Electronic

[dave783]

I've been the proud owner of a 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class for two years and 96,000 miles. Most of the gauges began flashing, the windows wouldn't close, and the wipers stopped functioning; turning the vehicle off in this state rendered it inoperable. Then I drove it to Mercedes-Benz of Blackpool. After spending a total of £900 on having a new ignition switch installed, as well as having the fuses replaced, EMC, and steering block replaced, nothing would turn over. The following items were removed, save the key to the car's ignition. They ended up changing a relay and warning customers not to return if the patch failed. I don't know what to do now if this doesn't work, but if people repair their own automobiles, they should be held responsible. If this does not work, any insight would be really appreciated. Thanks a lot

[PixelMaster]

A Star diagnosis seems like it would have been a no-brainer for MB Blackpool. Did they provide you a report with the findings and error messages? Star is a pretty sophisticated system, but it just has to be operated by the appropriate person, therefore it's possible that you'd have greater luck with a competent indi Merc expert.

[dave783]

Hello, all of the aforementioned were tested after a diagnostic was performed. When I dropped off the vehicle, it went into a mode that wouldn't let me start it. The service center placed it on diagnostics and sent it to their tech team in Spain, so they spent much of their time waiting for suggestions. They were at a loss since no error messages were being shown. They claimed that they just replaced the ignition, but the problem persisted thereafter; yet, they refused to refund my payment of £900. Someone working on it has apparently been there for 15 years. The mechanics stated they can't repair the automobile without dismantling it, a time-consuming and expensive process. It's kind of funny that they can't even repair their own automobiles. I was just put off.

[TDudette]

Poor service from the dealership when an issue is reported with a vehicle.
Toss expensive replacement components at the problem and then tell the client you can't repair it when they're returned.
If the identical problem arises again within 12 months after the repair, the service is on the house.

If it were my Mercedes, I'd take it to a good Star-certified mechanic and have them figure out what's wrong.

[Geek2232]

^^^^^^^ This.

[dave783]

Blackpool is the closest and largest showroom to me, so you'd think they'd have star.

[TDudette]

Indeed, it will. However, I would never take my vehicle to one of the big franchises.
Technicians charge up to £200 per hour to do nothing except replace components as instructed by Star. They seem to have been making educated guesses.
A Mercedes expert will investigate the issue thoroughly before providing a solution. He stands to gain the most from happy customers.
The major players don't give a hoot. The constant influx of new proprietors ensures the survival of the enterprise.

[dave783]

I appreciate the responses, but can anybody provide advice on what I should do now? I brought it to Mercedes as a last option after taking it to several other repair shops.

[dave783]

I should mention that my home base is Morecambe.