So get this one. On an unusually warm day last friday, we returned to our 2004 e500 4matic to find one of the shocks had failed. This means that the car drops too low and is not driveable. You may not notice until you start driving but the car will flash red on the display saying something like Stop Driving Vehicle and Vehicle too low. So we called roadside assistance and had the car towed the next morning saturday. The initial indication from inskip auto was they might even be able to fix it that day if they had the part. Turns out no dice and they had to order it. They then said the car should be ready on wednesday. After checking to be sure it was done before driving down there to pick up the car I heard one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard :
"Your car isn't done because we couldn't get the part and we dont know when we can get it. "
Then the next morning it was followed up with :
"We are real sorry but Mercedes Benz doesn't have any shocks available anywhere in North America. We are ordering the part but wont have it until sometime around the middle or endof June. "

Now we are talking about a shock here. And there are noneavailable in North America? Before the phone hung up I was already looking for the mb customer care number because I could not believe my ears. Turns out that inskip has the same story as mb usa. Of course there are no loaner vehicles available from the dealer until next tuesday which isn't surprising. I mean one must wonder if there is a 6 week turn around time on getting a shock, what are the other cars in service waiting on ? Not a big surprise that the loaner fleet is all out.

So mb usa has a national rep involved trying to locate the part and get it delivered in some time less that 6 weeks that it is currently estimated at. Seems like a very poor way of managing parts distribution and certainly not something that would ever happen with bmw. Anyone else had similar problems waiting unacceptable amounts of time on very common parts ?

 

Hi GMC,
This type of thing has been absolutely unheard of until recently. My main attraction to the cars has been the fantastic supply chain. I too am having to order parts which I have never had to order before. From a business perspective, carrying less inventory frees up working cash, and after MB's Chrysler sting they need it. It means inconvenience for us for about a year or more.It is a very dangerous decision to cut back parts availability, especially on cars that cost 3x, and where customer sevice is a majorcompetitive advantage.

Seriously, I read that the Chryslerinvestment was dragging the whole country down. I haven't visited the factory in America personally, but I have read that MB invested something like 6billion into upgrading the plant, got in over their head and had to back out. That's unfortunate because those Chryslers were beginning to look like very attractive well made cars. Now the new investors will reap the benefits of the upgrades.

Shocks, tell them you need your car and send the shocks air-mail.

Blue

 

That does sound completely ridiculous. No shocks in an entire country?You might want to consider going to a salvage yard for an e500 shock from a damagedcarand have that installed instead of waiting for MB to pull their heads out of the sand.

 

I agree whole-heartedly. Get a used part to get the car driveable, that will buy you time. Also it is not a hit against your standards. Its a bump in the supply chain, and I am sure that someone is hearing about it.

Blue