Unimpressed with quality....although it has never left me stranded. Impressed enough with how it drives that I keep it. My .02....anyone who thinks car problems are "normal" needs to join the 21st century and get their values recalibrated. Wear is normal. Mechanisms falling apart or breaking under average use is not normal.

 

I own two benzes and they are money pits once they go out of warranty. I will never own one out of warranty again. However I love the cars, so for me it's a decision where I want to waste / spend my money. From now on I will only lease the Benzes.

Everyone elses defense for mercedes is just a delusion.

 

Buying any used car is a big risk especially it is out of warranty. Quality and reliability of the car deminish as the car get older especially if the owner doesn't take care of it. You never know you may have one of the loaner car that everyone pretty much abuse. I am sorry for what you have to go through with your car but hope you make a better choice next time.

 

[QUOTE=stephen4785]I'll say it right now...I don't believe you. Period. Youre either lying, distorting the facts, or willfully overlooking things to support your argument. I simply have never owned, nor know of a car that has had nothing ever break or something go wrong, period. Ive owned Hondas, Toyotas, GM, Ford, Chrysler, etc...all of them have had something that needed correcting over time. Statistically, your position is very weak. Ive had friends tell me there cars are so reliable and I should buy one blah blah, only to find out when I ride in them, or from another friend that its not true. Ive been in Hondas that wouldn't turn off, Toyota's with sludge problems, a Lexus with a serious case of cylinder slap, etc...I could go on for hours.

Its a car. Deal with it.

 

I'm not defending them in anyway. The car is what it is. The materials, construction, fit and finish define the quality. Whether any of that stuff breaks or doesn't perform as expected is the reliability. Many of the problems you have are due to the complexity. MB pushes the envelope on electronics, and often it bites them in the ***. Since the cars started becoming more and more electronic in the late 80's, early nineties, this has been an issue.

 

I know of a lot of people that had horrorible experience with VW -- made in Mexico -- much worse then yours. Audi, can't speak, but I really like them. If the center tunnel on the S4 didn't push into the right leg so much I'd probably have one by now; luv the new S8. edit: just read more and see no more warranty ... oh well. sellit then. mine works good. l8r.

 

DISCLAIMER: I really just felt like ranting a little. So take it all with a grain of salt.

I think as you walk through the door of any European car dealership they should hand you a disclamer warning you that "While we know that quality issues exist more frequently in our vehicles and there is a good chance you might experience random sh*t breaking at any given time, your trade off will be a driving experience you will grow to appreciate, enjoy driving your new car and we will see in for service sometime in the near future!"

Take a look at the reliability chart from Consumer Reports. It pretty much predicts that you will have a better chance of problems as the car gets older. What's new about that that? Hasn't it been that way for a while now? Surprise! European cars are the worst offenders.

So the question of how impressed you are with your car should really be in direct relationship with the facts that surround that particular car's own history of reliability. In the case of the C230, just an hour or so of research on the web will tell you that it isn't going to be picture perfect. You should keep your expectations in check with the research you do before you purchase just about anything. When owning a car with marginal reliability you should be able to say to yourself: "With all the past reliability information that was available, knowing that European cars have a history of more issues per car, and knowing that was a trade off for buying this car, I really shoudln't be surprised that sunshade is now broken. There was a good chance that might happen." Instead, the response is: "I can't believe that that this *******g sunshade is broken".

You make your own odds when you decide what car you are going to buy. IF you are not ready to take the risk then stay away from cars that the odds will be against you. IF it is an issue of money then why did you even venture into the Mercedes dealership to begin with, you should have known better. Buy a used Mercdes and you take on a little bit more risk. Saying "It should be better quality, and Mercedes quality has gone downhill does not change the facts that it isn't, and while we all hope they figure out how to make their cars more reliable, right now in the the real world, in which we all live, they aren't on the top 10 list of most reliable cars. The fact they are not on that list CAN and probably WILL translate into you having some kind of problem with your car at some point of your ownership experience.

