Bought a New Mercedes and before Delivery of Car, Dealership Damaged a Module in The Car by Jumpstarting It

whatthehell on 18/05/2022 - 14:38
Last edited 20/05/2022 - 12:03 by 1 other user

Hi All

I've paid the whole amount to buy a new Mercedes. The car was already as a show car in the showroom and salesman told me that the battery went flat because it was standing still in the showroom, so after my payment cleared and it was time to register and deliver the car. They came back saying a module in the car was damaged and had to be repaired which would take a week or two, and this happened because someone jumpstarted the car and damaged the module.

If I wait for the car to be repaired and take ownership of it, god knows what other faults might be in there that probably haven't been caught for now. If something goes wrong with the car in the next few months, I'd always be thinking whether it was this event that caused the issue.

Companies always try to wriggle themselves out after delivery with warranty repair, by saying this and that isn't covered in the warranty.

Now this is a new car that the dealership damaged by jump starting it? What would you do? Buy the car or ask for a refund?

I should mention, salesman seems nice and genuine and was upfront about what happened so obviously thankful to him for letting me know.

Also, they aren't asking me for any money to repair it obviously.

Poll Options

  • 68
    Buy the car.
  • 387
    Ask for Refund.
Automotive Mercedes-Benz

Comments

    • stringbean402 on 20/05/2022 - 19:11

      Have you heard of a thing called an alternator? How do you think batteries get charged when installed in the car.

      Short of the battery being absolutely fingered (unlikely as it would be a relatively new battery )

      Start it, let it idle for an hour or two to build some charge and your good to go.

  • dcash on 19/05/2022 - 22:24

    Sounds like the car is a piece of crap. Get your money back and buy something decent.

  • striker5950 on 19/05/2022 - 22:42
    +1

    if you can afford a mercedes you can afford a module replacement..
    nah jk obviously ask for a free upgrade to a c43 AMG model for their incompetence

    • chriskq on 19/05/2022 - 22:53

      don't you mean c63?

      • maverickjohn on 20/05/2022 - 12:28

        They have a c43 as well

      • striker5950 on 20/05/2022 - 15:03
        +1

        the new 2022 c63 is not out yet, thats why i said c43
        c63 upgrade is for lebos only.

  • ass3ts on 20/05/2022 - 01:24

    Ah I see, did you get an A180 or a Maybach S680?

    • MrThing on 20/05/2022 - 19:57

      A45 AMG of course, high yield investment

      • striker5950 on 21/05/2022 - 13:30

        CLA45 better looking

  • harrywwc on 20/05/2022 - 07:00

    if you decide to keep the vehicle - document the hell out of this incident.

    get the salesdroid to write up - on company letterhead - the details of the incident, why it happened, how it happened, where it happened, who did it (not necessarily name - title), what was damaged, what they did to fix it, and that they will fix any further problems that can be traced back to this stuff-up.

    Dated and signed by the dealership's 'Principal' (i.e. the 'big boss') and you as 'witness'.

    you get the original, they keep a copy - and it's something you can present at sometime in future if (when‽) something else breaks due to this.

    it's called "c.y.a." ;)

    • Brick Tamland on 21/05/2022 - 10:52

      Don’t forget to demand the dealer principals first born as rectification if something goes wrong.

      • harrywwc on 21/05/2022 - 11:16

        it depends… I'd rather you took my 'second born' ;)

  • greatlamp on 20/05/2022 - 08:03

    A showroom car isn't new by the way, it's a demo.

  • billdsl on 20/05/2022 - 08:24

    I would be careful around availability of the module or other electronics. You might give it the green light only to be told in 2 weeks that this module is actually 6 months away

    Other than that i think anything that was going to break from a bad charge would have already popped but im no auto sparky

    • bbinc on 24/05/2022 - 08:47

      That would be a major fail under ACL due to unreasonable time frame and you get your money back plus compensation.

  • Herbse on 20/05/2022 - 10:25

    Get it in writing that there undamaged the car beforehand and negotiate extended warranty for compensating

  • yokel on 20/05/2022 - 11:10

    Did you test drive the car before buying it?

