Incorrect Manufacture Date on New Mercedes-Benz

addo on 13/05/2020 - 22:01
Last edited 14/05/2020 - 10:56 by 1 other user

Seeking for Advice

Recently I bought a Mercedes-Benz from a dealership in VIC, at the time of sale (salesperson informed me), and on the invoice/contract, it states the car was manufactured in Oct 2019 and Compliance in Dec 2019.

Rookie mistake didn't check when picking up the car. it was Manufactured in Feb 2019. I informed them 4 days after I received the vehicle, the dealership insisted that the sticker is wrong and recommended I contact Mercedes-Benz Australia.

After contacting Mercedes-Benz Australia, they also confirmed that it's wrong and will send me a new build sticker and provide me $750 credit to use at a dealership for the problem.

Generally, I wouldn't have taken any further actions but knowing Feb 2019 built car would be one of the first cars built for the generation, my experience is that it will have a lot of problems in the long run.

Boy was I correct, there have been 4-5 issues with the car less than 2 months in.

What can I do so Mercedes can help me resolve the problem. are there legal actions that I can take?

Some Facts
- VIN matches with Invoice
- I have not received the new build sticker
- I have not taken up on the $750 offer.
- Asking nicely a few times Mercedes-Benz stands with their reply. refusing to move and says will respond if I take further action.

EDIT:

I understand there are a lot of people who do not like Mercedes as a brand but it was a car that I liked the look of and feel of, so please understand my intentions are not to bash the brand but rather finding a solution to my problem.

I believe this could have happened to any customer at any brand/dealership and it is more justice and consumer rights issue than anything else.

Automotive

Comments

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 15/05/2020 - 07:14
    +2

    Should have bought a 1 year old Toyota Camry.

  • spaceflight on 15/05/2020 - 07:46
    +1

    manufactured in Oct 2019 and Compliance in Dec 2019.

    Where did the dealer get this information?

    Rookie mistake didn't check when picking up the car. it was Manufactured in Feb 2019.

    That's what the plate says?

    After contacting Mercedes-Benz Australia, they also confirmed that it's wrong and will send me a new build sticker

    Saying that it was built in Feb 2019?

    But they wouldn't send the sticker to you. They will only send it to a dealer so they can fit it.

    Generally, I wouldn't have taken any further actions but knowing Feb 2019 built car would be one of the first cars built for the generation, my experience is that it will have a lot of problems in the long run.

    That's not how cars work

    • addo on 15/05/2020 - 10:12

      The dealer showed me this info via the MB Portal. there is also a screen shoot token I have it.

      The Plate says Feb 2019 all the parts inside list Dec2018 or Jan 2019

      Mercedes-Benz Australia Says its OCT 2019

      • pegaxs on 15/05/2020 - 10:55
        +2

        Dates on parts can mean nothing. They may have ordered 50,000 of those parts before production started. So you could easily have a part with a manufacture date of Jan. 2019 on a car built in Oct. 2019.

        Hell, I have a 2018 motorcycle here with a wiring harness manufactured that has a date of Nov 2015. Does that make my bike a 2015 model?

        It’s more so evidence of stockpiled parts, not of the build date.

        • addo on 15/05/2020 - 10:57

          However, I have two friends to both brought the same car their car's DOM is Aug 2019 but all the part were produced in June/July 2019

          • pegaxs on 15/05/2020 - 12:08
            +1

            @addo: Then check your sequence number against theirs… The last 6 digits on a VIN is the serial/sequence number. If they have identical cars, the first 11 digits should be the same (except 9th, which is a check digit) and if your "sequence number" is lower than theirs, it is likely it was built before theirs. If it is higher than theirs, it was built after.

            ie: If your sequence number is 012345 and theirs is 023456, yours is an earlier production line date. If it is the opposite way around, then theirs is the older vehicle.

            But don't go comparing a GLE500d to a GLE300d or to an SLK of E class of the same age. It needs to have the same VIN, same model, same MY, same specs and same engine and drive train. Apples to Apples, not to Oranges.

            Disclaimer: Build dates and sequence numbers are not the same thing and this is a guide only (I have not had a lot to do with MB, but I have a bit to do with BMW). I have gone into how build dates get fitted to some vehicles a number of times, where a car can be shipped to Australia incomplete and have the final assembly done here. It can sit around on the docks or in a holding yard and not get the final build done on it until an order is placed. It may sit around for a myriad of different reasons, colour, options, shit brand/model, etc.

