Mercedes: Furious driver who bought car in Sheffield says tyres 'shredded' - and it could happen to anyone

A furious Mercedes driver says his tyres have been ‘shredded’ due to a known fault which he was never told about.
By Robert Cumber
Published 11th Jul 2022, 10:08 BST
Updated 22nd Jul 2022, 19:21 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Jason Newton and his partner Lindsay Harrison bought their second-hand Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupé in January this year from the Europa Sheffield dealership.

They were initially happy with the car but around five months and 4,000 miles later they began to notice excessive wear on the front tyres which they said had been caused when it was driven on full lock, causing it to ‘judder’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Read More
M1 Sheffield: Police brand cyclist 'buffoon' for riding electric bike on busy mo...
One of the tyres on Jason Newton's Mercedes car, which he says have been 'shredded' due to what the manufacturer has called a known 'characteristic'One of the tyres on Jason Newton's Mercedes car, which he says have been 'shredded' due to what the manufacturer has called a known 'characteristic'
One of the tyres on Jason Newton's Mercedes car, which he says have been 'shredded' due to what the manufacturer has called a known 'characteristic'

Jason said it looked like the tyres were being ‘shredded’ on the surface – and when he searched online he found numerous complaints from unhappy customers who had experienced the same problem.

When he complained to Mercedes, he was told there was a ‘known tyre skipping characteristic’ but that this was not a ‘known manufacturing defect’ and therefore not subject to any warranty.

The company said there were no ‘safety concerns’ relating to the vehicle and it could not offer to pay for the tyres to be replaced but as a ‘gesture of goodwill’ it offered to fit new tyres at cost price.

Jason said Europa Sheffield had since agreed to replace two tyres for free.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Jason Newton's Mercedes car, which he claims he would never have bought had he known about the tyre skipping 'characteristic' which he says has left his tyres 'shredded'Jason Newton's Mercedes car, which he claims he would never have bought had he known about the tyre skipping 'characteristic' which he says has left his tyres 'shredded'
Jason Newton's Mercedes car, which he claims he would never have bought had he known about the tyre skipping 'characteristic' which he says has left his tyres 'shredded'

Driving: Tens of thousands of speeding fines handed out to motorists on the M1 near Sheffield

But he remains unimpressed with Mercedes, saying was never informed of the so-called ‘characteristic’, which he said meant the car was ‘not fit for purpose’, and had he been made aware he would not have bought the vehicle.

“I feel other people should know about this ‘characteristic’ before they buy a car with a known fault they haven’t been told about,” he added.

Mercedes-Benz said its customer services team had been in contact with Mr Newton to ‘agree a satisfactory outcome’.

Jason Newton's Mercedes car, which he bought in Sheffield, and one of the tyres which he says have been 'shredded' due to what the manufacturer has called a known 'characteristic'Jason Newton's Mercedes car, which he bought in Sheffield, and one of the tyres which he says have been 'shredded' due to what the manufacturer has called a known 'characteristic'
Jason Newton's Mercedes car, which he bought in Sheffield, and one of the tyres which he says have been 'shredded' due to what the manufacturer has called a known 'characteristic'

A spokesperson for the firm added: “A small number of customers may have experienced an issue with certain models, generally at cold ambient temperatures while manoeuvring at low speed with steering lock applied. The sensation is of the front tyres apparently ‘skipping’. This is a comfort issue only, and does not affect the safety or performance or integrity of the vehicle.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Winter tyres and all-season tyres on 18- or 19-inch wheels improve this characteristic and we would always recommend their use in temperatures which fall below approximately +7 degrees Celsius. The use of 18-inch wheels with summer tyres also improves the characteristic.”

Related topics:MercedesDrivingTens of thousands