Hi all,
I thought maybe this would be the place to go to see what can be done about my mom’s situation. For context, last year, in Nov 2022, my mom bought a used, 2018 Smart ForTwo EQ for around 20k. Just a week or two ago, she calls me to tell me her car won’t start, so I ask her to show me what it says, she video calls, and I see something similar to a High Voltage battery error. So we get it towed to her house, and she makes an appt with the Mercedes dealership she bought it from. FF to today, they tell her that it’ll be 23k to replace the battery. Anyone here who might be able to help me figure out what her next steps are? She doesn’t have anywhere near that kind of money on hand, and neither do I.
Double check the warranty. If that doesn’t work, look for a used battery. Do not under any circumstances follow any online battery ‘repair’ advice. She would then own a serious fire hazard.
I’ll double check the warranty, I’m sure it’s 8 years and they’re trying to pull one over on her, or they’re woefully uneducated on their own vehicle warranties.
Federal minimum is 8 years/100k. Some states adopted the California warranty of 10 years/150k. The length of the legally required warranty depends in which state the car was originally sold. Mercedes have been less than clear about their legal obligations to customers.
I would guess this is a case where Hanlon’s razor applies and it’s the latter.
Ask a different dealer, too.
Some like warranty work, others don’t.