  • techlead on 20/05/2022 - 11:26
    -2

    How much was the luxury car tax? That's what's stopping me from buying these cars. I can easily afford it, but its just too much of a sting, the luxury car tax is too much.

  • Klevakiwi on 20/05/2022 - 11:42

    Its feasable and common for batterys to drain in the showroom as tyre kickers are continually pushing and twisting every dial they can get their grubby fingers on, and also to pick up scratches and dings .
    Some manufacturers have a showroom mode to prevent battery drain but not all. It also shows a lack of process in the showroom as the morning ritual should include cleaning the cars and turning them over.
    VW have a battery level card in the glove box which requires checking the amount of charge and the date it was checked.
    So it is possible that the issue is as stated by the salesperson,how ever the time frame of a week or two, leads me to suspect that there is panel damage and its in a panel shop somewhere, but no way of really knowing other than asking to see the R/O from the service department, or getting someone to go over it with a paint meter.

  • echelon6 on 20/05/2022 - 12:15

    lol mercedes…. gets damaged from a jumpstart, trash

  • maverickjohn on 20/05/2022 - 12:28
    -1

    In all fairness I chose the refund route. But you will be waiting a long time for a replacement. Alternatively get them to fix it and give you extended warranty as a bonus as well as free servicing.
    Ultimately you want piece of mind. Whatever gives you that. Go for it.
    Don't listen to all these German car haters.
    Just do what your feelings tell you to do. If you do keep it just ask for compensation. They should honour it

  • Drakesy on 20/05/2022 - 13:21

    Electronics and Euro cars are great fun.
    At least you'll have warranty i guess.

  • apple2016 on 20/05/2022 - 13:43
    -1

    They came back saying a module in the car was damaged and had to be repaired

    Did you try to find out what 'module' was damaged ?
    'salesman seems nice and genuine' should be able to explain in laymans terms what went wrong.
    Jump starting cannot really damage many thing in car unless they were already faulty. If some electronics module is fried and needs replacement , it should not affect the car motor / trans etc

    • gbarlett on 20/05/2022 - 15:54

      Jump starting cannot really damage many thing in car unless they were already faulty<
      This is totally incorrect, go jump start a vehicle with the leads on back to front or removed too soon after starting and let me know how you go.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 20/05/2022 - 15:54

    If the dealership can't jumpstart, I wonder if someone from the NRMA etc can do it, without this happening again?

    Tell the salesperson that you have lost faith in the product, and if the battery goes flat again, what will happen (ie Stuck on the road near Belanglo State Forest)

    • IanC on 21/05/2022 - 15:54

      Im guessing the nice and genuine salesman will give the OP his home number and offer to pick him up at any hour if the car fails.

  • Adeelfaizi on 20/05/2022 - 17:23

    First this first
    Jumping a car does not damage anything. There are fuses to prevent it from happening.

    There is more to the story. What year and model is it?
    Does it have the regular 5 yr warranty, of not then is it 3yr warranty?

  • MrThing on 20/05/2022 - 20:00
    -1

    I know OPs first issue

    he didnt buy a Camry

  • bmerigan on 20/05/2022 - 21:07

    There won't be a problem.
    Electronic items don't break months after being damaged. Either a spark damages a circuit or it doesn't.

  • redslert on 21/05/2022 - 20:43

    If you going to keep the car make sure they give you a new battery.
    I question how the battery can run flat while at the dealer given how quick cars are selling the car wouldn't have been sitting for long.

  • Domicron on 22/05/2022 - 08:00

    Any update on outcome? Or more detail on the car?

  • OzzyOzbourne on 22/05/2022 - 10:44

    I'm interested in what way a jump start can be incorrect as to damage a module. Doubt they jumped with 24v if they are not a truck dealer and besides, all modules are designed to survive that. Reverse polarity would have seen huge sparks at the battery (assuming the dealer didn't have decent leads that protected against this), but the battery would have absorbed most of the transients and again modules are designed to survive transients as they occur all the time.

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