Mechanical problem with rental, but don't want to give up car
 

Hi all,

So, was lucky enough to score an E350 for my Luxury (I), two-week, one-way rental from Los Angeles to Seattle. It's a beautiful car -- only a few months old according to the registration, and a little over 5,000 on the odo.

However, I am experiencing a significant vibration at higher speeds (above 40 MPH or so) that I can feel in the steering wheel as well as through the floor. It is also quite noisy.

I'd hate to give up this car, as it's unlikely I'd receive a similar upgrade on my replacement vehicle. However, the vibration is a bit bothersome and I'd also not like to be blamed for it after I return the car.

Any suggestions on what I should do? Any chance I can swing it by a Mercedes dealership and have them take a quick look at it for free?

No harm in running it past an MB dealership and giving it a try. They can only say no, and may well say yes.

It is probably wheel related - check all nuts are tight. Even MB can miss this on a PDI. Feeling the vibration through the steering wheel narrows it down to the front. Maybe a badly out of balance wheel.

Let's face it, any significant vibration through the wheel needs the cause to be identified before you know that the car is safe to drive.

So - you either check it yourself, and if nothing obvious, go to an MB dealer or back to a Hertz location

It's probably a wheel out of balance, or some other front end issue. I would guess that a previous renter hit a pot hole or a curb and threw something out or put a bubble in the tire, etc.

I would also guess (and it's just a guess without knowing the cause) that it's probably not covered under the car warranty if they consider it to be abuse, and because it's a Mercedes, repairing it probably won't be cheap.

You probably can't just show up, you would probably have to make an appointment for service, and you could ask if they would deal with you or only Hertz.

I would not consider the car safe to drive unless the cause is identified and they tell you not to worry about it, you could have something ready to pop or break off at any time.

Sounds like this is not a warranty issue but if you do have a problem with something that normally would be covered have dealer check first because Hertz buys/leases some cars at a deeply discounted rate and they do not come with a warranty like a normal retail vehicle.

Couple years ago I picked a brand new Chevy Cruze 3 miles on it on a mutlimonth contract. After couple a days relized the AC didn't work took it to a Chevy dealership, it had cracked A/C Condenser that they said would be under warranty. They had it fixed a couple hours later then realized the car did not have warranty coverage on it. Had to fight tooth and nail with Hertz who finally reimbersed me a month later. They said I should of returned it to them because they buy the cars alot cheaper without warranties because they can fix it themselves cheaper.

Now you know why they upgraded you on a one-way :rolleyes: Would have been amazing if it were in drivable condition but that was just mean/cruel of them IMHO.

-J

MB dealership found that the tread had been damaged. Had to trade for SRX with 10,000 mi. and dirty interior :(

Once my car had these symptoms and it turned out that when AAA had changed a flat tire, they had forgotten to tighten the lug nuts property. The symptoms got worse and worse until I felt I had to stop and call for a tow truck. The shocked mechanic told me that I had been veery close to losing the wheel while driving on the interstate. Take this seriously.

I still had to fill out an Incident Report Form when I returned the vehicle for a swap. Has this happened to anyone else who has had to swap a vehicle due to a pre-exisiting mechanical issue? I'm annoyed that they have the power to decide rather arbitrarily on whether or not I caused the problem (which I absolutely did not).

You should receive significant courtesy adjustment for being rented a mechanically unsound car, for taking it to the dealership, and for being given a replacement with a dirty interior.

But good for you for taking it to the dealer. I've done this before -- had a VW with faulty hydraulic lifter on the trunk door. Stopped at a dealership and 30 minutes later was on my way. No hassle, no charge (of course) and showed receipt to manager, got $40 credit for my trouble.

Finally, non-warranty issues -- tire balancing, windshield wipers, fluids, oil changes -- can be easily handled at any Firestone Mastercare.

That's interesting. That must be the ones they lease from the manufacturer and return afterward. My car is an ex-Hertz rental and it had the remainder of the Toyota warranty, as do all the cars they're selling. My gf and aunt both bought cars from Hertz in 2010 and have already used their warranties.

Anyway, yeah, definitely have to return the car to Hertz and let them deal with it. I've only had one car with a mechanical problem and the counter rep was very apologetic and upgraded me to a van which is what I wanted anyway.

To me, having Hz change the tire shouldn't be too much of a problem. But I can see how this doesn't fit into the branch's Operations Binder. Easier to swap the car out on your contract and send you on your way, unfortunately :(