            The sequence number tells you when that car rolled off the assembly line. The build date plate may have been applied days/weeks/months later.

            Lawyer up and contact MB directly, not the arseholes here is Australia. If you give the head office a call/email, they should be able to tell you everything about the car. When it started assembly, when the door were fitted, who assembled what part of it, when it rolled off the assembly line, when it was put on a boat, when it was rolled off the boat and how long it sat around before being allocated to a dealer.

    • Kevcwy on 26/06/2020 - 00:33

      Hi, Ive literally just experienced the same problem! Got a GLE300D last week and loved it. 3 days ago as I was driving to get my plates swapped, a message turn on stating that service A past due 34 days. I’ve sent this message to the sales person and he said that’s strange. I then noticed the built date is May instead of NOV as shown in the contract. Judging by that the built date on the car SHOULD be correct and they are trying to do something funny. I’m not having any remorse but I certainly want what I’ve purchased and paid for. Has there been any updates on your side with MB?

  • payless69 on 15/05/2020 - 08:26
    +3

    addo, Germany basically has 3 car culture regions: Prussian Volkswagen, Bavarian show what we can do with glitter and performance and lastly Swabian that made either cars to last and also had a very fast sports car. VW was the first to extensively work with China and keep the quality of general cars way over GM but affordable so they grew and grew, swallowed Audi from the Bavarian, Seat from Spain and Skoda from Czechia. Clever outsourcing and shifting of old German plants to make mass cars for China made VW the richest with only Toyota to rival them. MB went to show off their arrogance in the US by force with a Chrysler joint venture only to burn their fingers, failing to understand US needs. Before the GFC Porsche did so well and had so much cash in the kitty they borrowed an insane amount to purchase VW. The GFC flipped the idea and VW ended up with the fast brand. Merc recovered well and kept on doing what they did best but while others outsourcend they did in moderation and their cars generally work well with the trucks doing even better. GM did nothing but fraud all over the world never paid taxes in Germany till they found out in the GFC. (Sadly Oz got ripped off by GM perhaps the most)
    Car making has with players from Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, India and now China become hyper competitive. Listen to guru engineer Sandy Munro, he called the Tesla mod S best electric with toy body of an inexperienced. Now he calls the Mod 3 being ahead by one year of the rest and lastly Mod Y 3 years ahead.
    Where are the Germans ? Mercs are nice but second to Toyota they make lasting traditional heritage cars. (Toyota even admits that their Lexus is to counter Mercedes)
    Now if you did not get what the contract said but still like the car I would come out with a tougher skin! Reject an unwanted coupon. Settle for a cash refund try 1.5k and perhaps end up with a grand in your hand or during their repair free loan car if needed. I know lots of Merc drivers most are happy getting things sorted out. Bimmers are more complex and perhaps fine where the smart technicians are nearby. Volkswagen is now feeling the heat of competition. Make Mercedes stand up for their quality!

    • stumo on 15/05/2020 - 09:40
      +6

      Now thats a Great Wall

    • Cluster on 15/05/2020 - 11:56
      +1

      Mercedes has already greatly improved its quality. Anyone who owned the new generation of vehicles built between ~1997 and 2002 can attest to the woeful quality and cost cutting that afflicted the entire range. Hooking up with Chrysler and vowing to go after more market segments deteriorated the brand across the board.

      Are the current cars any good? I don't know, but seeing as the OP is complaining about bits of trim falling off I suspect there may still be problems.

  • Bid Sniper on 15/05/2020 - 11:34
    +1

    Just another MB customer and MB customer service…

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 15/05/2020 - 12:04
    +1

    Ignore the Mercedes Benz bashers. I don't drive one, my dad does. I will not buy european but that's my own personal choice. I will probably try very hard to never buy any car moving forward as I really do not need one.

    Can you get any more information from the registration label or details?

    If car is registered in NSW, you can check here:- https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/check-vehicle-reg… and pay $22 for a full history check, it can reveal the details the RMS has on your vehicle; for example

    example:-
    Plate number: np40bz
    VIN/chassis: ********R060
    Date of manufacture: January 2007
    Date first registered in NSW: October 2015
    Tare Weight: 3500 kg
    Gross Vehicle Mass:

  • IdBuyThat4aDollar on 15/05/2020 - 12:56

    Is Feb and Oct 2019 build both MY19 (model year) ? Or is the Oct build MY20? If the former I wouldn't stress about it, if the latter I'd be pissed if I thought I was getting an MY20 and got an MY19

    • jace88 on 16/05/2020 - 16:06

      Naming convention varies by market but I think in Australia we use year if manufacture.

