Dealer takes back S55 after 2 years!

[Matt's Dad]

I don’t know the full details, but a guy down the road from me has just been awarded his money back from an S55K he bought 2 years ago. He has also been awarded compensation and all costs too.

He paid £30,000 (plus a part ex I think) 2 years ago at a main dealer for the car, which had full MB service history. He said it’s been back to the workshop more times than he can remember, and he finally had enough, and told them he wanted his money back.

He told me it was ongoing a couple of months ago, and now it’s been settled, and they will take the car back, and pay him back what he paid for it (with no depreciation taken off). He said he’s had 2 years free motoring, although a lot of hassle along the way!

As I said, I haven’t got the full details yet as I didn’t have much time to talk to him, but thought it might be worth posting incase anyone else is having persistent problems with a car.

 

[Setanta]

Any chance you could find some more details (year, colour etc) since I am looking for one and would like to avoid this!

Cheers

 

[Will]

It'll probably be a good car eventually, so many new parts etc - bit like the old 'trigger's broom' analogy

No doubt MB will send it off to auction and I guess the warranty must be nearly up?

 

[Matt's Dad]

It'll probably be a good car eventually, so many new parts etc - bit like the old 'trigger's broom' analogy

No doubt MB will send it off to auction and I guess the warranty must be nearly up?

I'll have to ask him the year, as it's on a private plate. It's the older shape, I'm no expert with all the changes, but at a guess I would of thought it's a 2004 or 2005. (in Silver by the way!)

It only has 2 seats in the rear, really comfy ones though! he said it was a dealers MD car and had every option possible.

Nice and quick too, I took it for a quick drive last time I was talking to him

 

[nick mercedes]

It'll probably be a good car eventually

I know someone who ended up with a W220 after MB gave up...

 

[Setanta]

It can be good...and bad. My car has had a simply stupid amount of money spent on it with some eye-watering invoices but, never to the stage that it was purchased back. For something that bad, it suggests that there was something seriously wrong with the car and which could not be remedied/or so hugely expensive that not worth the cost of repair.

Taking that into account, for a dealership to take it back after all that time suggests that really one best avoided.

 

[jaymanek]

Yes I think we need more info on this one! there must have been something very very wrong if they took it back at full price after 2 years.
They would have lost very serious cash on that car.

 

[Gridlock]

Yes I think we need more info on this one! there must have been something very very wrong if they took it back at full price after 2 years.
They would have lost very serious cash on that car.

I guess if you can afford an S55 you can also afford the kind of lawyers who write very convincing letters...

 

[Setanta]

I have over £30,000 in work done by the previous owner of my car at a MB main dealer and even then, they still kept the car.

I can see a biturbo S600 (the turbos failing, the notorious oil leaks on the V12 etc) all ticking up the £££ but thought the S55 kompressor was more reliable.

A Friday car perhaps?

 

[Will]

At the end of the day a car is only bits of metal and plastic - absolutely anything is fixable, but often the physcological effects mean that it'll never be 'right' to the current owner - they lose heart in a car. Obviously an S55 is also a complex beast so it's likely MB have had a rough time trying to sort out a few faults as well.

Once that car is fixed properly, it'll be fine - there's no technical reason why it shouldn't be, and if it's had a shedload of new parts it's probably in better nick than most other ~ 6 year old W220s!