The 2015 J.D Power Initial Quality Study is out and the '15 Mercedes C-Class receives the lowest possible rating. For comparison, the previous generation C-Class scored better with an "above average" rating when it was first released in 2008.

The J.D Power Initial Quality Survey looks at owner-reported problems in the first 90 days of new-vehicle ownership.

See link: http://autos.jdpower.com/research/Me...edan/index.htm

 

To be honest, it's deserved. I'm sure Consumer Reports is going to blast the C-Class in their reliability ratings.

While driving from Albuquerque to Dallas, I discovered a new rattle coming from somewhere in the driver's cockpit around the steering wheel. The sensor on the door to lock the door is also glitchy as it does not always recognize a press. I sometimes have to press it 5+ times for it to register.

I have a feeling my car is going to be with the dealer for a long time over the next month or two trying to get everything dealt with.

 

Aren't there several factories?
Is this of influence on the built quality you think?

I know mine is built in Germany, but i thought i read somewhere that most C-classes are built somewhere else (India/South-Africa?)

 

Build quality being related to location seems to be something of a fallacy. I have build issues and mine was built in Bremen. Similar issues appear in South Africa and the US. The one thing that stands apart is the bumper issue in the US. I've not seen reports of that one issue elsewhere.

 

Too bad J.D. Power doesn't list the most common complaints...at least I didn't see any listed in that article.

 

seeing the most common complains would be great. Even the S-Class falls in the "the rest" category... This is a little shocking to me

Honestly i wasn't expecting more. a few months ago before getting my car i researched the 2014 and it was only "about average". Considering that was the last gen of W204 and this is the first gen of the W205 i didn't expect a "better then most" rating

 

that is true. you usually get these low ratings with new cars until they iron out the glitches

 

After reading all of the problems that owners have posted on this forum for the past several months I'm not surprised for the low rating. I'm disappointed in Mercedes though. I hope Mercedes isn't going back to the late 90s early 2000s era where they had poor reliability ratings in their entire lineup.

 

Iron out?... they're gonna need Thor's hammer to get this list sorted.

 

Not surprising in the least.

 

Well deserved, MB! Congrats.

Can't believe that JD Power doesn't give MB extra points for class exclusive features like "design characteristic" wind noise and only-in-America Bleeding Seats. You've been robbed MB! How can they not share your vision of what a luxury car can be?

 

dude stop bashing your nice shiny motor

 

Ok this totally puts my order on hold. I'll wait for the 16 model and see how things turn out.

Otherwise, I might have to look somewhere else

 

pssssst...the improved handling 2016 BMW 328i xDrive w/M Sport pkg.



At least that's the route I'll be going if my MB dealership keeps yanking my chain.

 

Having owned both a 2008 & 2015 C300 I can attest that build quality is not comparable. As much as I prefer the styling of the newer C, the fit and finish is nowhere near my previous C which was rock solid throughout its life.

 

Much of MB's quality problems have been due to failure to monitor suppliers. I have read that much of the late 90s early 2000s problems were due to faulty components from Siemens and Bosch. (Notice that these are German firms making parts in Germany.) The defective balance shaft/idler gear (aka the "dreaded defective balance shaft/idler gear") of the M272/M273 V6/V8 engines of the W203 C-Class and other models was definitely a supplier problem. That part was just good enough to last through the warranty period, so with some exceptions, Mercedes washed its hands of this $3500-7500(!) repair.

The defective balance shaft gear did affect my 2007 C-Class, although I didn't know it until I already had my 2015 C300 on order. I did know about the shudder in the 4Matic transmission in reverse. Each of three very expensive transmission oil changes helped, but the problem never really went away. Only the first change was covered under warranty. My C280 had only 64,000 miles on it when I traded it.

When my 2007 C280 was 9-12 months old, the infra-red sensor in the driver's door for the open-all-windows-and-sunroof feature failed. That was covered under warranty, but the replacement never worked 100% of the time. It got worse, so that for the last 2-3 years of my ownership, I did without the feature. That problem was probably also a parts supplier problem.