  • nickcorr on 15/05/2020 - 14:05

    Looks like MB had significant changes to the GLE in 2019 with the launch of a new model in mid 2019. Early 2019, there is no such thing as a GLE300D there is a GLE250D which has a 2.1 twin turbo diesel.
    June 2019, they launched the 2020MY model GLE, the V167, which has a slightly longer wheelbase etc. and is a different vehicle. 2.1 twin turbo was replaced with a more powerful 2.0 single turbo and GLE250D became a GLE300D.
    What it comes down to is simple. Were you delivered a 2020 MY GLE300D, built in 2019, or a 2018/19MY GLE250D?
    As long as it is a GLE300D, makes no difference if it was built in Feb 2019 or October 2019, it is still a 2019 build for the purposes of valuations etc. There were no changes in specs on that vehicle during that build period, just a price increase on Jan 1st 2020.
    And from March 2020, MB AUS went to a 5 year warranty, up from 3 years.

    • jace88 on 16/05/2020 - 13:08

      FYI June 2019 was the official launch of the v167 but they already started arriving in March for those who preordered (and got the benefit of a slightly better initial equipment list offset by less discount).

  • Wilson Wallace on 15/05/2020 - 22:00

    1st quarter builds would be your my19. 4th quarter builds would be my20. Your VIN will give you your build date.

    All the best, hope it turns out well for you!

  • Oz em on 15/05/2020 - 22:48
    +3

    How can it have the wrong build sticker on it though?
    That doesn’t seem likely.

  • fruxo on 16/05/2020 - 06:30
    +1

    Definitely keep trying to get some info from the vin number, it should be there. Sounds very suspicious that the sticker is supposedly wrong and you are absolutely right to question this.

  • John Kimble on 16/05/2020 - 07:36
    +3

    As you don't seem to trust the response from MB, it seems the only solution is to take the car back to the factory it was made in, show them your car and ask all the factory workers to confirm if they made it in February or October.

    Case closed.

    • CalmLemons on 16/05/2020 - 10:09
      -2

      Factory workers: We didn't make that car. It was KIA.

      • pegaxs on 16/05/2020 - 12:23
        +1

        It was KIA Chrysler

        FTFY…

    • addo on 24/05/2020 - 09:34

      Great idea!

  • coolsteps on 16/05/2020 - 11:57

    op you should get an independent tech to confirm vin date before deciding to accept any offer or taking legal action.

    • addo on 16/05/2020 - 13:42

      Thanks Will do

  • [Deactivated] on 16/05/2020 - 12:39

    After contacting Mercedes-Benz Australia, they also confirmed that it's wrong and will send me a new build sticker and provide me $750 credit to use at a dealership for the problem.

    Did they confirm this in writing?

    • addo on 16/05/2020 - 13:41

      They sure did, they said the sticker I have is incorrect and will send me a new one, its been 60+ days I haven't seen the sticker as of yet.

      • [Deactivated] on 16/05/2020 - 13:56

        Not much you can do then. Ask them to send you the sticker by registered mail and take their offer of $750.

  • jace88 on 16/05/2020 - 13:06

    Did Op ever get the VIN check to work? I have the same MY20 GLE300d and my VIN per contract works in multiple online sites to check equipment spec etc.

    As for issues, I’ve only had to deal with the recalls but MB has been good at picking up car from my house/office and leaving me a loan car and then returning it when done. YMMV.

    That being said my MBUX seems to have been upgraded along the way and lost the fuel price display and CarPlay sometimes doesn’t load. Minor issues but along with the spotty Mercedes Me app it did annoy me a bit but not enough to demand anything more than Mercedes to fix it.

    • addo on 16/05/2020 - 13:42

      I didnt which site did you try ?

      • jace88 on 16/05/2020 - 14:16

        Mbdecoder.com

        Check the production date. For comparison mine is 7 May 2019 and was in the first batch before they came out with the official/public spec list so if yours really has a build date earlier than me then you got sold launch stock. Plus side is you’d have gotten some extras which were later removed eg spare wheel, or removed and added back in (fake leather lined dash).

        • nickcorr on 16/05/2020 - 15:53

          Or they have ended up with pre-production stock, so the cars used for local compliance tick off, dealer sales and technical training plus press use….

