One man was left mortified after discovering the cost of replacing the battery on his eco-friendly Mercedes.
Ranjit Singh was chuffed when he bought the environmentally friendly car four years ago, as he was always a big Mercedes fan.
However, the 63-year-old from Knighton, Leicester, was shocked to hear the huge sum of money quoted to him after the battery recently failed.
He told LeicestershireLive: “I have always been a Mercedes customer and loved the cars they produce and we bought the car for its reliability.
"I'm horrified by what has happened. I feel I now have just two options – scrap the eight-year-old car or spend more than it is worth.
"We checked on Auto Trader and it says the car value now stands at just £12,850.”
He snapped up the vehicle for £27,000 ($36,000) at a Mercedes Benz dealership, which had done 49,000 miles at the time of purchase.
Ranjit was told the new battery would set him back £15,000 ($20,000), which is more than the eight-year-old second-hand car is currently worth.
The Mercedes fanatic was told the £15,000 quote excluded labour costs, which he later discovered would be in the region of £200 ($267) an hour.
In a desperate bid to save himself the cash, Ranjit went to see a hybrid specialist who unfortunately advised him there were no cheaper alternatives.
His daughter Ramnik Kaur, 36, works in the motoring industry herself.
She said: “Dad is very disappointed, stressed and doesn't know what to do with the car. As a retired person, he doesn't have that kind of money.”
She said the whole ordeal was a result of Mercedes ‘mis-selling'.
However, Mercedes Benz insisted customers are informed of the battery certificate when purchasing one of their vehicles.
A Mercedes spokesperson said: “We have based the general information below on a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class mild hybrid with a 125V high voltage battery, rather than a plug-in hybrid.
“In 2014, the 125V high voltage battery was covered by the standard three-year manufacturer's warranty (unlimited mileage).
“Without the background information, we are unable to comment on why the high voltage battery required replacement in this particular case.
“Outside influences can contribute to reduced battery life, for example, operating conditions of the car, accidents, repairs and general maintenance.
“When purchasing a new or used hybrid car from a Mercedes-Benz Retailer, customers are informed of the battery certificate, which is alongside the warranty information on the Owners' Area of the Mercedes-Benz Cars UK website and the smart.com website.”
Topics: Cars, UK News, Environment
Abbi Murray