Mercedes redesigned the OM603.96 heads and by '89 there were no longer any problems with heads cracking under usual conditions. Most original owners that had head failures out to 100kmi/10 years got a new head under warranty and the same was true of most OM603.97 engines with rod problems. Mercedes solved the rod problem - virtually NONE of the rebuilt engines have failed of of the few that have - it wasn't rods that went. They did what they were obligated to do under the warranty that was issued when you bought the car. In the case of MOST original owners, they went even further.

As to Mercedes doing the "right thing" relative to the trap oxidizer - Mercedes issued the trap recall to satify the EPA and to prevent being sued into bankrupcy or being barred from doing business in the US. They created an emissions system that didn't last as long as they expected it to and so they offered a warranty that required replaceemnt of the trap and related exhaust parts as long as the car was in service.

That was beginning to cost a LOT of money in traps and turbos (I had gone thru 4 traps and had the 3rd turbo installed when the trap was removed and replaced with the CAT in 1997). By now I would have used up at least 3 more traps and probably another turbo or two. Occasionally an engine would be destroyed if the EGR was open when the trap blew out! That was ALL warranted to satisfy EPA and was getting REALLY expensive. They put in the CATs and now when something fails - it's YOUR nickle and not theirs.

Marshall