repairs (all exc. the rear arch?) then I would say that it could be worth allowing the dust to settle and taking that option.

Will

 

[peterg1965]

Thanks for your comments. I will speak to MB Customer Services tomorrow and quote the '6 months' ownership vice 12. There is no way I am forking out £1500 and if it means I don't have it done until the end of the year and I pay less (or nothing) then I will be content with that. I would also rather have the rear arches done privately, than pay MB lots of money!

As for the paint thickness, I watched him do it. The paint on the passenger quarter above the arch was about 125 microns I think, suspect there may have been damage repair somewhere in the past not that it is obvious.

 

[davidjpowell]

Given that MB long seem to have accepted that their panels do corrode early and have been paying for a substantial amount of work it would be interesting to know if anyone has had a serious go, even where accident damage has been repaired. You could understand if the repair is the reason for the rust, but given that it does not seem to be the case, do they have a libaility?

One thing when they are being nice, but if they are going to wriggle anyway you wonder whether it might be worth a discussion?

Might be me barking up the wrong tree though...

 

[puffsorted]

Given that MB long seem to have accepted that their panels do corrode early and have been paying for a substantial amount of work it would be interesting to know if anyone has had a serious go, even where accident damage has been repaired. You could understand if the repair is the reason for the rust, but given that it does not seem to be the case, do they have a libaility?

One thing when they are being nice, but if they are going to wriggle anyway you wonder whether it might be worth a discussion?

Might be me barking up the wrong tree though...

I don't think you would get anywhere. The 8 year thing is an internal PR gesture put down as 'Goodwill' - its not written down anywhere. Talking with the assessor he was 99.99% confident that if mine met the criteria then it would be quibble free.... and 99.99% certain if it didn't then I had no chance.

I guess the dealer is lying so they make a few quid. for instance.

Total warranty repair cost is £1500
Pete pays 675 retail
MB Pay 725 - 40% main dealer discount = 290
Dealer gets £965 for the work

However if Pete brings it in after the 6 months
Pete pays 0 retail
MB Pay 1500 - 40% main dealer discount = 900
Dealer gets £900 for the work

The dealer knows Pete can't wait 12 months as then its over the 8 year cut off and....

Pete pays 1500 retail
MB Pay 0 - 40% main dealer discount = 0
Dealer gets £1500 for the work

In other words its in the dealers interest Pete has the work done now so they tell a little white lie about the length of ownership criteria. Naughty I know but we live in strange financial times and dealers are struggling

 

[peterg1965]

Spoke with MB Customer Services yesterday:
- Contested the 45% contribution
- Contested the 6/12 month ownership issue
- Asked them to reconsider and that if it helps I will not have the work done until August after I have owned the CLK55 for 6 months.

They said they will call me back!

 

[JonnyCJ]

Just picked up my CL55 which had a similar ish issue. Didn't want to jeopardise or pre-empt anything hence only posting this now !

My car had a couple of rust bubbles around the sunroof (I've had it for 3 months). I took it into my local Merc bodyshop in Chester and they contacted Merc UK, who said that it had been painted before and incorrectly, therefore they wouldn't touch it.

I contacted Gary Hendon - service manager at Merc Wolverhampton, who contacted he bodyshop that had done it previously under Merc warranty. They have repainted the whole roof (and done a cracking job !) and I only had to drop it off and pick it up. Apparently the bodyshop contacted DC UK and didn't have an issue with it being authorised.

Must point out that Gary has been a top bloke and thoroughly deserves the position of service manager. He was very helpful when I was looking to buy the car and has always been pleasant and friendly. Just what you'd expect really !

Unfortunately Merc Wolverhampton is too far for me to go to get a service etc but I can give him a double thumbs up from all of my dealings - none of which have been revenue generating for him.

 

[C43AMG]

Yes when i was interested in buying the car that Jonny's has and was checking the cars history he was very helpful.

 

[peterg1965]

Update...

MB will not move from their offer of doing the job with a 45% contribution from me. They have written a letter to me (not received yet) but the lady read it out to me. The gist of it is that the rust was present when I bought the car (I didn't directly say that on the original enquiry) and that their final and non negotiable position is that they will only pick up 55% of the cost.

I suspect that it isn't worth my effort to try and take this any further, I wouldn't know what to do anyway. So two choices; I leave it and eventually sell the car before it gets worse, or I take it to an independant body shop and see if the rear arches can be sorted at a reasonable cost. I am not particularly fussed about the front arches, to be honest there is hardly any noticable corrosion on the inner lip anyway.

So, I am left with a sour taste and it would probably make me think twice about another MB.

 

[BaldGuy]

Should have got that 209 Pete....

 

[cl55 amg]

I thought it was 30years and not 8?

 

[peterg1965]

I thought it was 30years and not 8?

I tried that line, Mobilo is 30 years and the rust warranty 8 apparently.

 

[peterg1965]

Should have got that 209 Pete....

Oh well, hindsight is a wonderful thing. One thing is for sure, I am not disappointed with the '55. The performance is fantastic, the noise sublime. The car is otherwise in very good fettle, no major issues at the MB service in February when I half expected a list as long as your arm with work required. There wasn't one and it got a clean bill of health. I have driven about 2700 miles in 5 months, I enjoy driving it especially when I plant my right foot down!

Oh and the other postive thing is that values have gone up. I had a BMW dealer friend check the Glass's Guide. It books at £8200 or so, with a retail of £10300! Which is up over the last few months. Doesn't explain why the local Stratsone MB dealer offered me £6250 a couple of months ago though!

 

[wemorgan]

Peter, you views echo mine.

Simply if I were you, when you're ready to sell the car, pay for a cheap local body shop repair.

Owning a Merc is fine if you don't mind the rust and can factor that in to the price. But as for being a premium OEM, well that's down to individual opinion.


Older than you're after but great value for money
2002 02 Reg BMW M5 5.0 V8 53k miles £12980

 

[JonnyCJ]

Oh and the other postive thing is that values have gone up. I had a BMW dealer friend check the Glass's Guide. It books at £8200 or so, with a retail of £10300! Which is up over the last few months. Doesn't explain why the local Stratsone MB dealer offered me £6250 a couple of months ago though!

2nd hand car prices are going up - it's one of the things that are contributing to inflation at the moment. I think everyone's calmed down now after the petrol/excise duty scare of 08.

12 month's tax - £210 for a 5.5l Merc - bargain

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

You're right prices are going up. I've been sniffing around the classifieds for ML/R/GL and Range Rovers of late, and compared to 6 months ago, the cheapest cars are several thousands of pounds more expensive now.

 

[peterg1965]

You're right prices are going up. I've been sniffing around the classifieds for ML/R/GL and Range Rovers of late, and compared to 6 months ago, the cheapest cars are several thousands of pounds more expensive now.

It may even mean that I have some equity in my GL320 now!