  • Davo1111 on 16/05/2020 - 13:24
    -2

    Confirmation bias/buyers remorse

  • nikey2k27 on 16/05/2020 - 16:33
    -1

    That happen with dad last year he new Mitsubishi Triton went pick care up got 2018 plate in dec 2019 he yell at them no pay for car you (profanity) me after 2hours they drop $5000 off it have shit load of free shit

  • FW190 on 16/05/2020 - 17:05
    • VIN matches with Invoice
    • I have not received the new build sticker

    maybe MB is different, but for all the cars I have own, the manufacturing date is also engraved on the same metal plate as the VIN number, otherwise, I guess they can slap on any date sticker they want to meet the customer's request?

    • pegaxs on 16/05/2020 - 17:14

      on the same metal plate as the VIN number,

      Been a while since you bought a new car. Most new cars these days are all just stickers for build, VIN and compliance plates. And a build plate can have nothing on it other than the month and year it was built.

      • FW190 on 16/05/2020 - 18:27

        lol thx, learn something new today :)

        (and saved me from looking like an idiot if I ever buy a newer car)

        • pegaxs on 16/05/2020 - 18:30

          The industry has moved mostly over to stickers because it's impossible to just drill them off and put them on another vehicle. Im not saying that there are no more of the old aluminum plates, but there is very few who still use them.

          • oz-eh on 16/05/2020 - 21:05

            @pegaxs: my 2009 built car didn't have those aluminum plates either so it has been a very long time.

  • Wiser on 16/05/2020 - 21:30
    +2

    OP shoukd insist on a stat declaration from MBAU Stating the vehicle is actually manufatured in Oct19 and wrong sticker was on the vehicle.
    Then if you can prove if it is otherway around you have a case to take to court law.

    • addo on 24/05/2020 - 09:32

      Hi Sachy

      There is no stat dec but they did put it in writing that it was the wrong sticker.

  • eggles01 on 18/05/2020 - 12:17

    Hi I do have another comment,on your registration papers what is the details,if it is registered under the latter month you may be breaking the law by altering any dates or any data that is connected to the vehicle,yes pegasus it can be easily fixed but you would have to get permission from motor registeries to be able to do it yourself,if you decide to keep the vehicle I would demand that Merc.do it themselves,and make sure they supply you with what ever paperwork they receive from the registery,other things you must check on is your insurance,if you ever are unlucky enough to have an accident and you attempt to make a claim you more than likley have your claim refused due to the new info on the vehicle will differ on the original point of sale info,get merc to do the lot that way you cannot be held responsible for any other blunders that there may be in the future.

    • addo on 24/05/2020 - 09:33

      The Compliance date and Registration Dates are correct.

  • eggles01 on 18/05/2020 - 12:25

    back in 1987 I purchased a 1984 Mazda 4 door pillarless 929,the vehicle had only done 70,000 klms and 3 years later the radiater system failed and blew the motor,I took it to a big named exchange motor business near Blacktown NSW and purchased a new long motor,I had re-registered from 1985 each year in Sydney area then 3 years at Taree RTA and when I went to register it in 1994 at Taree the lady told me that one of the computers was down and it was going to take approx 20 minutes to get it back on line and I went over to sit and wail,I was not taking any notice of who was entering the door until the 2 persons was 1 male and 1 female police officers who went straight to the same woman who pointed to me and the female officer went straight to the door as the male walked to me and ask me to go outside with them and open my bonnet which I did and he then wrote numbers into the book and then asked me,"Why I was driving the vehicle that had a reported stolen motor in it",the story goes a person in Victoria reported his car stolen a few weeks later he found the car but failed to let the police and rta so it was still listed as a stolen vehicle it took me a further 3 days to prove I had really purchased it to the police,that is how much mucking around a simple thing can be,

  • 8200 on 30/06/2020 - 10:24

    Any news?

    I would be amazed if Benz gave you a different build date sticker to stick on your vehicle, that sounds like bullshit and totally fraudulent, the sticker on your vehicle is the correct one.

    If you have everything written on contract you may well have a strong case against them, i would be seeking a total refund and costs.

    John Cardogan is your friend, he would LOVE to run this story [contact him]

    german cars are totally over rated, this is backed up by consumer reports and your own typical issues for a new german car, pop your head in at any dealership will confirm the overpriced underdone lemons failing new, they sell to sucked in punters aka P.T.Barnum

    LEXUS ALL THE WAY!

  • Loki H on 12/09/2020 - 20:16

    Any update?
    I just found out I had the same issue as you.
    Contacted sales person also said wrong sticker.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join