Opal fire red

[driver8013]

Hi, i've recently purchased a 2014 E250 CDI coupe in Fire Opal Red from a dealer in Yorkshire, the colour/bodywork looked immaculate when i first viewed then bought the car. Had the car for about 8 weeks and washed it almost every week since, more recently the body has different shades. I contacted the previous owner on the V5 who told me he'd had problems with the pitting or blistering paintwork and Hughes Mercedes of Beaconsfield had part resprayed it.
I called into my local Merc dealer yesterday (Warrington) who told me they don't deal with bodywork issues and told me to contact Merc Chester.
Would this shading still be covered by the manufacturers warranty if if was resprayed (badly) by Merc?

 

[sjmaxwell]

I would guess it would if it was purchased as a Mercedes Used Approved but contact a dealer and ask first

 

[MancMike]

Yeah, the new paint job comes with a new warranty. Like any new part fitted to your car.

I had the same full respray. Mine's perfect so far.

 

[driver8013]

I bought the car from an independent dealer not a Merc approved, but after speaking with the last owner he told me that the part respray was done at Hughes Of Beaconsfield, there's not pitting or blisters on the paint they haven't matched it very well, doors and front wings are slightly darker and there's a light square patch on the roof.

 

[bob6600]

Thanks bob, just spent the last 15 minutes on the phone to Merc chester (waiting for a call back) they're saying because it's been painted once the warranty may not cover the paint now...haha

The work was carried out under warranty and as said by i-CONICA, it has it's own warranty. Don't let them fob you off, if it's a poor repair keep at them.

 

[grober]

Its a grey area. Particularly since you're not the first owner and the car has now left the official dealer network and I assume is now out of manufacturer's 3 year warranty?? What would strengthen your case is documented evidence of the repair by Hughes of Beaconsfield - you have only the word of the former owner it was done by their agents/bodyshop---If it was an officially sanctioned paintwork repair "under warranty" and no subsequent work done on the car by the retailer for example since then [thats important Mercedes will walk away from unapproved third party paint repairs ] then there should be a paper trail somewhere? Ask the former owner for any documenation he has concerning this or at worst the service / bodyshop contact person he dealt with at Beaconsfield.

 

[driver8013]

Thanks Graeme, the car is a 2014 (14)so it's still under warranty. Iv'e spoken to the last owner who told me it was done through Merc Beaconsfield, i contacted them to get any information about the repair but was told it falls under the Data protection Act so couldn't give me anything to which i replied 'it's about the car not the last owner', they said they needed written consent from the previous owner.....found that strange.

 

[bob6600]

Thanks Graeme, the car is a 2014 (14)so it's still under warranty. Iv'e spoken to the last owner who told me it was done through Merc Beaconsfield, i contacted them to get any information about the repair but was told it falls under the Data protection Act so couldn't give me anything to which i replied 'it's about the car not the last owner', they said they needed written consent from the previous owner.....found that strange.

I'm sure a dealer would point out a lack of service history by previous owners if it was in their favour, I don't think the DP act comes into it.

Write to the Dealer Principle if you have no joy and take it from there

 

[Robby122]

My c63 was has same paint issue and was repainted by MB Guildford top quailty work.

 

[grober]

Thanks Graeme, the car is a 2014 (14)so it's still under warranty. Iv'e spoken to the last owner who told me it was done through Merc Beaconsfield, i contacted them to get any information about the repair but was told it falls under the Data protection Act so couldn't give me anything to which i replied 'it's about the car not the last owner', they said they needed written consent from the previous owner.....found that strange.

think they are bull****ing you. Try a couple of other MB dealers- not in the same dealer chain obviously. If they are amenable you may have to visit in person with documented proof of ownership and personal identity [e.g. passport] and get a print out. Failing that why not ask the previous owner for permission in writing to view the car's service record during his period of ownship when said paint repair took place or better still a copy of his personal record of the repair.

