Verified: 23 March 2026 11:40 am CET
Industry: Defence Technology, Tier-1 Automotive Components & Aftermarket (Pierburg / Kolbenschmidt)
Jurisdiction: Germany
Primary Regulator: Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) for severe automotive component safety recalls. (Defence exports are strictly regulated by BAFA/BMWK, not consumer agencies).
Important Safety Warning: Beware of fake customer service numbers on search engines. Scammers frequently target massive B2B supply chains with “invoice redirection” phishing emails (Business Email Compromise), claiming Rheinmetall’s banking details have changed. Rheinmetall staff will never demand you pay an invoice to a new, unverified bank account via a generic email link, nor will they ask for your internal account passwords.
Level 1: Customer Support (Kundenservice)
- How to complain:
- For Broken Car Components (e.g., Pierburg pumps, Kolbenschmidt pistons): Stop! If your car’s powertrain fails, you must complain directly to your car dealership or the authorized mechanic who installed the part. Rheinmetall is not your legal contractual partner for the vehicle purchase.
- For Aftermarket Parts (Retail): Your statutory warranty lies with the parts retailer.
- For B2B Automotive Clients (Motorservice): Contact the MS Motorservice support desk via their technical portal or call +49 7139 9376 3333.
- For General Corporate/Defence: Contact the central Rheinmetall AG switchboard at 0211 / 473 01 or email info@rheinmetall.com.
- Source Verification: Impressum - Rheinmetall AG
- Availability: Corporate and B2B hotlines operate Monday to Friday during standard business hours (CET).
- Timeline: B2B commercial disputes and supply chain issues are dictated by complex international contracts and SLAs, not standard consumer 14-day timelines.
Level 2: Formal Written Complaint & Mahnung
- Who to contact: Formally escalate a direct commercial dispute by sending a registered letter with return receipt (Einschreiben mit Rückschein) to the legally registered headquarters of the relevant entity:
- For Automotive Aftermarket Parts: Address it to the Management Board, MS Motorservice International GmbH, Wilhelm-Maybach-Straße 14-18, 74196 Neuenstadt am Kocher, Germany.
- For Parent Group / Defence: Address it to the Management Board, Rheinmetall AG, Rheinmetall Platz 1, 40476 Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Source Verification: Impressum - MS Motorservice
- Timeline: A legally binding deadline of 14 days (set via your Mahnung) provides the company a strict timeframe to resolve a standard financial dispute before they legally default (in Verzug geraten).
Level 3: Regulatory Authority / ADR
- Authority: The correct escalation path depends entirely on who your dispute is with:
- Dealership/Mechanic Disputes: If an authorized garage installed a Pierburg part incorrectly or refuses to honor a warranty, submit your case to the local Kfz-Schiedsstelle (Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board).
- Rheinmetall (Manufacturer): Rheinmetall AG explicitly refuses to participate in voluntary consumer arbitration boards like the Universalschlichtungsstelle. Do not contact the Bundeskartellamt for individual disputes.
- Safety Recalls: Report severe, widespread automotive component defects directly to the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA).
- Source Verification: Kfz-Schiedsstellen - ZDK
Level 4: Legal Action
- Pre-Litigation: Before initiating formal court proceedings, commercial entities should seek case-specific legal assistance from a specialized corporate or contract lawyer.
- Court/Arbitration: Critical Legal Trap: Private consumers attempting to sue Rheinmetall directly for a broken car pump will have their lawsuit dismissed by German civil courts due to a lack of privity of contract (Vertragsrelativität). Consumers must sue their seller/dealership. Commercial B2B disputes against Rheinmetall are typically handled via private commercial arbitration or the competent Regional Court (Landgericht).
Community Action: Is your car dealership refusing to honor their Sachmängelhaftung for a failing Kolbenschmidt engine component, or is an online parts retailer ignoring your claim for a defective Pierburg valve? Reply below (do not share your passwords, full VIN numbers, or PINs), and our community will point you to the right legal templates!