Not just MB Dealers that are sh*te

[Satch]

Last night went out in the Land Cruiser. Stopped at lights after a few miles and became aware of friction material stink and smoke rising from NSR wheel. Entire alloy wheel was so hot I could not touch it.

Wonderful, as vehicle had only the previous day come back from annual service by main dealer. On the report was noted:

"STRIPPED DOWN REAR HANDBRAKE SHOES AND REFITTED N/S/R CABLE CORRECTLY"

Ah yes indeed. Waited until everything had cooled down then drove home very slowly.

This morning on phone to Toyota main dealer, words to the effect of come and get it & sort it out. Respone: "We cannot recover anything. Have no trailers, a flatbed wagon nor access to them. Call AA/RAC or get a local garage to recover it to us."

I was staggered and made a fuss. Still a flat "Your problem".

Since I am by now at work SWMBO calls out RAC. Patrol man comes along, has a look and tinkers.

His report says that no need for recovery to Dealer as he effected a temporary repair by releasing the handbrake shoes which were improperly installed. But he also found the flexible brake hose to N/S/R brake caliper had been trapped behind a bolt thus restricting the flow of the fluid. Freed this hose but has advised that the car should be returned to the dealer to have the hose and handbrake shoes replaced and a general inspection for heat damage to wheels, tyres, bearings, etc.

Grrrrrrrr!!!

 

[grober]

guilty conscience??

I think the slightly freudian slip of "correctly" in the description gives it away--STRIPPED DOWN REAR HANDBRAKE SHOES AND REFITTED N/S/R CABLE CORRECTLY like you would fit it incorrectly? guilty conscience maybe??

 

[Rory]

His report says that no need for recovery to Dealer as he effected a temporary repair by releasing the handbrake shoes which were improperly installed. But he also found the flexible brake hose to N/S/R brake caliper had been trapped behind a bolt thus restricting the flow of the fluid. Freed this hose but has advised that the car should be returned to the dealer to have the hose and handbrake shoes replaced and a general inspection for heat damage to wheels, tyres, bearings, etc.

I'd be talking to Trading Standards - I *think* it's an offence when a garage carries out work that's not of satisfactory quality, and those faults could have had consequences that don't bear thinking about.

 

[Flash]

I'd be talking to Trading Standards -

If I and most other people did that everytime that our vehicles went to a MB Stealership then there would probably not be any Stealers left to be trading...!

Sounds to me Satch as if some trainee/school kid was working on your car and the work was not signed off/inspected by the Foreman/Technician.

Good luck in getting this sorted Satch.

 

[Satch]

SWMBO took it in. Quite a few bits will be ordered up overnight and should be ready Wednesday pm.

How about a car in the meantime then?

Er, OK then. A roller skate in the shape of a three door bog standard Aygo is eventually produced.

Poor woman spent a while trying to switch on the aircon before the awful truth dawned.

 

[jeremytaylor]

We are trying to buy a Honda Civic for one of our managers at the moment.

I say trying, because whilst we've agreed price, trade-in, etc. the thing just does not appear. It's apparently been at the dealers a couple of weeks now, but delivery keeps getting delayed because of problems with the rear parking sensors (unbelieveably a dealer-fit option rather than factory-fit on a car with possibly the worst rear visibility on the whole market).

But if you believe all those customer surveys, Honda are supposed to have good customer service!

 

[glojo]

A neighbour just popped in to see us this afternoon in a nice new S-class. The reason for this is he previously owned a top of the range 4.2 S type Jaguar, whilst on the M5 this car made a funny noise, a gearbox warning message came up and the car went into limp mode. He drove 20 miles to the nearest Jaguar main dealer. They checked the car over and found nothing wrong.

The next day he had to drive to Shropshire, and the car done exactly the same-thing only this time the main dealer diagnosed the car needed a software upgrade. This was a 'non warranty' issue and although it only needed a flash upgrade from a DVD he was charged £220. The car was three years old and regularly serviced by the local Jaguar main dealer!!! Evidently flash upgrades are not service items, if you want them, you pay!

He was disgusted by this attitude, drove to the local Cheltenham Mercedes-Benz dealer and bought their S-class demonstrator there and then!! The house he has down here is a second home, hence the purchase from Cheltenham. It is a black S320CDI and completely de-badged.

Is that grass always greener when we jump ship to a different marque?

Sorry to hear about your sad story, hopefully it will be quickly remedied and an apology will be offered?

Good luck,
John

 

[Doodle]

I say trying, because whilst we've agreed price, trade-in, etc. the thing just does not appear. It's apparently been at the dealers a couple of weeks now, but delivery keeps getting delayed because of problems with the rear parking sensors (unbelieveably a dealer-fit option rather than factory-fit on a car with possibly the worst rear visibility on the whole market).

But if you believe all those customer surveys, Honda are supposed to have good customer service!

They do! Both our local dealers have impeccable customer service.

