New S-Class Sucks

[Jesda]

I joined MercedesForum.com (its now one of the many automotive forums I frequent) to educate myself more. Its amazing what hassles people have to go through on their top-line S-class sedans.

If there's anything we can especially trust the Japanese to do right, its electronics. I've yet to hear of electrical systems failing on a new Q. Im sure its happened somewhere, at some point, but not to the massive horrid frequency of the S-class.

http://www.mercedesforum.com/tm.asp?m=2506"2004 S430 COMAND System Crash"

Quote »My beautiful new car has had the COMAND system crash on it twice. EVERYTHING went down. Audio, SOS, etc... Screen just flashed Mercedes-Benz and wouldn't turn off or on. After waitingon the phone for 1 hour for someone at Mercedes Roadside Assistance to pick up, I finally gave up and called the dealer who sent someone out. The dealer's computer wouldn't connect with the car and the tech finally reached under the hood and pulled out the fuse to reset the system. It works sporadically now and no one knows what's wrong so they can't fix it. The dealer thinks it needs a "software" update. Mercedes doesn't have one. Has anyone else hear of this or had this problem? What do I do for help? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I love this car, but this is NOT what I paid for nor expected from Mercedes! Thanks.[/quote]Man, an hour for roadside assist? So much for help in an emergency. Kia answers the phone MUCH faster than that.

Quote » OK, so how long has it been now? 7 months since I have had the car? AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY? I have had the entire comand sys. replaced, had a software update done today and still the same problems and MORE.....NOW, it won't let me lock or unlock the doors w/ keyless go sometimes. I have to use the key. NOT supposed to happen...Telephone still disconnects. Radio displays same station on dashboard while changing music on Comand while scrolling through the stations. WHAT IS UP WITH MERCEDES? THIS SUCKS and I am sick of it. I KNOW I can't be the only one having these problems. What are others doing? Has anyone had to get a new car? When will it end? How do I find out who the merceded factory rep is? We have left a lengthy message with the dealer but no response. This is an $90,000 car for God's sake! I would understand at least if it were a POS, but not an S-Class! This thing should be flawless and if not, don't sell it!!!! Can anyone tell I am still upset? Can anyone offer any other advice? Please....... Thanks![/quote]Quote » OK, update. It's now been 9 months of hell. After my last post, Mercedes recognized after sending people to my house with software updates, that they couldn't repair my car. Even their top repairman was astonished at what I was able to demonstrate for him! The dealer then, giving credit to them and MBUSA, told us that they were going to replace the car. Which is a good thing that we didn't have to hire lawyers, etc... THAT wouldn't have been a good thing for them at all. I promise. The dealership has been great, but I can't believe the quality of Mercedes S-Class. What happpened to them? We ordered the new car with some minor additions. It came in yesterday - WITHOUT the ordered additions that we were going to pay cash for. It was the LAST 2004 S to come out of Germany and nowhere else in the US was there a matching car! Why wasn't someone tracking what was ordered and being shipped to make sure they matched?

SO, back to the drawing board. I still have the POS that the phone works sporadically in, the COMAND works sporadically in, the keyless entry sporadically works, the NAVI doesn't work, and here's the latest problem: "Check tire pressure" comes on every time you start the car, and believe me, it's been checked, and checked.....It's fine, but the car is not. But, hey - it LOOKS good, who cares if it actually runs - right?? DUH! I am a DA!

Next, We are told we have to order the 2005 S class! They are trying to work out (dare I say, will?) the "maintenance" issue. Does anyone think it is going to be any better? I REALLY want to know...... PLEASE, someone give me some positive feedback. Is it even the same body style? Will the kinks be worked out?

P.S. I was so upset yesterday that I drove the new tricked out Lexus 430. WOW! I should have done that. I think the Japanese perfect what the Germans invent. It even had REAL air-conditioned front seats!

Signed,

Hope I am not a DA after this next try[/quote]Quote »I heard on SPEED over the weekend J. D. Powers has upped Mercedes to 15 on their scale from a low of 30 a few years ago. [/quote]In other threads, MB owners are celebrating a move up in JD Powers, from 30th to 15th. Yay?

I'm not trying to bash other cars (kind of). But I -am- thankful to have one of the best-driving and most reliable cars ever put on the road.

"Visit your Infiniti dealer to see the new Q45 and how rock solid it feels. Better yet, drive an old one." --Jonathan Prycehttp://www.kellogg.nwu.edu/fac...1.ram

Thanks Nissan, for making me VERY happy!:thumbup

-Jesda

[maxnix]

Pretty much the same story at the Audi A8 forums, except it is seals on diffential covers and oil pumps. Really simple mechanical stuff that they can't seem to design so it can be assembled without leaking or malfunctioning.

I think it's safe to say if we had the problems the German large luxury cars have, this board would be a wasteland because we would own something else.

[Jesda]

Quote » The drivers around here where I live are almost as crazy, stupid, and rude as the drivers I've tangoed with in Boston. To make matters worse, every time I honk my horn a particular fuse blows and half my car quits working (see SL Class forum). I need to start carrying a bag of rocks around with me so I can throw rocks at cars instead of honking my horn.[/quote]^That made me laugh.

I agree with you Brian. It seems a lot of the regulars here have a very high standard of quality and low tolerance for flaws. If the same things happening to S, SL, and M-class owners happened to us, we'd be freaking out and filing class action suits (and using the next NICO meet to collectively drive our cars into the nearest body of water).

-Jesda

[Jesda]

Edit: Crudely photoshopped by yours truly.

[PalmerWMD]

Poor guy.

