potential issues with MB dealer

[TQS]

I bought an approved used C class 8 weeks ago. It was just under 3 years old when i took ownership.

The day after i bought it i told the salesman that 3 of the wheels were showing signs of corrosion. I could also hear a faint knocking from the rear of the car which i presumed was a minor rattle in the boot.

Roll forward 8 weeks and i've managed to find the time to approach my local MB dealer for a warranty repair (nb i did not buy the car from my local dealer).

My local dealer comes back to me and says that 2 of the wheels have been refurbed and are also from a different car so are not covered under the warranty. They also told me that even though the third wheel is originally from the car the Tier 1 approved used warranty has recently been changed and doesn't cover corrosion of the alloy wheel. (really??!)

In addition the rear shock absorbers are worn and need replacing - fortunately this is covered under warranty and will be replaced.

Having spoken to the salesman who sold me the car, he has asked me to bring the car into the showroom for them to look at but my impression from talking to him was not that they would readily admit fault and replace them without a fight

Are the issues i've mentioned normal practice in what i perceived was a premium brand and regarding the warranty, i stupidly assumed that i would be covered by the warranty for things that were wrong with the car

Help!

 

[Dieselman]

It reads as though the dampers will be replaced and I suspect the supplying dealer will get the wheels refurbed for you, if so, what's the problem?

 

[DSM10000]

You have not been to the supplying dealer yet so you have no idea what the outcome might be, have the discussion first perhaps?

Did you not notice the condition of the wheels prior to buying the car and ask then to sort this out as part of the deal?

Also, did you not look over the terms and conditions of the warranty before purchase?

 

[TQS]

It reads as though the dampers will be replaced and I suspect the supplying dealer will get the wheels refurbed for you, if so, what's the problem?

The problem is that i bought an 'approved used' car from a MB dealer with worn shock absorbers

I have been told that a car supplied by a dealer undergoes stringent tests and that this should have been spotted and fixed before it was sold.

I am not a mechanic so i don't know what is and isn't normal when driving a car however i heard the noise within a day of driving it so why should i have to go through the hassle of having something repaired and being without my car for two days over something that should have been spotted by a qualified mechanic before the car was sold

Or am i being unreasonable in my expectations of paying a premium in buying a car from Mercedes Benz? (this is a serious question by the way)

 

[Dieselman]

Or am i being unreasonable in my expectations of paying a premium in buying a car from Mercedes Benz? (this is a serious question by the way)

Well, Mercedes cars do cost a premium new so I guess it's expected that they will cost more used, so Yes.

The problem is that 95% of the additional cost is image.


I wouldn't have raised the thread until finding what the dealers response was, if it's favorable what's the problem?

 

[DSM10000]

The problem is that i bought an 'approved used' car from a MB dealer with worn shock absorbers

I have been told that a car supplied by a dealer undergoes stringent tests and that this should have been spotted and fixed before it was sold.

I am not a mechanic so i don't know what is and isn't normal when driving a car however i heard the noise within a day of driving it so why should i have to go through the hassle of having something repaired and being without my car for two days over something that should have been spotted by a qualified mechanic before the car was sold

Or am i being unreasonable in my expectations of paying a premium in buying a car from Mercedes Benz? (this is a serious question by the way)

You have identified a fault, the warranty you have is fixing the fault, cars are complex products and things fail. I assume that the dealer will be supplying you with a courtesy car whilst your car is repaired?

I assume you test drove the car and did not hear the noise so why would a mechanic hear it if it was only present after you picked the car up??

Things happen but you are having it dealt with, where is the problem?

 

[TQS]

You have not been to the supplying dealer yet so you have no idea what the outcome might be, have the discussion first perhaps?

Did you not notice the condition of the wheels prior to buying the car and ask then to sort this out as part of the deal?

Also, did you not look over the terms and conditions of the warranty before purchase?

I didn't notice the condition of the wheels prior to purchase - what i did notice was that of the two rear wheels, one of the tyres was bald (which i asked them to replace) and the other one was, and still is, cracked on the outer rim - it looks like an old tyre however as the tread still had 5mm they wouldn't replace it. I may have been distracted by the quality of the decayed tyre. I also didn't go over the car with a fine tooth comb, as i was assured the condition of it was excellent and it did appear to be ok - should i have had the AA come out and assess it? I was fobbed off that the tyres were from the existing car and that perhaps had been replaced at differing times due to maybe a blowout or something - personally i replace both tyres on the same axle at once when required but obviously not everyone does this of course.

No - i didn't read all the T&C of the warranty - my understanding was that it was an elongation of the existing 3 year warranty rather than a watered down version. Either way, this wasn't pointed out - actually, when i bought the car it was less than 3 years old and had i known how weak the MB approved used warranty was i would and could have taken it in within the 3 years.

I can't believe that the Tier 1 warranty doesn't cover the replacement of corroded wheels of a car that has been in the MB network (or so i was told) all of it's life.

Like i said, i'm not a mechanic - can a corroded wheel be repaired back to orginal condition so that it won't further corrode or is this just masking the problem

Apologies for all the questions

NB the corrosion hasn't spread but it has begun to spread from the hubcap out so it's not immediately noticeable - it's not horrendous but presumably it's only going to get worse!

 

[markjay]

Just a minor point....

Why was it relevant for the dealer to mention that two of the corroded wheels came from another car, if the Tier-1 warranty does not cover alloy wheels' corrosion anyway?

