The Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) investigation period, which ran from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. The FCA's investigation uncovered widespread issues with
discretionary commission arrangements in motor finance, affecting millions of consumers who took out finance for their vehicles.
How the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV was Typically Financed
Mercedes-Benz EQE SUVs were often financed through Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and Hire Purchase (HP) agreements. PCP terms typically ranged from £15,000 to £30,000 with a term of 36 to 48 months. Common finance lenders for Mercedes-Benz include
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
A key feature of PCP agreements is the balloon payment, which represents a large final payment due at the end of the contract term if you decide to keep the vehicle or buy it outright. This payment can be significantly higher than the value of the car at that time, leading to
negative equity situations where borrowers owe more than the car’s worth.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA's investigation into motor finance uncovered significant issues related to discretionary commission arrangements made by lenders and brokers between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024. These arrangements led to millions of consumers being overcharged, with the FCA estimating that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026). The total amount of overcharges was estimated at £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026), averaging around £829 per agreement (FCA estimate).
The investigation highlighted how these discretionary commissions could incentivise brokers and lenders to recommend more expensive finance products, even if they weren't in the best interest of the consumer.
How to Check Your Agreement Key things to look for include:
- Discretionary Commission Arrangements: These are payments made between lenders and brokers that were not disclosed to consumers.
- Relevant Dates: Your agreement should fall within the period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024 to be eligible for redress under the FCA's rulings.
- DCA (Discretionary Commission Arrangements): This term is often used in finance agreements and indicates that a commission was paid based on discretionary factors rather than set rates.
If you find any of these elements in your agreement, it’s likely affected by the investigation.
You do not need a
claims management company to address issues with your Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV finance agreement. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance all have dedicated teams to handle complaints related to the FCA's findings.
To initiate a complaint directly:
1.
Gather Documentation: Collect your original credit agreement and any correspondence with your lender.
2.
Contact Your Lender: Reach out to the customer service department of your finance provider or use their online complaint form.
3.
Explain Your Concerns: Clearly state that you are complaining about potential overcharging due to discretionary commission arrangements as identified by the FCA.
4.
Follow Up: Keep a record of all communications and follow up regularly until you receive a resolution.
You can complain directly to your lender for free without incurring any additional costs or engaging third-party services.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "Motor Finance Discretionary Commission Arrangements Investigation." 2024.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census 2021.
Based on 375,769 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Mercedes-Benz C has a pass rate of 81.1%. This is close to the national average of 79.6%, meaning the C performs about average in MOT testing.
The C pass rate is in line with the overall Mercedes-Benz average of 82.3%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 86,936 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 81.1%
- MOT failure rate: 18.9%
- Tests analysed: 375,769 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 86,936 miles
- Mercedes-Benz average pass rate: 82.3%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.