I own a 2007 Mercedes-Benz B200 Turbo CVT with 254 000 km on the odometer and had many kilometres of smooth driving before the transmission failed. What happened was that the CVT “chain” snapped, destroying the torque converter in the process. The car has a full service record at one Mercedes service centre and was taken there on several occasions over the last year due to strange transmission behaviour, but since no faults were logged, the only activity performed was an oil-level inspection with replacement as per the service manual. I find it very difficult to accept that I am now saddled with a R100 000 repair bill. For the record, even replacing the belt will cost the owner about R20 000! To my despair, Mercedes has confirmed that there will be no goodwill contribution from its side. How many owners buy these CVT vehicles and don’t realise that they will not be able to keep these vehicles without incurring major repair costs?
MIKE THUESEN, Vereeniging
Answer: It is unfortunate that the dealer’s technical competency and experience of CVTs were lacking, as the failure could have been prevented if a physical inspection of the transmission was carried out early. However, failures like these can occur when technology is still unproven. We therefore urge motorists to thoroughly investigate the pros and cons, including replacement cost, of any new technology before buying.
