Mercedes tyre 'skipping' - official statement

[brucemillar]

New video taken yesterday morning in our GLC 250d, very slowly and cautiously reversing and driving onto the main road, dry road surface and temp was around 4 or 5 degrees.

https://youtu.be/g2wfEMQY0nc

Tony

At the risk of sounding flippant here (and I am not trying to be). The last time I saw or heard something like that on a car, was in the CIRCUS.

Simply put... That is outrageous.

Whatever the cause (and I still say it is transmission wind up) it must be having a negative impact on the drive train components. I could see Mercedes refusing any future claim, on the basis that you continued to drive the car in the knowledge that it was shaking itself apart.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Quite extraordinary video - shameful to hear that from any car let alone a Benz.

(Nice rockery by the way!)

 

[dejongj]

I could see Mercedes refusing any future claim, on the basis that you continued to drive the car in the knowledge that it was shaking itself apart.

It is something that has gone through my mind a few times as well. Now they say it is normal. Come 2 years from now and we want to trade in it, they will say it has a serious fault

 

[dejongj]

BTW The crabbing is absolutely terrible this morning




...got to keep the spirits up.

 

[brucemillar]

It is something that has gone through my mind a few times as well. Now they say it is normal. Come 2 years from now and we want to trade in it, they will say it has a serious fault

If it is "normal" then we would expect "normality" ie. We would expect to have this on all "normal" vehicles. As we do not have this on all "normal" vehicles. Then it is NOT "normal".

If they are saying it is "acceptable" as an engineering compromise? or as a feature of these vehicles? Then they should advertise them such, stating very clearly that they clonk and judder in low speed corners, require two sets of wheels and a calibrated outside thermometer to be employed before driving one.

 

[Druk]

...got to keep the spirits up.

That's not a crab, it's a lobster. You'll have to get your crustaceans right or they're not going to believe your story.

 

[Charles Morgan]

I think it's a signal crayfish myself. Feisty things I wouldn't take on in a hurry. Are you listening Herr Zetsche?

(I once bought a whole crate from the fishmonger, I asked for a kilo but they were so aggressive that getting the required weight out the box was so painful he just gave me the whole lot for the same price. Got them home, took a photo of a few on a plate and before I knew it the whole kitchen was swarming with the little brutes.)

 

[MercedesDriver]

One of the things which came to my mind when I saw the first video is that this car is un-driveable in the Alps or on any twisty roads, at least I wouldn't dare driving it there. Just imagine going through a hair-pin with a truck or a bus in an opposite direction and it starts jumping straight into it. Or if no cars are in opposite lane and GLC decides to go straight and down the cliff.
What bothers me the most is the MB's reluctance to accept that the car has a major flaw and is hazardous. Health and safety down the drain.
I admire your calmness and patience with MB guys, really. I would be jumping to the roof if I were you.

 

[John]

New video taken yesterday morning in our GLC 250d, very slowly and cautiously reversing and driving onto the main road, dry road surface and temp was around 4 or 5 degrees.

https://youtu.be/g2wfEMQY0nc

Tony

Now you definitely weren't imagining this, and somehow captured this imagination in the clip, were you?

 

[dejongj]

That's not a crab, it's a lobster. You'll have to get your crustaceans right or they're not going to believe your story.

Blimey something else that was missold. It definitely said crab on the packaging and the sales receipt. Can't anyone get anything right these days. Sigh.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

How come these cars are not being rejected?

 

[dejongj]

How come these cars are not being rejected?

Oh please do keep up They are and it is not being accepted and fought against. Mercedes is even ignoring rulings from the Ombudsman. If you honestly belief that it is easy and straightforward to do so, then why not try it. Mercedes are even refusing it with the first 30 days.

One owner I know has been in a hire car now for 30 days already.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Oh please do keep up They are and it is not being accepted and fought against. Mercedes is even ignoring rulings from the Ombudsman. If you honestly belief that it is easy and straightforward to do so, then why not try it. Mercedes are even refusing it with the first 30 days.

One owner I know has been in a hire car now for 30 days already.

OK, don't be a nob.

I just asked as a bystander.

 

[dejongj]

OK, don't be a nob.

I just asked as a bystander.