 

[driver8013]

Just been on the phone with previous owner, said the car was part resprayed by Hughes in January this year, he has the documents, warranty and guarantee which he's forwarding to me, also said he would speak to Hughes on Monday.
I have all other records for the car, 2 services at Hughes plus the original document with the list of extras the car had when new.
He said the after sales service from Mercedes was shocking, even though they admitted the problem with the colour he had to keep contacting them to rectify the paint.
If Merc have matched this colour (badly) they need to employ a new paint sprayer.

 

[grober]

Hopefully that when provided with that evidence Hughes will do the right thing and rectify what would appear to be an inferior repair. They may have sub contracted the work out? Needless to say, keep the original owner's documents and only use copies if requested during any correspondance - always best to do things in writing . You might have to escalate the matter to MB UK if they appear to be unwilling to co-operate.

 

[driver8013]

Well i've had an email today from Hughes about the respray they did on 27/01/2016.
Dear Mr Jolley

Our Bodyshop have forwarded me your e mail regarding the above vehicle which I understand that you have now purchased. You are correct in that we have undertaken warranty repairs to the vehicle paintwork as authorised by the manufacturer, but I would suggest that if you remain unhappy with the vehicle your contract for purchase lies with the seller and you need to raise this with them directly.

I am sorry that we cannot be of further assistance in this matter.

Yours sincerely


Simon Eggs
Group Operations Director

Talk about passing the buck..
Also had a call from head office today (Netherlands phone number) and a call from Chester Mercedes who are going to get back in touch.....again.

 

[Ted]

Photos. Twitter. Name names.

 

[grober]

As I said- its a grey area- technically your beef is with Mercedes as the original manufacturer of a defective product. Presumably Mercedes re-embursed Hughes via MB UK for the repair meaning Hughes were never out of pocket on the deal. In this rather convoluted arrangement the arbiter of whether the repair was acceptable would presumably be the owner at the time who [ perhaps naively] signed off on it as adequate ? Under the circumstances its difficult to pin down who is responsible. Legally the group operations director is probably correct-- your beef is with the last seller of the car. There's a chain of responsibility which unfortunately ends at your door but I think its unlikely you can skip back several stages to seek redress from someone further back in the chain rather than who you actually did business with?

 

[supermonkeyman]

Contact MBUK customer service, they may be able to help. Hughes would've been paid to repaint and thus should have done it properly in the first place.

Would the warranty for their repaint not transfer over to the new owner? I assumed it was like the standard manufacturers 3 year warranty where it doesn't matter who owns the car.

 

[driver8013]

Had a call from MB head office and they said they'll get my local dealer to contact me, they sounded a bit annoyed that Chester MB hadn't called me back, no sooner had this guy hung up i got a follow up call from MB Chester.
Surely the warranty for the repair would transfer to new owner just like any warranty for servicing.
The previous owner said the after sales and customer service from Merc is terrible, so he now drives a BMW. LOL

 

[supermonkeyman]

Had a call from MB head office and they said they'll get my local dealer to contact me, they sounded a bit annoyed that Chester MB hadn't called me back, no sooner had this guy hung up i got a follow up call from MB Chester.
Surely the warranty for the repair would transfer to new owner just like any warranty for servicing.
The previous owner said the after sales and customer service from Merc is terrible, so he now drives a BMW. LOL

in my experience, the head office/customer service are very good. I've used 3 different dealerships and the service department has always been really helpful apart from one occasion where the service team had left for the day and a sales person was assisting me who was incredibly rude, he's no longer there.

The affected panels need to resprayed to rectify, and Mercedes probably won't pay again for the same work so no one wants to accept responsibility.

 

[driver8013]

Update - Took the car to Inchape Chester on Saturday, the Body shop manager took a few photos and agreed the paint colour match is not good enough but said they would have to contact Hughes to ask if they would pay again to rectify their mistake.
The manager contacted me today and as i expected Hughes point blank refused to pay, they advised me to contact MB customer services again, which i did. They said they would be in contact once they've spoken to Hughes.
Fingers still crossed.

 

[grober]

Because they have been so awkward and made such a bodge of it last time try to get the car repainted by Chester or another MB dealer not Hughes. This is in case they try another quick " blow over " job. However it may be that MB UK will insist its Hughes and that may be your only option.