[P. Moore]

I received my pre-ordered 2021 E 450 Cabriole on December 28, 2020. After one week, the car without warning wouldn't start and had to be towed into Ft. Lauderdale. Since then the car has been in the shop. We have been waiting for the delivery of a battery and no one seems to be able to locate a battery. This 48v battery located in the trunk, is unique to the 2021 model year, and apparently no spare parts are available especially critical parts needed to for the operation of the vehicle.
Very sad to pay $80,000 for a new car, and not be able to use the vehicle for an unknown period of time.

 

[chevota]

That does suck!
It seems to me that car mfgs like to add new electronic toys to cars whenever possible, only to have them fail as electronics do. My most reliable vehicle is my truck, which only has an elect ignition but I keep a points distributor behind the seat for when it fails. I forget but it's been either four or five of those that have failed.
My current MB has issues, as does any electronic car I've ever owned. Being electronic it's often impossible to figure it out and sometimes the only fix is to get rid of the car. I hope you don't have to do that. Post what happens in the end, and how much that stupid batt costs too.

 

[P. Moore]

Well, another week has gone past, and still no battery for the 2021 E450 Cabriolet. This means I've owned the car 5 weeks and it's been in the shop for 4 weeks. No response when I ask: where's the battery coming from? Have you located a battery? When I'm told we're expecting it tomorrow, I ask is there a "tracking number"? - still no answer ... and I've purchased 6 new similar vehicles from this dealership, so I don't blame them. Mercedes is shipping cars here, and don't even have a few of the critical parts necessary to make the car's run, available. That's todays Mercedes Benz. You decide

 

[chevota]

Any updates? I imagine you've been wording a scathing letter to MB either way. I wonder at what point they simply have to give you your $ back?

 

[dalmond]

I received my pre-ordered 2021 E 450 Cabriole on December 28, 2020. After one week, the car without warning wouldn't start and had to be towed into Ft. Lauderdale. Since then the car has been in the shop. We have been waiting for the delivery of a battery and no one seems to be able to locate a battery. This 48v battery located in the trunk, is unique to the 2021 model year, and apparently no spare parts are available especially critical parts needed to for the operation of the vehicle.
Very sad to pay $80,000 for a new car, and not be able to use the vehicle for an unknown period of time.

I have the exact same issue. They replaced the battery that came with the car and now less than two months later it failed. I am now waiting for a third battery. EXTREMLY FRUSTRATING!

 

[chevota]

dalmond: I'm pissed off and it's not even my car. I can't believe they let something like this leave the factory. It's like they threw it together to say they have it, then worry about the bugs later. Not cool...
Not sure what happened with OP's car, but I think about any time someone mentions a new Benz or any kind of battery power system. So let us know what happens with yours. Maybe a scene with some yelling at the dealer is in order. I did that once when they put new parts on my car without asking, which I believe is illegal. It was supposed to just be an alignment and it tripled the orig est $. I was pissed but not even close to how mad I'd be in your shoes.

 

[STEVE G]

I received my 2021 E450 Cabriolet in March. On August 2 the same issue happened to me, and I got my car back with a new battery on 8/5. On 8/17 the same issue happened again, and the dealership had my car for 26 days. They said the problem was with two fuses that blew. I got the car back on 9/13, and the problem happened again on 9/17. The car has under 5,000 miles!

 

[BEAN]

My wife took delivery of a 2021 E450 Cabriolet in late June. When we arrived home from the dealer (about 30 miles), we got an error message on the dash indicated a light malfunction, none of the lights on the back half of the car were working. we took the car in to the dealer and they (after 3 days) determined there was a bad SAM module in the trunk and replaced it.
This past Friday (Oct 1) the car would not start (thankfully the car was in the garage) and the battery icon came up in the dash. I called roadside assistance and when the guy showed up an hour later, he said the car needed to be towed to the dealer. When the first tow truck showed up another hour or so later, he said he couldn’t tow the car with the truck he had and called another tow truck. when the 2nd tow truck showed over another hour later he was able to put the car on a flat bed and get it to the dealership. On the next day, the dealership called and said the car needs a new 48 Volt battery and they were waiting for the battery. It’s been 6 days and still haven’t heard from them.

