A Mercedes-Benz electric SUV owned by a Mumbai doctor couple has sat in a Thane service centre for almost three months after rodents allegedly gnawed its wiring.
The replacement part is not expected from Germany until the last week of December, Mumbai Mirror reported.
What Happened
Skin specialist Amit Karkhanis and his wife, gynaecologist Anagha Karkhanis, bought their EQE 500 4MATIC in July 2024.
They took it to Landmark Cars' Thane workshop on 27 August after rats reportedly damaged its wiring.
Their insurer cleared the repair quickly, but the car has stayed there because the wiring harness is specific to the model and has to be ordered from Germany, the reports said.
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Karkhanis told Mumbai Mirror he paid about Rs 1 crore for the car.
The Couple's Complaints
The couple are still paying EMIs of Rs 2.5 lakh a month for a car they cannot use, and they have not been given a courtesy vehicle.
They are living in Thane while their Andheri home is renovated, and both need to travel to Bandra for work. Karkhanis said he had to book a cab during a medical emergency and that the car's warranty and insurance cover keep running down while it sits idle.
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He also said the dealer neither offered an equivalent replacement car nor committed to a repair date.
"Mercedes-Benz and Landmark just don't seem to care," he told Mumbai Mirror.
What The Dealer Says
Shefali Shinde, general manager for customer experience at Landmark Cars, confirmed that rodents damaged the harness and that a replacement has been ordered from Germany.
She said it should arrive by the last week of December and that the customer has been told so. On the courtesy car, she said such vehicles are generally offered under warranty cases.
She said this case falls under accidental damage, and that all courtesy cars were in use during the festive season.
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Why The Wait Is So Long
The EQE 500 is sold in India as a completely built unit, so damaged parts must be sourced from abroad. Cars with higher local content are easier to repair quickly.
Rodent attacks on Mercedes electric cars are increasingly common, because their wiring uses soy-based bio-plastics that attract rodents.
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