Yep, I've noticed a few more (newer) creaks and rattles starting to make their presence known after already having two different ones addressed by the dealer. I agree about the buttons as well.

I absolutely get that it's a first model year and mine was a decently early production model as well but I just didn't expect this kind of quality control issue coming from the MB brand. It hasn't been anything major and left me stranded so far (knock on wood) but the little things here and there do start to add up and irritate me.

 

I agree that some of this is related to the dealerships. My service advisor was terrible. After a month waiting for the first door handle (three ended up dying), they called, picked it up, and returned it in just one day. The minute I unlock it, it's apparent they didn't even do the work, as the light was out. I called immediately, and the service advisor still didn't bother to return my calls twenty-four hours later. Finally, I got to speak to a different service advisor, who claimed they didn't know the handles on the C classes lit up. (This was in January. I found that to be either an outright lie or shockingly concerning.). This is just one example of ineptitude. I simply tired of the back and forth dialogue over stupid issues.

 

Terrible. A service advisor can make all the difference in situations like these. its unfortunate. The X6 is an amazing car.. so i can't say i feel that bad for you .

 

I hope the service at the new Burlington, MA dealership is better than what you had to deal with!

 

Good luck in Burlington; I imagine they will go above and beyond. I am intrigued by that dealership, as it is the first dealership in the area to not be owned by Herb Chambers or Prime. I would even purchase from my former MB dealership again, as both sales experiences there were quite good. The service advisor was so careless that even after I responded to him in an email saying that I had traded the car and didn't need to bring it in for the door handles, he didn't communicate that to the pick up and delivery manager, who called me a week later about scheduling a pick up - for a car I no longer owned. I think in my case, the situation was more of a personnel problem than a dealership problem, but they'll figure that out eventually.

 

I have about 1800 miles on my August 2014 build C300 which I leased less than 2 months ago. It is good car to lease but not a long term relationship and I am so glad I leased for the first time. Fit and finish is embarrassing at times. I do love Exterior and interior styling but as far as build quality pretty weak.
Current issues:
Burmester speakers rattle
Touchpad works about 10% of the time, physical defect where I can't click and do anything for days and then all of a sudden it would work for a change -most annoying.
Fuel door sticks out or very poor fitting job
Keyless-entry works 90% of the time
Passenger mirror adjust on reverse stays in memory for a day or two but on 3rd day I would have do the sequence all over again.

 

Hey Mercedes...I hope you're taking notes!

It's depressing to hear these same issues pertaining to the C300/C400 time and time again.

 

Did you bring your car in for warranty? I also leased it. I have the car for a little less then a month now and so far no issues. But reading this thread has made me very paranoid lol.. I listen to every noise the car makes and over analyze it. Then i remember its a lease.. I'll drive it for 3 years and give it back.. If anything doesn't function properly i'll bring it to the dealer and have it fixed. Take advantages of the muffins and coffee while i'm there

 

Lately, I find I have to stop reading this forum every few days and just get back into my C300 Sport and enjoy the ride. Reading an unending stream of complaints about everything makes it too easy to forget how good this car is. It's been called everything from mediocre to milquetoast and, I guess, compared to some high performance sport sedans it probably is. It's not as fast, and certainly doesn't handle as well, as my Porsche ... but I didn't expect it to be a sports car when I bought it. I needed a stylish four door AWD compact sedan that was comfortable, economical, with good performance and competent handling.

Some may hate this car, others may be neutral, and a few ... like me ... think that the W205 is an excellent compact family sedan that competes well in its segment. I'm lucky in that I have a very good dealer, and not everyone has that benefit.

For those who are waiting for their new cars, or who have just gotten them, this intense negative feedback can be scary. The many who have no or few problems are represented in disproportionately small numbers here. C-Class sales are strong, in spite of claims by some that dealers can't give them away. The car is not problem free .. few first year cars are ... but it is a good car and should prove to be a solid vehicle, especially in the later production cars.

