Mercedes-Benz Recalls SLR/ Viano/ Vito Models

[Merc1]

Now, you are really pissing me off! Where did i say that i LOVE this? Where??? I say it should not happen, SHOULD NOT!



This SHOULD have been found during testing, yes, but it didn't! It has been found now and all i say that it SHOULD NOT happen! I don't love it and i'm not happy about it! Hell, i'll be pissed of really bad with BMW if in some time i found that it happened to my, 90k worth car!

I said that you guys (BMW fanatics) were loving this, meaning the attention this is getting here, not that you said you're loving this.

Getting pissed off? That sounds like a personal problem. You're now the one that needs to calm down or cheer up. Either or.

M

 

[Zafiro]

You missed the point, they wouldn't be if the Carrera GT had a problem. They'd quietly tell the owners and not the press.

M

I doubt that very much. Now you just making it up.
There is a page on internet (I dont remember the adress) were you can see all recalls (small or big problems) done by every carmaker. There you cant hide stuff from the public.

 

[PanterroR]

Getting pissed off? That sounds like a personal problem. You're now the one that needs to calm down or cheer up. Either or.

M

I rest my case here, i ejoyed conv with you about this, but now it's getting bad. I only hope my english is good enough so you and everyone else are able to understand what i mean.

 

[Merc1]

I doubt that very much. Now you just making it up.
There is a page on internet (I dont remember the adress) were you can see all recalls (small or big problems) done by every carmaker. There you can hide stuff from the public.

I've seen that very type of thing happen with high-end cars where they make them public. The page you're talking about is likely a government one in which they'll only list the forced recalls. This recall was voluntary on the part of MB, they didn't have to do it, at least not yet. They could have kept it quiet.

M

 

[Merc1]

I rest my case here...

Good.

M

 

[Zafiro]

They could have kept it quiet.

M

i wouldnt know about this problems unless I havent visited GCF

 

[Merc1]

i wouldnt know about this problems unless I havent visited GCF

Well its everywhere now so that is no reason really. Edmunds has it as does theautochannel.com and others. It's front page news now.

M

 

[RikfromBelgium]

I can't wait until BMW's next recall so I can read all equally lame BS that will come from BMW fans about how it doesn't matter. Mercedes-Benz has to be perfect and everyone else doesn't it seems.

M

I never said this doesn't happen at BMW.
Just 2 things

- something stupid like this shouldn't happen on an SLR
- it happens less with the other brands, MB is the king of recalls, especially within the German brands

 

[vabboud]

the point i was arguing, and it is a point i hold on to as a student of the engineering sciences, that it is basic in any engineering endeavor to design a system so no component forces another to exceed its design limits
this is very basic, and this is a point that should not be overlooked in the design of some high end flagship sportscar like the SLR
this is not a recall because a new alloy they were groundbreakingly using that proved not to be resitant after X years of use
this is not some groundbreaking technology like the brakes they had (forgot the name what acronym was that?) that proved not to be the like of their customers
no this is a simple alternator, a very basic unit in a car system that has been around a very long time, and a simple design mistake like this shouldn't be allowed even in a mediocre polo, this is what bugs me when it comes to the SLR
it's not blind hatred of merc or extreme "fanboyism", this is a purely logical call, i mean its something to mess up a polo, but its something else to mess up an SLR

 

[PanterroR]

the point i was arguing, and it is a pint i hold on to as a student of the engineering sciences, that it is basic in any engineering endeavor to design a system so no component forces another to exceed its design limits
this is very basic, and this is a point that should not be overlooked in the design of some high end flagship sportscar like the SLR
this is not a recall because a new alloy they were groundbreakingly using that proved not to be resitant after X years of use
this is not some groundbreaking technology like the brakes they had (forgot the name what acronym was that?) that proved not too be the like of their customers
no this is a simple alternator, a very basic unit in a car system that has been around a very long time, and a simple design mistake like this shouldn't be allowed even in a mediocre polo, this is what bugs me when it comes to the SLR
it's not blind hatred of merc or extrem "fanboyism", this is apurely logical call, i mean its something to mes up a polo, but its something else to mes up an SLR

And may i add to bold letters above:

...especially when you have/had so many years to detect it during testing...

Great post, vab!

 

[SDNR]

I don't want to get involved with this argument but it is a relatively minor problem easily fixed, I'm not an SLR fan anyway and this will not do Mercedes image many favours ......I'm just waiting for the first S class recall



Gotta go ....I can hear Merc1 coming .......I think I'm in trouble.

 

[Alwing]

Not to jump in to conclusion but I really doubt that McLaren or Mercedes produce their alternator in their own factory as some of you might wonder. They usually have their own subcontractor/supplier for doing this like the brand Bosch producing alternators for Mercedes. If they made a mistake in production or it's not developed according the requirements/designs as it should be or was, that could be the cause of malfunction.
Not to jump into defense but even though it's a simple alternator, pointing fingers and put the blame on Mercedes seems to be even more simple.

Well it's better to recall rather than sit and wait for accidents to happen.
Majority of cars in the world have been extensively tested before going in to production, that also goes for the SLR. Before the release there were alot of photo's/scoop seeing it being tested.

