[ejazbmw]

wait I thought MB took away there maintance program?

[BzsBimmer]

Originally Posted by agentf1

The other thing I do not like is 15,000 mile between oil changes.

Hate to burst your bubble (was that a pun? hahaha)
but MB has the same oil change policy that BMW has. It's 15K between services and you have to pay it. It's not covered.

[agentf1]

Originally Posted by scottp999

Good luck, seems like customer service is on a down trend in all industries. I defnitley am not following the 15,000 mile change rule, it only takes 30 minutes to change it yourself. I guess you got treated really well at MB, my expectations of BMW service have been low since I got my first one in 2000. If I had a tire problem I would probably just order one off tire rack and have it mounted and balanced at a local shop. Probably cost $250-$275 for everything.

Yes, had I known I would have just went to my local tire place and paid 300 vs 450. I assumed since it was so new and there is NO sign of any trama they would have certianly covered it.

[agentf1]

Originally Posted by BzsBimmer

Hate to burst your bubble (was that a pun? hahaha)
but MB has the same oil change policy that BMW has. It's 15K between services and you have to pay it. It's not covered.

That must have just changed. WTF, nobody cares about service anymore. It was 10,000 and covered up to 50,000. I have a guy that does it for 20 bucks plus I supply oil and filter anyway. Thats who I will have do the 335i between BMW changes. MB was like 200 to 400 after the warranty was up which is insane.

[omg516]

bye

[HyperM3]

Hmm, funny how my coworker has to pay $550 for her new tire on her CLS550 because after 600 miles it developed a bubble. Her boyfriend has an SL55 from the same dealership. Guess it doesnt matter how much you spend there.

Same goes for anywhere, its all about the service department and they arent all the same. You just had a bad first impression. Try another dealership.

ORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. You could have bought the wheel/tire warranty up front and not had to worry about ever replacing a tire again.

[Zeiss]

[cn555ic]

MBs are good cars, but compared to a BMW there is a significant difference as far as quality and overall package...I have driven many MB and BMWs to say that the handling of BMW is far superior to MB...I just drove my father's SL500 and the car is nice, but it just had very sloppy handling and it felt very slow, but i guess compared to my 335 it is slow...The 2004 Sl500 door panels seem very thin and flimsy...The buttons seemed cheap and out of place...The car only has 7000 miles or so...I would never buy a MB over a BMW, but thats just my opinion...

[morgie2]

Originally Posted by agentf1

Well after my first service experience I have to say I am sorry I bought a BMW 335i from Otto's BMW and will be going back to driving Mercedes. Something told me I should have just bought a CLK but this cinched the deal. The neighbors all bought MB's after we got ours and were debating on switching after we did but I will advise them not to as well.

I only have a few thousand miles on the car and have never hit anything other than normal road bumps and developed a bubble in the sidewall of a tire. You can see there was NO trama at all, not even a slight scuff and they want to charge me 450 bucks for a new tire. At MB they ALWAYS covered everything even when it was clear that they shouldn't have. They fixed a scratched seat that was obviously our fault. I guess you live and learn. I did love the car other than the hour wait to be waited on when dropping it off for service despite my appointment, a filthy Explorer as a loaner (MB always gave me a clean MB and even dropped it off and picked my car up) and then being raped for a tire that is obviously a manufactures defect.

Old well, I guess my MB salesman will be happy.

Sorry, but had to vent on somebody.

Sorry about your problem, but with all due respect, bear in mind that a similarly equipped CLK will probably run you $ 10000 to $ 15000 more than the 335. The engine will not be as good. You will either get 320, which is not nearly as powerful, or a 550 which is slightly quicker, but terrible gas mileage. I realize the tire situation is annoying, but talk about being raped. I respectfully say don't be penny-wise and pound foolish. It's no wonder they "take care of" tires and scratches to upholstery. With over-charging like they do, MB can afford it.

[OC Guy]

It's a shame that your local dealer did not take care of you but with all dealerships, Mercedes included, YMMV. You're fortunate that your MB dealer takes care of you so well.

[drwtsn32]

Dude, MB doesn't have free service at all any more.

[!Xoible]

Originally Posted by drwtsn32

Dude, MB doesn't have free service at all any more.

he will know that on his first $300 oil change, or $1500 brake job, that's if they dont require changing the thin rotors that cannot be resurfaced

[derryck]

LOL!

"I hate BMW cars because my 3rd party tire was defective and my dealership won't kiss my a$$ and replace it even though it's not under warranty and I didn't buy tire insurance."

"Replacing the tire is so expensive, that I'd rather take thousands of dollars in depreciation up the butt and switch back to MB."

Okay, Mr. Logical, good luck to you and your neighbors.

I almost fell out of my chair...that's hilarious. I drive my car 90 miles each way to have it serviced by someone other than my local dealership because I don't like them. I'm certainly not going to trade my car for a Benz with a slushbox.

[EINSER M]

i dont think you'll get much rallying posting going back to MB in a BMW forum...

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by kirkx5m

i dont think you'll get much rallying posting going back to MB in a BMW forum...

Kirk, how's it been man?

As to the OP, dude, you've gotta lighten up a bit.

[3XTR3M3]

Its a known fact that BMW reps (sales, service, etc..) talk to clients like idiots and often with an attitude until you lay the fuckin smack down on their bitch ass. Many of em (old or young) act like punks just cus they have a BMW name badge.

Im not going to go on and on about this but heres something i recently experienced.

After BMWNA has contacted the dealer and had the parts delivered for the OC Retrofit...