Most accessories at Honda are dealer fit for speed of delivery. HUK can keep a good stock of basic spec vehicles at the compound to cover 99% of requirements, these can be quickly delivered to dealers and then the rest of the spec added onsite. This means that for most customers delivery is in a few days (our Jazz took 4 days from start to finish, and that included fitting the first of the integrated Bluetooth kits into the country)

However, what it also means is that sometimes there are minor delays when things go wrong. 2 weeks is minor though...a friend of mine was once quoted 11 months for delivery of a VW Golf

 

[Satch]

Got Land Cruiser back today and had a little chat with Service Manager. Apologies etc etc.

Yes, handbrake shoes & cable were botched. But the excess heat was being generated by the pad binding onto the discs. Brake pipe had been trapped in such a way that at some point it had become a partial one way valve. Pads were being kept in moderate contact with the disc for a while after brakes had been released.

Net result huge overheating, burnt out pads and a knackered caliper. Disc not looking too good either but wheel & tyre is OK.

So net result is new discs & pads on both sides (cannot change just one) new caliper on the NSR, full fluid change, replace handbrake shoes, new brake pipe plus regreasing bearings.

And all thanks to one careless twerp adjusting the handbrake.

 

[Flash]

Got Land Cruiser back today and had a little chat with Service Manager. Apologies etc etc.

Yes, handbrake shoes & cable were botched. But the excess heat was being generated by the pad binding onto the discs. Brake pipe had been trapped in such a way that at some point it had become a partial one way valve. Pads were being kept in moderate contact with the disc for a while after brakes had been released.

Net result huge overheating, burnt out pads and a knackered caliper. Disc not looking too good either but wheel & tyre is OK.

So net result is new discs & pads on both sides (cannot change just one) new caliper on the NSR, full fluid change, replace handbrake shoes, new brake pipe plus regreasing bearings.

And all thanks to one careless twerp adjusting the handbrake.

Result...!

At least they apologised and admitted that they were at fault and rectified the issue.

Was it just one alloy wheel that had over heated...? Just carefully check it too that the paint/lacquer has not been damaged from severely over heating.

 

[Satch]

Result...!

At least they apologised and admitted that they were at fault and rectified the issue.

Was it just one alloy wheel that had over heated...? Just carefully check it too that the paint/lacquer has not been damaged from severely over heating.

The fact I could wave a written "incident report" from the RAC helped a great deal.

Alloy looks OK but I shall have the wheels off at the weekend to have a close look. And retorque the wheel bolts correctly

 

[bolide]

Just to point out that the title of this thread "Not just MB Dealers that are shite" is actually disproved by the content

The dealership has recognised the problem, rectified it (apparently to your satisfaction) and will, no doubt, retrain the mechanic involved. I'd call that a satisfactory outcome

Whilst it's not ideal for you to drive away in a car that's potentially dangerous the outcome should be a better mechanic. Main Dealers are one of the few organisations that train employees and that's where a proportion of their hourly labour rate goes

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Flash]

The dealership has recognised the problem, rectified it (apparently to your satisfaction) and will, no doubt, retrain the mechanic involved. I'd call that a satisfactory outcome

Whilst it's not ideal for you to drive away in a car that's potentially dangerous the outcome should be a better mechanic. Main Dealers are one of the few organisations that train employees and that's where a proportion of their hourly labour rate goes

I agree…

Amount of times that MB Stealers have botched up my vehicles and never once did they or DC UK apologise when they were clearly proved to be in the wrong and I had to actually go to a great deal of trouble to get them to rectify their mistakes afterwards FOC/under warranty!

Full credit here to the Toyota Dealership.

 

[Satch]

Just to point out that the title of this thread "Not just MB Dealers that are shite" is actually disproved by the content

The dealership has recognised the problem, rectified it (apparently to your satisfaction) and will, no doubt, retrain the mechanic involved. I'd call that a satisfactory outcome


Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

Oh all right then. Yes they have fixed it without complaint although I would of course prefered not to have had the problem in the first place.

And did start this thread when in a right old strop.

Perhaps should retitle it:

"Not just MB Dealers that are capable of making a cods of it but then redeeming themselves"

 

[kensalriser]

SWMBO

Trying to guess this one.

Single white male with body odour?

 

[Rory]

And did start this thread when in a right old strop.

...and I think you were right. It's entirely feasible that the dealer (and they bear 'corporate responsibility') could have killed you and your family.

 

[Fandango]

SWMBO

Trying to guess this one.

Single white male with body odour?

nearly

"She who must be obeyed" in general parlance since used by "Rumpole of the Bailey" referring to Mrs. Rumpole

 

[kensalriser]

Aha. Am familiar with the expression but not the abbreviation.

I kind of like mine, though.

 

[Satch]

Well, with superb timing a recorded delivery letter from Toyota UK arrives, a safety recall on the brake master cylinder. Precautionary, nothing to worry about, etc. Where have I heard that before??

As it happens I am on the second one. Dealer changed it last year after detecting a very small leak.

But I am glad it is going back because it gives me the chance to point out that:

I do not think the brakes have been bled properly and

the key for my locking wheel nuts is a bit chewed up as are two of the l
locking nuts. Air gun at work.

 

[Flash]

But I am glad it is going back because it gives me the chance to point out that:

I do not think the brakes have been bled properly and

the key for my locking wheel nuts is a bit chewed up as are two of the l
locking nuts. Air gun at work.

Sorry to hear this... I hope that it all gets sorted.