Fred..

[elwesso]

Wow.... All I can say is WOW....

In 10-15 years time its amazing MB can go from super reliable, over engineered masterpieces, to expensive rolling POS's...... I agree with every owner there, if your paying $90,000 for a car you shouldnt have hardly any problems, and if you do have osmething, it should BE FIXABLE!!!

Ill stay with my Q!

[911/Q45]

Mercedes were always overengineered, but never super reliable. They never have gotten the gadgets right.

[Mr1der]

my idea of luxury is AC, nice seats and a CD player.

to hell with all that computer controlled stuff...I want a car I can still use in 10 years.

[tkd_q45]

I think MBZ have always had their share of problems. I don't know how they were reputed as having Uber reliablity. They do have nice materials used in the build but electronics were never the strong points of the German manufactreres.

They do make nice cars that are fun to drive.

Jesda, if you are planning on buy an MB just be clear that it is NOT like owning a Japanese car. There will be lots of screwy expensive electrical and mechanical fixes you'll have to spend time and money on. If you are clear on that on the front end, you will enjoy driving an MB.

[Jesda]

I remember my 300E and my folks' 95 E320. Those were the good years. But even then, parts were ridiculous, maintenance was very expensive compared to the performance [not] delivered, and it was just a boring and unsatisfying ownership experience overall.

That I-6 was incredibly smooth, but they never could properly resolve my cruise control problems.

The sales people at the dealership literally laughed off my parents when they made their initial offer, so my folks said "We're leaving. This is stupid." -- but we had a gift basket on the porch the next day with a massive apology, voicemails with apologies, and a counter-offer that was very close to the one they originally made.

And while my two entry-luxury Mazda 929s lacked the same level of refinement and vault-like construction, I enjoyed owning and driving them more.

And the Q blows them all away in ways I didnt think was possible.

Our family now is 100% Toyota-Lexus/Nissan-Infiniti/Honda-Acura/Mazda.

-Jesda

[greg_atlanta]

There's a big opportunity for a company to create a large luxury sedan with decent performance and minimal bells and whistles -- i.e. just a modest stereo and A/C and cruise control, no computer screens and joysticks. Most of the market for those cars is age 50 and up, and they don't care to learn about all the features (esp. women).

These are granny cars, not techie executive cruisers.

[elwesso]

I think the old people like the techie stuff but they have to know how to use it....

My grandparents were asking me what kind of cars come with those navigation screens, and they are also considering getting a new car with onstar or a navigation system... However whenever Ive messed with them they take a lot getting used to...

Theres a choice the MFGs have to make: complex and powerful, or modest and easy to use... Honestly I think OnStar is the best thing, even though it does cost money, all the people have to do is press this one button and they TALK to someone who tells them where to go.....

[nuQ]

"""""my idea of luxury is AC, nice seats and a CD player."""""""

i completely agree! all the other computer stuff is great, but if the car doesn't deliver in the seat of my pants, i'm not going to be thrilled by forking over that much money. i've driven alot of (newer) expensive cars,,,and i still can't wait to jump into my 90Q!! that's saying something about lasting quality and performance in a 14 year old car!!!!!!jeff

[kimrober]

What is POS mean?

[squeefoo]

MB put in too many electro-toys. Brake by wire? Not yet. In'02 - '03 the major complaints started (Bosch ABS/wireless system)Maybe the garbage vector came in when they got screwed buying Chrysler, then migrated up to the host. Those years will be cheap like the '99 - '01s are becoming. Probably more so.

BTW Kim: Piece of S____ (excrement)

[driverdriver]

Most Mercedes S-class has been assembled in India Since I believe 2001. Especially vehicles for export to North American and Asian markets. The Indian newspapers had recently reported of a parts ring operating from the MB assembly facility. Some enterprising Indians where smuggling genuine Mercedes parts from the plant and selling them on the blackmarket for a profit. The local police had full knowledge, but they didn't do anything since they where getting kick-backs from the scheme. The replacement part they would put on the Mercedes S-class weren't real MB parts rather parts from completely other cars. It took awhile for Mercedes to catch on. MB showed up in India simply because the labour cost is so low that they can make a profit killing on S-class when it is sold in the Western world. What they didn't count on is like all low cost labour countries corruption is ingrained in society (I can say that, I still have a lot of family there). Big corporations should take this example (and others like it) and think twice about offshore outsourcing jobs to low cost countries. Incidents like this completely damage brands.

Anybody ever been to http://www.lemonmb.comLots of MB horror stories.

[Jesda]

Yeah, while I had my 300 I frequented all those lemon sites (a shock how many are out there). Scared me a bit, but my and my parents' year/model didnt have huge issues, it was just dull and expensive to own -- but beautiful.

[Jason B]

My family has owned Mercedes since 1978. They are not like they used to be and the newest S class is the worst of all.

I will look up my old post when I was looking at all the big sedans and try to post it in here again. The new Q blows away the S.

[maxnix]

Love the new Autoweek where the S500 had to be flatbedded back to Mercedes. Couldn't even run for a week.

[Jesda]

"As for durability, well, the Mercedes had two problems in the few days we had it. The instruments on the left side of the dash went out—actually went dead—once, and a message came on saying, “Drive to Workshop.” The message went away and the instruments started working again when we later fired it up. Then, the day following our test, after a photo shoot, a blast of steam shot from under the Benz’s hood. Since it was their car, not ours, we shut it off immediately and called roadside assistance, which recommended a flatbed. It left on a stretcher. The Phaeton had no problems whatsoever."

[Checkered-Member]

^^^ ownage...