Does Mercedes and Audi service really suck in Cayman?

smokythebear2

Hi everyone, I'm new here and to the island overall.

I'm a big German car fan and have been for as long as I can remember. From Volkswagens my parents used own to dreams of owning a Mercedes or Audi car of my own one day.

Now I'm in the position of buying one and I'd love to but I have some reservations. I've heard from a number of people who have these German brand vehicles here in Cayman have a nightmare of a time having them serviced. Apparently what I've been told is that the dealerships for both brands are completely incompetent and unable to fix even the most basic of issues reliably.

I heard of situations where repairs could take as long as a year to deal with and even then there are issues. If this is the case no thanks I'm just not interested and have no desire of buying a Mercedes or Audi here in Cayman.

I am surprised however that this would be the case being that these are two of the most luxury brand of cars you can buy here in Cayman.

If anyone has any experience or thoughts on this that could help solidify my decision it would be really helpful to me.

livingcayman

Hi @smokythebear2, the sad reality is that vehicle service you get with dealerships in smaller markets like Cayman is not nearly as good as it is bigger markets like the US or in Europe. Especially with super complicated cars like Audi's and Mercs that are completely run by computers. They can be very sensitive so that's something to keep in mind. Personally I prefer older cars that are not so dependent on computer systems for this very reason.

I can't speak specifically for Audi or Mercedes here in Cayman but I do know that this is a problem in general. Issues with parts and supply chains, lack of tallent and qualified technicians are likely to be a big part of the reasons why it can be received that dealerships like Audi and Mercedes suck in Cayman. Again though I don't think this as exclusively a problem with these two.

You gotta wonder what people that have high end luxury sports cars here in Cayman like McLarens, Ferrari, Lambos, etc... do when they have an issue with their cars.

I don't think you're wrong to be concerned about this but just know that whatever car you buy if you have real issues it could take a while before it's fixed.

sildarrio

Servicing any German car in Cayman sucks whether it be an Audi, Mercedes or BMW. There are many problems but the main issues include lack of qualified technicians (especially with Audi as far as I know) but also access to parts in a timely manner. Most parts will have to come directly from Germany as opposed to the US so the lead times can be lengthy.

Personally I would avoid these car companies and dealing with the nightmares you'll find many people reporting about Audi, Mercedes and BMW in Cayman.

If you do have an issue however you might be better off not going through the dealerships (who are also known to rip people off). Charging 5x markups on parts. Couple that with unqualified techs, who needs that BS!

My recommendation would be getting an estimate for repairs from Forza (https://forza.ky/). Apparently the guy who set this company up did so mainly because the car dealerships here suck so bad.