Rust/warranty advice please

[corned]

Hello all,

Just given my E320 a good clean after all the recent muck/grit flying around and it looks lovely and shiny again. Except for one thing: I have spotted a rust bubble developing on the tailgate right in the top left-hand corner of the chrome handle/number plate lamp plinth. Not happy at all.

The paint is not visibly marked or damaged in any way at this point, or anywhere in the vicinity. It looks like the rust bubble is developing outwards from under the chrome trim.

What is my best course of action - particularly in view of the 30-year anti-corrosion warranty?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Cheers,


Corned

 

[RodgerDodger]

Hi Corned

MY 2005 - I would go straight to the dealer

 

[wobbly]

My ML has just come back from a week in the body shop, for the exact same problem.

Take your car to the dealer, they will photograph the rust and send a claim to MB headquarters.

I received a call within a couple of weeks, and my car was booked in to have the repair work carried out the next week.

I was not happy to have found rust on a three year old car, but the work has been carried out to avery high standard, so at least the problem has been dealt with.

 

[corned]

Thanks, guys.

"" doesn't even start to cover it!!!

The car has a full M-B main dealer service record up until I bought it, then it has been with the local M-B Indie for the one service it has had in my possession to date.

I asked the question because I assumed it would be a matter to refer back to an M-B dealer, but thought I would check with the experts first.

I have had Jaguars in the past, and one of them had what looked like a similar problem, where a chrome trim had been simply bashed on to a door with little or no care and had obviously split the paint round the clips. A few years or so later and the rot spread out from under the trim...

Many thanks for the advice.


Corned

 

[corned]

The car has been photographed by the bodywork people at the local M-B dealer this week, and a claim will be sent to M-B UK. The dealer reckons it's a no-brainer, but we will obviously have to wait and see.

Will keep you all posted.


Cheers, Corned

 

[BTB 500]

I thought all the rust issues were meant to have been sorted by 2005!

 

[corned]

I thought all the rust issues were meant to have been sorted by 2005!

Yeah - that's what I thought too. I was pleased as Punch when I found a spotless MY2005 with loads of goodies on it. This has knocked a bit of the shine off things, although I have no reason to suspect it's in any way a lemon. The rest of it is A1.

The paint man at the dealers put the depth gauge across almost every part of every panel to test paint depth, and it was entirely uniform (and correct depth) across the whole car. As this is developing from under the tailgate plinth, I believe it is an isolated occasion and the plinth was perhaps a little carelessly applied and screwed down in manufacture, and it has taken this long to show up.

The dealer guy said it was pretty much unprecedented as far as 211s are concerned, although he would say that, wouldn't he?

 

[pipmk]

Had similar issue with corrosion on wheels on my 30 month old C class. Took it in yesterday to local main dealer who then began to spout some nonsense about it needing a full Mercedes service history and that one kerbed wheel might cause problems. Checked service requirements in handbook etc,no mention of requirement for MB only service in warranty period (fairly sure this is now illegal anyway) also service book has no requirement for checking finish on wheels in items list. As for kerbing, corrosion on kerbed wheel is 3 inches from kerbing mark. They might just have an arguement for a contribution under "betterment" but not for refusal to replace/refurbish.
E mailed Milton Keynes putting arguement and pointing out that nobody can import changes into a contract once made. MB are not above the law and if they don't agree to replace/refurbish all corroded wheels I'm more than ready to have it done elsewhere and sue them for the costs. That'll cost them a lot more and I'll make sure its well reported. I get brassed off with companies thinking the law of contract somehow doesn't apply to them and have sued and won in the past. Boy are MB on thin ice,either a 3 year warrenty covers the entire car subject to normal use or it doesn't in which case it isn't worth the paper its written on and they will be forced to withdraw it (and reduce prices of cars to reflect the situation)
I realise main dealer staff are not lawyers but their lack of knowledge of the law related to the items they sell and their disinterest once they have your money is shameful. No wonder a main dealer has shut near me.

 

[corned]

Received the call today. Took a while, didn't it?

