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Iujmjus's avatar
Iujmjus
Explorer
Oct 09, 2024

**BEWARE OF LA MESA RV IN DAVIE!!**

My experience with La Mesa RV in Davie as a single woman new to the RV Lifestyle has been nothing short of a nightmare and a complete disappointment, especially for the 2024 Mercedes Pleasant Way Plateau that I paid over $175,000 for!

From the moment I purchased the RV in September 2024, the issues started piling up. On the drive home from taking delivery, the check engine light came on. When I called the next day, Blake, the salesman, minimized my concerns and brushed it off as “not a big deal,” suggesting I take it to Mercedes myself to get it fixed. What reputable dealership lets a customer drive off the lot with a check engine light on and then tells them to deal with it on their own?

They also failed to give me all of the keys at the time of delivery. I was fortunate to figure this out prior to taking it out of town  otherwise I would’ve been hundreds of miles away from home, unable to access certain areas of the RV.

When I took it to Mercedes-Benz of Coconut Creek, I was told they were unaware of any pre-existing check engine light issues, and due to a shortage of lifts for Sprinter vans, it would take 5-7 days just to look at it. I was forced to reach back out to La Mesa RV, who had no problem inconveniencing me further by having me drop it off at their Davie location and Uber back home numerous times.

They took the RV to Mercedes in Miami, where it stayed for several days. After getting it back, La Mesa assured me everything was taken care of, but within an hour of driving, the check engine light was on AGAIN!! I was already headed out of town for a camping trip. This time, Joseph Jaure from La Mesa had to pick up the RV from my home when I returned and bring it back to Mercedes of Miami, where it sat for another five days before being returned to me.

Only now, within an hour of driving out of town for another camping trip, the air conditioning and internal appliances stopped working. I had to pull over on the side of the highway and call Pleasant Way, who informed me that I needed to reset the inverter by shutting down the entire unit, including the engine. It was an extremely hot day, and I had friends and my dog in the RV. That was the first of three times that day the inverter/charger failed. Later, Pleasant Way casually mentioned they were aware of this issue and that it required a software update only a technician could perform. They knew this could happen, yet did nothing to ensure the updates were applied before delivery. This left my friend and I stranded to figure out other accommodations on our camping trip.

In the course of owning this brand new 2024 Mercedes Pleasant Way Plateau for just five weeks, it has been in the shop for three of them for various repairs and system updates. Meanwhile, I’m stuck paying monthly payments for a defective RV along with storage fees. It’s clear that La Mesa RV got their money and could care less about the consumer. They assured me they would fix the problems and communicate clearly, but they have failed miserably on both fronts. I’ve given them ample opportunity to rectify the situation, even requesting a replacement, but I’ve lost all confidence in La Mesa RV, Mercedes, and Pleasant Way.

La Mesa’s customer service is beyond appalling. I’ve had to reach out to Channel 7’s "Help Me Howard" just to get attention on this issue. Beyond the initial $175,000 purchase price, the loss of usage is infuriating, and the company refuses to offer any meaningful compensation or solution.

La Mesa RV is only interested in getting RV’s over the curb…. and getting their money, once they do they will leave you high and dry the moment issues arise. Do yourself a favor and avoid this dealership at all costs!!

  • "Teething issues" are part of the price of admission for RV ownership. Doesn't matter who built it or how much you pay, there will be problems to iron out on any new RV. Things missing, not working, leaking, etc.. All perfectly normal. Complaining is a waste of energy and only serves to make you miserable and shorten your lifespan. The RV industry is not going to change because there is no incentive for them to change. As long as people keep buying junk, they will continue to produce junk. If you want to live the RV lifestyle, you are just going to have to deal with the problems. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It does get better.

    No to minimize your frustration or problems, but you need to be fair here. Your issues and concerns should stand on their own merits. Exaggerating and misplacing blame does not help your case. You did not "drive off the lot with the check engine light on." The light came on on your trip home. 

    The RV dealer services the RV. The chassis manufacturer dealer services the chassis. Your experiences with the Mercedes dealerships have nothing to do with the RV manufacturer or the RV dealer. That's Mercedes life. You buy Mercedes to show off to people how much money you have, not for reliability or good service.

    The inverter/appliance problems were self-inflicted. You're rolling down the road with the AC cranked, every light on, every appliance running... The RV's electrical system is not designed for that. Unless you are plugged in at the campsite, you have to limit what you turn on, because you have limited capacity in the inverter. 

  • Do you mean "pleasure way"?

    Try reaching out to Liz Amazing. 

    • Grit_dog's avatar
      Grit_dog
      Navigator

      Yo, fwiw, DO NOT google Pleasureway RV Liz Amazing from your work computer or anywhere your wife might be watching from!  Lol

    • Grit_dog's avatar
      Grit_dog
      Navigator

      Technically speaking, lol, it’s a rant. 
      Un fortunate and I’d be pissed if I dropped that much money to have to take it to a shop. 
      But yeah, the inverter issues are likely self inflicted. But who knows….for $175k I’d hope I could run the house AC off of it. 

      • mkirsch's avatar
        mkirsch
        Nomad II

        Yeah but it sounds like she was having her little traveling bachelorette party, with all the girls be-bopping to the tunes, pizza rolls in the convection oven, hot pockets in the microwave, AC cranked of course... Probably enough load to stress a strong 50A service.

  • I am on my 9th RV. No way would my first entry into the RV world be in a $175,000 rig I was making payments on. Pleasure Way is a Canadian firm as well, which means to get "factory" service, you have to go to CAnada. A big reason my latest RV is built in Florida, 90 miles from my home. Dealers are notorious for their poor customer care after the sale. That's just how it is. There are some good ones out there, but generally speaking, it's not the norm. And it's not uncommon to find that not all Mercedes dealers will service a motorhome chassis. My current RV is on a Ford Transit and not all Ford dealers will service it. I knew that when I bought it and know where I can get it serviced in my area. 

    The best thing is to do your research and homework before the sale. . . not try to figure it out once you have problems. 

  • Now buying a Mercedes is another discussion. Obviously they shouldn’t suck this bad and the zillions of sprinters in commercial service for decades are proof of that. And no more info than a “check engine light” is again just a worthless rant and nothing to do with the rv dealer. 
    who said the ce light was even prohibitive to operate with?  Hell, I’ve got 2 vehicles with essentially permanent check engine lights for different reasons that can and do get driven everywhere, regularly. 
    That said, RV dealers are like any other dealer. Plenty of them suck. And for that, I say rant on!  Problem is her rant is misdirected. Sounds like it should be at the M’s. Mercedes and the mirror!

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