Apr 29, 2009 6:27:40 AM
- Sarnico 45
- Junior
-
- Loc: Italy
- Posts: 52, Gallery
- Registered on: Jan 13, 2005
S65 AMG a car with a lot of electronic problems
On 19th February 2007 our Company bought a S420 CDI Mercedes Benz at the Mercedes Benz dealer of viale del Ghisallo, Milan, which was paid 136.000,00 Euros (fully accessorized indeed) and ran 7.000 km from 19th February to 25th July 2007.
- seats (dynamic seat and massage function);
- engine failure warning light;
- electric back headrest.
More precisely, in April 2007 (the car was unusable from 3rd to 10th April) the car remained in the service centre for 7 days because of driver’s seat malfunctioning (invoice/guarantee nr. 55060 of 10/04/2007). Successively, in May 2007 (the car was unusable from 17th May to 5th June) the car remained in the service centre for 20 days because of engine, seats and back headrest malfunctioning (invoice/guarantee nr. 58061 of 05/06/2007). In 105 days (from 19/2 to 5/6) the car was stopped for 27 days, which means 25% of its “life". In a meeting I had with Dr. Marco Castiglioni, Sales Manager at Mercedes Benz of via del Ghisallo, Milan, I was showed a S65 AMG V-MAX Mercedes Benz.
I am very keen on sport cars which I am deeply expert of, as I own, among others, Porsche, Mercedes, Bmw and Audi models. It was exactly thanks to the intervention of Milan’s Mercedes Benz dealer, that I had the opportunity to test the S65 AMG during a demo at AMG in Germany. After the test, in order to put an end to the electronic troubles the car suffered, the S420 CDI was replaced by the S65 AMG. It is redundant to highlight that the S65 AMG is the leading model of the S series produced by Mercedes Benz and is the third most expensive model of Mercedes Benz production; it is, in fact, a more than 5 m long, opulent sedan with a sport-like engine specifically built by the Mercedes AMG sport department. Trustful and, regrettably, obstinate, on 26th July 2007 we registered the new car to replace the S 420 CDI. The car cost 233.000,00 Euros and, after only a few days (precisely on 30th July, that is, 4 days after delivery!!), it underwent the first series of problems concerning the malfunctioning of the multicontour seats, in particular, the massage function and the dynamic seat (invoice/guarantee n. 61553 of 04/08/2007). The same problem had already been experienced with the S420 CDI model, as the same Mercedes’ people perfectly knew, according to a post-sale service report of 2nd August 2007 (attachment 1). The seats problem was fixed a few days before summer holidays, when the car had not been used for 6 days (the car was unusable from 30th July to 4th August).
In September 2007 (the car was unusable from 27th September to 1st October) the car still presented the seat problem as showed in invoice/guarantee n. 64002 of 01/10/2007, causing another 6-day stop of the car.
The car was brought to Mercedes on 4th February and collected on 6th February (video available on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-GL0rJ0J_U).
I would like to point out that the car has always been properly checked on occasion both of the scheduled servicing and of the several controls carried out at the Mercedes Benz service centre of Milan, and that it reached 42.000 km in 18 months. During the periods of inactivity of the car, the dealer has always offered Dr Masini a substitute car through the so called "vip service" facility. As a consequence of the numerous unpleasant events occurred, Mercedes Benz Milano has offered the following substitute cars:
- Mercedes E55 amg SW;
- Mercedes CLS 320 cdi (twice);
- Mercedes CL 500 penultimate series (consigned with lights malfunctioning);
- Mercedes R 320 cdi (3 times);
- Mercedes SLK 55 amg;
- Mercedes SL65 amg;
- Mercedes GL 450 (twice - by the way, the car presented problems when shutting the door; moreover, on occasion of the last “substitution”, because of an unpleasant smell inside the car, an immediate further change had to be asked for);
- Mercedes GLK 320 cdi (consigned with the window cleaner top up light on). It is therefore evident that, notwithstanding the courtesy of:
- the "vip service" staff represented by Mr Mario Cristofori and Ms Lara Bergamaschi;
- the “sales” staff represented by the Sales Manager Dr Marco Castiglioni and Mr Davide Longoni;
- the CEO of Mercedes Benz Milano, Dr Stephan Randack, who personally invited Dr Masini to sport and cultural initiatives organized by Mercedes Benz;
our Mercedes Benz S 65 AMG:
- does not fulfill the expectation of a 200.000,00 Euro worth car, being, furthermore, one of the leading models of the Mercedes Benz series;
- requires constant and frequent servicing which, despite the warranty coverage, causes long periods of inactivity, although the substitute car service has always been guaranteed;
- caused continuous material and moral inconvenience to me, crowned by Dr
Marco Castiglioni’s e-mail asserting that "My Assistance colleagues confirmed to me that, at present, the car fulfills all factory requirements pertaining to such model” (are 9 service interventions, therefore, Mercedes’ STANDARD!!!???).
In order to avoid a legal argument, in March 2009 the parties met and we were proposed:
- to buy the car back at an absolutely ridiculous and offensive value;
- to be offered another car, which we firmly refused, as we do not trust high range Mercedes cars and, given their offensive attitude, Mercedes Benz Milano’s Staff any longer.
Thanks
