
Photo: VCG
Luxury-car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz unveiled lowered car replacement thresholds in China Wednesday, to respond to concerns raised in an April customer dissatisfaction debate.
Last month, a Benz owner in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China’s Shaanxi province, complained that the car she had just purchased began to leak oil even before it left the dealership’s lot, and that the dealer refused to offer a replacement. China’s market regulator had a talk with Benz in May and demanded that the company offer replacements for defective vehicles.
According to Benz's new policy, within 60 days of a purchase receipt being issued or before a car has 3,000 kilometers on the clock, a consumer may trade their vehicle in for a new car of the same model if there are problems with key components. The policy will apply to Mercedes-Benz passenger cars sold after May 1, including those under its Smart brand.
According to the baseline national policy Benz was previously following, which has the same receipt and mileage requirements, a consumer can only require a whole-car replacement if the engine or transmission’s key components still have problems after being replaced twice, or if the car has other severe flaws.
Related: Mercedes-Benz Lands at Heart of Customer Dissatisfaction Debate