Mercedes Benz of San Diego

Mercedes Benz does not allow for any extedned warrantys to be added after the original comprehensive warranty has expired. Mercedes-Benz San Diego tried to see if the manufacturer would be willing to make an exception and they would not. the customer is welcome to contact Merceded-Benz corperate...

at [redacted]. This complaint should be filed directly with them.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The business failed to complete the credit application forms correctly, failing to give my gross monthly income to my credit union, which I supplied them, which is incompetent. Again, When I gave them this information the next day, and told them I wanted to purchase the truck, I was INSIDE the dealership. The person they sold it to, was from the midwest, as I waited around for an hour. My presence and my vocal declaration of intent to purchase, was valid enough for any reasonable good person to deduce that I was there to buy the vehicle. I did not accept their 6% interest rate from BOA because I only had to wait 15 minutes for SDCCU to accept my 2.49% interest rate, which they did. But while waiting, Mr[redacted] thought it would be permissible to sell the truck while I wait for them to get the authorization from SDCCU. His actions warrant some sort of discipline, and the way they conduct their business needs rectifying. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Both times I went to Mercedes in the last 6 months were specifically for the SRS malfunction warning, that is why they worked on the seat cable. They said that was why the warning message was there. Because the seatbelt and seat were not engaging. 
Mercedes response regarding the Horrible treatment I received from [redacted] and [redacted] was absent in their reply.
I have paid for the same service twice and nothing was fixed either time, and on top of that I was not treated like a valued customer.
Quite the opposite. I have been a loyal customer for 10 years and because of my high regard and recommendation, my company has bought Mercedes as company vehicles and the president bought one for his personal use. 
I am sorely disappointed in Mercedes Benz of San Diego aka Penske or whatever.
[redacted] said your loaner car program was modeled after Lexus, which is unbelievable. Mercedes is supposed to be the highest in customer service. Thats how you can justify the high prices of the vehicles, because you are supposed to be treated like royalty.
 
My whole outlook of Mercedes Benz has changed. I hope Escondido still treats their customers well.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
In order for me to close this complaint file the following would need to occur;
1. A complete diagnosis of my car at no cost to me
2. A loaner car provided to me for free
3. Any and all repairs made to my car at no charge to me
4. Any all work warrantied by Mercedes and documented in my file
5. An apology for the way I was treated by [redacted] and [redacted]
You state that you're the best of the best as far as dealership customer service is concerned but that is conjecture.
My experienced opinion as to the service at MB of SD has been very far from satisfactory.
Please read my replies more closely as there is no Mr. [redacted]. Her name was [redacted].
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Paper work clearly states an original contract date of June 1st, 2015 why would a warranty start BEFORE a contract started?? I will contact my bank to check on this refund however this claim is not resolved as they change dates and information every call and they are not honoring the correct dates. They only care about the sale and not about the quality of service or the quality of the cars they put out. What scam Lot! Buyer Beware!
Regards,
[redacted]

Although the dealership performed this repair, this repair is performed pursuant to Mercedes-Benz USA guidelines. We are reimbursed for the campaign, including applicable parts and labor, from the manufacturer. The campaign documentation specifies parts eligible to be replaced under the campaign, and a battery is not part of the authorized parts eligible for replacement.  
 
Mercedes-Benz USA was contacted by the client and a decision was rendered by MBUSA.  The dealership merely facilitates this decision.  I am unaware of the client not receiving a return call from anyone at the dealership…if so I regret that issue as it does not meet our customer service standards but this is outside of a decision regarding the battery.   
As an independently owned and operated organization, the dealership is not responsible for the recall campaign that was rendered by MBUSA and therefore not responsible for any costs associated with the campaign. All of those costs for eligible parts and labor are paid by MBUSA.  Since the manufacturer has declined coverage, any additional expenses outside of MBUSA responsibility are costs that are fulfilled by the consumer.  
 
I would be happy to provide a copy of the campaign documentation if the client would like a copy of the document, outlining parts that are eligible for replacement under the campaign by MBUSA.  I am also happy to contact MBUSA on the client's behalf if he was not provided with direct reasons why this claim was denied by MBUSA.  Aside from that, the dealership cannot offer any additional participation.  As noted prior, Mercedes-Benz of San Diego does not offer any expressed or implied warranty of any sort on any vehicle: campaign, recall, new vehicle, etc… These warranties are offered solely by the manufacturer at the discretion of the manufacturer and the dealership is reimbursed for any authorized work performed.  This is not about shifting blame; this is not a recall initiated by our dealership, and the terms of this recall are not determined by our dealership: again we are merely a facilitator in this process.  
 
