Hi, I'm a newbie. (Hi, newbie!)
I discovered this page about a week ago and have been reading along on the various topics posted. I am a former owner of a C300 and a GLK350, both of which were an absolute blast to drive! That is, until my husband purchased a 2017 Ford C-Max Energi early last year. There's nothing really special about the C-Max, but for some reason I just really got on board with the idea of using a lot less fuel to get wherever I was going. So ultimately I traded the 350 for my own Ford C-Max Energi last October.
For those who don't know, the C-Max Energi is a plug-in hybrid. The bad news is, when you go to register or renew your license plates, the state (Ohio) charges you the plug-in surcharge. The advertised battery range on this vehicle is only about 20 miles. So I really felt like we were getting kicked in the teeth being charged the plug-in surcharge but also having to purchase fuel. And the gas mileage really isn't anywhere close to what it's advertised as. That's one of the reasons why Ford discontinued this line, is that it could not compete with other hybrids like the Prius. The gas mileage just wasn't there.
Needless to say, I was pretty bummed out. That is, until I discovered I could squeeze up to about 35 miles of range out of that battery, depending on how I drove and by not using climate control. It became a challenge to see how far I could go before the internal combustion engine kicked on. At that point, I really liked the car and I enjoyed only putting fuel in it about every 2 to 3 months, and even then not having to use premium. It's a really smooth and quiet ride in battery mode, and even on the highway, it's not always easy to tell when the gasoline engine kicks on.
So, that's my backstory. Fast forward to last week when, on a whim, I checked to see how much Carvana would give me for my C-Max. I guess it was a little more than a whim, because I picked up a second job which made it hard for me to commute on battery only, especially when I went from my first job to my second job and then back home. But since Carvana gave me an offer I couldn't refuse, I decided to look for an all-electric vehicle, so I could get every where I wanted to go and not burn any fuel at all. The prospect was enticing. And we still have my husband's C-Max for long trips.
Imagine my delight and surprise when I discovered that not only does Mercedes-Benz make the B-class, but Carvana had one for sale and it was lower in price than what they were giving me for my C-Max! I live in Ohio. I have never seen one of these vehicles before and I had no idea they existed. I was super happy about not only getting an all-electric vehicle at a very reasonable price, but that I would be back driving a Benz! Truly the best of both worlds.
Until
I discovered this thread about the motor whine issue literally two hours after the car was delivered yesterday.
It was supposed to be dropped off at 5:30, but somehow the technician got tied up with a problem in his previous delivery and he wasn't here until almost 7, by which time it was dusk. He asked if we wanted to take it for a little test drive for 5 or 10 minutes, so we did that. I never got the car above 45 miles an hour, but it seems like whenever I was pushing on the accelerator, it was whining. I did not realize it could be indicative of a problem at the time. We brought the car home and signed all the paperwork and off went the C-Max on the back of the Carvana truck. I came back in, got back on the forum, discovered this thread, wanted to cry a little bit and then I couldn't sleep.
I have a lot of driving that I need to do today so I think that will show if there is truly a problem with this vehicle. There is a seller's limited warranty. I did not buy an extended warranty. The seller's limited warranty is good for 100 days or 4189 miles. My plan is to read through the warranty paperwork to make sure that the electric motor would be covered. Even if it is, I've read that some folks have had to wait months for a replacement and I think that was before covid. Plus, I'm in Ohio and I'm not sure that there are any dealerships around that has dealt with this kind of vehicle.
Option two is to turn it in before the 7-Day test drive is over and get something else.
Aaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuugh.
Other than that, I love the car! It's a matte gray color which is neat in and of itself. I'm praying that I am wrong and that I can continue to enjoy this car for a few years to come. But realistically, especially after reading this thread, I'm not counting on that being the case.
Open to advice, comments, and complaints. If you've read this far, you probably need some coffee and a therapy session.
Thanks,
Dyan
UPDATE: I don't know if anyone is following this thread anymore. But I just wanted to update that I contacted my local Mercedes-Benz dealership to schedule the vehicle for its annual battery certification and to have the motor checked for any issues. They didn't seem to have the first clue what I was talking about. The technician said that the closest place they knew of that could service this vehicle is in California.
I then called a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Columbus, Ohio and they agreed to schedule it, but 1: I'm not confident that they know what they're doing and 2: I can't even get it to Columbus on a full charge. I'd have to stop at some point during the trip and recharge just to get it there. So that's a no-go.
I feel at this point that I would be a complete fool to keep this vehicle. I'm going to take advantage of Carvana's 7 Day money back guarantee and get something else. I'm really heartbroken because I love driving this car.
