Mercedes-Benz Problems

Mercedes-Benz spokesman Jerry Stamoulis replies: "Due to the earthquake some months ago in Japan our supplier wasn't able to produce enough head-up displays. Vehicles were either delayed or are now arriving without the head-up display."

There is a problem with the electronics of the car, it could be the ECU or a sensor, and it's causing the car to go into "limp home" mode. By turning the engine off and restarting you are rebooting the computer. Take it to a mechanic and have them hook it up to their diagnostic equipment and they should be able to identify the cause of your problem.

The dealership has now sharpened the quote but most companies now only sell headlamps as complete units. Yours is among the highest of the hi-tech, including a set-up to turn the lights for corners, so it's costly.

There is nothing sinister or underhand here. Car companies rotate their plates on to their newest models to make life a little easier for their fleet administrators.

If you want a Benz GLE, and you can afford it, then do it. It's not stupid if it makes you happy. Definitely go for a car that's in stock at a dealership to get the best deal.

As you say Mercedes generally cost more to service and repair, particularly if you have a dealer do the work.

They're not as expensive if you use an independent Mercedes specialist, and there are plenty around who can do that for you. They not only charge less for their labour, they usually have access to cheaper parts. Most of those parts are full factory parts, just sourced from overseas, instead of locally, so you don't miss out on quality or reliability by using them.

Jeep owners generally swear by the cars, but they have had issues over the years that should make you wary about signing on to the brand.

There's not much to split them, perhaps I would prefer the 'Benz.

From the research, my pick is definitely the Benz. It's a development of the classy GLC wagon but with improvements including better suspension. The Benz costs a little more but there is stock in showrooms now so you should jump quickly if you want one.

You're correct in thinking the Mercedes would cost more to service and repair, particularly if you use a dealer. Going to an independent service mechanic with experience of Mercedes-Benz cars would save you plenty. The Jeep would be the cheaper of the two in terms of servicing, and of the two you are looking at that's the one I would opt for.

Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says: "The issue has been, first, a coolant leak from the thermostat therefore displaying the low coolant level light on a slope. After this repair was completed the customer has started to watch his temperature gauge and found the operation different to what he has possibly experienced on other vehicles. The design of the cooling system has located the temperature sensor in an area where the coolant temperature does fluctuate as the thermostat operates. Stop-start operation can also influence this temperature variance because if the engine is not running no heat is generated. This is normal on the A-Class and has been documented from Germany for our dealers."