Please let me know if you would like me to provide a copy of the campaign documentation and/or if I can try to ascertain more specific reasons the request to MB corporate was declined.

We believe we have received this complaint in error.  We are Mercedes-Benz of San Diego, part of the Penske Automotive Group.
The consumer is upset about a decision that was rendered by Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), not part of the Penske Automotive Group.  MBUSA handles all...

recalls, campaigns, and coverage decisions. As a dealership, we do not make decisions based on warranty coverage nor offer any warranty related to a recall or other parts of the vehicle, expressed or implied.
Since this warranty coverage is offered exclusively by MBUSA, the decisions related to coverage are offered directly by MBUSA. Penske Automotive Group is not able to take part or influence the decision regarding the repairs to the vehicle and can only administer the decision on behalf of MBUSA.
Since the customer is upset about issues outside of the control of the dealership, we would like this complaint to be addressed directly by MBUSA.  This was not a decision that was rendered by Mercedes-Benz of San Diego

Review: We purchased the Mercedes Benz GLK350 last August 30, 2014.The next day, Sunday Aug.31,2014 the alarm show up "Front Right Malfunction Service Required". I told about it with the Sales Agent when we came back Sept.1,2014 and said he will contact the service adviser to schedule the car for service. September 4, 2014 I brought the car to service. The service Adviser told me that it will take at least that weekend to check the car. The Service Adviser told me that he's going to call me that afternoon and will give me an update/status of the car, but he never called me for an update of the vehicle even that Friday(Sept 5). So Monday(Sept. 8), I called the Service Adviser and asked him about the status of the vehicle, then he just said they just going to start working on it that Monday to find out what is the problem. So I called again my sales Agent and asked why they are just going to start looking the problem just now. I got upset when they had me leave the car for that weekend but they did not even start working on it until Monday. Tuesday(Sept. 9) the service Adviser called and told me that they had to replace the Battery because that was the reason why the alarm(warning) was showing. And then Wednesday(Sept. 10), he called and said the car is ready to pick-up. I picked-up that day. No one used the car until Saturday(Sept, 13). When we used the car, we are not driving for that long time yet, maybe about 5 miles when the alarm(warning) showed up again. So Monday(Sept. 15), I dropped off the car again. They tried several times to correct the problem but until now still have problem with it. Now its already Sept. 27, and the car still in service. For almost a month we buy the most of time is on service we have it only for 9 daysDesired Settlement: Is not fair what happen so if they can not repair the car just refund 100% of our expenses. Or they have to compensate us for our lost of time enjoying that new car. That car spend more time at the service than in our garage.

Business

Response:

We are still discussing the matter with the customer and seeking a final resolution.

Thank you,

Consumer

Response:

I would like to request to re-open my case with Mercedes Benz of San Diego. I understand that this matter is closed (settled) but there are issues that it didn't turn out well. It's been almost a month when we got back our car(GLK 350) and both parties agreed that we suppose to receive a check from Mercedes Benz of San Diego- Service Department from all the trouble we had since we bought the car. Mr. [redacted], the service director told us that we should receive the check in a few days. It's been 30 days but until now, we don't receive any check yet. We contacted him a few times but never return our call. I even sent email to him but no response. I attached the copy of the letter we got from Mr. [redacted]. Please take a look at this matter again.

Thank You,

Business

Response:

The check was sent FedEx on Wednesday. Client should have in their possession. We regret the delay with them receiving the check. Please advise if you need a tracking number for the package.

Review: I had the worst experience at Mercedes Benz and I am so disappointed.

Its almost like since they became a Penske dealership, they have started

to treat customers like any other brand.

Also, they still haven't fixed the problem I was experiencing from 2 times ago.

So basically, I paid for a service twice, and still, I'm having the same SRS warning.

And [redacted] and [redacted] were incredibly rude and inappropriate.

I have several emails from them saved because of how rude they were.Desired Settlement: I am so frustrated with the San Diego dealership that I will probably be changing to the Escondido location.

Business

Response:

We have reviewed the complaint from Ms [redacted]. First off, we regret any customer service issues she experienced at our dealership. We strive to provide a high level of service to all of our customers and regret when someone does not have an experience that exceeds their expectations.

