c230pete

Since joining the MB family Aug 22 when I bought my C230 sport sedan, I have observed a lot of issues regarding our vehicles. Whether it's a electronic problem, or cheap plastic, or rattles, or the sound system.....what is your feeling about the quality of the C-Class? I feel like the inside material used feels nice, but not of luxary calipar that benz should have. For example the middle armrest have been known to fade or lose it's luster after a short while...Also I hear of many creaks and rattles in the C-Class, I have my share of those...It seems like Benz needs to "tighten up" this car from feeling loose....That is what it feels like to me, my 1998 Acura Integra felt more solid, and had better "fit" to it than this car (please no flames)...I rarly had any rattles, I blasted the stock sound system, and it didn't cause any rattles to take place....I don't know, I really don't mind this car, it is what it is, but sorry to say they sure don't make Benz's like they used to....I still love the exterior of this car, and the handling, but the other things I mentioned does ruin the experience of owning a fine auto.....I know I'm not going to keep it longer than 4 years or so, hopefully the next C will display a stronger integrity with it's quality

taylor192

My sunroof squeaked, and that was fixed at Service B.

That's it.

Well, not entirely. I had my cracked steering wheel buttons replaced, which I wouldn't have noticed if not for some of the insanely picky and snobby members here.

Oh, and the plastic cap popped of the floormats when I removed them, I fixed that myself.

For $25-35K USD you get what you pay for. If you want the quality of a luxury car, go buy one, the C-class is an entry level car at best, much like the 3-series, A4, G35, X-type, IS300, ... which aren't devoid of their creaks, rattles shakes, and squeaks as well.

Heaven forbid, go get a Lexus IS300 and have to lift the hood, you actually must use the old style bar to hold the hood up! Talk about your lack of luxury!

As for "cheap plasticy interiors", the C-class still far outdoes the ugly BMW, star-trek like Audi, boring Lexus, and even worse Infinity. Maybe their interiors don't creak/rattle/squeak cause of the actual cheapness of them - there's little to go wrong!


My ONLY complaint is that MBs are currently under-powered compared to the competition, and an increase in HP is needed.

If a dull armrest, a little plastic, and others (not even yourself) complaining of issues (most of the eletronic issues have been fixed from the initial 2002s) really cheapens your experience, go logon onto some other forums, and they may just cheapen your whole life.

BTW my 1990 Camry felt more solid, yet far less comfortable or luxurious.

mctwin2kman

I had the steering wheel button thing and the drivers visor light was always on. So they replaced those two things. On my wifes Saturn the Paint sucks and needs to be redone and I have had the tranny in for service twice in two years. I did need the tranny in my C replaced but that was my fault and no fault of the manufacturer. It was covered under warranty. I have had none of the ESP/BAS errors and my sunroof creaks once in a while when it is cold as hell outside, but every sunroof does that, it goes away once the seals heat up a bit. As for that armrest issue, mine does not have that, but I take great care to protect the leather interior. I do not even leave the moonroof open on hot summer days so that the sun can destroy the interior. All in all I like to take my car in for service as I get nice loaners to drive around and the dealer picks up my car and drops it off at my work for me, leaving the rental as well, on every visit. I only go to the dealer to get parts for my 190E, if I did not have that I would never need to go in.

LiquidSmile

I swear I must be the only one on here that has not had a single sqeak, rattle or issue with my car. My buddy has a 230 K Sedan also and his sounds alot rougher and rides worse too.. It's so quiet in my car and I just hope it stays that way. Now I'm gonna have to go knock on wood.....

LorinserCClass

When is everyone just going to agree that ALL Euro cars have minor annoyances? Ok they need to see the service shop once every few months....so WHAT? They give us a loaner and a cookie(sorry Buell had to use that one )and we are off to enjoy/work for the day. We are not charged, we are not hassled(well not TOO much that is). When we go on we realize how MUCH we appreciate the overall FEEL of driving a Euro that compares to the same price of the Toyota Camry loaner you just returned. I have 2 Euros both have had minor, some major issues. Non have put my life in immediate danger and hardly any inconveniences to my schedule. Its true my toyota highlander and toyota celica RARELY ever saw the light of day at the service shop but NON gave me the satisfaction that my Mercedes AND Audi have given me so just ENJOY your cars ...ok let me get off my pedestal

tommy

Well, with 6-9 months left on the warranty, I'm getting a little nervous about the problems that I've had with my car, honestly.

