a.brewer

On this very forum, posted as a sticky in the W163 area, is this post which outlines close to fifty known 'issues' with the ML's 'outstanding quality':

https://mbworld.org/forums/m-class-w163/88443-list-stuff-watch-out-163-a.html

Gotchya'

451/443=EW

Sorry, I should have been more precise. Im talking about the 2006 and up ML.
Not 05 and down. I made a comment about MB past so I assumed everyone would know I was talking about the new ML.

But ya I couldnt agree more about the older ones.

Kar don

actually the 05 MLs had pretty high quality. Out of the 10 or more 2005s I've driven none of them rattled and all drove very smooth. Every 2006 model I drove has had some pretty nasty rattles.

FrankW

mine's SA built. sun roof switch relay broken in 2 wks owning the car. fixed.

my C32's in the shop for some problems for 3 wks, so they gave me a C350 loaner also made in SA. the trunk won't open using either button on the key or in the car yesterday while out with some friends. tested again this morning now it's working. not my car, so don't really care.

Glyn M Ruck

I posted this on the W203 thread



You have a choice - W204s built in East London with South African labour or built in Germany with Turkish labour.

The South African plant frequently beats the German build cars in the QC round robin. The RSA cars are about 47% local content by weight and frequently use more durable materials. South African leather for one. Body pressings also better.

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Saudi Arabia. There is a new German assembled S Class on display in the foyer (white one) - I would not want it. Paint job is suspect & fit & finish average. Front doors have pressing ripples in both of them at the fender shut line & lower valences are out of alignment.

I think the best finished Mercs come from the CKD plant in Vietnam. The Vietnamese are fanatical about the assembly - run around all gaps with a dial gauge

wblynch

Is the South African MB-tex different from the German? Because the MB-tex material in my 2008 South African built car is way worse than the MB-tex in my 2004 German built car.

The new car's material is almost like rubber. Very annoying and not so luxurious. I don't know if it's a 2004 -v- 2008 thing or a Germany -v- South Africa thing.

If I wanted a taxi I would have bought a Camry.

Kar don

It's not really about the labor at the MB plant... its about the local suppliers. They are newer and don't have the experience that the German suppliers have. This is much more difficult to control. The ethnicity of the people building the car has nothing to do with this. The stamping shop in south africa may be better because they have newer equipment, but I'd bet the Germany shop is better.

akbro93704

Has anyone compared the two (S.A. and German) side by side? Driven both? On the dealer lots I couldn't tell one bit of difference honestly. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough though.

coolblueflame

My C200K is made in Germany...

Glyn M Ruck

I'm informed that the MB Tex is imported from Germany and only made in 1 plant globally - the new stuff is supposed to be more UV resistent - Why did you not get leather? Only farmers in this country take MB Tex - leather is standard fit on all

Glyn M Ruck

Do you realise that the CDA Plant in East London was opened in 1948 as a multibrand plant and became a wholy owned subsidiary of Daimler Benz in 1966. Their suppliers know what they are doing. Frequently problems experienced in more torrid zones of the world are engineered out here with DBAG & local engineers. Most of the durability testing of the W204 was done in South Africa & Namibia apart from the cold weather stuff. Subjective issues aside the W204 is a superior vehicle to the W203 in all respects.

Merc & BMW plants here are excellent & BTW we used to manufacture the S Class here for many years. Only moved for scale issues & plant rationalisation globally

wblynch

That in itself is a subjective statement. My W204 is INferior to my W203 in finish and materials.

The interior is way cheaper in appearance and feel. Besides the MB-tex, the dashboard, door panels, and carpeting is far below the W203.

The exterior paint is abhorrently orange peeled. It looks like it was applied from a spray can.

The road and wind noise is much worse on the W204 and the seats are harder than rocks.

All that said, my 350 is obviously much more enjoyable to drive than the 240 and I absolutely love the built-in bluetooth system.

