The Ultimate Luxury SUV: A Tale of Woes for the New Mercedes-Maybach GLS Owner. A tale of sorrow and despair unfolds for the proud owner of the luxurious Mercedes-Maybach GLS. Just 10 days after taking possession of this exquisite SUV, the owner now has to cover the roof with a tarp and resort to tape to address a leaking issue.

Social media in China has been abuzz in recent days with images of a series of luxury Mercedes-Benz cars being covered with tarpaulins on their roofs. Among these vehicles were the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, G-Class, and Mercedes-AMG models.

Images and videos of these luxury cars with tarpaulin-covered roofs were captured in various locations across China. The tarpaulins were secured to the roofs using tape, and the vehicles’ A-pillars were also taped up in a similar fashion.

It all started when the owner of a super-luxury Mercedes-Maybach GLS in Jiangsu Province, China, posted a video on social media complaining about water leakage into the car’s interior. The 31-year-old man had purchased the vehicle for a hefty price of 2.15 million Chinese yuan (approximately 7.52 billion Vietnamese dong) in early July 2024. However, just 10 days after the purchase, he discovered that the car had a water leakage issue when it rained.

While driving, the young man experienced water dripping onto his head. He then took the Mercedes-Maybach GLS to an authorized dealer for inspection. The dealer concluded that the water had entered the vehicle through the A-pillar due to faulty rubber and plastic components.

The owner requested a new car as an exchange, but the dealer only offered a price range of 1.35-1.5 million yuan (approximately 4.72-5.25 billion Vietnamese dong) for the Mercedes-Maybach GLS. In other words, the owner was facing a loss of 800,000 yuan (approximately 2.8 billion Vietnamese dong), which is almost 1/3 of the original price, just 10 days after purchasing the vehicle.

Unsatisfied with this offer, the owner negotiated with the dealer. However, the dealer remained firm on their initial offer.

Frustrated, the owner filed a complaint with Mercedes-Benz’s hotline for three months without any resolution. As a result, he decided to cover his car with a tarpaulin and tape and took to social media to share his experience.

In a show of solidarity and support for the young man, many other Mercedes-Benz owners in China followed suit, covering their cars’ roofs with tarpaulins and taping their A-pillars, sparking a wave of boycott.

On the evening of October 10, 2024, the owner expressed his desire to return the car and receive a full refund. Additionally, he requested an apology from Mercedes-Benz and symbolic compensation of 80 yuan (approximately 280,000 Vietnamese dong) for mental distress.

Meanwhile, the dealer stated that the owner of the Mercedes-Maybach GLS had objected to the disassembly of the vehicle, hindering the repair process. For three consecutive months, the dealer made multiple attempts to contact the owner via phone calls, social media messages, and even sent invitation letters to propose solutions. However, the young man continued to refuse the vehicle inspection. According to the dealer, the owner disagreed with the repair plan and did not permit further inspections.

Mercedes-Benz has responded by stating that they will conduct an investigation and provide a solution as soon as possible.