Mercedes-Benz Manhattan

A comprehensive nightmare tale I am an Operating Engineer by trade and a lifelong car enthusiast. As such, I highly recommend NOT purchasing a Mercedes. I have owned my AMG Mercedes I am an Operating Engineer by trade and a lifelong car enthusiast. As such, I highly recommend NOT purchasing a Mercedes. I have owned my AMG Mercedes for close to three years and it is the furthest thing from a luxury brand I have ever experienced with three dealerships all delivering "Second class treatment". The build quality of my car is horrible and has remained poor despite MANY visits to the dealer. The paint is soft which cost me $1500 to have the paint corrected and protected as the dealership buffed off most of the clear coat which is now down to 35 microns of paint left in some spots which should be 70-90 microns. I had a major leak in the trunk which was repaired. The rear decklid has been repaired 4 times over the past 3 years for vibrations and still vibrates. I’ve had the battery fail on me which left me stranded twice. The rear back-up camera fails intermittently (still not fixed). I had a whistle above 40mph for TWO YEARS before they found the warped plastic grille causing it. I’ve had both headlights fog up internally which was repaired under warranty but will affect the longevity of the internal electrics of the headlight system. There is a major recall as of 2017 that is still not done! I was told the car came with a limited slip rear differential and almost found out the hard way it was not equipped with one. Over $3000 later, the car is now fitted with an LSD from a 507 edition. My luxury car does not have real leather, instead it is called MB-Tex. Plastic and rubber is not luxury in my opinion. My glass roof has been popping and leaking for years and taken apart several times. It no longer pops, but it leaks so bad my headliner and front seats are stained, even though I purchased 3 warranties (Manufacturer, CPO and Extended warranties = $, $$$.$$), they want money for labor to investigate before they cover it which became an aggravating negotiation. My engine cover was damaged on a repair and they tried to hide it. In August of 2019, the Air Conditioning failed. When I tried to drop it off, I was told the lot was full and they were "swamped". That tells a lot about the brand. On several occasions I had rude valets, one went so far and dropped my keys on the hood and gave that “look”. I bought the car with 2500 miles, barely a CPO it was so new, and I found out it had an aftermarket tune installed so they are not doing the CPO proper checks, and I purchased vehicle from Manhattan Mercedes, a manufacturer owned dealership. Rockville Center Mercedes put the wrong engine oil in my car as reported by my oil analysis from Blackstone Laboratories. My engine has rattled on startup from the day I purchased it but I’m told its "normal" or "within operating guidelines" when it is really loud and has the wrong oil in it. My engine has whined under load which I was also told is normal, 3 years later they are replacing the idler pullies. Even $4000 worth of exhaust modifications couldn’t drown out the whine. I had strut tower bushings replaced which only temporarily solves an issue like my older Volkswagen did. The transmission shifts harshly so I’m told to drive it in a “Sport+” mode…. really? Comfort mode should be comfortable, I would expect the harshness in the sport modes… My car is a 2014 and the last year of this body style. Older versions had major engine issues such as failed head bolts and catastrophic failures due to camshafts and lifters. So, my car is unreliable and non-luxurious and that is obvious, but the Carfax is "clean". What I have noticed over the years is the poor loaner car quality. They are mostly base model CLA's, c300's, I had an E class once and a few SUVs. Almost every car has quality issues. Some from poor body work (someone’s future "deal", most like their worst nightmare), others from just being poorly built ala rattles, clicks, squeaks and such. This was undoubtedly my first and last Mercedes. Even if I hit lotto or some other glorious windfall, I will NEVER own another Mercedes. By and far, the most expensive, most poorly built and poorly supported brand I have ever dealt with. I have owned several BMWs, several Cadillacs and both are far more luxurious than any Mercedes I have driven over the past three years. I’ve also owned a couple of Fords and a Pontiac. Do not buy a Mercedes, you have been warned. An extremely frustrating and jading experience and I can’t wait for it to be over. More