Spend more than 400,000 yuan to buy a luxury brand mid-size SUV, what would you choose?
If it were me, I would have chosen the Mercedes-Benz GLC a few years ago because there were basically no competitors at this price point. But if it were me today, I might have difficulty choosing.
As the Mercedes-Benz sedan family has successively completed its replacement, the Mercedes-Benz SUV family has also embarked on a journey of renewal.
After the mid-term and annual facelifts, the first model in the SUV family to complete the replacement is the new Mercedes-Benz GLC.
As a star product of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz GLC has always been the main sales force in the luxury brand's mid-size SUV lineup. In the past year, the average monthly sales volume of Mercedes-Benz GLC in domestic and foreign markets has basically stabilized at more than 10,000 units, demonstrating its leading position in the high-end mid-size SUV market and its strong appeal to consumers.
However, despite having just completed a new generation, the sales performance of Mercedes-Benz GLC in recent months has not been optimistic.
According to comprehensive industry sales data, in November 2023, Mercedes-Benz GLC sold only more than 5,000 units, which was almost halved compared with the peak sales period.
In fact, the monthly retail sales of Mercedes-Benz GLC in the first two months also showed a month-on-month downward trend.
In September and October 2023, sales were 12,050 and 7,001 vehicles respectively, while sales in August this year were 12,509 vehicles. In other words, from September to November this year, the single-month retail sales of Mercedes-Benz GLC declined for three consecutive months. As a classic best-selling model, compared to the BMW X3 and Audi Q5L, the Mercedes-Benz GLC seems to be "falling behind" or "stalling".
So, the question is, why is the current sales volume of Mercedes-Benz GLC so low? This requires us to conduct in-depth analysis to find the exact cause.
According to the complaints on the Auto Complaints Network, there are quite a few complaints about the Mercedes-Benz GLC.
Specifically, complaints about Mercedes-Benz GLC mainly focus on aspects such as power system, body accessories and electrical failures. It is worth noting that the number of complaints about the power system, whether it is the old Mercedes-Benz GLC before the replacement or the new Mercedes-Benz GLC after the replacement, there are complaints about power system failures.
For example, Mr. Su, the owner of the 2023 GLC 260 L 4MATIC luxury 5-seat car, said that he purchased the car on October 10, 2023, and the engine failure light stayed on on November 23, 2023. The vehicle felt frustrated and felt that it was not as powerful as before.
On November 27, I went to the 4S store for repairs and the fault light was removed. On December 1, the fault light came on again. On December 2, the vehicle had a problem of automatically shutting off after stopping at a red light. After being manually started, it was found that the vehicle was idling at more than 1,500 rpm. On December 4, the vehicle's remote start function was operated, and it could be started, but the vehicle would automatically shut down after receiving the start message. The current owner's request is that the 4S store can completely solve the problem of the vehicle's automatic shutdown.
If the vehicle automatically stalls, this is just an accidental phenomenon in the new Mercedes-Benz GLC, then let's take a look at the description of another car owner.
Ms. Chen purchased the same 2023 GLC 260 L 4MATIC luxury 5-seat version. The owner said that she purchased a Mercedes-Benz GLC 260 model at a local Mercedes-Benz 4S store on November 8, 2023. Within 24 hours the vehicle would not start normally. Subsequently, on November 15, the car owner reported that the test results showed that the vehicle was losing power.
In addition, the car owner said that during subsequent use, the mobile Mercedes-Benz APP had problems such as unstable tire pressure, and requested the relevant 4S store to return or exchange the vehicle.
The same story happened to Mr. Liu. The model he purchased was the 2023 GLC 300 L 4MATIC dynamic 5-seat version. The owner said that he purchased the car on May 27, 2023, and the vehicle failed to drive normally on June 10. It prompted that the gear could not be shifted. After submitting it for inspection, the reply was that there was a problem with the gearbox, and the gearbox valve body and gearbox oil pan needed to be replaced. The owner's request to return the car was rejected, and he had no choice but to choose repairs after negotiation.
What is unexpected is that on September 4, 2023, the vehicle was unable to shift gears again. After the vehicle was sent for inspection, the communication module was checked and the system was upgraded. The owner said that after a series of tests, the source of the problem was not found in the store. , had no choice but to continue using the vehicle.
In the same situation, the vehicle was unable to shift gears again on September 17, 2023. The owner stated that the vehicle inspection feedback required an update of a control unit, but the store replaced the relevant parts without the owner's authorization. Mr. Liu was worried that the same vehicle failure would happen again. For the sake of vehicle safety, he strongly requested to return or replace the vehicle.
In fact, both the previous Mercedes-Benz GLC models and the new Mercedes-Benz GLC currently on sale have been plagued by consumer complaints caused by engine and gearbox problems.
Common problems in older models, such as oil burning, have not yet been satisfactorily resolved, and as vehicle mileage increases, this problem may become more prominent in the future.
In addition, abnormal noise in the brake system is one of the most frequent problems among all problems. Although this abnormal noise is considered to be a common phenomenon rather than a quality problem, similar problems such as oil burning, steering system, differential It is difficult to underestimate the problem of oil leakage in the machine, and long-term complaints have triggered consumers' concerns about irregular operation and poor service of 4S stores.
In the past, as one of the representatives of high-end brands, Mercedes-Benz has won the recognition of many consumers with its luxurious products and high-quality service experience. This is also an important reason why Mercedes-Benz GLC can maintain high sales. In recent years, as consumers' views on luxury cars have changed, Mercedes-Benz has begun to be criticized for declining quality control and service quality. It has even been labeled as "not a rip off of the poor", and its reputation has gradually declined.
In this year’s vehicle recall announcements, the frequency of Mercedes-Benz recalls is relatively high.
Mercedes-Benz GLC appeared in a recall announcement in April this year.
will recall some domestic E-class and GLC cars produced between September 21, 2022 and September 26, 2022 starting from April 12, 2023.
The GPS positioning of some vehicles within the scope of this recall may not meet the specifications under certain circumstances. When the emergency call system is triggered, the vehicle location sent by it may be incorrect, which may cause the rescue unit to be unable to reach the vehicle location when an accident occurs, which is a hidden danger.
Not long ago, in accordance with the requirements of the "Regulations on the Management of Recall of Defective Automobile Products" and the "Implementation Measures of the Regulations on the Management of Recall of Defective Automobile Products", Beijing Benz Automobile Co., Ltd. recalled some domestically produced GLC SUV vehicles.
Starting from November 20, 2023, some domestic GLC SUV vehicles with production dates between February 16, 2023 and May 10, 2023 will be recalled, a total of 8,108 vehicles.
Some vehicles within the scope of this recall have a small inner diameter of the front cross member traction ring connection bushing, and the traction ring cannot be completely screwed into the connection hole. When using the front traction device for towing operation, the connection may become loose, posing a safety hazard.
Car Complaint Network:
Perhaps in the eyes of consumers, buying Mercedes-Benz is actually because of the three-pointed star logo. As long as this logo does not lose its luster, Mercedes-Benz can still maintain control over consumers.
However, as new energy vehicles gradually come to prominence, traditional car companies have clearly shown symptoms of discomfort. At the same time, new power brands have also seized the market share of traditional luxury brands, and the influence of Mercedes-Benz has shown a weakening trend. As a new generation of young consumer groups, under the influence of rational consumption concepts, it has become a suspense how long Mercedes-Benz can continue to rely on brands and car logos to control the market.
