Mercedes Lemon... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

DuckMuck · #1 06-03-2003, 12:21 PM

Does anybody know the story behind this?

mithra · #2 06-03-2003, 12:58 PM

I'm not sure that the owner of that car will get much "goodwill" from the dealer or MB now.

DuckMuck · #3 06-03-2003, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mithra
I'm not sure that the owner of that car will get much "goodwill" from the dealer or MB now.

I'm guessin' he/she wasn't getting much "goodwill" in the first place anyway :p

Kuan · #4 06-03-2003, 02:45 PM

http://www.lemonmb.com/index.shtml

dmorrison · #5 06-03-2003, 03:28 PM

I know how he feels.
I have owned Mercedes for 23 years and the service and quality have really gotten bed.
I finally sold the 99E300 and must say the posibility of buying another NEW ( a 72 280SE cabriolet is a possibility) Mercedes is remote. Poor service, Bad attitude from the dealers, and a lack of support from MBUSA have, after 23 years, made me realize that I no longer want the new Mercedes.
I do like my SL and TD. We will keep those and I will repair and maintain them.
Any new car will not be a Mercedes.
I am watching the Consumers Reports on auto reliability and any new car wil be a Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus
Mercedes needs to clean house and get back on a quality built path.

Dave

Heres my service history

glow plugs 3X
---1 had to clean glow plug holes, glow plugs OK
---2 had to replace 1 glow plug
---3 had to replace 2 more so they replaced them all
Transmision 4X
----Transmision control module replaced
----Transmission parking interlock cable connection replaced
----Transmission electrical connection seal replaced
----Transmission Pump replaced
Radio 7X (written up 7X)maybe its just me.
----keep losing the stereo depth that you hear with stereo
----they had it 3 weeks and I still hear it.
----radio replaced
----ant amp
----connections loose, tightened
----ant switch unit
Both front door panels caused by seat belts 1X
Seat belts, both front
3 sets of front brake pads, that seems about right through
Engine mounts 1X
Serpentine belt 1X, damaged caused by poor work 2X
Rear lights both replaced
Climate control 1X unit replaced due to a BURNT OUT BULB!!!!
Steering wheel 1X replaced, coming unraveled
Instrument dash panel replaced, glue comming through on it
Ash tray door inop/replaced
Cup holder door inop/replaced
Child seat sensor inop/replaced
Turn signal combo switch inop/replaced
Mass air flow sensor replaced
INJECTION PUMP replaced
Banjo bolt replaced
Volume air flow sensor replaced
Window ant amplifier replaced
Seat track cover replaced
C pillar replaced
Drivers seat adjuster replaced
I am amazed how many light bulbs burn out on this car compared to my others. We always drive with our lights on, In all our cars.
this one has gone through 3X as many bulbs as my other cars.

Serpentine belt replaced at 58,000 miles, done poorly, fan clutch bolt never torqued. The bolt loosened and cause damage.
Car towed to the dealer, It took 2 visits to the dealer to fix their poor service, replaced items. Serpentine belt, fan, fan shroud,shock mount, battery after leaving my lights on.

And the one that seems to happen most often
State inspection expires every year at the exact same time!!!!

I don't think this is the sign of a quality car.

blackmercedes · #6 06-03-2003, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dmorrison
...I finally sold the 99E300 and must say the posibility of buying another NEW ( a 72 280SE cabriolet is a possibility) Mercedes is remote...
Dave

We sold our 1998 E300 for it's incredibly poor reliability, and that car soured my wife on MB probably forever. The car was so poor that we never got to take advantage of it's incredible range and highway fuel economy as it was on a hoist every time we went anywhere. It came to the point where the car could not be trusted at all.

Now we wonder which of our late model MB's is the "norm?" Our 1998 C230 is the paragon of quality. It has never failed to run and has had few repairs. (hammering on wood!!)

Yesterday a good friend of mine and I met in the morning, and her intention was to show off her new W211 E500 sedan. Unfortunately, we met at the dealer and went for breakfast from there. Her three week old car has the following problems:

1. Driver's side exterior mirror not working, and now the glass is falling out.

2. The wipers work erratically, and the washers don't work.

3. ACC controls not working properly.

4. CE light on, but seems to be running fine.

5. Steering wheel vibrates violently at any speed over 100 km/h.

Has Mercedes learned nothing lately?

The Warden · #7 06-03-2003, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by blackmercedes
Her three week old car has the following problems:

1. Driver's side exterior mirror not working, and now the glass is falling out.

2. The wipers work erratically, and the washers don't work.

3. ACC controls not working properly.

4. CE light on, but seems to be running fine.

5. Steering wheel vibrates violently at any speed over 100 km/h.

Yeesh! With problems like that, it almost seems like Chrysler/Dodge have a higher quality standard than M-B...

I'm gonna go pat my 123 on the hood now...maybe give it a wash (and maybe even try to wax it

)...and thank the maker that the 123 was built to such a high standard as to deserve the 3 pointed star.

G-Benz · #8 06-03-2003, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SP0CK
I wonder if any mb techs around here having any opinions?

Yeah! Steve, Donnie?

My ML is the newest in my fleet, but it has been pretty reliable so far, despite the well-documented woes of the pre-millenuim W163s.

