Every car, and every manufacturer has it's quirks and screw-ups...that is unavoidable with anything mechanical, especially if the company is constantly striving to push the envelope and constantly improve and innovate.
Any car that's 20-ish years old is going to develop little annoyances, regardless of how well cared for it is.
I beg to differ with the Honda/Toyota vs. MB comment...I have seen MANY MBs, especially diesels, with 300k, 500k, 750k, even a couple with a million miles! How many Civics or FourRunners have you seen still rolling, with the original engine, after that many miles?
I don't mean to sound like an MB snob, but let's give credit where it's due here...not many auto builders have engineered such durable cars and components. My SD is 23 years old with 243k miles, but still starts and runs like new, almost no rattles or squeaks, doors shut solid, etc, etc... A Honda, Toyota, or most any American or British car from the same era, IF it's still on the road, is a rattle-trap. I used to have a GM car about the same age as my current MB, with far less miles on it, and I had to replace 2 engines, one transmission, a starter every 6-8 months, alternators, water pump, and countless other nickel-and-dime repairs! And the doors sounded like an old metal screen door when they shut! Admittedly, it was fun to drive and I drove it pretty hard, but the same goes for my MB, and it is so solid and gives me FAR less problems than any car I or my family has owned. I thought that was why we're all here, anyway...our mutual appreciation of MB's usually superior, always ahead of the pack engineering.
Just my 2 cents, as usual.
Mike