Mercedes-Benz Of Tacoma

My first Mercedes will be my only Mercedes - I will not buy another. I bought a 2003 CLK 320 on November 10, 2010 from Larson Mercedes in Tacoma. It came with a 6-month dealer warranty and had just ove buy another. I bought a 2003 CLK 320 on November 10, 2010 from Larson Mercedes in Tacoma. It came with a 6-month dealer warranty and had just over 55,000 miles. I decided to make the purchase based on the brand reputation for reliability, the low mileage, and the 6 month warranty. Less than 2 months and 2,000 miles later I've been faced with my first mechanical problem. My roommate was about to drive it home from work on Sunday and heard a scraping sound as if the tire had gone flat on the front driver's side, except that when he stopped and checked the tire was fine. We left the car nearby in a grocery store lot, and the next day took it to the Mercedes dealer next door to the grocery store in Bellevue. They looked it over and thought that a caliper on the brakes had frozen up, so I made arrangements to retrieve the car on the hope that the warranty covered the problem. When I went to retrieve the car the Mercedes advisor said that he wasn't sure anymore that it should be driven as it was tearing up the rotor. I had to return to Seattle for work, and the rotor was already damaged, so I decided to bring it back to Seattle in preparation for taking it to Tacoma, but when I called the original dealer they informed me that the 6-month was only powertrain, not suspension system, and so I was going to be on my own. So I took the car to a Midas near my apartment building, since they could look at the car sooner than anyone else, and it would be less driving (vs 30 minutes to Tacoma). Midas proceeded to call me later in the day and tell me that they couldn't do anything with it - it's not a brake problem, it's the entire wheel hub assembly that was ready to fall apart and the repair work requires special tools. So I retrieved it from Midas this morning and drove it around the corner to a mechanic who specializes in European and German cars. They've just called to tell me that the ball bearing was cracked and falling apart, and that the heat of driving it has now welded it to the nut that holds it in place, and they're going to have to replace the entire steering knuckle. A car that I thought was going to be reliable for 6 months, and had truthfully hoped would need no repairs for years, is now going to cost me upwards of $1,000 or $1,500 to repair. The mechanic here immediately asked if it was a California car (it was), and explained that this happens to cars from the dry arid climates because the grease around the ball bearing dries out from the heat and dryness. Given everything, I can only conclude the following: 1) The inspection of the car by the dealer was insufficient given the origin of the car and did not consider normal wear and tear that could have easily, and inexpensively, been prevented. 2) The dealer warranty is essentially worthless and only provided protection for things they truly investigated. 3) The service department who looked at the problem also failed to find the source of the problem and realize it’s severity, which was evident to Midas the instant they put the car up on the rack, indicating to me that the Mercedes in Bellevue didn’t actually spend any time looking at the problem, and 4) The Mercedes reputation for quality and brand is marketing hype based on price and maybe the engine, not a reality based on actual durability of the overall vehicle, and the brand reputation means nothing to the company once you fall outside of their 3-4 year window, regardless of whether you buy their car at their dealership, or whether the car has low mileage or any other factors. It’s basically all a numbers game to them, not a matter of truly standing behind their product. I raised my dissatisfaction with the original dealer, who cited the warranty limitations, and to Mercedes corporate, who apologized for my displeasure, but ultimately did nothing except refer me back to the original dealer. Given the multiple levels of failure to provide good service and quality, I will not purchase another Mercedes product and will instead look toward Lexus and BMW for my future car purchases, both of which have been recommended to me in the past. More

Friendliness and honesty right when I walked in the door. I loved working with Chris. He was very laid back and did not presure me into buying. I had a ton of questions since I was comparing it to the '06 I loved working with Chris. He was very laid back and did not presure me into buying. I had a ton of questions since I was comparing it to the '06 BMW 3 Series. He never put BMW or any other company down. He more less educated me on the Mercedes product. I've owned about 18 cars now from various makes and models. The is car is built like a tank, purely solid inside and out. To sum it up, if you are looking for a luxury car, this is the dealership you should consider. Most people get cold feet walking into a dealership and dread the high pressure sales staff, not here. They seem to focus on making you a long term customer by treating you right and not play number games, as so many others do. If you decide this is the dealership for you, just tell Chris or Keith that "RON sent you". I totally trust them and know you will get the best deal by talking to them. You will be in for a treat! More