 

[nrkmann]

I received my 2021 E450 Cabriolet in March. On August 2 the same issue happened to me, and I got my car back with a new battery on 8/5. On 8/17 the same issue happened again, and the dealership had my car for 26 days. They said the problem was with two fuses that blew. I got the car back on 9/13, and the problem happened again on 9/17. The car has under 5,000 miles!

Check your state’s lemon laws.

 

[P. Moore]

Any updates? I imagine you've been wording a scathing letter to MB either way. I wonder at what point they simply have to give you your $ back?

I got the 48 volt battery 2 months after ordering it. Then, in September the car was towed in again. A week later they completed a “software update “. Now, it was towed in again in September 30th because it wouldn’t start and the dashboard alert said there was a dead 12volt battery (that’s the one used to start the car). Still in the shop trying to diagnose the reason why the battery would go dead after daily driving. This was my 7th MB and will be my last one.

 

[P. Moore]

I got the 48 volt battery 2 months after ordering it. Then, in September the car was towed in again. A week later they completed a “software update “. Now, it was towed in again in September 30th because it wouldn’t start and the dashboard alert said there was a dead 12volt battery (that’s the one used to start the car). Still in the shop trying to diagnose the reason why the battery would go dead after daily driving. This was my 7th MB and will be my last one.

 

[P. Moore]

Well, week #2 and the 12v battery issue remains unresolved with no estimated repair date. This makes 11 months of ownership, car towed in 3 times, and the cars been in the shop for a total of 3 months. The 2021 E450’s are Lemons. Technology was not perfected before release.

 

[NolaMarg]

I bought a $95,000.00 2021 CLS450 this past August 7 and it ran great until yesterday afternoon when I received a message on my dash stating "48v battery malfunction". Luckily, I was on a side street about to get on the highway so I was able to pull over. I stayed on hold with MB roadside for about 7 minutes before a nice lady answered. She told me to take it to the nearest dealership which was about 3 miles away. The service advisor stated he had no idea what was wrong and wouldn't know anything until they "diagnosed it in the middle of the coming week." I left it there but it's not the dealership I bought the car from. My friend is a general manager at a local auto dealer and said he knew one of the managers at the dealership that the car came from in Mobile, AL and was sure that they would "make it good." I am seriously considering going back to the lexus, but I financed the car and made 2 payments. I don't know if MB will make a deal on an S model, but I also don't know if that's any safer since they are all using this raggedy 48v battery system. I'm hoping the lexus dealership will be able to get me out of this, but they will probably try to give me much less than I paid. All in all, I don;t feel confident. Anyone got rid of their car over this?

 

[P. Moore]

Sorry to hear about your problem as well as those of others on this forum. Naturally I have no way of knowing whether Mercedes will make any type of deal. I did locate an individual I knew from a large international corporation which did a lot of purchasing from Mercedes. He gave me the contact for "the head of Global Service Operations" for Mercedes. I texted him and he immediately replied and said I would be contacted last week with the person who would handle my case from their Atlanta corporate office. So far, nothing has happened. No contact and still no news on the 12 V battery problem. I know the S class had some type of continuous repair issue a couple of years ago and our local Mercedes dealership only had two new cars (not SUV's) in stock. Both were S class and had a $30,000 "market adjustment" charge added to the sticker price. BMW, Audi and Mercedes don't have any convertibles in stock and don't know when any will be available, so I doubt that Mercedes will make any deals in this supply chain bottleneck. One Atlanta VIP representative told a friend of mine that her job was to protect Mercedes Benz, and not to be an advocate for consumers. I purchased 7 new Mercedes from my local dealership and enjoy a very long friendly relationship with them, but they are stuck with new technology that they have no experience repairing. Each dealership seems to b e only concerned with the bottom line going forward and how to make money on the "next deal". In the interim, I happen to be at the computer right now drafting a letter to the dealership G.M. advising him that my car qualifies under the Florida "Lemon Law" (according a Lemon Law legal group willing to take the case on contingency), and advising him of my damages. The problem is that even if they purchase back (without consideration to the money I lost on the trade-in, tax, title & other fees including duplicate "dealer fees") on the car, I am left with no new luxury convertible new car options, and having to purchase/lease in this sellers market and market adjustment costs. Best option is probably to see if dealership will provide any compensation (they will not give actual money) in the form of future maintenance services, wheel repairs etc.., until the supply chain re-establishes ... but I'm sure I'll be getting towed in again from time to time while I hang onto the car.

