Mercedes Benz of Glasgow

[Dryce]

Can I ask are the guys recommended using MB Glasgow North or South branch, i.e. City Centre or Giffnock? I've had nothing but rotten and incompetent service from one of them and for my service later this month I'm considering driving to Grangemouth MB to get away from the Stratstone group so would be happy to hear which branch you guys recommend and who should I ask for in particular!

We last used the main Glasgow branch for service was last year and MOT earlier this year. They were OK though I felt they were trying it on a bit for some additional work on the service (early ATF change and a suggestion that my front tyres needed changing). The sales and after-sales experience we've had on our two cars was very good but that was a while back.

I didn't recognise any of the staff last time I was past there to have my MOT done - either on the service front desk or in the used sales. And when I had my MOT done there they wouldn't book it in for a specific time so you have no idea how long you'll have to wait. My wife and I ended up wandering into the used showroom as she wanted to look at R171s. We spent several minutes in there with no other customers and wandered back out. We were ignored. She was unimpressed.

 

[yellowbentines]

I've had too many problems to list with servicing, but one that sticks out was about 1 week after a service I had a puncture, when I took the wheel off for repair I noticed the rear tyres were on the minimum markers (I know i should've checked myself sooner!) - so not only did the dealer not do the most basic of basic checks during a service, they missed an opportunity to sell me some tyres, unforgivable in my book! If they're not checking the tyres what else are they skipping over?

That said the new car sales and after sales has always been excellent.

 

[smiddyboy1]

Can I ask are the guys recommended using MB Glasgow North or South branch, i.e. City Centre or Giffnock? I've had nothing but rotten and incompetent service from one of them and for my service later this month I'm considering driving to Grangemouth MB to get away from the Stratstone group so would be happy to hear which branch you guys recommend and who should I ask for in particular!

Why not try Mercedes Benz of Hamilton they score 96% on here , Not sure if its a stratstone tho..

Here are the "others" score:
Mercedes Benz of Giffnock 93%
Mercedes Benz of Glasgow 89%
(I'm not surprised the place is a joke (except the parts guys who have been excellent)

 

[yellowbentines]

Yeah, Glasgow, Giffnock, Ayr and Hamilton are all Stratstone and fall under Mercedes Benz West of Scotland as a mini-dealer-group.

 

[rf065]

Can I ask are the guys recommended using MB Glasgow North or South branch, i.e. City Centre or Giffnock? I've had nothing but rotten and incompetent service from one of them and for my service later this month I'm considering driving to Grangemouth MB to get away from the Stratstone group so would be happy to hear which branch you guys recommend and who should I ask for in particular!

I had the same experience with the Giffnock branch & travelled to Weirs in Perth for my B service. The phrase "out of the frying pan & into the fire" probably gives the best account of how that went.

Just had my last service & gearbox oil change done at MB Hamilton & found them to be really good. Fixed price servicing without adding on any extras to bump the price up, agreed to match Kwickfit price on air con re-gas. Told me I did not need it done saving me £50.

Only downside when I collected the car was miles to next service showing 10,000 instead of 13,000 when set for synthetic oil. Every MB dealer has done this to me & everyone should be aware of it.

Russ

 

[Dryce]

I
Only downside when I collected the car was miles to next service showing 10,000 instead of 13,000 when set for synthetic oil. Every MB dealer has done this to me & everyone should be aware of it.

I don't think this is just a dealer issue. It's a MB issue. The few service sheets I have seen make no mention of setting the oil type/service interval in the car. They only make a reference to checking the extended mileage is set for cars that are on annual servicing.

 

[yellowbentines]

I don't think this is just a dealer issue. It's a MB issue. The few service sheets I have seen make no mention of setting the oil type/service interval in the car. They only make a reference to checking the extended mileage is set for cars that are on annual servicing.

This happened to me at MB Glasgow on my previous car, after a few trips back they did eventually contact MB head office, held their hands up and said 'sorry, nobody told us about the different settings for different oils', and reset the indicator - but it took a lot of pressure from me to get them to look further into it as they were adamant at first that 10k miles was the max interval you could reset Assyst to.

However...it seems a little strange that more owners seem to know about this issue than MB dealers, how did we manage to come across this information whilst it slipped past so-called MB trained technicians? Or is it as the conspiracy theory suggest smaller service intervals = more £££s for dealerships?

 

[rf065]

When you use the steering wheel controls to reset the service interval, it quite clearly gives you the choice of 229.3 or 229.5 oil.

It seems impossible for every workshop to choose 229.3 which gives a 10,000 mile interval by mistake when they have used 229.5 oil. It is safe to assume they have been instructed to do this as 13,000 mile intervals are not in their best interests.

Also, when mine has been set to 10,000 miles, it has not actually called for a service until between 11 & 12,000 miles. Now that I have reset it for 13,000 miles, it may not call for a service until 15 or 16,000 miles have passed.

Russ

 

[Dryce]

When you use the steering wheel controls to reset the service interval, it quite clearly gives you the choice of 229.3 or 229.5 oil.

Only on some cars.

And this is part of the problem. It looks like tweaks to the options available on the cars and to Assyst have been made over the production life of the vehicle and also possibly via 'upgrades'.

MB are not transparent no the matter.

