I receive updates from CarFax regarding the maintenance required on my 2005 C230. The most recent notice indicated I had an open recall for the sunroof. I accessed the NHTSA recall website and entered my VIN. This is what it showed for my car:

Manufacturer Recall Number2023010006
NHTSA Recall Number22V954
Recall Status Recall IncompleteSummary Mercedes-Benz AG ("MBAG"), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain Model Year ("MY") 2001 2011 C-Class, CLK (209 platform), E-Class (211 platform) and CLS (219 platform) vehicles, the bonding between the glass sunroof panel and the sliding roof frame might not meet specifications. In this case, the adhesion of the bond might deteriorate gradually over time. Therefore, the specified durability requirements of the bond would not be guaranteed. As a consequence, a separation of the glass panel from the vehicle cannot be ruled out. This could increase the risk of a potential accident and/or injury for other road users. As a precautionary measure an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer, will check the glass panel bonding on the affected vehicles and replace the sliding roof, if necessary

Safety Risk In this case, the adhesion of the bond might deteriorate gradually over time. Therefore, the specified durability requirements of the bond would not be guaranteed. As a consequence, a separation of the glass panel from the vehicle cannot be ruled out. This could increase the risk of a potential accident and/or injury for other road users.

Remedy As a precautionary measure an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer, will check the glass panel bonding on the affected vehicles and replace the sliding roof, if necessary

I received a notice from Mercedes in February 2020 about the sunroof. That notice had what appears to be identical language to this notice. The only difference is that the NHTSA recall notice for that was #19V918. I had the dealer inspect it and the dealer told me mine was OK.

I'm assuming the first inspection wasn't sufficient and we will be receiving notices to have another inspection.

 

Apparently, Mercedes found some additional factors that could cause a failure and Mercedes needs to check again.

 

Has anyone taken their vehicle in for inspection and had it replaced? I have not scheduled mine as of yet.

 

Yes, it's the same recall however MB has expanded the production date range of the sunroof glass from the previous 6 month window to a 2 year window.

 

Does any one have pics of where the separation of the glass takes place?..

https://www.thestreet.com/automotive...unroof-problem

 

he he he I wonder if I could slip the service writer a couple benji's and get a new sunroof?
Hey Kevin, yer still around?! I've still got my 2002 but as of now, at 250K miles, I desperately need to replace the
head gasket. I had been just adding fluid for 100K miles now, as it's mostly on the outside of the engine, but
lately it's gotten to the point where steam is visibly coming out from underneath the hood,
and getting sucked in the vent and into the cab! Cabin filter soaked with coolant and moisture all over under the hood,
windshield fogging up. Even on recirc still getting air from under the hood. Covered the filter with cardboard and duct taped it,
was better but still getting in. I like my kidneys. No local mechanics capable of performing the work. I always figured I'd just swap the engine but easier said then done.
Hateful job, but just gotta take it one step at a time. Already have many of the parts. Maybe need some injector seals, and bolts.
Not many Benz's where I live now. My finish got hosed from being parked outside for 2 winters. It needed a new alternator and supercharger which I did, but
well old cars. But heck, I can't afford a new one! And a decent 02 C Coupe isn't cheap either. Well it that goes well, maybe I'll follow your lead and repair the sunroof.

 

Against all odds, I've kept my C230 on the road for over 5 and a half years. If all goes well, I should roll over 185,000 miles on my way to work tomorrow. I've heard that the M111 engines in the early C230's are more durable than the M271's like the one in my car. I'm not sure 250,000 miles is a realistic goal for my car, but it is nice to see that it's possible.

When I bought the car in August 2017, my goal was to keep it 3 years and then buy a new car or (more likely) a low mileage used car. It does seem to present a minimum of one major issue every year, but I don't have an urge to replace it. I think one major repair a year is less expensive than a car payment or using other assets to buy a car.

One factor that will encourage me to keep it for a few more years is the limited selection of new cars with manual transmissions. I don't see anything that will check all my boxes and be affordable.

Good luck with your head gasket.

 

Keep it Kevin. I believe the W203 manual will follow the W124 eventually.

My son’s C320 manual is by far the best MB we have ever owned and does not need anything but regular maintenance and gasoline.

 

That is my plan. Although my original intention was to move on to a newer car, my C230 has grown on me. It suits the purpose for which I use it well and I enjoy driving it.

 

I left the car at the dealership last night. They called me at about 10:00 to tell me the car was ready. According to the receipt the dealership checked the date of manufacture for the sliding roof. Mine is 08/02/2004 according to the current receipt. The August 2020 recall receipt shows that the manufacture date is 08/03/04. I'm not sure why there is a one-day discrepancy between the two inspections. I'm also not sure why Mercedes couldn't check the manufacture date from the earlier recall and determine that I didn't need a second inspection.

My advice to anyone else affected by this recall is to look at your receipt from the last recall and ask the dealership whether they can sign off on the latest recall base on previous inspection. The dealership I use is near my house and the visit wasn't a major inconvenience. That may not be the case for other owners. I did receive a free multi-point inspection. You may also be able to have your dealership inspect your car while you wait instead of leaving it overnight as I did.

 

I as well wondered about this, and contacted the dealership and asked them why they would not be able to verify my recall based on the manufacturing date noted from the previous one?

I was told they could not do this and they needed to see the car, so I have an appointment this coming Wednesday.

Seems to me like a lot of unnecessary time and money is wasted because of them not entring the required data in their system.

 

If the dealership could handle the recall with a simple records check, they may not receive as much money from MBUSA. I don't want to appear cynical, but keep in mind that MBUSA is paying for the recall and the dealership (which is an independent business) is collecting the revenue from MBUSA. It's also an opportunity to sell additional services.

It's possible that I'm being harsh. Maybe the dealership needs to conduct both a visual inspection of the sunroof and a date check to ensure our safety.