shortbear

I am pretty disappointed after reading the J.D. Power and Associates survey of long-term vehicle dependability on CNN.com

http://money.cnn.com/2004/06/29/pf/a...reut/index.htm


Mercedes needs to get their act together.

wherman

Not only that, their dealers need to get their act together. 3 times in the past month now I have had to go back to the dealer after service because they broke something else. 1st it was the climatronic would push in, 2nd was the heat shield not being put back properly causing a bad noise when turning, 3rd was the center vent being broken so you can't adjust it left to right.

And the service manager wasn't too helpful either. He actually said to me part of the reason their ranking went down was "People buy a C-Class or an ML and even though it's around the same price as cars from Ford,Chevy,etc they expect it not to have rattles and noises because it has a star on the hood."

Well that is BS, if Mercedes wants people to buy an E Class after a C Class they need to make the C's as much a Mercedes as the E's.

I think I'm done with Mercedes as well, first I will give a different dealer a shot.

-Bill

Mercedes

Why would you believe what some stupid magazine says. I've never been disappointed with my car. Benz Rules

CitronC230K_03

ive never been disappointed with mine and will buy another again and again. btw ive had the same problem with my navi screen and it was fixed under warranty.

mctwin2kman

I still ove mine as well. I pay no attention really to that thing even when buying a car. All manufacturers have issues and the the thread starters issues are common accross all brands and makes. Light bulbs blowing out, oh there is a serious quality control issue! Come on now **** happens and light bulbs blow. Same with the wiper nozzle, when you make millions once in a while one or two bad ones may slip through. How can the command that was not installed from the factory be MB related as well. They didn't put it in. As for the shifter deal, was it removed previously? And is this a serious issue affecting the driving of the car? Steering Wheel Button issues is another one. They know about this one, but should they recall every car to fix it or should they take the wait and see approach and save millions of dollars! I say wait and see and nothing you mentioned would stop or hinder my buyng of another MB product. Sorry but those are not really big issues, but may be why the survey always says MB is bad! If this is what the average MB buyers *****es about then this could be why. Is it acceptable to have some defects, I think so considering how many are built and how much tech is in them! Would a guy buying a Ford Focus care as much and ***** about it causing the results to be skewed further to the bad for Ford? I seriously doubt the average Ford, GM, or Chrysler buyer cares to even bother mentioning it on the survey let alone to the dealer. My parents are a perfect example of people that would not complain. The had a 2001 Lexus RX300 that was falling apart on the inerior by the end of there three year lease! Did they complain, no! Did they even bother to get the crap fixed? Nope did not want to have to waste there time for fixing a cup holder and some lose panels. Would they have leased or bought another Lexus? Yep they were looking to but got a better deal on a Volvo S60 instead.... It all depends on those surveyed.....

victor20170

I've also gotten small issues with my C240, but I will definately buy a w204 or hopefully upgrade to an E class once my lease is over

r_liebo

Yes, the buyer of a Ford probably cares less about poor quality. They also aren't paying for it in the purchase price. Part of the reason (at least it used to be) for buying MB is that you will get a car that will remain rock solid and run forever. MBs used to do this. Individual experiences aside, you were always much more likely to get a car that would run forever (staying in a well put together state) if you bought MB. You bought MB to avoid having the problems other manufacturers faced, and you paid a premium for it. MB has always positioned themselves as a superior quality brand, and that means small issues as well as large ones. What this study shows (again individual experiences aside b/c every car maker has lemons and gems) is that the chance of you getting a car that is for the most part problem free is much, much greater if you buy a Lexus or even a Buick than an MB. When any car company takes a brand virtue and turns it into a brand liability, it will draw the ire of it's purchasers who are impacted by it, and rightfully so.
Such is the case here.

yodlebenz

i still like my car ('02 C230)...despite:

replace pano roof
replace dash (defective)
replace instrument cluster (defective)
replace overhead console 2x (defective)
replace mass air sensor to correct engine roughness
squeeky pano roof too many times to count (see item 1, fixed)
squeeky seats
a/c issues
various bits coming loose of their own accord (fogs, door checkstrap, wheel wells, parking brake)
i KNOW i'm forgetting things. several things...

probably trade for a new CLK when done though.

having said that, my dealer bends over backwards to fix issues. great service. not their fault i got a buggy car.

Tariq

I feel sorry to hear that, but its truth that between 100 cars at lest 5 might have problems!.

I believe that the dealer consider one of the main causes on customer satisfaction, well here in my country the dealer is really worst and the service is really very very very bad but what makes people come to the dealer is what he is selling Mercedes Benz, so without that brand am 100% sure nobody is going to the dealer at all.


Regards

Guest0001

Shortbear,

ANY CAR will have those minor problems. Our Lexus GS has some minor problems. My friends G35 has some rattles and such. Ferraris have problems and so do Bentleys. Lets give this a rest.

MBCster

I love my MB and think that the quality is awesome! EVERY car brand and model has its problems.... My dad's Lexus GS300's passenger side window won't roll down from time to time, and sometimes the auto climate control gets confused as well. The ventilation switch on my last car (Toyota 4Runner) keeps getting stuck, and the paint on the cargo door wore away and the dealership told me that's just how it is. The truth is, the bigger the brand, the more people are going to complain about small acceptable defects. NOTHING IS PERFECT... a Mercedes is just like any car; it's a machine and will break and so will need to be regularly "maintained". Surveys are too subjective and in my opinion not accurate enough to really represent the quality of a product fairly. The negative always takes the spotlight, yet the innovations and technology that is mercedes is often overlooked. A psych major will tell you that if you feed someone information about a car being a Mercedes and that it should be flawless, most likely the dude will become hypersensitive to problems than a person who is given say a Ford and fed the information that... ok, this car will probably break but cross your fingers. Most likely the Ford driver will put down on his survey that " o, I have the best car on market because everything's working ok so far."