 

[TQS]

You have identified a fault, the warranty you have is fixing the fault, cars are complex products and things fail. I assume that the dealer will be supplying you with a courtesy car whilst your car is repaired?

I assume you test drove the car and did not hear the noise so why would a mechanic hear it if it was only present after you picked the car up??

Things happen but you are having it dealt with, where is the problem?

This really isn't a problem as, as you point out, it's being dealt with although it is shoddy practice by the supplying dealer is it not?

My issue relates to the wheel corrosion

By the way, the noise is only apparent when you drive at slow speeds which i didn't do on the test drive - i think i was told that visually you can see when the shocks are worn also

 

[brucemillar]

Warranty can be a bit of a lottery (it shouldn't be).


Irrespective of the brand buying used cars is also a lottery. There is no "one fits all" answer I'm afraid.

Have the shocks replaced under the warranty. This should be hours not days and push the supplying dealer to either refurb the wheels.

Warning. Refurbing will mean no wheels for a couple of days. So push to have wheels and shocks done together.

Good luck. You will end up with the car you wanted.

 

[markjay]

On another note, corrosion from the hub cap outwards is usually the result of careless tyre-fitters removing the hub cap with a sharp object and damaging the wheel's paintwork thus allowing moisture and oxygen to creep in betwen the alloy and the paint. I should know, my local tyre fitter did just that a couple of years ago...

 

[TQS]

Just a minor point....

Why was it relevant for the dealer to mention that two of the corroded wheels came from another car, if the Tier-1 warranty does not cover alloy wheels' corrosion anyway?

They actually thought that the warranty did cover the wheels - my car was booked in to have these replaced after my local dealer had seen them otherwise they wouldn't have booked it in.

I assume they then took them off to investigate, found they had been refurbed, then found that they were from a different car and then verified whether or not they would be covered for replacement under warranty.

The rattle from the rear was actually an afterthought that i asked if they could hear and resolve when they collected my car

 

[DSM10000]

Once the wheel lacquer is breached then corrosion will occur, this could be the result of kerbing, pot holes, poor tyre changing techniques etc. If it is properly refurbished then it should last for some time but all ally wheels will, if damaged, corrode.You bought a used car so it is unrealistic to expect it to be as new,

You have said that you did not check the car over particularly thoroughly and did not read the terms and conditions of your warranty so why be surprised to find things are not as you expect?

 

[DSM10000]

- i think i was told that visually you can see when the shocks are worn also

Unless they are leaking there will be nothing to see.

 

[brucemillar]

Once the wheel lacquer is breached then corrosion will occur, this could be the result of kerbing, pot holes, poor tyre changing techniques etc. If it is properly refurbished then it should last for some time but all ally wheels will, if damaged, corrode.##You bought a uses car so it is unrealistic to expect it to be as new,

You have said that you did not check the car over particularly thoroughly and did not read the terms and conditions of your warranty so why be surprised to find things are not as you expect?

Maybe a little harsh. The warranty should offer protection as well as peace of mind for those not mechanically expert. Otherwise it has no value.

I refer to the shock absorbers here.

Wheels? Hmm. Sounds like shoddy selling and unsure sales people.

 

[TQS]

Well, Mercedes cars do cost a premium new so I guess it's expected that they will cost more used, so Yes.

The problem is that 95% of the additional cost is image.


I wouldn't have raised the thread until finding what the dealers response was, if it's favorable what's the problem?

But i have paid a premium by buying from a MB dealer vs private sale or a non MB dealer have i not? I'm talking about buying from a dealer rather than buying into a 'premium' brand

In the past i have bought the majority of my cars privately and i just accept what i have bought but i also check more closely - lesson learned.

Regarding your final sentence, fair point, i guess i wanted to know if corroded wheels could and should be replaced under warranty after being told, 2 months into ownership, that this has recently changed and they are not. It just seems wrong

The fact that they are corroding is not in question

 

[DSM10000]

Maybe a little harsh. The warranty should offer protection as well as peace of mind for those not mechanically expert. Otherwise it has no value.

I refer to the shock absorbers here.

Wheels? Hmm. Sounds like shoddy selling and unsure sales people.

The OP bought a used car, it has a warranty and the problems identified are being addressed so what is the problem?

In this case the warranty is protecting someone regardless of the purchasers mechanical knowledge.

 

[TQS]

Maybe a little harsh. The warranty should offer protection as well as peace of mind for those not mechanically expert. Otherwise it has no value.

I refer to the shock absorbers here.

Wheels? Hmm. Sounds like shoddy selling and unsure sales people.

I actually have an opinion or rather a suspicion on this which i probably shouldn't post on a public forum

 

[DSM10000]

I actually have an opinion or rather a suspicion on this which i probably shouldn't post on a public forum

As it is almost certainly without proof then that would be wise!

 

[brucemillar]

The OP bought a used car, it has a warranty and the problems identified are being addressed so what is the problem?

In this case the warranty is protecting someone regardless of the purchasers mechanical knowledge.

I am cynical with warranty companies. My experience, based on costly learning is that they will work with the dealer and not the customer. Often to the cost of the customer.

If it all gets resolved then that is great. I think the OP is seeking collective opinions and advice in the event that it is not resolved. He does appear to have been caught between rule changes and confusion. So good that he asks the question. ;^)