 

Completely makes sense to take a couple steps back. You went through hell with this car. You've put in thousands of hours here on the forum alone, plus calls to MBUSA, dealer trips, calling attorney generals office. Mercedes failed you in the build. You've been patient, but can imagine the toll it took on the psyche. Takes nothing away from W205 being the neatest car in the "larger compact luxury segment" by far! And you seem to have a better car the second time around. I feel you got shafted on having to pay a nickel, but that's my opinion. I'd spend more time driving the car than here too.

To those waiting or just gotten them, some of the bugs are being worked out. Many remain. If high quality build and reliability are most paramount to your decision, this car is probably not the best choice. But, most first year and German builds aren't known for being problem free...the W205 (especially in new USA factory) outside the norm (in a not good way). Optimistically, someone will fix it there. They don't have the attitude of it yet that they've shown the enthusiasts. Or maybe, another car manufacturer comes to the table with both good builds, AND well engineered and designed smaller luxury cars that aren't all about trying to imitate sport (read...rough ride on crappy American roads).

Meanwhile, I'm overall still greatly enjoying my C300, Though I shake my head at them like they're a bad child sometimes who doesn't take accountability for their bad QC decisions, I'm still personally a Mercedes car fan!

 

After 2,000 miles, I thoroughly enjoy my C300 4MATIC. Its comfortable when I sit in morning/evening rush hour in econ mode. On the weekends, its enjoyable on the funner -- winding roads in S/S+. The family finds it very comfortable - even the back seat has sufficient room for a longer drive.

Maybe we are fortunate that we had no build problems (US build, late-Jan 2015).

 

You've also gone through your own share of difficulties with this car.

The overall design and engineering of the W205 is, IMHO, exceptional. We can all scratch our collective heads over some of the inherent Mercedes quirks, but it is a leading edge design throughout. Well ... maybe they still need to figure out Internet connectivity, but at least the Germans finally got cup holders right.

There are, as we all know, some basic problem areas that have nothing to do with how well designed the car is. Most of that, I think, can be laid at the feet of the Alabama plant. Although there have been some issues from other facilities, nothing seems to approach the chaotic QC that has plagued the US plant. That seems to have gotten better since production first started, but some issues persist. Right now, the wind noise on some cars and the speaker vibration on others seem to head the list. Why, after so many cars have been produced, those issues still persist is beyond my comprehension.

The other issue is the way Mercedes deals with consumer complaints. It may all be based on legal concerns, but the air of secrecy that surrounds most problem areas seems, at best, to be counterproductive. Surely they must be aware of wind noise complaints on some cars; yet not a single person who has experienced that issue has gotten a satisfactory response from either their dealer or the company. That's not good.

Regarding my own settlement, after all the accommodations, I am essentially out $1500 on the deal. I know of cases where a straight swap was done for cars that were almost brand new, but I owned my car for seven months so there was no way I could get them to move on that. That, plus the fact that my AG said I had no case, made it a best case scenario. In retrospect, this new C300 is so much better that it would have been worth any amount of money to get out of my original one.

Improved QC at the US plant, and a more responsive and open customer service structure would go a long way in regaining customer loyalty. The ONLY reason I agreed to get into another C300 was because of my dealer's support and service. The corporation would do well to follow that example.

 

Well put as always floridadriver. That's a good analogy. I'll now see MBUSA rep on the phone as my 5 year old nephew.

I didn't do nothing wrong. I dunno. It's not my fault. I can't hear that noise. It doesn't look broken to me

 

I agree 100% Stan. I enjoy driving this car. IMO it looks fantastic. I chose this over the 328 and the A4. I do not regret my decision. It's been almost a month with this car and if i had to do it all over again I would make the same choice. Forums are always 70/80% negative.. its like that with everything (iPhones, Cars, Finances,etc). I might do the same.. stop reading for a few days and not focus so much on every single little noise the car makes.

