In recent years, DEFINITELY YES!

Other than the rust the gassers are pretty much trouble free (occasional crank sensors, mass airflow sensor, coils, and harmonic balancers). The visor vanity mirrors were made of flimsy plastic and commonly broke loose after too much use. The leather dye on the steering wheel starts to wear off after 120K miles as well as the shifter knob, if it is not treated properly. The window regulators are riveted and you need a set of rivets and a gun to perform a replacement service. They fail eventually with age. The xenon headlamp assembly is a PITA since the ignition box died after 6 years of use on my car. First the left side, then the right #(*$!

That's about it, though. Everything else seems OK. Oh, the check engine light. Comes on whenever it feels like it (gas cap a wee bit loose)....Or the BAS/ESP...Turn wheel to left, turn wheel to right, center position....CODE RESET, LOL!

No CA guys get to respond because CA cars just don't rust!

I don't care a W211 is looking pretty good, throw in a warranty and I'm sold. Maybe in a couple years when I am out of college. I am easy to please! Its a business car/daily driver. After 5 years I'll dump it for something else.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

<<I hope you are talking about switching to the new model M-class. The first generation M-class has been considered the WORST model Mercedes-Benz has ever produced.>>

My long gone '85 190E already has that title and will fight to keep it. Worst car I ever owned, hands down. Early 201s were warranty queens.

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Roger E.

<<IMHO, with the technology available today, MB should have ZERO rust issues.>>

What do you mean, today? Porsche went to 100% galvanized bodies thirty years ago.

"Engineered Like No Other Car." And therein lies the problem. Regardless, I'm getting another one next spring.

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Roger E.

The first w220 cars back in 98 were total crap. The first one we got broke
the first day we had it. 2 weeks later I had to replace the entire body harness.

All the new w221 cars have been great. Aside from some software updates
for phone and navi glitches. No major problems. Period.
Same for the whole line. W211's from 04+ have been good as well.
After 2005, the quality has been shooting up.
Good bye Dr. Schremp. You cheap corner cutting chump.

I think Roger's 190e would take the cake. What a POS those were.
The factory extended the warranty to keep them from falling apart.
"Quality Assurance Program" I think was the name of the warranty.

DR.D

__________________
Dr.Diesel -
Shop Foreman
Master Guild Mercedes-Benz Technician.

Think the dealer is expensive? Do you know how much it costs to train a dealer tech? Or buy the required MB special tools to have on hand?

There are 238000 W220's affected by the door rust campaign, according to my copy of the official document.

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2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

Not long after I purchased my 300E somebody backed into it putting a dent next to the right rear wheel opening. I asked my dealer service advisor (Mercedes Benz of Princeton) to recommend a body shop. They performed a horrible repair, kept my car for over a week and it had 33 more miles on it.

You live and learn.[/QUOTE]

33 miles on it?? What did they use it for, pick ups and deliveries of other people's parts??? That's outrageous for a car going in for body work. I mean, it's not like a brake repair where they have to drive it around for a while to see if it's working right.

jeff 1991 300d, 99k

Man, Ford must have messed up on your car. Thank your lucky stars if it's never seen the inside of a garage!! I had an '88 Mercury Sable (same car, made in the same plant) that was nothing but JUNK!! I compared notes with anyone with a Taurus or Sable, and the results were the same. All had MAJOR problems. I lost more money on that car, than any other car in my life. It was two Ford products in one .... my first, and my last.

jeff
1991 300d, 99k

MB is a great looking car when its new but it has the worst quality, service and customer records in the world. They don't do recalls accordingly just to save money and let the owners suffer, who ever said MB is afraid of consumer law, they'll wait until you sue them then they'll come to talk you out of the law suit, mercedes benz has lost its old glory

Sorry, but your comments are a bit extreme. M.B. the "worst"??? What about the Ford Pinto or the Chevrolet Silverado old pickups (fuel tank problems), to name just TWO of the million tricks and ripoffs car companies play on their customers.

I agree they are not great (wiring harnesses, A/C evaps, et.al), but the worst? I don't think so... Ford, G.M., Land Rover, Fiat, Lancia, Skoda (before VW bought it) and any Korean manufacturer come to mind before M.B.

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A. Rosich
CL 500, 1998
S 500 L, 1998
E 320 T, 1995 [Sadly sold ]

I don't know, our local dealer treats me like gold. They have done some pretty major goodwill work on my friends 8 year old at the time W210.

If there were any outsanding recalls on my SDL I have no doubt they would do them without batting an eye.

Like I said to the parts guy the other day, "damn if you guys keep treating me so well I'm going to have to buy a new MB from you in a couple years"

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Totally agree with the w210. My '98 e320 is a rust bucket. Spring perch blew about a year ago rust on all wheel wells and bubbles on the doors, trunk, fenders, etc..... There is no way I can sell it for a reasonable price so I am doing to grive it to the grave. Mercedes did pay for the spring perch.
Holding up much better is my '77 w116 which has very little if any rust and my 1995 w124 wagon. In my openion, head gasket and wiring harness aside, is one of the best cars ever produced.

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tgmiller77
1997 Land Rover Discovery 158,000
1995 E320 Wagon 132,000mi
1999 E320 Wagon 97,000mi

Wow - a 1998 Mercedes with heavy rust? Do you live in the north country?

Rust is not much of a problem here in the south, so I guess that is why it seems so odd. Mainly the only rust here on cars is surface rust on the undercarriage (and thats mainly on the older cars), simply because of the typical high humidity in the southeast.

I have a 1985 380SE, with a very solid body. Mine has some rust, but because of water, rather than salt. Seems like some of the door bottoms are rusted, as it looks like the drains have clogged over the years and no one bothered to clean them out. Also, I have rust on the upper side of the trunk frame from where my antenna seal was leaking. No other rust anywhere else. The undercarriage still looks like new, as do the fenders, rocker panels, jack points, and around the trims.

My 1989 Pontiac Safari wagon, is still 100% rust free. The undercarriage does not even have surface rust. Originally a North Carolina car (until 2000) and then here in Tennessee. It has never been driven in salt before, so thats a key there. The original owner lived in eastern NC- where it snows rarely. He said he never drove it in inclement weather, because its not good in snow anyway. I have owned it since 2000 and I personally never drove it in the snow. We get our roads salted about 2-4 times per winter on average... sometimes more/less.... depending upon the winter. Its not much though.

My 2000 Toyota - no rust- still like new, even on the undercarriage, as is moms 98' Oldsmobile.

Now my older cars- (73' Grand Ville and 69' Caprice) have some undercarriage SURFACE rust- which is perfectly normal for a 30+ year old car that has been outdoors for all of those years. The Caprice has some very repairable rust spots on the lower quarter panels- again, very normal for a old car. Any northern car this old would be gone (rusted away) by now I suppose. Grandpas 1955 Cadillac is still 100% rust free- same with the undercarriage. His UGLY yellow 1976 AMC Gremlin X is also 100% rust free, but its still ugly.

I had a 94' Lumina that had very severe undercarriage rust. I had no idea when I bought it, as I did not know a car would rust like that. I thought it was a local car. Further investigation- I found out that the car was originally from northeast Ohio- around Cleveland. That explained that.

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2004 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4wd
1991 Lincoln Town Car Executive
1991 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1988 Mercedes 300SEL
1972 Chevrolet Caprice Kingswood Estate 9-passenger wagon
1973 Pontiac Grand Ville
(Prior MB's: 1974 240D, 1985 380SE, 1984 190D, 1993 400SEL)