Anyway - punchline is that it is booked in on 28 May for full warranty remedial work. Loan car to be provided as well, but not MB unfortunately!

Result!

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Our W203 C Class fell victim to the dreaded R word too.

It's in for warranty repair now, counting the days until it's back, they're also sorting out some stone chips etc. whilst it's in so it 'should' be as good as new when it comes back

I'm always wary of any paintwork being done and I'm a picky so & so. It better had be right when I get it back!

 

[corned]

Did you ask for the stonechip work as an extra, or 'part of the job' - if you catch my drift?

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Did you ask for the stonechip work as an extra, or 'part of the job' - if you catch my drift?

Parts of it are getting done as 'part of the job' - well they said they'd need to blend into the adjacent door / wing. I was hoping they would do the whole lot. I've had paid to have a wing re-sprayed and blended as it had been keyed shame there wasn;t any rust on that wing!!!

 

[davidjpowell]

Had similar issue with corrosion on wheels on my 30 month old C class. Took it in yesterday to local main dealer who then began to spout some nonsense about it needing a full Mercedes service history and that one kerbed wheel might cause problems. Checked service requirements in handbook etc,no mention of requirement for MB only service in warranty period (fairly sure this is now illegal anyway) also service book has no requirement for checking finish on wheels in items list. As for kerbing, corrosion on kerbed wheel is 3 inches from kerbing mark. They might just have an arguement for a contribution under "betterment" but not for refusal to replace/refurbish.
E mailed Milton Keynes putting arguement and pointing out that nobody can import changes into a contract once made. MB are not above the law and if they don't agree to replace/refurbish all corroded wheels I'm more than ready to have it done elsewhere and sue them for the costs. That'll cost them a lot more and I'll make sure its well reported. I get brassed off with companies thinking the law of contract somehow doesn't apply to them and have sued and won in the past. Boy are MB on thin ice,either a 3 year warrenty covers the entire car subject to normal use or it doesn't in which case it isn't worth the paper its written on and they will be forced to withdraw it (and reduce prices of cars to reflect the situation)
I realise main dealer staff are not lawyers but their lack of knowledge of the law related to the items they sell and their disinterest once they have your money is shameful. No wonder a main dealer has shut near me.

Had this (the kerbing) arguement with MB on my car as one wheel had been kerbed. They used it as an arguement to reject claim on that wheel. Sent a strong worded letter to the chief exec's office which saw me paying 15% contribution I think. Customer Services were rubbish!

 

[corned]

Thanks, A-AG. My rear bumper moulding has a few scuffs on it where my wonderful children have been a little careless getting in the back .

I will try to persuade the repairers that blending in should extend down that far!

 

[robertjrt]

Contract Law

During my legal action against Mercedes-Benz the matter of Contract Law came up.

Mercedes-Benz argued that the repairs to my car were not covered by the Warranty and when I pointed out that I did not have knowledge of the T&C I was sent them, but, as I was not given them before I signed the Sales Contract they were nul and void, however the 12 Warranty written in the sales contract was enforceable.

Mercedes-Benz frequent threat to impose a £25 per day storage charge is nonsense. I had advice from a professor of Law and a world expert in the Tort Act. I did inform MB legal department and invited MB to take me to Law, MB declined, however it did not stop them from writing to me recently again informing me that a charge of £25 per day may be levied!

A few Small Claims Court actions will perhaps bring some consistency to dealing with customers legitimate Warranty claims. It seem to me reading these posts that some dealerships do, some don't, the question is; Why?