 

[P. Moore]

Well, just heard from Global Service Director in Germany as well as his assigned "Customer Advocate" in Atlanta. To re-cap: I was towed in 3 times in 11 months of ownership and was out of service for three months. Most recently, Ft. Lauderdale Mercedes Benz had the car for 3 weeks, and did nothing but start the car a few times a day and determined that it fixed itself and I should pickup the car and drive it until it won't start again, and have it towed in again. They intend to do nothing. Period. "Intermittent starting problems" don't produce a "code" so there's nothing to fix.
Anyone who buys a Mercedes after this, should be prepared to be inconvenienced on a regular basis. Too bad there are no new convertibles available anywhere. I'm stuck!

 

[RedLiner]

It must be so frustrating to be saddled with a problem such as this?
I am put off buying any new car of any marque because of the electronic wizardry they all now have.
I cringe at the long lists of acronyms that are advertised with new vehicles these days, all with the potential of developing faults. It used to be just ABS and PAS, now it's a slippery slope down to the repair shop.
For heaven's sake,a 48volt battery! Can't they just put four small 12volt batteries in series to keep the car running?

 

[P. Moore]

Thanks. Odd that they can develop all of this technology, but they can't develop a system where "failure to start" will not "flag" a "repair code" that would allow
them to diagnose what caused the car not to start.
Thanks, and good luck when and if any new luxury cars become available for you to purchase.

 

[terryborth]

It must be so frustrating to be saddled with a problem such as this?
I am put off buying any new car of any marque because of the electronic wizardry they all now have.
I cringe at the long lists of acronyms that are advertised with new vehicles these days, all with the potential of developing faults. It used to be just ABS and PAS, now it's a slippery slope down to the repair shop.
For heaven's sake,a 48volt battery! Can't they just put four small 12volt batteries in series to keep the car running?

I feel exactly the same as you. Why get bothered by all the so-called "conveniences".

 

[P. Moore]

Thanks. Odd that they can develop all of this technology, but they can't develop a system where "failure to start" will not "flag" a "repair code" that would allow
them to diagnose what caused the car not to start.
Thanks, and good luck when and if any new luxury cars become available for you to purchase.

Well, my car is been in with a tow truck on four occasions now. The first time was the 48 V battery that was defective and had to be ordered from Germany and took two months to get here. The second time was a “software issue“, that they didn’t know how to program. After a month, they were told how to program the computer The third time it was towed in was a 12 V battery issue. That’s the starter battery under the hood. They said since it didn’t start, there was no flag to help them diagnose the problem and they were going to give me back the car without any repair and wait for it to happen again. After a loud confrontation with service they decided to install a software module. That tookThree weeks to install. I got the car back on the Friday and on Tuesday it had to be towe and again, and this time after waiting three hours in the dealership my service man told me that they had made a mistake when they programmed the computer and that’s why the car wouldn’t move after it started, acting as though the parking brake Ron. So far I’ve had the car for a week now, and no more problems, yet! Plus no help whatsoever from the general manager at Fort Lauderdale Mercedes Benz and no help whatsoever from the “ VIP“ customer advocate in Atlanta. They are really there to protect Mercedes Benz and not to advocate for the customers.

 

[RedLiner]

That is unacceptable! I would advise you to contact Mercedes -Benz in Germany, they usually do not stand for such abysmal customer service.
The contact details are below, and personally I would write a detailed account of the problems with your car and the treatment that you have received and send it using the FAX number. Unless you are a fluent German speaker, the FAX option is sure to get you noticed.
James.

Service / Mercedes me Support.
Service hotline (Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance)

By phone:
00800 9 777 7777
(daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

By fax:
+49 (0) 69 95 30 7255

Address:

Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center Maastricht NV
Postfach 1456
6201 BL - Maastricht
Netherlands