Don't really want to be paying off my car and paying for breakdowns at the same time. And I just know that sunroof blind breakdown #6 will occur the week after the warranty goes bye-bye.

moomeh

quality IMO is great compared to other cars i have driven. sure, other cars start with great initial quality, but down the road i trust my mb (i plan to keep it till 200k). of course, that is not to say non-mb cannot go for so long, a few do in the vast non-mb litter. besides, the small inconveneinces can be fixed with nothing out of the pocket, with or without a trip to the dealer.

CHATMANR

Has anyone had issues with the headlight assemblies? My left one had to be replaced [warranty] at 45k due to a burned connector and now the right one went bad at 61k. Unless I can find a legit TSB on it, MBSD won't replace it.

Is there a Mercedes mechanic that can fax me a tsb on this?

MB-BOB

Just yesterday, I drove as a friend and I went to lunch. As we go over some speed bumps at 20mph...

Friend, "Gee, Bob, how long have you had this car, now?"
MB-BOB, "Let's see... 2 years and 7 months."
Friend, "Well, it sure seems to hold up. I remember when you first bought it. It's still tightly put together. It took those speed bumps without a whimper."
MB-BOB, "Yea, I think if it was going to rattle, there would be some hint of it by now."
Friend, "That's the neat thing about a Mercedes-Benz, how solidly it's constructed."
MB-BOB, "Yea."
Friend, "Most other cars start to turn into a bucket of rattling bolts at 20,000 miles. My VW creaks and groans over every bump, and it's got only 45,000 miles on it."
MB-BOB, "Yes, as transportation goes, it's just a car, like any other. But it's how it will hold up at 150,000 miles that makes it a Mercedes Benz."

I love my car.

southernjim

Hey C230pete,

I, unfortunately, have to second your opinion on the "integrity" of the C-Class. My 2003 sport sedan has experienced more than its share of issues since last April. While most are "inconvenient" problems some have been more troublesome and really make me weary of keeping the car past it's warranty. Here is my list of issues, which unfortunately seems to be growing:

1. Four instances of engine problems in July really made for a bad month, replacing the electronic "brain" seems to have cured the problem.

2. Multiple instances of the steering wheel refusing to lower and all the power seat buttons being inoperable at the same time are frustrating.

3. The A/C system doesn't seem to work efficiently. No matter what the temperature is outside, you MUST keep the A/C compressor on to keep the windshield from fogging up while in AUTO mode. Also in AUTO mode, the fan always seems to run at too high of a speed, instead of adjusting the fan speed, the vents in the dash sound as if they are closed off with a loud roar against them deflecting the air instead of the system backing down the fan speed. I also have the "stinky" A/C issue at start-up.

4. The glovebox latch no longer closes correctly.

With just over 7000 miles on the car, I am not impressed with the build quality and really question what condition the car will be in at the 50,000 mile mark. I am sure many here will disagree with me, but coming from a '99 BMW 323i, the comparison of build quality between the two Euro's is vastly different in my experience. The BMW was the first year of the redesign while the C-Class design has been out since 2001, so I expected the opposite as far as "bugs" needing to be worked out.
I love the look of the C-Class and like the fact that it looks different from all the Bimmers on the road, but I'll have to give build quality to the folks at BMW.

r_liebo

I will be coming off a 2002 325ci, my 5th BMW, when my c-class arrives. None of these cars have ever had these types of problems (except the A/C stink, which is common in many cars). All of the electronics have worked flawlessly, there are never any rattles or squeeks, and, with the exception of my 1st car, a 1979 733i with 120K miles on it, none have ever had any engine problems.

I'm making the switch to MB to try something different and a little less commonplace, and a little better ride quality. I had hoped that all of these bugs had been worked out by 2003-2004, but it sounds like it isn't the case. Granted, they aren't major items, but they still aren't acceptable from a mark that has built its reputation on quality and durability.
I'm in for a 39 month lease, and still excited about the car, but my fingers are crossed regarding reliability.