While you can't take back what you have done already, the next time you get ready to buy that shiny new car you might be better prepared to handle the pitfalls down the road if you ask yourself some of these questions:

Can I afford to make repairs on this car?
Should I buy the extended warranty or just hand over my wallet later?
Did I really research this car and know what I was getting into?
Am I going to be comparing my car ownership experience with my friends and let it bother me if I have to make repairs when they haven't had to?
Am I going to make aftermarket changes that might affect the integrity of the car?
Will I blame those problems on the dealer and pretend I didn't make them?
Am I in general a pisser and a moaner?
When I go in for service will I act like an arrogant, obnoxious person?
Am I a person that deals with problems reactively or tackles them proactively?
Am I prone to over simplification and generalizations of complex issues?
Do I usually assume things?
Can I live with the fact that this car does not have a Hemi or am I going to complain because I won't ever be satisfied with my options for making this thing go faster and faster?
Am I buying this car to make myself feel better and blindly signing ownership papers to impress myself and my friends?
Do I have destructive kids?
Am I destructive?
Will I forever be comparing this car to the BMW 325, 330, M5, Infiniti G35, Acura TSX and TL?
Is this the first model year of this car, if so, am I prepared for the fact that this car might have more problems than future model years?

I expected alot out of this car, but bulletproof reliability was not at the top of my list was ...the facts just didn't support being able to expect that. Also in my first service I had wrote up a nice letter to the owner saying how great my service advisor was and how much I appreciated my service from the cashier to the service advisor. Now was he really all that nice? Not really. But I do get some pretty good service now. Going out of my way to kiss his *** a couple times saves me time and money, so I am glad to do it.

It does suck that a lot of people on this forum have way too many things go wrong in such a short amount of time. Sometimes you just get a lemon. Raise hell and hope for a favorable outcome.

It isn't normal that things break. But they do. The extended warranty business is a multi-million dollar industry for a reason. An automobile is a complicated piece of machinery and electronics. It is the 21st century but last time I checked, cars are basically built upon the same principles for decades now and they still break and we still fix them so why all of a sudden should we expect anything different? Technology can only go so far and even our best attempts to make things right can't account for every driving variable we all face as individuals. Some people have better luck than others.

 

[QUOTE=mkmojay] The extended warranty business is a multi-million dollar industry for a reason QUOTE]

Duh....the extended warranty business is successful because cars don't usually break!! It's a simple insurance policy designed to make money for the insurer, not to save money for the insured. That being said, I am REALLY glad I bought one for my C Fact is we shouldn't have to gamble on reliability. Go poke around a Lexus or Toyota forum and see how few posts there are on recurring reliability problems. Save us the "Japanese cars are cheap and terrible to drive" (not that you said that) and "if you're not willing to spend money on repairs stay away from a Mercedes" lectures....they are so lame. Not expecting better quality when you spend more money for anything is foolish and you've been sucked in by marketing hype.

 

We've all been there... it's a bummer when something goes wrong with your car, no matter how much $$$ you spend on a car, whether it's $5,000 or $500,000.

However, I have never heard of a car that doesn't have some issue at some point in time. Definitely sucks when it's a brand new car, but you gotta expect it after a car has miles on it. It's just reality.

Plus, cars are so over-engineerred nowadays, there's just more reason for things to go wrong with them. If we wanted cars w/ no prob, we'd all buy cars w/ cloth interiors, crank windows, and no A/C.

Take it to another dealer or independent shop before you give up on your Benz. I'm on my 2nd Benz, and have had small issues, but it's worth it.

 

[QUOTE=stephen4785]
that sun shade was me... it wasnt nethig big, i just ddnt like how it suttered on the way up... like it ddnt flow as smooth as i wanted, to i got it replaced...

but one thing u need to kno is u dont kno how the previous owner took care of the car?

 

I'll tell you what burns my chops about the electronics in cars today. Most of these microprocessor controlled modules have a parts list that costs less than $ 75., yet they have the stones to charge over a thousand for replacements. They refuse to divulge service data, or supply component spare parts. My experience has been that these boxes don't melt into unsalvagable muck. I have worked on some engine management computers, and find single part failures that range in price from .07 to $ 10. Sometimes no component is at fault, but a mechanical failure of a connnection causes undesired operation. The manual (WIS) is a joke. I am not sure if it is the low resolution graphics, the fractured English, or the kindergarden warning pop-ups (Gasoline is a flamable liquid, ect.) that are the most laughable. Quality is not so bad, but the unfair business practices are unexcusable.

Giving the cars away, and expecting to make a profit on financing and parts, has pushed me into buying new cars when the warranty expires. Even if I love the car, out it goes at 7 yrs/100,000 mi. (But I refuse to sell my mid-engine Porsche.)

 

I agree on the part where a used car with many miles on it will be bound to have problems. However, I totally disagree on this theme where people keep on saying...."you're buying an expensive car with a gozillion high-tech computer chips, thus problems will occur more than those less high-tech cars." I'm driving a MB, where just a mention of the name brings shrivers to people's spine..invoking a sense of power and money. But why is my MB popping out with more problems than a Kia or Hyundia or any brand that costs twice or 3x as less? You guys just don't get it. People pay a premium for a high-end car that's loaded with luxuries, give a sense of security, that will last and give trouble-free operations for many years....not a car that spends more time at the shop than on the road. Who cares about the technological freak that's inside the car. That's just a part of paying a premium for it. If people keep using this excuse, we may never see any change in the future.

