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please help me...think i bought a lemon

2K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Whosdis 
#1 ·
i reciently purchased a used 2001 c240 and 60 miles from the dealer i passed a car and noticed the check engine light was on. When i pulled over the car was missing and shuddering to the point of almost dying. i then turned the car off and then back on and it was fine except the light was still on and the incident did not happen again but the check engine light was on so i took it back to the dealer to get it checked. When I took it back to the dealer, they put it in an authorized mb dealer shop.

About two weeks passed and now the mb shop says they could not figure out what it was and called mb in germany and they told them to replace the fuel pumps and if that didnt work replace the ECU. The shop said that the work would total around 4000.00. The shop also says the dealer i bought the car from is not authorizing the repair because it is not covered under the powertrain warranty.

I am supposed to pick up the car from the dealer tomorrow and my question to yall is: should i fight the dealer and not pick up the car and refer them to my lawyer or pick it up and try and fix it myself...any suggestions? does it sound like the shop diagnosed it right? ...I have been driving the car i am supposed to trade in for this car right now so if i dont pick up the mb what should i do with the car im driving(my trade)

thanks for any advice, I know im a new member and dont get alot of replies but this is kinda a crisis in the household at this time and any help would be appreciated.
 
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#3 ·
bawally said:
try to get out of the purchase and look for another car with a good carfax and a trip to mercedes for a complete check before buying it

thanks for ur reply....they will not let me out of the contract, i tried that as soon as we brought it back to the dealer...they claimed that the deal was between us and the bank and they could not rewind the deal...they then stated that they would make it right and give them a chance to fix the car...after 2 weeks now they are saying they are not fixing the car since the repairs arent covered under the powertrain warranty.:mad:
 
#5 ·
bawally said:
try to get out of the purchase and look for another car with a good carfax and a trip to mercedes for a complete check before buying it
A clear carfax report doesn't tell you anything. The only reason to check with carfax is to see if they have any information on the car at all. I just sold a car that had been frame damaged, had $15K worth of collision repairs to fix it, and a completely clean carfax report. The buyer was lucky I was honest about it.
 
#7 ·
They called MB in Germany? What country are you in? Who did they get advise from, the receptionist?

First, if it's a U.S. car you need to tell us the codes for the check engine light? You can buy a scanner (not too expensive) or go to an Autozone and they'll read the code or lend you a reader. Why did they think you needed a fuel pump? Did they test fuel pressure? It would be kinda obvious if the fuel pump wasn't delivering enough pressure. What pressure did it read? Why would they think a new ECU is in order?

You have to understand that MBs are relatively unreliable compared to most U.S. and Asian cars, that's part of their quirky charm. I work on my kid's SLK at least once every other week for something not working..
 
#9 ·
The JD Powers long term dependability shows every American brand except Jeep is more reliable than MB. Also in dependabiltiy surveys done by Consumer Reports show these cars as not the best in reliability. But that's somebody elses say so, so I'll give you my personal experience since I own so many cars. I currently have 2 MBs, a Ford, a Chevy and Jeep. My American cars very rarely break and require simple maintenance. Even the Mustang with 95K miles has been wonderful. Chevy truck has been 100% trouble free in 3+ years. Jeep Wrangler also has been flawless. The MBs are split, one needs on average $800/mo in repairs so far (lucky I can do the work myself for cheap), the other has been great, first MB in 6 that has been great, the others started with my first, lemon law (12 times in for same thing) exchanged it for another, the second one had trans, horn and radio go out in the first week, 3rd had it's share of mechanical problem, 4th (C230) was in 17 times for one thing or another in just the first year. 5th (current C230 has been good, same as an American car), 6th, SLK230, constant state of repairs. My parents had one and only one MB, it caught on fire while driving on the freeway. I told them MBs are not reliable, they said it's because I had a W201 and that's a cheap car, they got an E class and that's more reliable, haha. My buddy thought the same so he trade his unreliable W202 for a more upscale W210, haha, POS, many problems, so he moved up to an S class, a little better.

So why are they so expensive? They aren't, I thought my car was very cheap, probably cheaper than a comperable Toyota or Honda. I paid $25.3K for my 2004.5 brand new with 4 years warranty and free maintenance, I don't think Toyota or Honda could have beat that. So I got it because it was cheap, the dealer is 1 mile from my house and I get free car washes. Why else would someone by an MB? Would I pay $35K for a 2007 and no free maintenance, no way, I'ld get a loaded Mustang GT Convertible first and put a Roush S/C for 425HP and maintains the Ford factory warranty.
 
#10 ·
Wow. I'm really surprised and a bit disappointed. I had a Jeep before I bought my C320 -- 196K on it when I sold it. Eleven years old and the only major thing I had done was a front axle replacement and a radiator replacement. Couple other minor things with brakes.

So now I have an 01 C320. In (no kidding) near new condition. Paid $21k for it (it was certified) with an extended warranty that takes me to 100k (had 49k when purchased). I'm glad I opted for the warranty. I just had a step motor replaced which took 2 days of work (had to completely remove the dashboard).

But you know what? I don't care -- I absolutely love my car. Hell, BMWs have a similiar reputation, don't they?
 
#11 ·
i appreciate all the replies and i figured out what was wrong w/the car...it needed a tune-up (plugs,wires,fuel filter)...i finally just got the dealership to buy the parts and i did it myself since it had just been in the mb dealer shop for 2 weeks for a diagnostic...i hate waiting on a shop...anyway when i was replacing the plugs/wires i noticed the wires on the #1 cylinder were reversed...and it had just got out of the mb shop! i mean im not cert mb mechanic but everything on this car is numbered and it basically has the instructions stamped on the motor so u cant screw it up--wtf....anyway, shes running great now...thanks guys
 
#13 ·
Whatever you do, people, DO NOT buy a vehicle because you got a "good deal". All you will do is point out problems, complain about it, whine about it... whatever you want to call it, if you got it only because of the deal, you will more than likely hate your vehicle.
 
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