I have this C230 purchased in Sept 2001 (I believe it was the first order). Now I have encountered many problems happening in my car.
1. Car stalled (dealer said it was caused by the improper wiring of the aftermarket speakers. I doubt it cuz the speaker is independent to the ECU, and it doesn't use any power. The car audio shop insisted that the speakers not related to this issue.) What do you think?
2. The car pulled to the right on a flat road.
3. The left turn signal malfunctioned.
4. Sometimes the transmission shakes vigorously when shifting from N to D. The dealer could never address this problem, but it is still happening.
5. The sunroof cannot be opened smoothly.
6. Poor cupholder design. When the passenger seat is moved forward in order to get access to the rear seats, the back of the passenger seat can very easily hit the cupholder and break it.
7. The dash lights were all on, the car shaked. It doesn't happen again so far.
8. Doors were sudden unlocked on a flat road.

Does any C230 owners have similar problem?

 

Sounds like you have the limited Martini&Rossi edition (Shaken, not stirred)...

The only time I had my car doors unlock unexpectedly was when I was playing on a twisty raod in the hills. Got a little air and when I landed, the door locks popped....no biggy.

The ECU DOES connect to the stereo system. AudioPilot is controlled by the mic in your headliner console....take your bruises on that one. I found this out when the service tech detected loose connections on the ECU. Reseating them corrected problems with distortion in the front speakers as well as a TeleAid SOS malfunction.

The cup holder is only a problem if you have it open while trying to access the rear seat. Don't leave it open....problem fixed! Some of the other problems seem to be YOUR perception...

If the trani is giving you problems, take it in for service and specifically state the problem. Document it, and give the dealer 3 chances to fix it. Then invoke the rights you are entitled to under your state lemon law. If you hate the car that much, you can always get a Lexus as a replacement. (then you'll see what arrogant dealers are!)

 

Rick... I don't think he hated his car. Sounded more like he's trying to figure out if his experience is a fluke and maybe get some help to deal with the dealer...

Ahwang...

1. Without knowing the specifics, all I can say is that any time someone goes under the dash to add/replace anything (like an audio system) there is a chance they might bump or dislodge a cable. They could also improperly ground or power something in a way that causes electrical problems. The answer is, yes, it is possible that they might have caused something at the audio store that might have affected the cars ECU. If you are not sure, take the car to another dealer for a second opinion.

2. I've heard the "pulling to the right" from a couple board members, but it was simply the case of the car requiring a proper realignment. This, believe it or not, is a common problem with new cars, especially ones that were shipped half-way around the world to you.

3. Things happen... sounds like a bad turn signal.

4. Transmission Problem... has the dealer been able to duplicate it? You might want to try a different dealer. This is definitely not normal behavior and could be an indication of something minor (piece needs tightening) or something major.

5. What problems are you having with sunroof? If it is vibrating or jerking while opening, that should be very easy to show a dealer for repair.

6. I agree on the cup holder, I noticed that on the demo, but I brushed it off to the fact that the cup holder is an 'add-on' that has been added to meet our american customer sensibilities. I sure prefer the stealth cup holder (since I rarely use it) to the big GM-style always-there cup holders you now see in the new BMW.

7. Would need a little more detail. There is a known problem where the car's computer gets confused if you only turned on the car for a minute and then turn it off. The next time you turn it off, it might exhibit what you experienced. Seems that it goes away or can be reset by turning the car off and back on again (stories vary).

8. Unlocking door. That was the MB safety system detecting an impending crash, automatically unlocked the doors so safety personel will have an easier time extracting you. :p All kidding aside, no clue. This is where I like to remind people about Cosmic Rays:

Today's computers are easily affected by Cosmic Rays. The rays bombard our computer systems and can cause individual bits in memory chips to be changed from 0 to 1 or vice-versa. This causes random problems. This is why the military required metal shielded RAM in their mission critical computers.

 

Hey ahwang,

I am from vancouver too... even though all the dealers in Canada are all owned and operated by Mercedes Benz Canada, there's still difference between the dealers.

My family really like the service center in Burnaby (Boundry and near 1st ave.) It's new. And if you bring your problem to the service dept manager (supervisor) he's pretty helpful. If you need, I can ask for a name there.

Good luck...