Satnav updates under warranty?

[gr1nch]

Hi,

I heard from my main dealer today that new car owners are entitled to 3 free maps updates under warranty, but they don't all have to be installed within the warranty period. So, they say, I can spread my 3 updates out over multiple years outside my warranty period. It sounds flexible, so good, but I'm not convinced. What's your experience?

My warranty period is 3 years, car bought March 2017. I did not get any reminders or suggestions from the main dealer who have had the car for 2 services, 1 recall and 2 repairs - the last 3 were multiple days each, so they had plenty of time to do them and I thought they'd have done them - and forgot to check with them, so at least partially my fault. Are dealerships user-focused enough to remind/offer customers for their maps updates? Especially if a first time Mercedes buyer and first time new car buyer**?

** I did buy a new Ford Sapphire in the mid-80s but can't remember anything about the servicing or warranty.

 

[Deletedmember130310]

No MB dont remnd you or even tell you a new update is even avaulable.

Most dealers will go out of their way to deny free updates (within 3 years of first registration) or to avoid doing the work at all..or install an earlier map.

Persistence will pay off....

Oh and it nothing to do with the warranty....

 

[liamt]

Hi,

I heard from my main dealer today that new car owners are entitled to 3 free maps updates under warranty, but they don't all have to be installed within the warranty period. So, they say, I can spread my 3 updates out over multiple years outside my warranty period. It sounds flexible, so good, but I'm not convinced. What's your experience?

My warranty period is 3 years, car bought March 2017. I did not get any reminders or suggestions from the main dealer who have had the car for 2 services, 1 recall and 2 repairs - the last 3 were multiple days each, so they had plenty of time to do them and I thought they'd have done them - and forgot to check with them, so at least partially my fault. Are dealerships user-focused enough to remind/offer customers for their maps updates? Especially if a first time Mercedes buyer and first time new car buyer**?

** I did buy a new Ford Sapphire in the mid-80s but can't remember anything about the servicing or warranty.

I agree there should be better notifications regarding map updates, I don't think that many of the dealers have an in house 'tech specialist' which is part of the problem. I can understand however why they are not done as part of the servicing when customers only ask on the day of the service for it to be done. The technicians only get a certain amount of time to complete servicing tasks for each vehicle they work on for workshop efficiency. Obviously upgrading the sat nav map is not one of those, personally I think it should be given the amount of tech in cars these days. COMAND Online has to be hooked up to MB Star and takes a while as it pulls the update from Mercedes. This obviously ties up a diagnostic tool that could be used for other jobs if the work is unscheduled. My dealer is pretty good with the updates providing I specify I want it done when the car goes in for a service etc. That way they book in addtional workshop time to complete such tasks, when I drop the car off I make sure it is on the job sheet in addition to the servicing and check it has been done before leaving, so far I've had no problems.

 

[markjay]

1. The 3 years of free updates are only with COMAND. For other navigation systems there are different rules.

2. The dealers won't carry-out the free updates as a matter of course, you have to request it

3. You can have unlimited updates during the first 3 years. After that you can no longer get free updates. You can't even get for free the last update that you would have been entitled to had you remembered to request it before the 3 years expired.

4. The bit the is free (and would have cost money otherwise) is the generating of the PIN code that is unique to your car. If you can't get the car booked-in in time before the 3 years expire, just ask the dealer to generate the PIN code for the latest maps and give it to you, you can then download and install the maps yourself.