It seems no matter how much you sympathise with others and worry about their safety one never imagines it could really happen to you.

Well,here we are....always gave myself some credit for keeping my car in excellent condition and I have checked the perches twice a year since I learned about this manufacturing stupidity/shortcut.

Yesterday a slight squeak prompted me to remove the tire and check the lower ball joint,time for replacement.

I also noticed the rubberised coating had a slight separation on the front left perch which was not apparent 6 months ago.Pried it off with a screwdriver and here we are.Bad,but does not seem to have spread underneath to any great extent,I rapped it upward with a maul,even took some hooked prybars and floorjacked the car up by the perch alone so perhaps I have say,4-5 months before armageddon?

My question,since replacement seems imminent,where do I obtain replacement perches?and has anyone else on the east coast had luck with getting the repairs done either free or 50-50.
Should I start at the top?{MBUSA}or the bottom,{dealer}.I am the 2nd owner and the car has,except for some electronic and fuel O ring glitches proven very reliable with an unsurpassed level of driving comfort so I'm prepared to stick it out.

I have read here the replacements are riveted on,why could I not mig-weld them with additional gussets added over and above?
Anyhow enough blather,here are the pics.

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I'd start by seeing your dealer and showing them what it looks like and see what they say MBUSA will do. The riveted fix is superior to welding...that's why it is an upgrade. The original design is inherintly poor...

The thing I have heard is that MBUSA is much more likely to chip in for the repairs if it actually fails instead of having it brought to their attention that it is about to fail...so this may actually work to your disadvantage...

The replacement part can be ordered at any dealer and any good body shop ought to be able to replace them. There is a published procedure on the WIS which gives a step-by-step instruction for the rivet replacement method.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Normally, I'd start at the dealer because it keeps you out of the labyrinth of MBUSA. If the dealer fails to fulfill, then you go to MBUSA.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

They did one side on my car after it collapsed. Split the charges, $1500, 50-50, supposedly. I later found that most people were charged $750/side. I hate to say it but this deception on top of MBUSA's continuing denial of the perch problem has forced me to decide not to buy any MB vehicles in the future.

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RIP "Betsy" (Oo=*=oO)
'96 E 3 2 0 (W 2 1 0) M 1 0 4 (Totalled)
Spaces in sig so as not to screw up the SEARCH; every time someone searches for that MB they don't want my sig!

2004 Audi A8L
'98 VW Passat 1.8T 5M
'87 Alfa Romeo Milano 2.5L 5M
'67 Impala convertible, 327cid

Thanks fellas. Funny thing is I have no dealer,never bought a new car nor a used one from one.

I've simply done practically all my own maintenance,repairs,etc, and only have gone to the dealer for certain parts so I really have no relationship with one{not entirely a BAD thing}.

Suppose that puts me in an unenviable position,huh?

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how the F##K is MB USA getting away w/ not issuing a recall on this??! imagine the consequences when the perch disintegrates at 80MPH on the highway.

Safety & quality #1 in MB my ass!!!

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Current cars:
2001 MB E55 AMG
2003 Honda S2000
2000 Honda CRV

Gone but not forgotten:
2004 BMW 325i 5sp sport
1999 BMW 540i sport
1997 MB E420
1995 BMW M3 coupe

I have been extremely surprised and disappointed by MB's determined denial of a number of undeniable serious problems.

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2012 E350
2006 Callaway SC560

Unfortunately if you want MBUSA to get involved they are going to tell you to bring the car to the nearest dealer for an inspection, so you will have to develop a relationship now if you want them to be involved. The cost of the part is trivial...on the order of $25, it is the labor involved that is costly. I have heard on average $600 to $1,200 per side. More if the main rail is badly rusted (the part to which the perch is attached).

I'd stop by the dealer, talk to the service advisor and gauge their reaction. What have you got to lose? Every dealer knows about this problem, they will not be surprised to hear you have trouble...just see what they offer. They can also tell you if they have been repairing them in-house or sending them out. If they send them out then go directly to the shop they use and see what they charge directly for the cost. I suspect those who pay the top prices are paying for the dealer's markup on an outside shop's work, much like the dealers charge for windshield replacements (that almost none of them do themselves).

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Carleton Hughes : my '96 E320 had the same problems @ 67K miles, very severe problem, car almost collapsed, not drivable... I contacted MB dealer , they fixed both sides free of charge (sure they charged MB)... This is a real safety issue and I am disappointed that MB did not have a recall... It lost a customer, my next car is a Lexus, period.

The only MB service manager I'm familiar with is a fellow who knows my interest in old cars and calls me when they have something from the '60's or '70's in for service so perhaps I'll take him to lunch and sound him out.What do I have to lose,right?

Meanwhile some beadblasting and POR 15ing have bought me some time as this is still my daily,dare I say beater?you'd never know it by the condition I keep it in though.
Odd,yesterday morning in the diner parking lot I saw the most immaculate '56 Plymouth Suburban wagon,bronze and white,270 V8 and 3 speed with overdrive! Owner's getting divorced and the price I can live with,gonna wring it out on the Parkway today so who knows......Meanwhile I have to install those lower ball joints on the front end of the 210 diesel today.

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Neglected to mention 2 inches of the lower front spring end broke a year ago!Totally forgot about it.

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