 

[Rory]

When you use the steering wheel controls to reset the service interval, it quite clearly gives you the choice of 229.3 or 229.5 oil.

In mine it also offers "standard" as a choice. Mine has always come back correctly set. But it's on ServicePlus - funny that.

 

[Dryce]

However...it seems a little strange that more owners seem to know about this issue than MB dealers, how did we manage to come across this information whilst it slipped past so-called MB trained technicians? Or is it as the conspiracy theory suggest smaller service intervals = more £££s for dealerships?

I don't think it's a conspiracy as such.

MB have simply screwed up. They launch cars and make inflated claims about intelligent servicing. They then back track quietly over several years.

The technicians will go by the service sheets. If the sheet says nothing then they'll do nothing. Who issues the service sheets? MB.

And of course for the few people in the workshops who do realise what is going on there is little incentive to rock the boat.

My car has not 229.5 option on the service indicator. I never checked it when I got it so it may have been upgraded off. However i suspect that with W211s the option was killed around late 2004 along with some of the SBC options.

 

[BobC]

Booked in for a B service on my C180K next week, and was quoted £432

However, after doing a bit of phoning round, got a quote from another main dealer for £349, and asked MB Glasgow to price match, which they agreed to.

Will let you know how it goes.

Well, that's the service done. No major issues, a couple of advisories, but with the mileage I do (about 8K a year) nothing to worry about until early 2010.
No issues with the dealership, very professional and changed the wheel nuts which were rusting without a blink of an eye.

 

[smiddyboy1]

I was in at the parts dept at the weekend and there was a guy having a right go at the service dept. And I mean a proper full on go!!!

He had paid £600 to replace a broken spring 6 months ago and now they were saying it needed bushes (found during the service) costing £400. The argument was why wasn't it spotted when the spring on the same side was replaced. Car owner replied "its not as if the car has done many miles since - its only got 16,000 on it" !!!!!!! - Service guy reccons it "might" be covered under goodwill.

Anyone who knows this dealership knows you have to wait at the seats at the left hand side behind the service desks, and being a Saturday morning the salesmen were changing the showroom cars, anyway we were all asked to move up to the back so that the salesguys could move the cars without anyone being hurted - more like so we dont hear the guys story!

 

[st4]

I had my car serviced @ Hart Motors in Clydebank. A service and rear pads + pollen filter change for £285 inc VAT. They seemed professional and would go back as its the "right side" of the city for me. They also do BMWs and VAG.

 

[G-Force]

I've had my servicing and repairs done by Ian at HK Autotec in Stevenston, he really know's his stuff, as my car is no longer under warranty i dont mind it not going to a main dealer, you dont get a hire car but the cost more than reflects this.
One of my freinds has started using him too and we are both thoroughly impressed.

 

[yellowbentines]

Ok, after a few years of moaning about MB Glasgow (Milton St Stratstone dealership) and their poor service/****-ups they completely shocked me yesterday when the E-Class went in for it's first 'A' service/expensive oil change.

- Service manager Marc checked car in and actually came out and visually inspected it with me, noticed a few stone chips which he offered to touch up FOC, and also noticed valve caps were missing and offered to replace with a new set of the proper alloy caps, again FOC.
- Actually seemed genuinely keen to know whether I was enjoying ownership and asked if there was any other problems or issues to report, or comments I'd like to pass on.
- Lubricated my squeaky folding mirrors FOC.
- Car was returned clean and shiny, not just a quick wash, PROPERLY washed with clean dressed tyres.
- A quick check of the dipstick confirms filled to the max line with lovely clean oil.

So, I'm a happy chappy this time, hopefully this wasn't a one-off!

 

[Dryce]

So, I'm a happy chappy this time, hopefully this wasn't a one-off!

OK. Sounds good. But now the killer question ...... how much?

 

[yellowbentines]

OK. Sounds good. But now the killer question ...... how much?

Menu price is £259 (he showed me the card), but I mentioned the previous poor service/problems I'd encountered using them and he reduced it to £200 inc vat, which I thought pretty fair.

I may switch to a specialist for all servicing after the warranty expires, but only once I'm convinced it's looking like a reliable car long term!

 

[Dryce]

Menu price is £259 (he showed me the card), but I mentioned the previous poor service/problems I'd encountered using them and he reduced it to £200 inc vat, which I thought pretty fair.

Reasonable.

 

[glojo]

Menu price is £259 (he showed me the card), but I mentioned the previous poor service/problems I'd encountered using them and he reduced it to £200 inc vat, which I thought pretty fair.

I may switch to a specialist for all servicing after the warranty expires, but only once I'm convinced it's looking like a reliable car long term!

If you go the specialist route then please go into it with your eyes wide open.

Your service which should have allegedly cost £259 will include the latest service upgrades and any technical advisories which might have been circulated by Mercedes-Benz.

In summer our dealership is well over one hours distance from our house and at the height of the holiday season it will be nearer two hours, and the service price will include collection and delivery, OR a courtesy car.

I think the pricescharged are disgusting and should be much lower. Oh I forgot to mention that our car is always valetted inside and out (hand washed)

I like our E-class and being a complex, electronic minefield, it should always be serviced by folks that know what they are doing and these service bulletins MUST be carried out (must might be a bit strong)