Heads-Up For Rust!
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Joined: May 2003
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From: Lake Worth, Florida
1999 C230 Kompressor Sport
Heads-Up For Rust!
Newbie here. It's an honor to be able to participate on a Forum with such a pleasant bunch of guys.
I did a search about this on this site and didn't come up with anything quite like it so here goes:
A coworker with a 1999 C230 Kompressor discovered rust forming at the bottom of the driver's door just beneath the inside gasket and on the crossmember just ahead of the cowl in the engine bay. The dealer is fixing it under warranty. When he told me about this I checked my 1999 C230 Kompressor Sport and discovered rust in the exact same places. The dealers' body shop manager noted the rust and pointed out even more at the top of the front passenger door beneath the exterior rubber molding and at the point where the exterior mirror is attached to the driver's side door. He seemed surprised at finding rust on another '99 (I, having told him that my coworker's car was in his shop for the same problem) but he seemed remarkably adept at pinpointing the location of yet more corosion.
My car's now in the shop for warranty repair, too. (I discovered all this last Wednesday and my original warranty expired yesterday! Talk about cutting it close...) The shop has been authorized by the dealership managment to do a "search and destroy" on any rust that they find on the car. (Maybe the fact that my coworker and I work for a TV station with a bulldog consumer reporting reputation has something to do with this, but we did not play that card. They do know where we work though as my coworker is a reporter. [I'm a techie.])
I thought I'd give everyone here a heads up to be on the lookout for this, hopefully before your warranty expires. One of our news producers has a 2000 C230 Kompressor Sport, too, and I've promised to go over her car for this and told her to monitor the situation even if I don't find anything.
Here's hoping you're all rust free and that our situations are flukes!
I did a search about this on this site and didn't come up with anything quite like it so here goes:
A coworker with a 1999 C230 Kompressor discovered rust forming at the bottom of the driver's door just beneath the inside gasket and on the crossmember just ahead of the cowl in the engine bay. The dealer is fixing it under warranty. When he told me about this I checked my 1999 C230 Kompressor Sport and discovered rust in the exact same places. The dealers' body shop manager noted the rust and pointed out even more at the top of the front passenger door beneath the exterior rubber molding and at the point where the exterior mirror is attached to the driver's side door. He seemed surprised at finding rust on another '99 (I, having told him that my coworker's car was in his shop for the same problem) but he seemed remarkably adept at pinpointing the location of yet more corosion.
My car's now in the shop for warranty repair, too. (I discovered all this last Wednesday and my original warranty expired yesterday! Talk about cutting it close...) The shop has been authorized by the dealership managment to do a "search and destroy" on any rust that they find on the car. (Maybe the fact that my coworker and I work for a TV station with a bulldog consumer reporting reputation has something to do with this, but we did not play that card. They do know where we work though as my coworker is a reporter. [I'm a techie.])
I thought I'd give everyone here a heads up to be on the lookout for this, hopefully before your warranty expires. One of our news producers has a 2000 C230 Kompressor Sport, too, and I've promised to go over her car for this and told her to monitor the situation even if I don't find anything.
Here's hoping you're all rust free and that our situations are flukes!
Last edited by HiDefDave; May 21, 2003 at 08:38 AM.
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 29
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From: Lake Worth, Florida
1999 C230 Kompressor Sport
Forgot to mention:
My dealer already repaired and repainted my roof twice for bubbles of imminent corosion forming near the front left corner of the moonroof opening. (Two different locations a few inches apart.) And the dealership body shop manager said to be on the lookout for rust around the trunk lock (hard to spot early on since the lock mechanism is surrounded by a PVC gasket.)
I think I see a pattern here: possible rust where moisture might accumulate. (Okay, I admit it...I read this in the latest issue of Duh?! Magazine.
