Where is the dealer o.p? It’s not in the Manchester area is it as my mate has a very similar story with an E-Class in January this year. He was promised a full main dealer service prior to collection but when he went to pick it up they stalled him over the service record claiming that the dealership forgot to stamp it. He went to the dealership concerned and they had no record of the car being serviced by Mercedes Benz in several years.

He got a refund on his deposit but only after he told them he contacted trading standards. I’m not sure whether he actually did though.

What about asking your local indie garage to look over it (but do no work) and get a report from them as to what needs doing before making a decision?

Will call them Monday as I need to let them know the booking for Thursday is probably cancelled or the scope of work has changed anyway.

Will also be calling the garage first thing. Left the woman I was dealing with over the suspension a message to call me when she is back in.

Tbh the suspension wouldn’t worry me if it was my car out of warranty as I am pretty sure I could sort it myself. Used to work on Citroen XMs when I was 15!

But I do want a full approved or MB service history and the local specialist charges £275 for the larger service, £50 for air-conditioning, £42 for brake fluid etc so just not worth messing over and keeps the resale value.

As far as I know the car has not been serviced for 45k so could be a ticking time bomb. It also knocks quite a bit off the current and future value.

In response to going for mercedes bling – not really. Power, economy and space all better than say a Passat, Octavia or Mondeo and a hell of a lot nicer place (for me) to be. I tried pretty much every big estate out there with an open mind. Vrs, Passat alltrack and 520d were others I liked but not as much.

Reject is the best course of action.
I held out to get my car, from MB, had the saloon tyres fitted (wrong load rating) so had new rubber fitted around courtesy of MB and a few other bits and pieces sorted out with the 12 month MB warrenty (E350 estate).
Sure it cost me a bit over but if it was to be a lemon they would sort out.
Good luck

The only thing that would concern me is if the car has done 45K without an engine oil change. Everything is (pretty) irrelevant, and ime, main dealer servicing only really covers engine oil, cabin filter and routine (pointless) 2year brake fluid changes!

My 335 had a service pack, so has had every service it required for it’s 50k miles, and frankly, the number of things the main dealer have missed / ignored is terrifying!

So, if the cars in good nick, and you’re going to be keeping it for a while, get a decent indy to check it over and report back, then do what needs doing and drive the thing.

If you plan to sell it in the near future, where the lack of recent servicing could be an issue, then either reject the car, or get some money back from the garage that sold it to you under false pretenses!

(in another 50Kmiles, the value of a car with 150k on the clock or more simply becomes entirely condition dependent. Things like main dealer service history are long gone and un-important)

Aside from anything else, the FMBSH has value attached to it – £500-1000 I’d imagine for that sort of car so already you’re down by that amount.

Add in the suspension issue (sounds like it has the potential to be very pricey) and the windscreen and the costs are stacking up. The fact that the garage has a) lied about the service history, b.) done a half-assed service despite noticing a fault and c) there has been no evidence of an oil change, would add to my unease.

If you really want to keep the car then work out the cost of these things and whether that cost is worth it for you. But if you’re going to bargain with them, you have to be prepared to walk away. At the moment it sounds like you’re not, so they have you over a barrel. Remember they don’t want the car back on their forecourt, it’s hassle and expense for them so at the moment they’re taking you for a ride and getting away with it.

I would be asking them to pick it up, fix it and return it. Hopefully they will come up with a counter offer that’s acceptable.

Where is the dealer o.p? It’s not in the Manchester area is it as my mate has a very similar story with an E-Class in January this year.

No it’s over in Norfolk and not an MB dealer but a large chain of used and other brand new cars.

you have to be prepared to walk away. At the moment it sounds like you’re not, so they have you over a barrel.

I am completely 100% prepared to walk away. In fact I am already back on the car hunt looking for something else.

It won’t be an E-class as the only one I can find with the spec I want is £2k more expensive and in black with blacked out windows and a tow bar.

Don’t want black as it shows up scratches (we will be strapping kayaks, surfboards and bikes to the roof of this thing and going up and down country lanes), would rather fit a lighter tint or some blinds rather than full limo tints and don’t want a car that has already been used for towing and would rather fit my own removable towbar.

I will look for something else, probably a T5 or a Vito or a less desirable van and a cheaper car as having 3 vehicles in the household makes a lot of sense to us as both my partner and I need our cars for our jobs and public transport is not suitable.

The only thing that would concern me is if the car has done 45K without an engine oil change.

Exactly, at the moment I have no idea if the car was serviced. The service indicator is showing 1100 miles to next service (was on 1400 when I got it) but I have no idea who serviced it or if it was and what grade oil was used. This is a twin turbo chain driven cam engine and will have an EGR, DPF etc so letting the oil go for too long and not be checked could have implications for the future.

They claim to be performing AA inspections yet missed a large stone chip right in front of the passengers head, split paint and a slight ripple on the back edge of the roof and the faulty suspension wasnt flagged. I am also wondering if the slight vibration i felt through the pedal on certain road surfaces was a wheel bearing and not the low profile tyres after finding a comment in an MB inspection when it went in for the aircon about a front wheel bearing having play. That is something which should have been flagged on an MOT though and all the MOTs are clear.

You mentioned you have a good handle on the legal position, so you’ll know if what I’m suggesting is feasible, but since this should have been the car you wanted, I’d take a harder line. You’ve contracted with them for the supply of a car, as described. They should collect it and fix all revealed faults and return it, and either pay for a free standing warranty to cover any faults resulting from lack of servicing, or pay you an agreed lump sum to over the risk. If they don’t wish to meet their contractual obligation, you’ll report them to Trading Standards and take them to the Small Claims for the cost of getting somebody else to put it into the described condition.

