nsmith1180:
GOG47:
We have a 15 plate 450 Mercedes Actros that broke down in customers premises in Stoke nearly 3 weeks ago,it was towed into the Stoke dealership where it still sits!!!,the problem- a faulty ignition key slot that Mercedes don’t seem able to source 
.A second sister lorry to this had lighting fault the next week in the same customers premises, the Merc technician wanted it recovered to the garage!!! .Our driver volunteered to drive it there whilst our own workshop asked them to check if the electric suzie was causing any problems, the Merc fitter said he had tried that and so after many hours of head scratching a second technician tried–guess what?---- an new electric suzie—hey presto, the lights worked!!! . In a previous job I was driving an Arocs wag n drag when a car ran into me head on----that vehicle ended up 3months off the road waiting on parts
Decent wagons let down by rubbish back up!!!
Wow, thats the first bad reference for Merc dealers I’ve heard. Seems like you have been unlucky. I have noticed that the suzies tend to be a bit fragile on Mercs but thats fairly easily fixed by carrying a couple of spares in the side locker.
As for the Arocs issue. JESUS!
I was talking to somebody else who was running a few Mercs, he wasn’t impressed with the local dealer, so started using another one and it made all the difference.
I think reading the last few posts, it seems it not so much the trucks that you should think about, they all seem to have their niggles and what one person thinks is the best thing ever another wouldn’t touch with a barge pole. But it’s the dealers who can make or break somebody’s opinion of a make of truck.
That’s what I’m thinking Muckles. I’ve heard nothing but praise for my local Merc dealer group. The problem is when you make a buying decision based on your local dealer winning dealer of the year for three years running, then break down in the area of the dealer thats losing its franchise due to poor performance.
Iveco on general haulage so weights can vary alot as is 1 of the mercs, iveco is getting just under 9 but when it went out on containers it was achieving 9, but this lorry has always been in the power mode setting so i dont know what the difference woukd be if it was left in eco also the mercs are only 450’s so i dont know what a 480 stralis fuel would be like in comparison