Nikita900

Has anybody out there heard of windscreen stress fractures happening in the C230 coupe. If you have please could you let me know as this has happened twice now and am getting rather concerned,

Flashman

Can you explain the problem a little better?

Nikita900

Well about 2 weeks after purchased a crack appeared from about half way down the windscreen on the right side. When taken back to the garage they stated it was a stress fracture and replaced the windscreen. Now this weekend which is about 3 months later another appeared on the opposite side. Obviously getting a bit worried now. Just wondered whether this is a known issue.

justme

Shortly after taking delivery of my C230K in August, I also had to have a windshield replaced because of a crack. I was told the windshield was defective, but they said they hadn't heard of it as a recurring issue.

Mike T.

I'd be interested to know if the C Coupes with cracks are "panorama roof" versions or not. I suspect that the "panorama" version of the car has less torsional stiffness than the metal-top, hence may be more prone to spontaneous cracking of the windscreen.

In any event, this phenomenon is likely caused by, or exacerbated by, excessive flex in the unit body when driving over speed bumps at an angle or on rough roads. I don't think the sedan would have that problem, expecially for the non-fold down rear seat version. But with a massive hatchback and no rear bulkhead behind the rear seats, the C Coupe is likely a fairly flexible car, at least compared to the sedan.

mayday

I would suggest that the C230 with the panoramic roof feature would be as stiff if not stiffer than the solid roof coupe. The C2 cars have three significant cross members in the roof as well as a heavy C pillar both front and rear. It would make sense to me that given the glass roof members, to protect occupants the roof would be more significant than the steel roof models.
I've driven hatchbacks (aka coupes in MB land) since 1985 and never heard of a problem similar to this. I would guess that MB got a bad batch of glass. Or, they've got a serious design problem.

C230 six spd. C2 C7 Bose Paprika

Mike T.

Given the size of the aperture (it's a HUGE opening), I stick with my guess that the tin-top is stiffer. I think you'll find most of the reinforcements in the steel top version too (again, a guess). BMW publishes torsional stiffness figures, why can't Mercedes-Benz? Trivia: in the 3 Series, the addition of optional fold down rear seats in the sedan loses about 25% of the torsional stiffness.

Nikita900

Mike T. The Coupe first mentioned does infact have the panoramic roof.

Nikita900

Two weeks after purchasing the car, German Manufactured not S.African, a thin 3 inch line appeared in the windscreen. Steming from under the Driver side pillar flowing towards the centre of the screen. It was approximately 2/3rds they way up the screen. Please bear in mind this is a RHD drive version not LHD.

I took it back to the dealership who were more than helpful and replaced the defective screen under the warranty. The only problem is that it has happened again except on the Passengers side. Exactly the same as before except that the initial crack was about 4-5 inches long and about 1/3 rd the way up the passenger side pillar.

Obviously I took it back to Mercedes again but this time they maintain it is t he result of a Stone Chip. This I do not believe to be true as Stone Chips tend to leave a web effect of the glass and can usually be felt by running your finger over the mark. This is not the case with this crack, you cannot feel any impact zone.

This is probably more information that you guys need but I know it has been a problem on Mercedes Commercial vehicles. This coupled with the fact that extra strengthening is required for the Panaromic roof leads me to believe that I am suffering a problem related to chasis torsion.

Any comments are more than welcome.

Cheers All

Keltoi

This seems to be an old thread, but I just had a C230K windshield develop a stress crack which as best as I can determine occurred while the car was parked overnight in my garage. The crack is from a position starting under the frame at the bottom about 6 inches from the passenger side piller and extends up and out towards the driver's side at about a 30 degree angle for about 8 inches. No chip or spalling along the crack. The car has about 3400 miles on it. The odd thing is that it apparantly occurred while the car was not moving. It is possible that my wife missed seeing it while she was driving the day before, but not very likely since it is quite noticible, and she also had a passenger on that side who almost certainly would have seen it if my wife didn't. The only thing I can think of that might have caused is that the night it happened the temperature dropped to the lowest it's been here in 7 months, but that just surmise. Anybody experienced something similar? I can understand a crack occurring under body torsion when the car is moving, but when it was stationary seems odd.

Keltoi

Windshield was replaced this morning under warranty. Hope it stays fixed. I do have the panorma roof.

SoCal240/6

Is there a part on these cars that DOESN'T break, rattle or malfunction??

mdp c230k

As of now the answer is 'NO'.

Outland

Nothing approaching the reliability and frequency of your idiot commentary.

CitronC230K_03

that and cheap downscale quality of a "hatch" according to SoCal

Mike T.

You know, the Honda Civic in the new and "improved" signature of Sourpuss has C 240/320 Stepback/Notchback (Sedan) taillights, not C Sportcoupé taillights. Is it not ironic therefore that Sourpuss thinks that makes the Civic look like a C Sportcoupé?

Oh, this is all so confusing