TNblkc230wz

I bought my MB because I was really tired of the blown engines and Transmissions in my Japanese cars. I'm absolutely estatic with my C class. I will buy another MB, probably an SLK for my wife.

vraa

I think I'd have to say Mercedes is getting their act together. Remember, these J.D. Powers surveys are for cars that are three or more years old IIRC.

How many new chassis' and cars from Mercedes have come out since 2001, and how many are still going to be coming out?

HITMAN

WHO gives a crap about jd power!

CitronC230K_03

thats thruth, one mags opinion if you ask me. i could care less what they say.

tuscanraider

Unless they say something positive, then everyone will applaud their jounalistic integrity....you guys make me laugh!

RichW

In MB's defence....you rarely hear of any MAJOR problems with the cars such as engines dying, power steering, pumps, electronic modules etc. Consider my friend who just bought a new Mazda 6 (as high end as mazda gets for 40kish CAD), he's had his air cond and power streering die within 6 months of ownership.

Going German now....VW...well they've had problems with their engine's dying due to some part (another friend had this problem, stranded him at the side of a hiway). And last I checked there isn't a site called MyMBLemon.com as there is for VW's (http://www.myvwlemon.com) .


Rich...

ultraseven

I don't think people who report to JD Powers actually lie about or even cover up the problems of their cars, but it is true that Mercedes has suffered quite a drop in quality rankings. Squeaky seats and rattles are more of an annoyance, but faulty electronics are definitely what most people would consider a problem. Faulty motor mounts as commonly reported on the new E and CLK500s? That is a *major* problem.

FYI, here's a list of annoyances and problems I have with my 04 C32:
1) squeaky driver seat
2) buzzing air con (the classic noise you hear from the back of a fridge)
3) rattles in B-pillar, passenger headrest, and center console
4) abrupt shifting at 1500 rpm from 1st to 2nd during cold starts
5) engine sometimes sounds like a sewing machine
6) faulty oil level sensor (2 visits to dealer to fix the problem)

The real apparent problem is #6. #4 doesn't come up during warm weather and after the car has warmed up for about 5 minutes. Rattles are annoying, but they are something that I will put off until my scheduled service because I won't be stranded on the road. Nonetheless, I EXPECTED these problems to persist before my purchase because of the apparent quality rankings and what I have read on forums such as this one. If a person walks into an MB dealer and expect to buy a troublefree, rattle-free automobile they are in for a reality check.

And of course, no Infiniti, Lexus, or Acura will be problem free, but there's a good chance you will see less. For those who haven't had any problems or even annoyances on your car, good for you, but I wouldn't out and defend MB.

ultraseven

Try www.mercedes-benz-usa.com

HITMAN

eeh mazda 6 sucks i hade one!! Pile of sh$T

And then i got my mercedes and love it lol

southernjim

While I wish it wasn't true, I am going to have to agree with the notion that MB quality needs some help. Based on my experience with my C230K Sports Sedan, I'm disappointed with the quality. At fourteen months of ownership, with just over 15,000 miles the car has been in the shop four times for the same engine miss fire problem. I can accept the various "glitches" such as glove box problems, rear sun shade problems, and intermittent loss of steering wheel/power seat functions. The engine miss firing and going into "limp" mode, I consider this a "major" problem.
This is my first MB, and my first experience with a car that continually has engine problems, especially in the first year of ownership. Based on my last fourteen months experience, I would have to say MB quality needs to improve or they have lost at least one repeat buyer.

tyro

Ummm. JD Powers is not a magazine.
Its a Bush conspiracy.
I swear!!!

ML55CLA45

i love mb... i come from a MB family.... but this article on the ratings does not supprise me.

the first benz that was given to me was a 1979 300d. that car is a tank. the only time the car sees the dealer is once a year.... for check up, and what not. 25 year old car w/ 109k miles and the only time i have problems with the car is during the winter... trying to start it....

2nd... 94 e320..... 68k miles and 10 years later.... aside from regularly schduled oil changes/maintaince... the car has been taken to the dealer under 10 times.... my only real beef with this car is the leather pealing back on the driver/passenger door side pockets.... and the fact that a 45K+ car does not come from the factory with 1 single cup holder!!!!!!!

3rd car.... 2002 c240.................. ive owned this car for a little over 2 years (26 months) this car has been to the deal a minimum of 12 times.... the work done on the car has been nothing MAJOR.... all minor stuff..... it seems the quality and workmanship over the last few years has become very poor.......

minor stuff....
*repaired (1st) / then replaced (2nd) rear sunshade malfunction
*repaired cup holder malfunction (would nt stay closed) 1st time
*replaced cup holder malfunction (would nt open) 2nd time
*repaired gps system malfuction (teleaid could not unlock my car -my bone head locked my keys in the car)
*replaced metal key (apart of smart key) would not unlock my car
*replaced front stabilzer (car squeezed everytime i went over a bump. loud annoying squeek)
*repaired light above sun visor.. (lights would not turn on when flipping mirror cover open)
these are the things that i can think of....

with that all said.... i still love my c240.... sporty look... and fun to drive.. but again... i am not suprised that mb is ranked so low......

-carino
1979 300d / 1994 e320 / 2002 c240

Jon200

my car is running fine so far and same with mums CLK 230K, no problems at all

HITMAN

Clk 230k must be a European model?