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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[What's German for "kickback"? Daimler workers broke Mercedes' for profit]]></title><link>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/17/whats-german-for-kickback-daimler-workers-broke-mercedes-fo/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/17/whats-german-for-kickback-daimler-workers-broke-mercedes-fo/</guid><comments>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/17/whats-german-for-kickback-daimler-workers-broke-mercedes-fo/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/euro/" rel="tag">Europe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/plants-manufacturing/" rel="tag">Plants/Manufacturing</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/mercedes-benz/" rel="tag">Mercedes-Benz</a></p><a href="http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/874/333728/text/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/11/sidelf_merc_sabo.jpg" /></a><br /><br />A master mechanic and two clerks, among others, are being investigated for intentionally sabotaging Mercedes cars being built at the Sindelfingen factory. Allegedly, repair shops in the area that weren't part of the Daimler corporation were bribing workers with gifts, trips, and cash to alter the cars so that the repair shops could get the contracts to fix them.<br /><br />The sabotage included scratching the cars, loosening clamps and bolts, as well as -- incredibly -- putting foreign liquids into brake lines. According to <em>Suddeutsche Zeitung</em>, the cars affected were C-, E-, and S-Class. The Stuttgart prosecutor's office estimates the costs to Mercedes in the many of millions, but the greatest irony is this: the workers under investigation were part of the quality control department. <br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/874/333728/text/">Suddeutsche Zeitung</a> via <a href="http://benzinsider.com/2008/11/daimler-employees-sabotaged-own-cars/">Benz Insider</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/17/whats-german-for-kickback-daimler-workers-broke-mercedes-fo/">What's German for "kickback"? Daimler workers broke Mercedes' for profit</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:28:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/874/333728/text/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/17/whats-german-for-kickback-daimler-workers-broke-mercedes-fo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1374735/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/17/whats-german-for-kickback-daimler-workers-broke-mercedes-fo/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>daimler</category><category>daimler ag</category><category>DaimlerAg</category><category>manufacturing</category><category>mercedes</category><category>mercedes-benz</category><category>plants</category><category>quality control</category><category>QualityControl</category><category>sabotage</category><category>sindelfingen</category><category>sindelfingen factory</category><category>SindelfingenFactory</category><category>stuttgart</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jonathon Ramsey]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:28:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>