Guest0001

Not this **** again

MB-BOB

Note to all... Don't simply focus on all the negatives in this thread. There are positive comments, as well.

moomeh

i'm getting the same comments from friends that take a ride with me. the compliment that i always get is about how the car is small, yet comfortable ride. most cars c-class size are so bumpy on the road. my mb just barely makes me feel them.

r_liebo

Point Taken. Message boards are always filled with avid car folks, so you get a magnified view of the good and the bad.

Very much looking forward to my new car's arrival, and I can live with little electronic glitches (just not rattles!).

mctwin2kman

Tommy,

That is one more reason I got the 2003. Bugs were worked out and I have had no issues that required immediate service nor that would bother me after warranty expire. The worst was the tranny and that was my fault for downshifting to second while pissed off and hitting reverse because of the stupid pull up on the shifter to get ppast the threshold. Stupid way to do it but hey it was my fault as I was pulling on the shifter while taking a right turn. Never do that again I tell you. But the tranny worked fine for me, it was my wife that had issue due to her shorter for arm and being closer to the steering wheel. She for some reason pulls the shifter funny and could not hit reverse every time. I could, and the MB tech could not do it either, he found the problem right away. Other problems I explained were no biggy though and could have been dealt with after warranty and I most likely never would have had them fixed.

tommy

Well, I figured that the problems were all worked out in the '01 sedans. Didn't even think that a simple thing as a new sunroof would have so many first year bugs.

lars

I like my coupe. The ride is good, the handling is good, the steering feel is nice, it's my size of car, and I like hatchbacks. It's had two small problems, easily and permanently solved, as far as I can tell. In almost 15,000 km it did not ask for any oil, which is a real testament to the engine clearances. No regrets here.

vyse

My car's fine, over a year, but with only 9000 km (yes, extremely low mileage). Everything is immaculate, I had a extremely low-speed run-in with a tree on a dark and extremely rainy night, but I just popped the grille back in and everything's fine. No squeaks, nothing. Except the passenger side floor mats bunching up. I think my friends kick it too hard

baron

How is the W203 compared to the W202 in terms of build quality, interior, and overall robustness?

tom incredibie

errr mines a 2003 c320wz and these are the issues that ive had and if its been replaced:

1. headliner rattles on the left b pilar and right b pilar... not fixed as of yet.
2. rear ac motor malfunctioned... fixed
3. glove comparment rattled... fixed 3 times..
4. driver side door rattles.. they say its because of the sound system which is BS.. not fixed as of yet
5. driver side foot step squeaks.. fixed
6. the purge valve issue.. fixed
7. driver side head rest... guides replaced twice.. headrest replaced once... still rattles..
8. passenger side head rest.. guides replaced once.. still rattles
9. center console issue.. fixed
10. right window seal air leak.. fixed
11. right window seal not sitting correctly.. not fixed
12. rear left speaker housing rattles.. fixed
13. dash speaker housing rattles.. fixed
14. dash rattles in 2 spots.. not fixed
15. center aluminum trim around gear box squeaks.. not fixed

these are the issues of my 7 month old has. i have about 12,000 miles on it. about 10 of these issues were there when i bought the thing!!!! argh. my cars been in service 5 times the past 3 months. they do a horrible job when they wash my car, and they leave grease spots all over my interior... although i have these issues i still love my car. but i wouldnt mind trading up..

Guest0001

Do you listen to music when you drive?

tiffc888

Hahaha yea listening to music really loudly solves most of my rattling problems.

Sometimes when I turn it up really loud, the speakers rattle. so does the rest of my car. Do you think the dealer will fix this? Even when I just had Audio 10 installed?

Guest0001

Damn Audio 10 is that good?

I would get one but it looks kind of bland

Btw here is a list of problems on a bmw board

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...0&pagenumber=1

seems they are even more problematic. But most of them dont care as they enjoy there cars so much

Dont let minor annoyances get in the way of your MB experience. Focus on the Postive stuff people.

tiffc888

hahah yea it's really simple... and nah Audio 10 is pretty good but not the best... but I like to bump that bass like i'm a gangsta :p hahaha not really :p