mndsm wrote:JohnRW1621 wrote: I see a growing industry. Do your R63 and learn then buy up cheap defunct R63s for pennies on the dollar.They only made 200.....there can't be that many defunct ones.
There's at least the possibility of 199 more. 
While I really feel bad for you Deuce, I really don't think you can be upset with MBA USA or the dealer. You are just a guy off the street who's never bought a car from them. Their normal policy is to only swap engines which is a $57k pill you didn't want to swallow. They have worked with you by offering just to change what needs changing. They agreed to work with you on price compared to what they normally do for other people and meet you at book cost rather than marked up. No, they didn't offer you the golden ticket, but it sounds like they did actually work to meet you in the middle.
Again, E36 M3ty luck and I'm hoping for an easy fix on your end. If you can pull the heads and not go into the short block I'd call that a win. Are you 100% on dealer other DIY and not a marque specialist?
In reply to Adrian_Thompson:
That's absolutely the realistic way to look at it, no question, and pretty much any other part failure on the car I'd agree with. However this is a head bolt. A head bolt with a known bad design, which is why it broke. I understand the math that said failure was low enough to not bother with a recall but rather deal with them one by one when they fail. The reason nobody pays me to do customer service is because I'd look at this as something Mercedes would try and make right. A $57k motor doesn't make sense. So maybe they try and fix it like they offered. Or maybe they say that in their opinion the vehicle isn't worth repairing but they want to give it a trade in value as if it were and try and get me in a new car. Maybe agree to cover parts. There are lots of options that I can think up but their best idea was to try and overcharge me for parts on a repair. To me that's not great customer service and is certainly not a response that says they care about the reputation of their cars.
They keep telling me how old it is. I have two other cars from 2007, one with 170k miles that has needed a knock sensor, and one with 160k miles that has needed nothing other than wear items. Catastrophic engineering failure on your flagship motor before 100k miles should be embarrassing, warranty or no warranty.
So much for a GLA45.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/5790067808.html
Wish I had 18k.
m4ff3w wrote: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/5790067808.html Wish I had 18k.
How bad can it be?
mazdeuce wrote:m4ff3w wrote: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/5790067808.html Wish I had 18k.How bad can it be?
Theft recovery. If it works, it works. I'd take that gamble.
I have to agree with Adrian here and am surprised at all the Mercedes bashing after the 'official decision'. I mean we are talking about a 10 year old high performance vehicle with 100k or more? (I think but too many pages to try going back to confirm) and, iirc very little in the form of service records? Things may have been different if you were the original owner and it had been serviced it's lifetime at the dealership, but that's not the situation here, so who knows. I think it was fine to ask and give it a shot, and maybe/hopefully get a break on the repair, but it's hard for me to think anyone is surprised they wouldn't pony up an engine or do a free head bolt job. You'll find known bad designs with any manufacturer. At this point, after seeing the parts prices, an Indy shop might be the way to go unless you just want to get your hands dirty. Regardless, once fixed it'll all be worth it again after you get behind that wheel.
It has 94k miles. I am the second owner. It was fully dealer serviced by the original dealer that sold it new and Mercedes has all of those records through 82k miles. The ONLY gap in dealer service is one oil change and I have receipts for that.
I know where MB is coming from, and I know why they made their decision. Like I say, there is a reason I don't do customer service, I tend to think companies should stick behind their product better than they do. Cadillac did an outstanding job with me and the V on One Lap, but that was really because I had a very important ear listening to me. If I was at MB I'd be giving away motors left and right until they told me to stop.
Sorry to be a downer, I agree with Cotton. Let's remember the car is an 07, so I'll take a swing at it having been delivered in 06. That's 10 years which is basically the average age of cars on the road. This is unfortunately way beyond what pretty much any manufacturer would be willing to deal on unless it was a mandated recall.
Anyway. I have nothing but respect and awe for your abilities and I believe AMG, super van. A van barely alive. Gentlemen, Duece can rebuild him. he has the technology. He has the capability to build the world's first bionic van. AMG will be that van. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.
Maybe you should name it Steve or Austin?
mazdeuce wrote:Flight Service wrote: The wife wanted a GLA, now it is at the bottom of the list. So sad MB USA decided to not step up on an obvious manufacturing defect. Hell even if they would have sold you the stuff at cost it would have been better than what they did.When it's all said and done they didn't actually DO anything. The didn't even OFFER to do anything. I had to confront them to get them to agree to only charge me list for parts if I had them fix it, because they WANTED to charge me way more than that. So I guess that's the disappointing thing. And maybe I had the wrong expectations about the company, I did buy a used car after all. Now we all get to see the guts of a M156, which should be kind of cool. Four cams, eight cylinders, neat stuff.
Over my years of going doing business with different companies, the number of missed opportunities I have seen have been staggering.
This is just another one. It just didn't fit the business model.