I didn't buy leather because I took an end-of-year special from dealer stock and they had none with leather.

I made a mistake of only investing 30 minutes in my shopping experience. I walked into the dealer, presented a price I found on the internet and chose a color from the book.

That's what happens when you buy in a hurry but I needed a new car on that day. I don't hate my C350 but I am disappointed in myself for not doing more research. ---oh well

Glyn M Ruck

I admit I was meaning better sorted before launch. The W204 saw more on road testing than Benz have ever done. The poor W203 was so criticised for it's cheap plasticky interior by the motoring press. I don't think it's that bad - love my car.

Road & wind noise measures a lot better

SA seats are initially harder. Same on the SA produced 203. German built 203s were criticised for the seats going flat. See all the moans on the forum. South Africa fixed this. My seats are like new and I'm heavy. Seems you can't satisfy people

wblynch

So, if you're saying that the seats will soften over time then I find that reassuring. I guess I've got to get more miles on her.!!

Glyn M Ruck

Yep! they will develop some more give without collapsing & going flat so the upholstery all becomes loose like it did on German 203s

ATSOBE

OOOO you get what you pay for 4 African cars with big defect in car alarms System
If built in africaI want my money back my label on the door trim say built in germany.. for sure. I sure wouldnt want a car built in africa... You never know if a lion or snake might come out of theses cars ............ Plus inside tip I heard that the cars built in africa have a problem that mercedes benz hasnt been able to fix with the car alarm.......
Its a language issue.............. When someone is trying to break in your car a tribal indian pops out with a spear out of the trunk. A few owners
have been killed by it due to language. The tribal indian doesnt understand english the owners tell him just testing the alrm system ......the owners get stab with spear and die. ID rather stick to the german made car mine has a chirp alarm no one has to pop out of the trunk jejej jejeje

AsianML

WHAT THE ****

Glyn M Ruck

Must be smoking some awful potent stuff

Azn_C300

I didn't know your SA model also came with ganja laced ac unit option

jherbias

I am surprised you have got the brains to buy a W204, let alone use a keyboard.

Don't forget to breathe.

Glyn M Ruck

Surprised the village idiot was capable of signing the check

ATSOBE

Just trying to give sense of laugh joke...........

Dudes no sense of humor in this thread..... but it true i almost paid about 47k to be exact i think with extended warranty. The last thing is i want a german car be built not in germany. WHere is my pride when i say it german built when someone in some other country assembles it. Id would be very disappointed for sure. 50k car next thing you hear it build in china. Com on i got pride for my car and proud of were it built ,, I would never have bought it it it not german built.. I myself buy all my electronic made in Japan.. sony, panasonic, I never buy anything in mexico or tawain at least that me Im very **** about all that I buy. You get what you pay for example in high audio is the same thing 30k movie projector from sony is built in japan 2k projector from sony is built in mexico big difference in part and quality.. For me if I got 50k to whip out for a c class I sure do research on it and get it german made... if it cost 15k well it understandable but at 50k no way..... it be german for sure .....

FrankW

so few brands for you to avoid. RADENERGIE, DPE, Iforged, ANY CF add-on sold on ebay.

Glyn M Ruck

You require substantial communication training! I withdraw this if English is not your home language

To start with if you want high end Audio/Theatre gear you should buy American. It's the finest available with a few exceptions.

Regarding made in Germany - and this applies to Kar don's post as well regarding component suppliers. The best you can hope for is ASSEMBLED IN GERMANY. Many, many of the components in a modern Benz are made in Eastern European countries such as Poland for cost reasons. The same applies to Audi & BMW. Even Audi's Lambo Gallardo has components made in Poland. I know suppliers to the plant.

So get real people - This is globalisation in action

MTI

What's even funnier is when you read some of the other threads in this forum where Mercedes owners are not shy about swapping out parts and systems to customize their cars . . . that aren't made in Germany.