) Beyond that, I've read speculation on UK-based MB owners forums that there was some spotty paint application in small nooks and crannies on 1997-2001 E-Class sedans that may have contributed to rust that has been observed on those models. Might this have also occured on C-Class sedans as well? Again, this is just speculation.
My dealer already repaired and repainted my roof twice for bubbles of imminent corosion forming near the front left corner of the moonroof opening. (Two different locations a few inches apart.) And the dealership body shop manager said to be on the lookout for rust around the trunk lock (hard to spot early on since the lock mechanism is surrounded by a PVC gasket.)
I think I see a pattern here: possible rust where moisture might accumulate. (Okay, I admit it...I read this in the latest issue of Duh?! Magazine.
) Beyond that, I've read speculation on UK-based MB owners forums that there was some spotty paint application in small nooks and crannies on 1997-2001 E-Class sedans that may have contributed to rust that has been observed on those models. Might this have also occured on C-Class sedans as well? Again, this is just speculation.
Last edited by HiDefDave; May 20, 2003 at 07:05 PM.
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Joined: May 2003
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From: Illinois
1998 C230
Heads-Up For Rust!
Originally posted by HiDefDave
Forgot to mention:
My dealer already repaired and repainted my roof twice for bubbles of imminent corosion forming near the front left corner of the moonroof opening. (Two different locations a few inches apart.) And the dealership body shop manager said to be on the lookout for rust around the trunk lock (hard to spot early on since the lock mechanism is surrounded by a PVC gasket.)
I think I see a pattern here: possible rust where moisture might accumulate. (Okay, I admit it...I read this in the latest issue of Duh?! Magazine. ) Beyond that, I've read speculation on UK-based MB owners forums that there was some spotty paint application in small nooks and crannies on 1997-2001 E-Class sedans that may have contributed to rust that has been observed on those models. Might this have also occured on C-Class sedans as well? Again, this is just speculation.
Forgot to mention:
My dealer already repaired and repainted my roof twice for bubbles of imminent corosion forming near the front left corner of the moonroof opening. (Two different locations a few inches apart.) And the dealership body shop manager said to be on the lookout for rust around the trunk lock (hard to spot early on since the lock mechanism is surrounded by a PVC gasket.)
I think I see a pattern here: possible rust where moisture might accumulate. (Okay, I admit it...I read this in the latest issue of Duh?! Magazine.
) Beyond that, I've read speculation on UK-based MB owners forums that there was some spotty paint application in small nooks and crannies on 1997-2001 E-Class sedans that may have contributed to rust that has been observed on those models. Might this have also occured on C-Class sedans as well? Again, this is just speculation.
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 29
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From: Lake Worth, Florida
1999 C230 Kompressor Sport
Update:
The dealer kept my car 12 days to do scheduled maintenance and rust repair in the body shop.
Everything looks fine. They seem to have replaced the cross-member with one that looks completely different. I can't tell exactly how the other areas were repaired because it looks original. Keeping my fingers crossed that they were thorough!
My coworkers car is still in the body shop.
The dealer kept my car 12 days to do scheduled maintenance and rust repair in the body shop.
Everything looks fine. They seem to have replaced the cross-member with one that looks completely different. I can't tell exactly how the other areas were repaired because it looks original. Keeping my fingers crossed that they were thorough!
My coworkers car is still in the body shop.
Last edited by HiDefDave; May 28, 2003 at 10:59 AM.
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 29
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From: Lake Worth, Florida
1999 C230 Kompressor Sport
For a scheduled B Maintenance, rotating and balancing the tires, 4-wheel alignment (a frequent "must" given that constant widespread road construction in south Florida makes most of our roads worse than those in post-war Iraq) and a brake job, $451. The body shop work and elimination of some noise eminating from the RR door (that they discovered...I hadn't even noticed it) were covered under warranty.
The car went in the garage before it went to the body shop so I suspect the delay was due to waiting on parts to be delivered.
The car went in the garage before it went to the body shop so I suspect the delay was due to waiting on parts to be delivered.