Me: "I'm here for my Oil Cooler retrofit"
Service consultant: "Oil Cooler??? What are you doing towing a boat or something? That car dosnt need an oil cooler"

After I proceeded to lay the smack down as mentioned above, Things quickly changed and I had someone follow me around the dealer making sure I wasnt thirsty or had a lack of coffee. Every 5 minutes.

Sorry you had a fucked up experience because Bimmers really are great cars and its a total shame you didnt get to truly enjoy one.

BTW, I had the EXACT SAME problem with one of my tires. I dunno about BMW because i didnt even bother to approach them about it but the company that makes the tires asks you to send it in and if they find that there is no trama to the tire as you explained, they pay for your new tire.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

[m3power13]

Time to buy a Lexus.

BMW - people who have a pulse
MB - people who want a pulse
Lexus - whats a pulse?

[noktekniq]

since when did other dealers kiss ur ass? they won't kiss your ass unless u give them money. that's how the world is.

[RodB]

Originally Posted by agentf1

MB was always great to us as far as service and the cars were always great. I will keep it for another couple years as I love the car but just won't buy another BMW. I was always a repeat customer with MB and thought I would be the same with BMW but not if they rape me every time I come in for service.

The other thing I do not like is 15,000 mile between oil changes. Not to mention no break in oil change. That is insane. Needless to say I will pay to have it done more often if I plan on keeping the car any length of time. Even BMW magazine (forget exact name) stated this in their article on the car. So much for free service huh. MB always pushed my cars through ahead of time as I was not comfortable waiting their required 10,000 miles. I think they too may have bumped it up to longer intervals but atleast they were leanient. Towards the end of the warranty they started getting more strict which was one of the reasons I decided to try a BMW. I may actually look into Audi, Lexas or Volvo before I make my decision but I do know that I have ruled out BMW. It would be different it the car wasn't so freaking new but I can only imagine the level of service after a few years. It is a shame as there are things I like better about the car but then there are things I don't like as much so I guess it is a wash when it comes to that.

I'm sorry your BMW experience has been soiled by a bad tire, but you do know Mercedes does NOT offer any free maintenance on their cars don't you. So, when you say they bumped up the oil change, you were paying for it anyway, right? So, if having your oil changed more frequently (and I intend to have my oil changed more frequently on my 335i and pay for it myself) is important, just pay for an oil change. There are loads of threads on many forums on whether it's good or bad to wait 15,000 miles and from what I've read the new oil is actually well suited to the heat and duration, but I, like yourself, would have better piece of mind by changing the oil more frequently, so I'll fund this "mind-preventative" personally.

And on your assertion that Mercedes are more reliable. Sorry, but balderdash. Don't get me wrong, I've driven Mercedes cars for the last decade or more and while some were great, some were just plain awful. Take my 2005 CLK 500 Cabriolet. It had an electrical meltdown at around 4k miles which couldn't be fixed. I was without my car for weeks and when I last saw it, it was litteraly torn apart with wiring harnesses all over the place waiting for the MB gods to figure out what to do. So, I took a financial hit, and upgraded to an SL500. It had a central locking system meltdown at a little over 5K miles and after weeks of them trying to get parts to fix it from Germany, it too was traded at a loss on an E350. Now, the E350 was reliable, but I'm just not a boring sedan kind of guy and what I really discovered, is I'm not a Mercedes guy. Maybe that's one reason I traded cars so often. Hmmmmmm??? Turns out I would rather drive a BMW with service anomolies over a MB with no issues whatsoever. But that's just me.

I hope you ultimately can find pleasure in your BMW, but if you return to MB, and it makes you ultimately happier, then good for you.

Best wishes to you........

[Roowah]

Originally Posted by m3power13

Time to buy a Lexus.

BMW - people who have a pulse
MB - people who want a pulse
Lexus - whats a pulse?

Very nice...never read that one before.

The neighbors all bought MB's after we got ours and were debating on switching after we did but I will advise them not to as well.

Wow, I must say your neighbors certainly follow your lead!

I did love the car other than the hour wait to be waited on when dropping it off for service despite my appointment, a filthy Explorer as a loaner (MB always gave me a clean MB and even dropped it off and picked my car up) and then being raped for a tire that is obviously a manufactures defect.

This always surprises me that so many people are receiving such poor service. At my service department (BMW of Peabody, MA) they have never once disappointed me. In fact, quite the opposite. My SA is always accommodating for scheduling, and never have to wait more than a minute or two before sitting down with her. If needed, I've always received a BMW loaner. Never a problem with cleanliness.

As for the tire issue...that's not BMW's fault. It's a defect with the tire and needs to be addressed to the tire manufacturer. If you don't want to go that route, and would rather just replace the tire promptly (which it should be - tire bubbles are dangerous), try getting a price from Tire Rack and then shopping it against local tire places. I've done this in the past with other cars, and many local tire stores will at least price match it. Around here, NTB will match price including the shipping charge with no questions asked. They just need a printout of Tire Rack's page.

[Sedan_Clan]

I agree w/ the above poster, in that, I've never had a service complaint. In fact, I've received great service from both of the dealers that I frequent (...Shelly and Riverside BMW). Savage BMW on the other hand, not so great!

[Neurorad]

Sounds like you want to trade in your dealership, and not your car. Too bad. But such is life.

You'll buy a Lexus. Lexus service tends to be pretty reliable, from dealershp to dealership. BMW, MB, Audi - spotty; some great, some suck.

Service was a strong consideration for me when I bought my BMW. Decent BMW service here in Nashville, always a BMW loaner.

They're screwing you with the sidewall bubble. They'll probably charge for a new tire, and then submit the claim to the tire manufacturer to get paid twice. :mad: