I bought a RX300 yesterday
it's the replacement for our beautiful very new-to-us one-owner 1998 Mercedes S-class (just had it two months) that was flooded in the historic Louisiana flood of 2016 , while at a collision shop for a 1-inch pushed-in-on-driver-side bumper (these things are built like tanks) after the Mercedes dealer car-runner collided it into a brand-new E-class on their lot yeah, that E-class front was major toast
I had brought the Benz to the dealer for diagnosis on an occasional limp mode (not even the CEL was on), and they gave me a poison-pill repair estimate with a part having to come from Germany (6 weeks shipping estimate . . . yeah, right, poison pill ) - all for what the interwebs say is very likely just low tranny fluid (not accessible to the mere mortal, requires special tester) or a deteriorated $15 electrical connector (which is what the P0715 code indicated that the dealer finally managed to pull after 4 days in their shop - the car was so new to us I hadn't gotten to around to an OBDII reader yet when the limp mode started), so I requested the vehicle back over the weekend "to think about what to do" (which is when their car runner swiped the display car, while I and the exchange student we bought the car for were watching him bring the car to the customer hand-off canopy ) - when I specifically asked, they wouldn't even agree to check the tranny fluid - but then they immediately offered to pay for the entire bumper repair at their preferred shop - which was then promptly flooded two days later
[funny story from the flooded collision shop: they received the damaged E-class the next day - after the flood, that car wouldn't even start no matter what they tried --- however, when they were allowed back onto their premises by the authorities two days after the flooding (National Guard in authority), they found that another late-model Mercedes had decided to start itself in the water, happily fumigating the entire shop for who knows how long already they couldn't stop it at all until they pulled the fuel pump fuse, WTF --- our Benz started right up, with the previously only intermittently working driver side exterior mirror motor now working continuously - sadly, when I saw that I knew it had to be totaled ; also, the spare tire location in the trunk had turned into a holding bowl for multiple gallons of water - Michael went back today to pick up the license plate and some CDs in it, exactly a week after the flood, and the car still showed no signs of drying up inside - Louisiana ]
considering the less than satisfactory experience with the Mercedes dealership service department, and there being only one MB dealer in Baton Rouge (and according to an MB enthusiast no good independent MB wrenches, either), we decided against further interactions with them on future cars - instead we'll give the Lexus people a try . . . local monopoly, too, so we'll see . . .
166K, AWD, bronze, two-owner, two dings, a broken antenna, cracked plastic on the engine cover, a small seam crack in the driver seat leather, dislodged hood pull barrel and deteriorating aftermarket accessory window tint - yet, has more cupholders than any vehicle we have ever owned - EDIT: forgot to mention, this is a no-D-light-club member, too
Michael will drive it back to Louisiana over the weekend
sorry for the long read - you just can't make this s*** up
it's the replacement for our beautiful very new-to-us one-owner 1998 Mercedes S-class (just had it two months) that was flooded in the historic Louisiana flood of 2016 , while at a collision shop for a 1-inch pushed-in-on-driver-side bumper (these things are built like tanks) after the Mercedes dealer car-runner collided it into a brand-new E-class on their lot yeah, that E-class front was major toast
I had brought the Benz to the dealer for diagnosis on an occasional limp mode (not even the CEL was on), and they gave me a poison-pill repair estimate with a part having to come from Germany (6 weeks shipping estimate . . . yeah, right, poison pill ) - all for what the interwebs say is very likely just low tranny fluid (not accessible to the mere mortal, requires special tester) or a deteriorated $15 electrical connector (which is what the P0715 code indicated that the dealer finally managed to pull after 4 days in their shop - the car was so new to us I hadn't gotten to around to an OBDII reader yet when the limp mode started), so I requested the vehicle back over the weekend "to think about what to do" (which is when their car runner swiped the display car, while I and the exchange student we bought the car for were watching him bring the car to the customer hand-off canopy ) - when I specifically asked, they wouldn't even agree to check the tranny fluid - but then they immediately offered to pay for the entire bumper repair at their preferred shop - which was then promptly flooded two days later
[funny story from the flooded collision shop: they received the damaged E-class the next day - after the flood, that car wouldn't even start no matter what they tried --- however, when they were allowed back onto their premises by the authorities two days after the flooding (National Guard in authority), they found that another late-model Mercedes had decided to start itself in the water, happily fumigating the entire shop for who knows how long already they couldn't stop it at all until they pulled the fuel pump fuse, WTF --- our Benz started right up, with the previously only intermittently working driver side exterior mirror motor now working continuously - sadly, when I saw that I knew it had to be totaled ; also, the spare tire location in the trunk had turned into a holding bowl for multiple gallons of water - Michael went back today to pick up the license plate and some CDs in it, exactly a week after the flood, and the car still showed no signs of drying up inside - Louisiana ]
considering the less than satisfactory experience with the Mercedes dealership service department, and there being only one MB dealer in Baton Rouge (and according to an MB enthusiast no good independent MB wrenches, either), we decided against further interactions with them on future cars - instead we'll give the Lexus people a try . . . local monopoly, too, so we'll see . . .
166K, AWD, bronze, two-owner, two dings, a broken antenna, cracked plastic on the engine cover, a small seam crack in the driver seat leather, dislodged hood pull barrel and deteriorating aftermarket accessory window tint - yet, has more cupholders than any vehicle we have ever owned - EDIT: forgot to mention, this is a no-D-light-club member, too
Michael will drive it back to Louisiana over the weekend
sorry for the long read - you just can't make this s*** up
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