 

Get a Lotus Elise. That car comes bare bone with very little electronics like a race car, so there is nothing to break and it is powered by a (modified) Toyota engine

 

I think you make a good point. Is Mercedes designing their electronics in house? I really would like to know why some companies can make electronics work a lot better than others. It can't be some big secret.

 

My 2001 is 4 years 8 months old. I have no existing problems of any sort, and haven't had since it went out of warranty. The car performs as new.

 

And I'm sure you have kept your car in prestine condition - and have kept up on everything. But as others have mentioned - getting a used car is a bit of a gamble - you don't know the prior history of the vehicle... I'd rather save my pennies and get a new one of "insert car brand/type here" anyday.

Aside from that, do plenty of research online and if you truly want "glitch free", although I use that term losely, look away from the german vehicles. For the way my car drives and performs, I can handle a few glitches. And I recall others mentioning -- though the electronics may have some problems nothing seems to leave you stranded on the road - and that is important.

- Eric

 

98 S430, so far the only problem i've had was getting the engine belt replaced due to stress cracking and rear flex disc due to the same reason. Everything besides that the car runs great.

 

[QUOTE=Outland]Well you can keep not believing me. Its still not gonna change the truth. All of the cars had maintenace related repiars makde ex: brkaes,belts,bulbs,fluids,etc... but nothing major.
Theoreticly when you buy a car nothing "should go wrong with it". But theres to many moving parts for something not to go wrong. My arguement is that Iv been unimpressed with my MB. I wouldnt expect the things that have broken to break. The brake pads needed replacement on my car and I didnt even mention that cause I know brakes are normal things that need to be replaced. I also replaced the battery and a tire on my car. Im not oblivious to the fact that things go wrong with cars. Im a mechanic and fix cars every day so I know stuff breaks.
If you worked on cars for a living you would know that there are cars that have never had any out of the ordinary problems. Iv done routine maintenance on cars/trucks/big rigs that have never had any major work needed or had any problems with them other than routine stuff. So next time you want to rattle off some dumbass comment cause you think you know better do us all a favor and STFU!

 

[QUOTE=Outland]Or maybe you got pissed off cause you thought about how many kittens you killed over the holidays

 

[QUOTE=stephen4785]Oh great.... this is starting to go no where quick. It was an intruiging thread while it lasted and while that other comment of "I don't believe you" was kind of harsh, I'll just pull things together as this - sometimes you might get stuck with more problems than you hoped for when you get a used car (any used car that is)... do your research, take someone who knows these cars with you to look it over, and say a little prayer because you still never know the history of the car...

Best of luck in whatever you decide to do - but you know, once those asthetic pieces are fixed and that rear sunshade - I bet you won't have many more problems....except for various creaks I've heard...

- Eric

 

[QUOTE=stephen4785]Ok stephen4785, We need some violin music for your thread here. I am sure you have had these problems but I question your rant. How is a guy that posts a thread asking what bixenons are credible as a mechanic ?

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w203/128854-what-bi-xenons.html

 

now that I have time to re-read some of your post the issue you posted. Your bezel around the shifter might have been broken by previous owner or someone who is trying to access something and doesn't know what they are doing. I've taken apart my center console numerous times. The chrome trim has yet to be broken. The same goes for your seatback. They don't break on its own.

You are saying that the powerseat's controller stay powered when you turn the car off?? Of course it stays powered. It allows you to move the seat when you open the door without putting the key in. The problem with drained battery might be in the battery itself. 5 year old car, you might want to replace the battery anyway.

 

[QUOTE=stephen4785]Probably a whole crop. Reading your comments and writing them, I'm sure, are just like masturbation...sure, its fun, and in your case, pure fantasy, but it accomplishes nothing.

Is this the best youve got?

 

[QUOTE=stephen4785]Thanks for confirming that...nothing major...willfully overlooking things...gotcha. So, what were the 'major' breakdowns you had? Some plastic tabs, and a ****ty little bezel?

Wrench, heal thyself. So, since you couldn't figure out how to put that cheap little bezel back together, that was a major defect?

I'm an engineer. I design the stuff. I make your life hell.

 

[QUOTE=benzondubz]Owned twice in the same thread.