Take it back pronto. If you paid a portion on credit card (over £100) then you’ll also have Section 75 cover should the dealer not play nice. I bought an A6 3.0 TDI Quattro that quickly made clear it had faulty injectors and the garage refused to fix it under warranty – a good few months later I got the full amount back from my credit card company and neither they or the garage wanted the smoking A6 back! It was auctioned off!

What beardy said.

The service indicator is showing 1100 miles to next service (was on 1400 when I got it) but I have no idea who serviced it

Or indeed, whether it was serviced at all. Indicators are easy to reset.

Speak to Trading Standards. IIRC you have to give them a chance to fix the suspension, but the “only one attempt” thing is bullsh/t. The missing service history, however, should be a slam dunk for a refund due to be ing “not as described”.

Coincidentally, I looked at a car at the weekend advertised as having full dealer history. Looking through the service book, the stamps were indeed all main dealer, but it was overdue its next service (should have been April, a 12k miles / 12 months schedule). The salesman tried to argue with me that it doesn’t need an annual service if it’s not done many miles despite what it says in the handbook. There were other niggles too so I walked away. The next day they called and left me a voicemail saying that actually they’d serviced it when it came in and “forgotten” to stamp the book, or reset the reminder in the car, or put any paperwork in the file. They’re not a main dealer, so it clearly does not have a full dealer history and they were just trying it on !

This car really is the gift that keeps giving!

Call dealer on Monday..finally get to speak to one of the more senior sales guys on Tuesday end of the day. He took the car in as part ex and was well aware it was not full history, didn’t know why the other guy said it was (which I have in writing).

I agree to keep the appointment with the specialist as I kind of wan to know what else is wrong with the car…

Thursday morning put the key in and “Low coolant” flashes up. Top it up with some water and drive to the garage and tell them everything.

One thing for sure is I want to buy another merc just so I can use this garage (Avantgarde in Clevedon) as I am very impressed.

No call during the day, guy is waiting for me to pop back in after work as agreed. He then takes the time to go through what he has found and the first question was “have you driven this car much”. My reply was I have only driven it back from the dealer and then here.

There is impact damage to the floor pan that has gone through the undertray dented the floor, ripped off the undertay mounting stud and creased one of the steel brake lines under the passenger seat. I am adding things up here but refurbished wheels, 2 new front tyres and damage across the mid pint under the car – looks like someone has stuffed this over something or maybe over some of those spike at car parks.

They also checked out the coolant leak and sure enough leak from the side of the block where the fuel filter housing attaches. Common fault on this engine.

Advice from garage – get shot and get a V6 engined one instead

Or get a lot of money off and we can fix it up. Going to have to be a lot off to pay for the work, compensate for the lack of history. I would want this place to immediately do another full service so I know it has been one correct for starters.

Get. Rid.

I can’t believe after all this even contemplating keeping it is an option. Just send it back and I’d even push for full refund + costs. Run away

There is impact damage to the floor pan that has gone through the undertray dented the floor

That’s approaching write off/Cat D territory.

Fixing it *properly* will involve taking much of the interior out, lots of welding and/or big hammers, corrosion protection will possibly be knackered.

They also checked out the coolant leak and sure enough leak from the side of the block where the fuel filter housing attaches. Common fault on this engine.

😯

I’d be getting them to come and collect it.

reject it. Not as described and some potentially very expensive faults. Report the garage to trading standards as well for lying

Get. Rid. Of. The. Car.

Basically, as everyone has been saying for a week.

Jeez. You seem very keen on keeping this car.

I’d be rejecting it based on what you’ve told us, getting your hard earned back & looking for something else.

I’d be getting them to come and collect it.

That is what I told them. Now set for a battle….

Will be reporting them to trading standards too.

& looking for something else.

already am.

If it was a local place I would just drive it there and dump it infront of their main doors but being 4hrs away in Norfolk it’s a bit harder.

Car is not safe to drive. I would not drive it back even if it was.

i am now down £46 train, 2 months tax (taxed just at end of month), 2 weeks insurance and a day of my life travelling to get it.

update?

i am now down £46 train, 2 months tax (taxed just at end of month), 2 weeks insurance and a day of my life travelling to get it.

Agreed.
However if you keep it, you are down a lot more than that.

I feel sorry for the OP.

Never trust a second hand car dealer, whether franchised or not. ALL their cars have FSH, by default. In reality, they rarely have FSH by the manufacturers’ spec.

The amount of due diligence needed as a consequence is unreal.

I hope OP managed to get most of his money back + costs while he could as the bit that I hope he understands is that the missing SH will not reappear by magic and he will have the hassle of selling without it.

Very controversial but I find that leasing new cars can work out cheaper overall than buying second hand when all parameters are taken into account.

update?

He’s decided to keep it, pay the garage more money for the pleasure and washes the salesman’s car on the weekends. 8)

I know the legal situation (quite clued up on that) but what I was after was the human thoughts (head over heart etc) whether my thoughts to return it were correct or if I was over-reacting

Reject now as it is a possible/probable money pit ….(and because the longer you leave it the more hassle)

Experience tells me something else will come up…. I’ve spent 6 mo buying before… checked the usual places and then the following 6 mo you realise it wasn’t quite as one-off as you thought….