Frame Stress Crack
 

Will Mercedes cover the repair of a Stress crack that developed on the rear cross member where the rear suspension mounts too? The crack is along a weld bead and now formed a gap causing the rear wheel to go grossly out of alignment. Vehicle is out of warranty (2003 with ~75k)

It’s strange why this even happened? No impact or any thing like that. Perhaps a week point in the architecture of the cross member. Is there a pervious in the warrant that will cover this even tough its out of the traditional warranty period?
Thanks,

What model car??

Ops forgot to mention

E- Class 2003

Get the "zone rep" involved he can authorize payment, or the dealer can "good will". Have them look at it, who found the crack?

the rear wheel suddenly went out of alignment. I took it to my local shop and he found it.

what’s the best way to do this should I call Mercedes corporate? Perhaps you have suggestions on how to properly plea my case?

what do you think it will cost the replace the rear cross member? I bet if its very expensive MB will push back.

Thanks!

Start by going to the nearest MB dealer.

You do understand that every time they jumped a Dodge in Dukes of Hazard that car was totaled?

First of all you will never get to Mercedes Corporate, go the dealer route, the "MB zone route", MBNA supports their field personell. They have the ability to re emburse the dealer for any work. I would get a written estimate from an MB dealer.You could probably hire an attorney and serve MB, and the first question is weather you tried to have the problem solved in the field. MBNA hires teutonic females at corporate the executive level. They will bounce your letter back to the field for information and the zone guy (who will have no clue) has to respond.

Are you sure the car hasn't been bottoming out when other family members drive their heavy friends around? (just a thought)
If there is any other evidence of extensive and repetitive bottoming out, mercedes will deny responsibility.

Unless he ran over something like a large bolder there is no reasonalbe explanation for such a crack. Mb should fix it.

I cant remember ever bottoming out. perhaps bumps in the road once in a while but nothing out of the ordnary.
The cross member is made from aluminium. I think MB should of used steal. use. I have my fingers crossed. I will try my local MB.

Thanks!

By its very nature, aluminum has a propensity to form fatigue cracks. Add to that fact that aluminum is difficult to weld, and you have a part that is open to problems.

Aluminum will always fail along a weld, that is what heating aluminum does to it. This is why Audi and Alcoa researched so long the design of a car body from aluminum, you will find that the welds in the Audi bodies are not near any high-stress areas.

If the subframe is stressed at a weld, it is a bad design IMO. As an Automotive Engineer, I would never have signed off on such a design.

avezbakiyev, I've been following this thread with great interest. Are you the original owner of the car? The reason I ask is that I've been involved in several cases similar to yours. In each case we found that the vehicles had been involved in serious collisions at some point in the past.

By all means, the first thing you should do is have the vehicle inspected at an MB dealer. If they find that the vehicle has sustained non-warrantable damage, ask them to show you. If no reason for the crack is found, ask the service manager/director if MB will pay for the repair. A previous post suggested getting a lawyer involved. I think you should try to resolve the issue on your own.

Most members of this Forum would be surprised to learn that MB is really pretty good about helping original owners, whose cars have legitamite, warrantable issues, after the warranty period is over. Good luck and keep us posted.

I've found this to be true also, although sometimes the dealer needs to be pressed to present it to their MB rep.