The Mercedes-Benz EQS 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. This luxury electric car model attracted significant interest among consumers looking for a high-end vehicle with advanced technology, often financed through various financial institutions.
How the Mercedes-Benz EQS was Typically Financed
During its sales period, the Mercedes-Benz EQS was frequently sold on PCP and HP finance agreements ranging from £15,000 to £30,000. These agreements typically had a term of 36 to 48 months, providing buyers with flexible payment options while allowing them to retain ownership or return the vehicle at the end of the agreement.
Common lenders for financing the Mercedes-Benz EQS included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance. These lenders often offered balloon payments at the end of a PCP contract, which required a large lump sum to be paid if the customer wanted to keep the vehicle.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched an investigation into motor finance agreements following concerns that
discretionary commission arrangements were being misused by lenders. This investigation found that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) had been affected, with a total value of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) and an average loss per agreement estimated at £829 (FCA estimate). The FCA's findings highlighted issues where car dealerships received additional payments from lenders for selling particular finance products, potentially leading to higher costs for customers.
How to Check Your Agreement Look specifically for references to "discretionary commission arrangements" or any mention of DCA (Discretionary Commission Arrangements). check if your contract falls within the relevant dates of 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024.
If you find that your agreement includes these elements and was arranged during this period, there is a possibility that the FCA-estimated scheme average is £829 per eligible agreement.
You can complain directly to your lender without needing the services of a
claims management company. 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 customer complaints regarding finance agreements.
To initiate your complaint, contact your lender's customer service department through their official website or by phone. Provide them with detailed information about your concerns, including any relevant documentation from your original financing agreement. Your lender is obligated to review your case thoroughly and respond within a reasonable timeframe.
You do not need a claims management company to handle this process on your behalf; you can manage it directly at no cost to yourself.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) estimates for affected agreements, total value, and average loss per agreement.
- Mercedes-Benz UK official website for vehicle details.
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.