Regarding her SRS lamp, we were unaware that the SRS Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) was currently illuminated until the recent complaint from Revdex.com. Based on our records, that light was not illuminated on her most recent visit from 12/03/13-12/13/13. We do have record of her having a concern with the SRS light being illuminated on a visit from 9/10/13-9/16/13. A repair was performed to correct the condition at that time at no charge to Ms. [redacted].

The services Ms. [redacted] paid for were not related to a SRS malfunction lamp. Most recently, the charges were for repairs to a seat mechanism that would not fold due to a loose cable and to perform factory scheduled maintenance. We regret the experience Ms. [redacted] claims to have had but we were not aware of additional concerns with the vehicle. We would be happy to take a look at the vehicle an additional time and evaluate the concern at no cost to her.

Beyond that, there were never any charges to Ms. [redacted] related to a SRS lamp concern, so we are unclear of the requested settlement amount.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Both times I went to Mercedes in the last 6 months were specifically for the SRS malfunction warning, that is why they worked on the seat cable. They said that was why the warning message was there. Because the seatbelt and seat were not engaging.

Mercedes response regarding the Horrible treatment I received from [redacted] and [redacted] was absent in their reply.

I have two Mercedes' and love driving them. However, the warranty on the vehicles are mediocre to say the least. Service is another story.

2 experiences I would like to share about my 2008 C350:

1 ) Car was recalled for a tail light issue. Dealer kept the car for 2 days. Several weeks passed and the same issue came back. What happen was the technician did not perform the safety recall inspection and returned the car back to me without fixing the issue. Problem was later resolved, but it took many phone calls and additional visit to the dealership to fix the problem.

2) Same car was bought brand new from this dealership (less than 5 miles). Clear coat on the paint started showing damage in 2015. The car is garage kept. Mercedes Benz customer care wrote back with my inquiry (in Jan 2016) saying basically paint is no longer covered because the car is over 4 years old. It's pretty sad to learn that a brand like a Mercedes cannot stand behind their car paint quality not lasting for more that 4 years or 50,000 mile.

Statement from Mercedes:

"While there is no specific warranty for paint on a vehicle, the original manufacturers warranty covers the vehicle for the first 4 years or 50,000 miles, ending whichever comes first. Defects in paint, trim or other appearance items are normally taken care of during our new vehicle preparation or by the dealer during new vehicle inspection. We recommend that if an owner finds any paint or appearance problems, that the dealer is advised as soon as possible since deterioration due to use and exposure is not covered by the warranty."

Review: So my story is perhaps too long for the allotted 2000 character limit. I will do my best to focus on details.

I went into MBSD yesterday and after some haggling, found a median for the dealership and I on a truck. After applying for financing, I was getting rates far too high, and was waiting for my own bank to respond. I ended up having to leave last night. I came back today to purchase the truck. I was met with a different salesman. There was also a different manager. They saw the paperwork. The salesman seemed shocked at the price as he conferenced with the manager in another room. I can hear the salesmanager, [redacted], say this is unacceptable. They keep me waiting for close to an hour, and eventually I get ushered into the Customer's Lounge where I finally am on the phone being approved by my bank because MBSD forgot to tell them my gross monthly salary. As I'm hanging up, the salesman comes in and says, the truck is sold. All this after I had been waiting around for an hour. I am convinced that because of these men's attitudes, the bringing me into another room, that they were lying. They did not want to part with the truck for the agreed upon price. Therefore, I walked out of there with nothing but a couple dozen dings to my credit due to them running checks and deciding not to sell it to me, effectively reducing my credit score and perhaps diminishing my chances of being financed in the near future. The truck is currently being advertised on their website as well as Auto Trader. I am a trauma nurse, and if I ever treated my patients like I was treated by MBSD, I would not have a job, nor a license.Desired Settlement: I believe [redacted] as well as this new salesman from today have treated me unethically, and are culpable in their actions. I would like priority in purchasing the truck, a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado, for the agreed upon price. I am not greedy, I do not want anything but to be treated with respect and courtesy. It was discourteous and immoral what they did to me today, and I demand to be taken professionally. I would also like an apology. Thank you.

