For Bernard, one of our readers from Estuteville (76), a mercedes definitely more reliable than its competitors. It is with this state of mind that he agrees to spend the spring of 2019 more than 40,000 euros afford a class A novelty. Powered by the 200d’s 150bhp engine, the acclaimed compact car will nevertheless be cranky just a few weeks after its two-year contract warranty expires. Indeed, at the end of July, the check engine light on the dashboard came on. Bernard then makes an appointment with his dealer. The vacation period obliges, this one will deliver its verdict only on September 2: the particle filter (Fap) is faulty.
10% of the cost of the car
Its A class shows only 46,000 km, our reader is surprised by this early breakdown. The scope of the repair is no less important: the exhaust pipe is not detailed, it must be replaced completely. in thus the estimate is €4,009, which is more than a tenth of the price Bernard paid in 2019 to acquire this compact car. He then sends the manufacturer’s French subsidiary a registered letter to receive payment for this intervention.
But “Mercedes” gives him only a partial participation in the amount of 1,002 euros, or 25% of the estimate. For Bernard, there is no question of spending €3,007 on this breakdown, which he considers premature.
Our defense strategy
If Bernard trusted the Mercedes chain to purchase his A-Class, he was just as faithful when it came to servicing it, thus protecting him from any lack of service. In addition, if the service life of the particulate filter can vary significantly depending on the use of the car, the scale of our experts shows that failure up to 5 years or 50,000 km should be, as here, fully assumed by the manufacturer, this case Mercedes.
Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.