Mercedes Mobilo rant

[omega1]

Last Saturday was the first and only time I have ever used the Mercedes Mobile service and blimey, did they let me down big time...

Got a puncture (as indicated by the tyre pressure monitor), tried putting more air in (I have a portable air compressor) but it lost the air again quickly, managed to get to safety and thought "I know, I'll use the 'Jeeves' button that I have never used before" and pressed the Mercedes Me button and sure enough, someone answered the phone and offered to help. This was at 04:30.

What happened between that time and 12:15 (nearly 8 hours) was nothing short of a joke. I lost count of the "we'll be with you in 30 minutes" and then the farcical "we can't find any tyres" to "we've found one" back to "we can't find one" was, well, a joke. I even managed to get to a Mercedes garage on the run flats to see if they could help (who in fairness were helpful, but didn't have a tyre, nor could find one). If they'd have just been honest I could have crawled home on the runflats and taken my partners vehicle and been on my way.

Yes, this is a rant, but I'll be honest, I was expecting much more from Mercedes. If you are relying on Mercedes Mobile to get you on your way quickly and smoothly, think again.

Rant over...

 

[liamt]

I've never had to use Mercedes Mobilo but my brother has twice, once to put a 'get me home' tyre on his CLS when he had a rapid puncture after leaving work in the early hours of the morning. The second time was in his C300d when he accidentally ran over the remnants of someone's suspension. Both times they came out fairly quick and he was on his way,. I think it is worth noting that Mobilo is subcontracted out to the RAC so I suspect service may vary depending on RAC coverage in your area.

 

[BTB 500]

Sounds like the communication could have been better, but I can see that locating a replacement tyre of the correct size/rating at 4AM might be a bit tricky. There's a lot to be said for carrying a spare ... our S205 doesn't have one, which does worry me.

 

[omega1]

I think it is worth noting that Mobilo is subcontracted out to the RAC

Correct, it was the RAC that ultimately came out. When I politely explained to the chap I'd been waiting a long time (it was not his fault), he just went into rant mode himself about the RAC!

There's a lot to be said for carrying a spare

100%. Next car I have I'll have some kind of replacement tyre to avoid this again. If I'd had have one, I'd have been on my way. I thought I was prepared with an air compressor (which did help get me to safety and to MB garage) but ultimately not enough to continue my journey.

 

[BTB 500]

Next car I have I'll have some kind of replacement tyre to avoid this again. If I'd had have one, I'd have been on my way. I thought I was prepared with an air compressor (which did help get me to safety and to MB garage) but ultimately not enough to continue my journey.

We had an S203 before and that had a space saver ... needed it after wrecking a front tyre on a pothole. I need to investigate whether the S205 has room for one under the boot floor ... I suspect not, unfortunately (it just comes with a compressor as standard). Of course you need to fit a jack, wheel brace, etc. in as well as a spare.

 

[stubax]

Carry a spacesaver for just the above reason, only problem is it eats into the boot space, but at least I won't be stranded when regularly in the Lakes where mobile phone signal can be very hit and miss.

 

[markjay]

What tyre size are you running? Also, have you considered replacing the run flats with standard tyres? Standard tyres can be repaired (temp plug) at the roadside - I had the AA do it for me once, took them half hour all-in-all and the tyre didn't even need to come off the car. Run flats are great because you don't have to stop on the hard shoulder and deal with the puncture in a potentially unsafe location, so you can drive to safely. But they are generally a pain otherwise.......

 

[omega1]

What tyre size are you running?

That seems to have been the problem... 275/30 R20 (runflats).

 

[Neiltodd]

Had just as bad with RAC last summer.

 

[JHS]

We had an S203 before and that had a space saver ... needed it after wrecking a front tyre on a pothole. I need to investigate whether the S205 has room for one under the boot floor ... I suspect not, unfortunately (it just comes with a compressor as standard). Of course you need to fit a jack, wheel brace, etc. in as well as a spare.

You are correct, the S205 has no room under the boot floor. As I have just fitted 2 normal tyres to my S205, I now carry an emergency spare in the boot when no dog present. When she joins us, the spare travels on the back seat. Jack and brace do fit under the floor.

 

[omega1]

Out of interest, has anyone used one of those sprays you can put in a tyre that's meant to fix/inflate/cover a puncture? (Not sure exactly what they do or how they work? I remember always carrying one in the past but must have lost it at some stage in changing cars. Like one of these https://amzn.to/3Vi9lUo

 

[markjay]

Out of interest, has anyone used one of those sprays you can put in a tyre that's meant to fix/inflate/cover a puncture? (Not sure exactly what they do or how they work? I remember always carrying one in the past but must have lost it at some stage in changing cars. Like one of these https://amzn.to/3Vi9lUo

It comes with the car when no spare is provided. MB call it TIREFIT kit, goo can and inflator. I have yet to see one that worked as advertised... and the tyre shop will probably refuse to repair the puncture because they can't be bothered to clean up the messy gooey stuff from inside the tyre. The inflator itself is quite useful though.

 

[zipdip]

Well I carry two big cans of tyre sealer to shove into a puntured tyre,nothing worse than a early AM punture,used to be on the M4 lots of times around that time and that sealer saved me on a freezing cold night between Swindon and Leigh Delamere,I take your point about Mobilo you expect better,you are entitled to rant.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Last Saturday was the first and only time I have ever used the Mercedes Mobile service and blimey, did they let me down big time...

Got a puncture (as indicated by the tyre pressure monitor), tried putting more air in (I have a portable air compressor) but it lost the air again quickly, managed to get to safety and thought "I know, I'll use the 'Jeeves' button that I have never used before" and pressed the Mercedes Me button and sure enough, someone answered the phone and offered to help. This was at 04:30.

What happened between that time and 12:15 (nearly 8 hours) was nothing short of a joke. I lost count of the "we'll be with you in 30 minutes" and then the farcical "we can't find any tyres" to "we've found one" back to "we can't find one" was, well, a joke. I even managed to get to a Mercedes garage on the run flats to see if they could help (who in fairness were helpful, but didn't have a tyre, nor could find one). If they'd have just been honest I could have crawled home on the runflats and taken my partners vehicle and been on my way.

Yes, this is a rant, but I'll be honest, I was expecting much more from Mercedes. If you are relying on Mercedes Mobile to get you on your way quickly and smoothly, think again.

Rant over...

Sorry to hear of your woes. That said I can’t help but think that trying to source a tyre before tyre fitters open would be a difficult thing to do. I’m surprised they didn’t recover you.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve used them and the service has always been first rate. I wouldn’t write them off based upon this encounter though, despite the inconvenience.

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , I have used them twice and I found the technician really good. He went through the car trying to find the fault and in his opinion he with the help of star thought the battery was not fully charged.