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A friend of our family has an early build W211 E320. She really likes the car, but has had quite a series of problems. She has had the driver's door mirror literally fall apart, and various interior bits are also in need of proper fitting. The diagnostic system has given fits and has taken a great a deal of time to get straight. The hood has been refitted several times thanks to misaligned panel gaps.
I had a chance to drive the car very briefly, and must say I really like it. The steering is superb and the suspension is amazing. The only fault I can find with the driving experience is the brakes. I know they are technological marvels, and maybe I'd get used to them, but I found the pedal feel had a mysterious "gap" and the brakes were difficult to modulate and smooth braking seemed beyond me.
The ergonomics would be better without COMAND.
I did notice that the interior materials were much better and looked more robust compared to the flimsy looking stuff that adorned our W210.
Back to topic...
The rear pads might be worn very quickly if the ESP/ASR system is engaging frequently or malfunctioning. It uses the rear brakes primarily (though ESP uses all four) and can wear rear pads faster than non-ASR equipped cars. I think that MB equips all ASR cars with rear pad sensors for this reason.
16,000km's (10k-miles) seems REALLY early.
Forget doing this job. The car is under warranty and the dealer will replace the needed parts without charge. I am sure the US has the same "wear and tear" warranty that my Canadian warranty included. In Canada that was 24 months or 40,000kms (25,000 miles) and you're well within that. Even without the SBC, why would anyone pay for new pads and install them when the dealer is responsible under the warranty for the job.
Get thee to thee dealer, pronto.
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