I'm thinking about purchasing a new or preowned star certified c240 (years 2001-2003) classic/elegance in Canada. I've been fond of the car and I was going to purchase it in a few days.

However, recently, a family friend has told us not to go near a Mercedes vehicle unless you don't know where to put your money because of the sky high maintenance costs and the continual electronic failures. He owns a 1999 pre owned E320 4MATIC. He claims that many of his friends experience similar electronic problems. He has advised us to restort to a Japenese vehicle such as a G35 or IS300.

I was wondering whether any of you have experienced any problems at all with your c-classes (C240), especially those of electronic nature. How are the maintenance costs for these vehicles and do parts need to be repaired frequently? Is a Japenese vehicle actually better (and cheaper)? And is it safe to buy a pre-owned Mercedes from a Star Certified Canadian dealership? Please give me some honest advice.

 

no electrical failures for me. my car is nearly two years old. still under warranty but i havent had any problems. i say go for a mercedes, they a dependable and overall great cars. you will get variable opinions of cars no matter what marque you are looking for. that said, search the forums for what your concerns as well as your interest in the C240 and see if you find anything.

 

I have seen many common problems with C-class on this forum. When buying used MBZ the main issue lies when the warranty expires. Even the easy maint jobs cost money. As you know just to change the oil in a MBZ is a unique process that will cost considerably more than an average car. Just imagine brakes, tires and other scheduled maint costs. Here in California you see lots of used MBZ being sold for very little money especially the ones where the warranty is getting closed to expire or expired. They know that up keep costs are high. Imagine buying a used low end Porsche. You want to talk about expensive operating costs.

 

Just make sure you have a starkmarked warranty and the extended 7 yr 100,000 mile warranty and you will be ok. These cars won't be cheap to maintain/fix in the long run. Personally I havn't had any problems yet. I am very happy with the reliability of my car so far.

 

Thanks for the input. What are teh common problems with the C-class that you've seen? And one more question: Doesn't the warranty that comes with the vehicle cover the costs for all these repairs for a certain period of time? Does the warranty cover ALL possible repairs?

I'm posting some bad reviews on the car that I've seen. Can you guys tell me if they are common problems?

Model: 2003 Mercedes-Benz C240
Price Paid: $34000 at Caliber Motors In An
Summary:
I have had nothing but problems with this car since the first week I got it. I bought the car brand new so I know everything was fine the day I bought it. I have also recieved bad service and treatment at my local Mercedes-Benz dealership. First off my sunroof stopped working, in the middle of a rainstorm. The sunroof wouldn't close, so I had to drive it to my dealership with an umbrella hanging through the sunroof. One day I was on the freeway and my engine started shaking and the car wouldn't go over 60 mph. My back brake light went out already! My gas gauge broke. I took it into the shop for all these problems, they kept the car for 5 days. I got the car back and the sunroof still doesn't work and the gas gauge is still broken. My brake assistant light keeps going on. When they had my car at the dealership they banged up the back bumper, they tore one of my leather seats, they tore the pannel in my passanger door and now my radio doesn't go off when I turn the car off. What else could go wrong. Well I'm sick of this, even though the car is beautiful it's a piece of junk and Mercedes won't do anything about it. I'm now going to buy a Cadillac Escalade, hopefully they'll be more dependable.

Strengths:
Nice exterior.

Weaknesses:
Bad service, everything breaks and nothing gets fixed, back seat is too small, & not much trunk room.


************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************

Year: 2001
Model: c240
Price Paid: $37000 at Helms Bros.Bayside,N
Summary:
I just completed a 3-year lease term.It was the worse vehicle I have ever possessed.My radio and cd-changer was replaced twice.Tele-system was replaced,needed new battery,sunroof was inop,driver's side window controller broke,both parking brake cables sheared,noise from front and rear suspension,front directional signals kept shorting out,driver's side vanity mirror illumination inop.To make matters worse dealership was not efficient or friendly.This is my second Mercedes-Benz in 6 years and my last.

Strengths:
looks

Weaknesses:
everything else.

************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************

Model: 2001 C240
Price Paid: $36000
Summary:
It's a very nice car. It's sporty, quick, light, roomy, and has that wonderful star on the front hood.

Strengths:
Paint quality, rear window shade, Teleaid system, integrated phone, cup holder, performance, handling, braking, acceleration.

Weaknesses:
Electronic key has problems sychronizing with the car. Had to have the key and key module replaced. When the key goes bad, because the ignition and all componentry is entirely electronic and controlled by the key, you can't lock the doors, activate windows, etc. This problem has since been repaired, but within the 8 months that I've owned it, I've had to take it back to the dealership about 7 times to have them repair little electronic bugs.

Similar Products Used:
BMW 323i - BMW seems a bit more reliable.






---
The last review speaks of the electronic problems. Does anyone else have similar experiences?

 

yes they do if your vehicle is starmarked. if i were buying a pre-owned MB i would get one Starmarked.

 

don't know about reliability but people in this forum say C240 is the one with the weakest engine of of the all mercedes c-class sedans. if you care about power, maybe you should consider a C230K or a C320

 

personally id try and get a pre-owned C230. an 03. you will probably be able to pick it up for less than a pre-owned 240.

 

I hear that there are Mercedes Manufactured in Germany and others in Brazil and the Brazilian ones give lots of trouble from a review. Is this true?

 

Some C240s I think are made elsewhere beside Germany. Check the Vin to be sure.

 

if the VIN starts with a W then its made in Germany.

 

The VIN's the number on the vehicle that is visible through the front windshield right?

Also, has anyone here experienced trouble with C240's? Please describe the problems. I'm especially interested in hearing from those who bought Star Certified Pre-owned vehicles.

On Edmunds.com, the C230 has much better customer reviews than the C240. Is there a specific reason for this?

 

[QUOTE=tjey]The VIN's the number on the vehicle that is visible through the front windshield right?
QUOTE]

yes the 17 digits visible thru the windshield. i would think the C230 sedan would get better reviews because it has a higher HP engine and you get more for you money.

 

Last time I got a loaner C240 and the sticker reads "Parts Made in Germany Assembled in Brazil". On the other hand, C230WZs and C320s have on their stickers "Made in Germany." I guess the poor review of C240 is a quality control issue at the plant.

 

Oh, Thanks a lot guys. This clears a few things up. So now I'm after a C230.

Does every Mercedes vehicle, regardless of class, that has a VIN starting with a W mean the final assembly was in Germany?

 

if your interested in the C230 sedan you have to buy a 2003 and up. just letting you know.

 

What's the difference between a C230w and a C230z

 

i think wz is sport sedan. i ordered a c320 sport sedan and the receipt shows c320wz.

 

C230WZ and C320WZ are the sport sedans. they arent seperate as far as i know.

 

Hmm, what's a WX then?

such as the one here:
http://216.90.51.100/nationallocator...DetailID=55615

 

im pretty sure its a typo. Z and X are next to each other on the keyboard.

 

Thanks, how do leather inserts differ from leather seats?

 

leather inserts are just that. the center inserts are leather the rest is MB Tex.