Business

Response:

Please see below our account account of events as they relate to the interaction with with Mr. Andrew [redacted]: Mr. [redacted] was working initially with our representative [redacted] for three 3 days on the potential sale of the Chevrolet Colorado truck. We were fianlly able to agree on a selling price when Mr [redacted] wanted to re-negotiate and have the dealership cover the additional cost of the tax and license. The manager explained to him that this was not possible. He claimed that the was not happy with the deal and would "drive a thousand miles to get a better deal if he found the right truck." Another issue was that we were still waiting for approval from his Credit Union SDCCU. At ths point the deal had stalled and we went no further.The next day he returned and [redacted] was not here. He worked with another salesperson [redacted]. Meanwhile there was another deal in process on the same vehicle with another salesperson. Mr [redacted] was stil not happy with the interest rate offered and would not commit to purchase the truck. The manger on duty [redacted] explained that we could write the deal on an option contract and that Mr. [redacted] could purchase and take delivery of the truck while we awaited word from SDCCU regarding a possible lower interest rate. Mr. [redacted] declined the offer.Meanwile the other salesperson's customer committed and agreed to terms. Mercedes Benz of San Diego sold the vehicle.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Review: The dealership, through its representative sales consultant and sales manager, entered into a verbal contract with me to lease a specific new car at a certain price. The sales rep and the manager both agreed on all the terms of the lease, shook my hand and congratulated me on the deal, then after they had me fill out and sign all the paperwork, they refused to honor the deal stating that they hadn't paid attention to the discounts they were offering me when they approved the deal. I have a witness who is an attorney who was with me at the time of the deal and the attempted re-trade of the deal. This happened on the previous car I leased with this dealership and is apparently a pattern of conduct for them. I need them to honor the contract and make me whole for my time.Desired Settlement: The dealership needs to make good on the contract they entered into and to compensate me for my time dealing with this issue.

Business

Response:

We reached out to Mr. [redacted] and have come to an agreement.

Review: My vehicle recently would not start due to a dead battery. When I jump started it- I found that the rear brake lights were stuck on and would not turn off. This caused the battery to completely drain.

After searching the internet for this problem I found an open recall for my car regarding this exact matter. Below is a copy from the NHTSA

NHTSA Action Number : [redacted] NHTSA Recall Campaign Number : [redacted] Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):

MERCEDES BENZ / [redacted] 2000-2001

Manufacturer(s) :

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

Component(s) :

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:SWITCHES:BRAKE LIGHT

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

Date Investigation Opened : December 21, 2010

Date Investigation Closed : May 4, 2011

Summary:

ODI opened the investigation based on reports that the subject vehicle brake lamp switch (switch) failure caused 1) inoperative brake lamps (stay on or fail to illuminate), and/or 2) shift interlock failure (shifter locked in park), and/or 3) the cruise control to fail to cancel with brake application.

Number 1 describes precisely what happened to me "inoperative brake lamps (stay on", and thus my car battery died.

I took the vehicle to get the recall fixed and requested a new battery since the defective brake lamp switch was the culprit. I was told the service manager was "off site". I have tried to follow up with Mercedes Benz customer service but was told they would not replace the battery.

It is well documented that this defective part causes "brake lights to remain on", as a result this directly affected (drained) the battery, and now the car will not start.Desired Settlement: Since the Mercedes Benz recall for the brake switch, which cause of my brake lights to remain on- which drained the battery - I am requesting MB either replaces the battery themselves, or compensate me the cost of a battery replacement.

Business

Response:

We believe we have received this complaint in error. We are Mercedes-Benz of San Diego, part of the Penske Automotive Group.

The consumer is upset about a decision that was rendered by Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), not part of the Penske Automotive Group. MBUSA handles all recalls, campaigns, and coverage decisions. As a dealership, we do not make decisions based on warranty coverage nor offer any warranty related to a recall or other parts of the vehicle, expressed or implied.

Since this warranty coverage is offered exclusively by MBUSA, the decisions related to coverage are offered directly by MBUSA. Penske Automotive Group is not able to take part or influence the decision regarding the repairs to the vehicle and can only administer the decision on behalf of MBUSA.

Since the customer is upset about issues outside of the control of the dealership, we would like this complaint to be addressed directly by MBUSA. This was not a decision that was rendered by Mercedes-Benz of San Diego

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[The National MB customer center was involved and a claim was opened. The MBUSA rep was in direct contact with Mercedes Benz of San Diego. It was the San Diego dealership that did the actual work on this recall. This same dealership did not return my phone calls and then declined my request for the reimbursement for the affected battery. This is not a resolution here by pointing the blame. This dealership has the ability to either reimburse me the cost of a new battery $98 or to provide a replacement battery. They are choosing not to - thus the compliant with the Revdex.com. ]

Regards,