It would be extremely easy for you to have nothing but negative to say about this car.. even this brand. Yet you gave it a second shot and it seems to be working out great. Glad your enjoying your "newer" car

 

I gave Chrysler/Jeep a second try after enduring a rough downshifting transmission in my original first year 2014 Grand Cherokee Limited...got rid of it after I received a very good trade-in value towards a later build 2014 Overland. After 5,000 miles my Overland started having transmission issues...even after 4 trips to the dealership where they reprogramed it four times from four different TSBs. My lawyer is currently attempting to get Jeep to compensate me in some way for all the issues I've had with it. Never again my friends will I EVER buy another Chrysler/Jeep product, their customer service & dealership network is the worst I've ever encountered, so I hope you can understand my apprehension purchasing this 2015 C300 4Matic Sport after reading all this negative posts.

After the first major issue I have with my new Mercedes, and if I encounter multiple problems getting it fixed or endure poor service from the dealership, I'll have no problem dropping the C300 like a bad habit...and never buy a Benz again.

I'll NEVER keep loyalty towards a poor product or service, and since I've paid good money for this vehicle, at minimum I expect a quality product & good service.

 

I think you'll be ok. It seems that a lot of issues are pre Jan builds. My W205 was built Feb 2015 and so far no issues. I do expect some problems to show up within the 3years of leasing this car and my satisfaction will depend on how the dealer handles it. I have no loyalty when it comes to brands.. Even if this car serves me well in the next 3 years it doesn't mean i'll get another Mercedes. I'll definitely consider one.. but no guaranties lol

 

I know at least 7 people who own a C300 or C400 who have had bad wind noise. Amazingly all were told the same thing I was told by MBUSA! That it is a design characteristic and curiously they all mention how they personally drive a C300 but don't hear any wind noise. Which basically says you the owner are crazy and hearing things. The customer is wrong. I would not say my best friends wife a VP at Google or my other friend who happens to be an audio engineer at MTV are crazy people and hearing things. Must be the way MBUSA thinks it should be handled. Doublespeak. Reproducible measurements of 85 Db to 90 Db on the highway will likely end up in a class action lawsuit. I for one was lucky and the dealer let me get into an SUV and they are keeping the car as a loaner.

 

Hi Rex5


Now you know 8 people.

I have no wind noise !

 

What build month and plant was yours. Do you have acoustic glass. That seems to help some owners. Mine was March 2015 Tuscaloosa, other friends were Dec 2014, Jan 2015 and Feb 2015 all Tuscaloosa. Perhaps there are specific timeframes and plants that are affected. From what I see on MBWORLD the South African builds do not seem to have this issue. I inquired with my dealer about acoustic glass but they told me they have not ever heard of it.

 

Hi Rex5

My build month was 10/14 I live in Canada.
I suspect it was built in the U.S.

 

okay I'll admit: I don't like your cars

 

I had no wind noise on my first C300, and have none on my current C300 Sport. I had no wind noise on a C300 Luxury loaner I had for two weeks, and none on the two C300's I had on extended test drives. There are lots of quiet C-Class cars out there, so any suggestion by dealers that this is a normal or acceptable condition is simply wrong.

I am surprised that MB has still neither acknowledged the problem nor offered dealers and customers some guidance on resolving it. That is the real issue.

 

Fair enough. Not sure why anyone would waste their time trawling through a bunch of threads they have no interest in, though?

 

 

Laz: I haven't brought my car back to dealership to have them address some of these issues yet but planning to do that in next week or two. I am sure next winter I would have to go through bleeding seats since I have August 2014 build date in addition to everything else. Are all Mercedes models suffer from these quality issues all the time? Btw, the very first time yesterday I didn't notice the low grinding fan noise I usually get every morning for first 7-10 minutes of driving so that was a change. But I have to revise my accuracy number for keyless-entry, couple night ago I said it works 90% but it is more like 80%. Actually I just realized last night that I don't have working rear passenger side door handle LED and when you look at the front and rear driver side doors, rear door handle LED is considerably brighter than front.