I will admit that the forum has kept me abreast of impending issues with my vehicles...you don't "wig-out" as much when a problem arises if you already know it's going to happen (like saving up for the dreaded head gasket replacement on the W124).

But a large number of repair occurrences on a relatively new car would have me concerned as to the reliability of the vehicle! The Jag I formerly owned fell in this category.

It sounds some dealerships are saving money by staffing their service areas with inexperienced (and lower-wage) technicians. The result is improper diagnosis and repairs, and ultimately, more "repeat" servicings.

This is not a good trend for the marque.

I too, will not even consider buying a new MB. For one, the complexity (and associated $$ to fix once the warranty is up).

The high cost of ownership is another...I did well during the dot-com years, but I really can't afford those payments anymore.

The warranties are one of the least desireable, considering that other manufacturers easily dole out 10-year, 100K warranties!

sohj · #9 06-03-2003, 06:15 PM

I have not even considered buying a new MB due to wanting to spend my money on other things, like construction of a house on some land I've got....but reading this thread is like hearing that an old friend who used to beat you silly at chess has got alzheimer's.

guess I'll be sticking with the tank ('84 300 SD). Hilda is wonderful and behaves just as a MB should. When did all this rot and ruin set in?

engatwork · #10 06-03-2003, 07:03 PM

The college student/internet dude shoulda got a W123

. All he would have to worry about then is the tach, vacuum and cruise

on a 17+ yr old car.
Ya'll, let's keep it a secret about the early 80's W123/126's.

#11 06-03-2003, 07:48 PM

The newer mercs I don't like. The build quality is basicly the same as the jap companys, but replacement parts are 20x more.

I would only buy a merc from 1960 to 1990, possibly even a roundy.

#12 06-03-2003, 09:03 PM

I think this person has a great idea in parking their lemon in front of the dealership that screwed them.

I'm thinking of doing something similar to Best Buy, as my XM radio woes still continue now after six months and Best Buy has zero customer support if you have any problems. Now it looks as though the stooges at Best Buy may have caused damage to the Becker head unit when they unsuccessfully installed the unit.

La Jolla Audio in CA is checking it for me for FREE. They have been GREAT to me!!

blackmercedes · #13 06-03-2003, 10:10 PM

Why did most of us buy a Mercedes in the first place? Did we expect to be treated better than pretty much every other car company? (perhaps excepting Rolls, etc.)

We expected that our premium price was bringing us premium quality, service, and sales experience? I was. I can buy a new Accord for substantially less money than a new C-Class. I would expect that in the decision to buy the C-Class I would get more than a few extra luxury features. I want to know that the ENTIRE experience will be "premium."

For me, Mercedes has not turned out that way. In buying our first new Mercedes, we found the sales experience no better than buying a used car from a temporary gravel lot.

Then comes service. When our Acura/Honda/Mazda products have been under warranty, we had little battles to ensure repairs would be covered. No big fights, but it took some "reminding" to make sure that things would be covered. Same for our MB's.

With our Japanese makes, we found service expensive. I tired of paying for "inspections" which were basically charges for nothing. They would change the oil and "inspect" some stuff, and then blammo, you're $500 light. Mercedes? Heck no! These are premium cars that require real servicing, right? No fake services? Oh, yeah, sure. Anyone with an FSS car been beaned by the A service scam? A premium company should conduct itself better.

Thought about trading in your Benz? Want to be insulted? Ask your dealer what they'd give you on trade. When I bought my C230 they raved on about resale value. What happened to resale value? This I expect from "regular" car dealerships, not from "premium" dealerships.

What about REAL problems? A "premium" car company wouldn't act like some junk trader and try to scam it's customers, right? Evaporator cores in W140 cars? Wobbly early W140's? (Those owners SUED MB) Headgaskets, MAS's, wiring harnesses, etc. I would expect Honda to dodge owners, as they didn't collect a huge premium from them in the first place. MB should do better.

It doesn't matter whether or not Consumer Reports is accurate. The same with JD Powers. These are things that people use to buy cars. Truth be told, I think CR is probably pretty accurate. They were long standing fans of MB and BMW, and have only begun to to beat them up over falling quality.

MB execs have short memories. MB was hurting badly in the early 1990's. The recession brought sales to a halt, as their cars had become horrendously expensive. Lexus had launched their first missle, the "half-price" luxury car LS400. They had to get things under control price wise, but abandoned their traditional customer as the 1990's came to a close. They looked like they had won, as sales were soaring, but is it long term thinking?

With products like the G35 series landing every day, MB better keep one eye in the rear-view. Their quality rep is sinking like a stone, but they still demand a premium in the market.

More than a few people are beginning to wonder what the extra dough is for...

LuckyF8 · #14 06-03-2003, 11:36 PM

Oh Man!..................... I took the Old Gal out for a spin last weekend, the speedo stuck at 20mph for about half a second and I need to do maintantinace, no problem.

Ken300D · #15 06-04-2003, 08:20 AM

W123 diesel Mercedes are absolutely terrible cars.

They smoke, smell horridly like diesel fuel, and make unbelievable clanking noises that make women think you are a bum. Extended exposure to diesel fumes likely causes cancer. The horsehair used in the seat cushions is a known allergen. They rust upon the slightest exposure to road salt.

You should not be buying these cars - ever!

Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Ken300D