I'm sorry I don't want to be one. But from what I've seen you are no bystander, you've been commenting on this from the beginning this broke across several threads. So please don't play mister innocent and I'm just a bystander now

 

[hallra]

I've posted a few times on my concerns regarding stress on the drivetrain and tyres causing premature failure, but now I'm thinking this is a real safety issue.

I know I'm not the first to raise this point, but if you are trying to turn right at a mini roundabout in slippy/icy/snowy conditions (and in my mind irrespective of whether you are shod with winters or not), the wind-up forces that are at work here that cause the hop/skip/judder, are most definitely forcing the loss of traction.

If that right turn was on a down slope, how could you be sure that the GLC wouldn't just carry straight on??? It's almost like anti-lock brakes working in reverse if you think about it.

If you wanted to retro-fit a 'characteristic' that would best induce random skids on slippy surfaces, you'd be hard pressed to design a better system - well done MB !!!

This is exactly what I believe happened in my accident, which I reported to Mercedes who just blatantly ignore me because the sensors reported no fault, our cars do not do that, you must have been at fault...

I reported this to motor ombudsman, who asked me to speak to firstly to DVSA and then ask DEKRA for an engineer's report.

So far I have spoken with DVSA who have asked for an accident report to be filed for them to take mater further.
- they did say that they are understaffed which isn't a great sign.

 

[dejongj]

This is exactly what I believe happened in my accident, which I reported to Mercedes who just blatantly ignore me because the sensors reported no fault, our cars do not do that, you must have been at fault...

I reported this to motor ombudsman, who asked me to speak to firstly to DVSA and then ask DEKRA for an engineer's report.

So far I have spoken with DVSA who have asked for an accident report to be filed for them to take mater further.
- they did say that they are understaffed which isn't a great sign.

You can fill out the reports online can't you? Many of us have filled DVSA complaints and I've found them to respond within 48 hours.

 

[hallra]

You can fill out the reports online can't you? Many of us have filled DVSA complaints and I've found them to respond within 48 hours.

Didn't know that, they email me a form.

Either way its gonna take me a bit of time to get it done as my arthritis is pretty bad and I can't sit at a computer more than 15 mins every few days.

I'll call DEKRA on Monday as I might be able to get that bit done quicker.

 

[A250 Bennyboy]

My A250 FWD has always done this, but since I changed my tyres from run flats to normal pneumatic tyres it's almost gone, has to be frosty for them to crab and only does it in reverse now.
My tyres are kept at 38 psi fronts and 36psi on the backs
Cheers
Ben

Only thing I'm not so keen on with having normal tyres is I only have a can of tyre weld stuff. Would like a spare wheel but no way of fitting one in the 15" boot diameter wheel space.
Had a look at some folding/collapsible tyres that's supposed to fit, sorry go off topic

 

[DRIVER200]

My A250 FWD has always done this, but since I changed my tyres from run flats to normal pneumatic tyres it's almost gone, has to be frosty for them to crab and only does it in reverse now.
My tyres are kept at 38 psi fronts and 36psi on the backs
Cheers
Ben

Only thing I'm not so keen on with having normal tyres is I only have a can of tyre weld stuff. Would like a spare wheel but no way of fitting one in the 15" boot diameter wheel space.
Had a look at some folding/collapsible tyres that's supposed to fit, sorry go off topic

Are your tyre pressures MB recommended?

 

[dejongj]

My A250 FWD has always done this, but since I changed my tyres from run flats to normal pneumatic tyres it's almost gone, has to be frosty for them to crab and only does it in reverse now.
My tyres are kept at 38 psi fronts and 36psi on the backs
Cheers
Ben

Only thing I'm not so keen on with having normal tyres is I only have a can of tyre weld stuff. Would like a spare wheel but no way of fitting one in the 15" boot diameter wheel space.
Had a look at some folding/collapsible tyres that's supposed to fit, sorry go off topic

Somehow I doubt that your car has always done THIS I appreciate the comment but to many people are confusing this for some ordinary occasional skipping. No GLC is delivered on Run Flat Tyres for a year now. It does it regardless of wheel/tyre dimensions.

Further more and most importantly. It does it at temperatures where you reasonably can't expect to be running on winter tyres. Only this morning we go a report in from Australia. The notion is ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong wrong I'm sure winter tyres will mask the issue. I'll be damned to spend another £4,500 with Mercedes on wheels and tyres to be able to use my car for more than six months each year. In addition to £600 each 5,000 miles on new front tyres.