So when do we find out how much more power you had to add to break the transmission and axles?
Wall-e wrote: So when do we find out how much more power you had to add to break the transmission and axles?
One of my great fears is that I'll be done and say, "that wasn't bad, and now I have a lift, I should add....." and then go down the rabbit hole of adding power just because I can. I might already know that a transmission capable of handling 1000hp is only $5700......
mazdeuce wrote: Like I say, there is a reason I don't do customer service, I tend to think companies should stick behind their product better than they do.
Engineers... we're kinda like that.
Was it the smoking tire that just showed a sls with 900 hp thanks to twin turbo's? you know... b/c winning. :P
but the dude did say something retarded like 100k for the "kit" that they install.
Adrian_Thompson wrote: Sorry to be a downer, I agree with Cotton. Let's remember the car is an 07, so I'll take a swing at it having been delivered in 06. That's 10 years which is basically the average age of cars on the road. This is unfortunately way beyond what pretty much any manufacturer would be willing to deal on unless it was a mandated recall. Anyway. I have nothing but respect and awe for your abilities and I believe AMG, super van. A van barely alive. Gentlemen, Duece can rebuild him. he has the technology. He has the capability to build the world's first bionic van. AMG will be that van. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster. Maybe you should name it Steve or Austin?
I see both sides of the argument. Agreed that it's a 10 year old car and Mazdeuce doesn't have a relationship with his local M-B dealer. On the other hand, what a BRILLIANT opportunity for a M-B dealer to win a well-heeled client. And they could have done so at zero(!) cost to themselves.
"Mr. Deuce, while we feel terrible regarding the misfortune you've suffered with your purchase of a 10 year old used M-B, we would love to do everything we can to help out. We know you're leaning towards doing the repair yourself and we would like to help as much as we can to make the situation as palatable as we can. As a one-time gesture of goodwill, we will sell you every part you need for the engine rebuild at cost plus 10%. Should you decide to employ an independent shop to help, we can recommend a few to you. Our goal in doing so is that the next time you and/or Mrs. Deuce are considering a new car, that you give us an opportunity to convince you that car should be a Mercedes Benz."
My guess is Mazdeuce would be falling all over himself to take them up on their offer and drive off in a new AMG GLA, as he suggested. Everyone wins.
I'm kind of surprised that they didn't at least make you a semi-generous trade in offer for the remains. I really don't think that that they would offer and enormous amount of help to get it back on the road in the interest of reputation or standing behind their products. I'm pretty sure that they'd prefer to just have this particular vehicle gone at this point. It doesn't serve their corporate interest to spend a lot of effort to keep the second owner of a 10 year old car happy. They are probably working on the 2022 models right now. You probably won't be buying one of those, but they'll get over it.
In reply to dyintorace:
MB Inc. doesn't want you to think that anybody should be working on a Mercedes other than an MB dealership.
I don't think anyone here is wrong. Everyone's opinion is in the range of what could have happened as a response from MB. Unfortunately, nobody here appears to work for MB USA, so we have little influence on the process.
I still think it's a spectacular car and I LOVE that MB was crazy enough to build it. They have my thanks for that. I'll get it fixed.
Woody wrote: In reply to dyintorace: MB Inc. doesn't want you to think that anybody should be working on a Mercedes other than an MB dealership.
I agree completely. But MB of Houston (or whichever dealer he is dealing with) is in the business of selling cars. If I were the GM of that dealer, you can bet I would have done what I could to have him walking out with the parts he needs and the keys to his new GLA.
dyintorace wrote:Woody wrote: In reply to dyintorace: MB Inc. doesn't want you to think that anybody should be working on a Mercedes other than an MB dealership.I agree completely. But MB of Houston (or whichever dealer he is dealing with) is in the business of selling cars. If I were the GM of that dealer, you can bet I would have done what I could to have him walking out with the parts he needs and the keys to his new GLA.
I would be willing to bet MB won't have a hard time selling glas. Cutting the profit by flipping mr. Duece a few grand for his trouble probably isn't worth the sale.
m4ff3w wrote: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/5790067808.html Wish I had 18k.
Weeks ago I emailed asking for pics and never got a response. It seems to be a bogus ad. Not sure why, but there is probably no vehicle. Just like the V wagon that someone here flew to go buy.
jfryjfry wrote:m4ff3w wrote: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/5790067808.html Wish I had 18k.Weeks ago I emailed asking for pics and never got a response. It seems to be a bogus ad. Not sure why, but there is probably no vehicle. Just like the V wagon that someone here flew to go buy.
I know someone who got a response stating it was a theft recovery, but didn't get (nor ask) for photos.
Fake V's and fake R63's? Am I real?
In reply to mazdeuce:
No. You are a figment of our daydreams that we live vicariously through as we shuffle through our days as mindless soulless drones.
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