Had similar issue with corrosion on wheels on my 30 month old C class. Took it in yesterday to local main dealer who then began to spout some nonsense about it needing a full Mercedes service history and that one kerbed wheel might cause problems. Checked service requirements in handbook etc,no mention of requirement for MB only service in warranty period (fairly sure this is now illegal anyway) also service book has no requirement for checking finish on wheels in items list. As for kerbing, corrosion on kerbed wheel is 3 inches from kerbing mark. They might just have an arguement for a contribution under "betterment" but not for refusal to replace/refurbish.
E mailed Milton Keynes putting arguement and pointing out that nobody can import changes into a contract once made. MB are not above the law and if they don't agree to replace/refurbish all corroded wheels I'm more than ready to have it done elsewhere and sue them for the costs. That'll cost them a lot more and I'll make sure its well reported. I get brassed off with companies thinking the law of contract somehow doesn't apply to them and have sued and won in the past. Boy are MB on thin ice,either a 3 year warrenty covers the entire car subject to normal use or it doesn't in which case it isn't worth the paper its written on and they will be forced to withdraw it (and reduce prices of cars to reflect the situation)
I realise main dealer staff are not lawyers but their lack of knowledge of the law related to the items they sell and their disinterest once they have your money is shameful. No wonder a main dealer has shut near me.

 

[evilgoat]

Anybody worried that the rust is just going to keep coming back after these repairs? I keep hearing the only way to permanently remove rust is to replace the panel.

 

[corned]

Quick update... and rant.

Car went in a week last Friday. Needed for 5 working days. Fair enough.

Call on Wednesday last week to say that everything OK for Friday - i.e. on time.

Call on Friday to say no chance of getting car back. Found more corrosion in wheel arches and has taken longer to remedy. This wasn't known about on Wednesday? One quick rant later and all agreed that the car will definitely be returned Monday. Guaranteed. Hope they haven't decided that they like the look of it for a weekend jaunt...

No call today. I call them at 16:40 to find out when the delivery will be made. It won't. Windscreen people didn't turn up on Friday. To put the rear window back in.

Car will definitely be returned tomorrow. Which is great because I will be out all day. Can we deliver it back on Wednesday? NO!!! Muppets! I have insisted that it is returned after 5pm tomorrow as no-one will be here until then, and Wednesday is simply unacceptable.

OK - calming down now. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Finally, how many miles do you expect them to have put on it while it has been in their tender care (bodywork repairs only remember)? Shall we run a book?

 

[robertjrt]

Finally, how many miles do you expect them to have put on it while it has been in their tender care (bodywork repairs only remember)? Shall we run a book?[/QUOTE]

Depends how far away the chipy is!

 

[corned]

Getting worse...

Today's update:

Call from body shop - the car is not coming back today after all. Tomorrow!! The two chrome finisher strips on each side of the rear bumper need renewing, and they have not got the parts.

The bumper apparently needed to be removed to blow in from the surrounding areas which have received attention. Remember that they were going to charge me £260 to repaint the bumper as they were not going to be touching it? It is all sounding more and more dodgy. The guy who called me finally 'admitted' that things had not gone well, and that they were not satisfied that the finish of the repaint was of sufficient quality, so they have decided to strip it all back and start again. If this is true (and why would I believe anything they say now?) then why was this not stated at the time?

I cannot understand several things about this job, but chiefly why the window people were not booked on Friday, and now, why were the required parts not ordered in advance? They only take a day to deliver - anywhere in the country!!

I am now firmly convinced that something else has been going on.

1. On day 3 of the works, I was contacted and told that the day 5 completion was still on target.
2. On day 5 I was told it was not finished; car to be returned on day 6.
3. Day 6; no word so I ring them. Car was supposed to be out for delivery today, but after looking in to it, it will be delivered day 7.
4. Day 7; Now needs chrome strips, and another day in the shop.

I am now very interested to see the odometer reading. Has someone there taken it out and pranged it, I wonder? And now they're stalling for time to effect repairs?

Name and shame department:

Car went into Mercedes-Benz Nottingham for assessment, but they farm their bodywork out to a company called Clarkes Accident Repair Centres Ltd in Leicester. I'll leave it to you, the reader, to decide if a. you think that they do a good job, and b. you would trust your vehicle to their care.

 

[nickwilcock]

Well from M-B Nottingham to Clarkes, Kibworth and back is about 68-70 miles, according to Autoroute.

So, any odometer reading greater than that would be of concern.

One would hope that M-B would use a recovery vehicle over such a distance.

When I needed warranty rust repair work doing to my SLK32 AMG, M-B wouldn't deliver the car to the rust repair place - I had to drive it there. The loan car was a Corsa....