I know my C280 was built in Sindelfingen, because I picked it up there in September 2006. I only recently read that most of the assembly line workers in both Sindelfingen and Bremen are Turks, not Germans. The problems I have described were not assembly line problems. As bdwg22 reports about his 2008 W204, my 2007 W203 was "rock solid". But these cars still had their problems with German-made parts. So I mention the reported nationality of the assembly line workers only for the information of anyone who thinks that cars made in Germany have a special quality. Full disclosure: my wife is German, and my signature hints at my enthusiasm for German-made cars.

 

 

Check out this thread for more information:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...ite-brand-fall


Industry as a whole is getting better, MB as a whole is getting worse.

2015:


10 Years Ago:


2015 CR Survey

 

What areas of fit and finish are that much worse than your 2008 C-Class?

 

Guys, we do not have "low build quality" issues here.. MB reminds us that these are "design characteristics" of the car, remember? Take generous levels of wind noise, for instance.

 

It seems to me that the IQS numbers don't really correlate very well to the Consumer Reports reliability numbers. For example, Subaru rates very high in the CR surveys, but very low on the IQS survey. Likewise, MB rates just above the industry average for IQS which I'm sure will be well above the CR reliability numbers when they are published for 2015.

 

I honestly never knew BMW scored so high. Cool.

 

The IQS is largely for people that complain and don't do their homework before purchasing a vehicle. Things like a hard-to-use infotainment system, poorly designed cupholders, etc. If time was spent test-driving and going over the finer points of the car, these things would become "known" factors.

I'm certainly not accusing anyone here, but the IQS is largely useless, and is a marketing tool.

The "Vehicle Dependability Study" on the other hand is for longer-term mechanical-type issues.

Anyone looking to get into a new C-Class right now should be aware of the teething issues (MB-tex, wind noise, shifting problems, misaligned taillights/bumper, infotainment issues, etc.) and these should not come as a surprise.

The wind-noise issue is harder to diagnose and I'm willing to concede that may not hav come up on some test-drives. But again, who doesn't take any new car on the highway to see how it performs at 60-70mph? I've done it, and I tell the salesman to keep his mouth shut so I can hear every squeak/rattle/road imperfection possible.

 

Stan, I added the CR survey chart to my earlier post.

CR's survey focuses heavily on road-testing, which is totally different than JD' Initial Quality. People overlook a bluetooth pairing-issue, or a "too-small" cupholder if the car performs well on the road.

 

Thank you for that ... it does add some interesting context to the numbers.

The CR numbers really nail it .... the Mercedes brand ties with Audi for the number two slot, and only one point behind BMW for the top ranking, in road test scores. When reliability is factored in, the overall ranking drops down to 21.

Although my current C300 has been rock solid with no issues, and a thoroughly enjoyable car to own and drive, the horrible experience I had with my first one really had me regretting my initial purchase decision.

The goal of every car manufacturer is to increase market penetration and profit. MB kicked off its latest push with the introduction of the new W205 series ... a very appealing compact sedan that is a true competitor to both the BMW 3 series, and the Audi A4. You would think, however, that a significant amount of development money would have gone towards insuring consistent assembly standards and the highest level of quality control. MB needs this car to succeed worldwide, and poor reliability results published in widely read journals are not going to help them meet their long term goals.

I am sure that corporate is painfully aware of every problem area that has been reported by owners and dealers. To date, the approach to resolving these issues has been almost entirely reactive ... the only proactive campaigns have been through recalls or service bulletins. For 2016, it looks like there will be only minor package/accessory changes to the car, so it will be interesting to see if any of the more common complaints will be addressed as the new model year production kicks in.

If the W205 is ever to enjoy the success it deserves, Mercedes really has to get this under control and start offering owners of these cars the support they expect.