I'm not starting flame here but for example take a look at BMW 7-serie when it was released with its new I-drive. Huge problems with it, car stalled or stopped and won't even go into drive. Quality issues? No problems, issue solved. I know that BMW tested 7-serie thoroughly but some things can't be completely foreseen in reallife. And the same goes for the BMW M5 SMG gearbox. It didn't last.....but I bet they tested alot and probably solved it by now.

 

[warot]

Not to jump in to conclusion but I really doubt that McLaren or Mercedes produce their alternator in their own factory as some of you might wonder. They usually have their own subcontractor/supplier for doing this like the brand Bosch producing alternators for Mercedes. If they made a mistake in production or it's not developed according the requirements/designs as it should be or was, that could be the cause of malfunction.
Not to jump into defense but even though it's a simple alternator, pointing fingers and put the blame on Mercedes seems to be even more simple.

Well it's better to recall rather than sit and wait for accidents to happen.
Majority of cars in the world have been extensively tested before going in to production, that also goes for the SLR. Before the release there were alot of photo's/scoop seeing it being tested.

I'm not starting flame here but for example take a look at BMW 7-serie when it was released with its new I-drive. Huge problems with it, car stalled or stopped and won't even go into drive. Quality issues? No problems, issue solved. I know that BMW tested 7-serie thoroughly but some things can't be completely foreseen in reallife. And the same goes for the BMW M5 SMG gearbox. It didn't last.....but I bet they tested alot and probably solved it by now.

Exactly! Good post Alwing.
I'm so sick of fanboys from BOTH sides actually. Sure it's unnaceptable to have things go wrong on an SLR, but look at the M5. The SMG is extremely unreliable and I've lost count to how many have been replaced by the dealer. It's just not a good thing to bash Benz just for the sake of bashing them, because all cars have problems. At least quality is up.

Now I'm not very technical when it comes to cars, but this is a mistake that seems to have been easier to avoid than the SMG deal. You'd think that the SLR would have been tested over and over again to see how hot the engine compartment gets. I mean that's one of THE most common test. It's either the engine compartment gets hotter than it's supposed to, or the alternator is not up to standards.

 

[vabboud]

true true, but simple problems like this should not pass, i am not a devil's advocate here or anything, but designn limitations are printed on the side of these units for one
and even if it was a faulty system, these things should appear during testing, it just proves the car wasn't tested during those "extreme" conditions that oddly enough many have seemed to encounter
its easy to blame anybody and/or everybody, but its not admissible that an alternator be the cause of a recall in a high end car
if the problem was with the tranny, the supercharger, a faulty design in the chassis or something big, it could pass as that component "was groundbreaking and a first"
there is a flaw somewhere in the design process, and agina its not about blaming its about needing solutions

 

[vabboud]

its not also about SMG, there is no excuse for anything to be unreliable, but the SMG IS for a fact a brand new piece of technology, the first 7 speed sequential box, so there was bound to be some grmelins
i would have reacted the same if an alternator was messing up the M5, but all the basic tidbits are OK,
it is commendabe that the SLR has had no major gremlins with the new tech and the wizardry it has, but it is even more horrendous to mess up such a simple thing

 

[warot]

Right I understand that. It is new technology, but it's not working like it should. It's crapping out much more often than I would personally like. Even if the design is new and groundbreaking, it should have been tested just the same way as any other components of the car. If it doesn't pass, then it shouldn't have made it on to the car. I actually don't know why the SMGs are being so problematic, but to a customer, that's still a pain in the ass. Doesn't matter if it's new technology or not, it's a problem.

As for the SLR problem, like Alwing said, it could very well be that the alternator was not up to specs. This would most likely be the supplier's fault because I don't think they make the alternators themselves. However, someone at one point or another should have noticed that something didn't match, that's the dumb part.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Hell, i'll be pissed of really bad with BMW if in some time i found that it happened to my, 90k worth car!

Why would you get your panties in a twist over somthing you didn't even notice and would be fixed by the company free of charge. Im sure they would also compensate SLR owners somehow for the inconvenience.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I don't want to get involved with this argument but it is a relatively minor problem easily fixed, I'm not an SLR fan anyway and this will not do Mercedes image many favours ......I'm just waiting for the first S class recall



Gotta go ....I can hear Merc1 coming .......I think I'm in trouble.

LOL Stop stirring Roberto.

When you say waiting, do you mean looking forward to it or just expecting it?
Either way lets hope it NEVER EVER EVER happens.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

tell that to the guy with his CLK DTM that won't be fixed .

I HIGHLY doubt Mercedes would so blatantly refuse to fix a lemon of that price. It would not make sense at all, on any level. There is undoubtedly more to the story than what was published.

 

[Alwing]

I HIGHLY doubt Mercedes would so blatantly refuse to fix a lemon of that price. It would not make sense at all, on any level. There is undoubtedly more to the story than what was published.

There's more to it indeed.
The media and even some counter-fanboys seems to enjoy and tend to give Mercedes a bad name like by excluding some significant news items like the quote below.

I quote this from the article in the LA Times:
"The customer bought the vehicle directly from Germany. He imported it himself. It's not certified for sale here. It's a race car, period," Mercedes spokeswoman Donna Boland said. "We don't import it and we don't have the ability or the parts or the training to service it."

Source: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-carwar15jun15,0,4500141.story?coll=la-story-footer