Retired nurse sells Mercedes back to dealer at $32K loss after five major malfunctions

The woman sold her Mercedes-Benz A200 at a $32K loss after five major malfunctions.

A retired nurse who bought a new Mercedes-Benz said she sold it back to the dealership at close to half the price she paid because ongoing issues meant she was too scared to drive it.

The woman said sudden breakdowns, which stranded her at busy intersections and on the roadside, caused her to lose confidence in the car and in driving.

“It was supposed to be my retirement car, and when I bought it, I stressed to the dealer I needed a safe and reliable car,” the woman said.

“I do a lot of driving between Auckland and Tauranga alone, and safety was [priority] number one.”

The Mercedes-Benz Botany dealership said “hundreds of thousands” of cars were bought and sold in New Zealand every year, and repairs and maintenance were typically covered under warranty.

“Where there is an extraordinary circumstance, we will look at ways to support a customer.”

The woman bought the new Mercedes A200 for $67,000 in 2019 from Armstrong Mercedes-Benz in Botany, Auckland. She eventually sold it this year for $35,000 after initially being offered $34,000.

She said the car had only driven 27,000 kilometres and was “like new” because of years of Covid restrictions.

“I ended up selling it for a big loss because I just needed the stress gone. I hardly got to drive it, but when I did, there was a lot of trauma because I was scared it would just stop with no notice.”

“The car would be fixed, and then it would just happen again.”

Twice the car lost power at busy intersections. One was in Tauranga just after it was bought, and the other during rush hour at Ti Rakau Drive in Manukau this year.

“The first time in Tauranga, the car just stopped. The dashboard said it was unsafe to drive.”

The woman said she was lucky the car didn’t crash as “it is such a busy intersection and it shut down suddenly”.

The widowed mother-of-two feared the car would shut down on the motorway or on the road to Tauranga.

“If I am on the motorway and it stops immediately and a car hits me in the back, then whose fault is it? Is it my car, or the car that hits me? Really, it is the car.

“What if someone is injured? I am a nurse, so to me, safety is the most important thing.”

The instrument panel malfunctioned three times, and on another occasion,the woman and her daughter got stuck in a petrol station carwash because of a fault with the carkey.

The 65-year-old said the car was a significant purchase for her. It was a “treat” after years of working and saving.

“I loved driving and love road trips, so this was a special car for me because my children have grown up.

“Before that, I had a Honda Civic for 20 years and I had no problems.”

During her investigations into the car, the woman also discovered the Mercedes model she purchased had a Renault engine.

“This was a surprise to me, because I bought a Mercedes, and then I discover the engine is a Renault.

“If I knew this I would not have bought it. I would buy a Renault car - it is cheaper. It is misleading.”

She said she bought a Mercedes because of its reputation, and she trusted the German-made brand.

“But I believe this car was faulty. It was not fit for purpose.”

In June 2021, Mercedes-Benz Botany completely replaced the control unit for the vehicle, and the woman agreed to accept the offer to extend the manufacturer’s warranty for two years to February 2024.

But in February this year, the car engine shut down without warning at the Ti Rakau Drive intersection.

The car was returned to the dealership and through her lawyer, the woman told management she did not want it back.

Her lawyer wrote to the dealership reserving the right to reject the vehicle under the Consumer Guarantees Act, stating the car was not “fit for purpose” and was not “of acceptable quality”.

The letter stated the car had suffered “no less than five major malfunctions” since February 2019.

“Due to the repeated malfunctions suffered by the vehicle and the apparent failure of Mercedes-Benz to prevent various malfunctions with the vehicle from re-occurring, [the woman] no longer feels safe driving the vehicle, nor does she believe it to be the safe and reliable vehicle [the dealership] represented it would be,” the letter said.

The woman wanted to share her experience after reading about two other Mercedes-Benz customers who had experienced ongoing seatbelt issues with their late model GLS400d SUVs.

A couple from Dunedin had already sold their car back to Mercedes at a significant loss because of ongoing seatbelt issues. The couple also were under the impression their warranty was about to expire.

Auckland woman Ms Feng - who didn’t want her first name used - has had the same seatbelt issues with her $175,000 SUV and has sought legal advice.

She wanted to support Feng as they both bought from the same dealership.

“I had already sold my car back to Mercedes, but I wanted to tell my story to support people who are in the same situation as me.”

“I think it is probably too late for me, but it might not be for someone else.”

Ms Feng’s $175,000 Mercedes-Benz SUV has also been plagued with issues. Photo / Michael Craig

A spokesperson for the Mercedes-Benz Botany dealership told the Herald on Sunday the woman bought her car in 2019 and it was sold in February this year “on mutually agreed terms, which she and her solicitor managed with us”.

“Over this ownership period, there were four matters we helped her to remedy under the Mercedes-Benz warranty,” the spokesperson said.

Mercedes-Benz New Zealand said all issues faced by the woman were repaired under warranty.

“Mercedes-Benz New Zealand is committed to ensuring the safety of its customers and takes compliance with its Express Warranty and Consumer Guarantee obligations very seriously.

“We are aware of this customer’s experience and understand each of their issues were addressed and rectified.”