The problems are endless with this car. First it was bending rims and ruining tires. Easy fix, slap some aftermarket wheels on with proper tires (never had another issue). Rattles so bad that it sounds like a tupperware full of quarters driving down the road. Go into dealer 3 times for the rattles, with absolutely no improvement made and the rattles have only gotten worse over time. And now I have weird issues occurring. Carpet/sound dampening in passenger footwell is pulled loose, gas door is misaligned and doesn't lock shut because the actuator is already dying, I have intermittently lost complete functionality of adaptive cruise control and lane guidance systems and the panel misalignment gaps on the rear bumper still drives me nuts.

I think this car has an awesome powerplant and even drivetrain and it sounds great for a stock turbocharged V6. I miss my manual transmission but think it's a great drivetrain regardless. Things I don't like: The sound system is underwhelming. Having a head wind makes the entire car feel unstable at speed. The suspension dampening is poorly executed (it's firm but still exhibits body roll) and there is little to no aftermarket support is available to remedy this issue.

I have had a rollercoaster of emotion for this car because it does some things REALLY good/great and other aspects of the car are TERRIBLE - like I wouldn't expect such horrendous quality issues in a car that cost half as much. I also have been less than pleased with the customer service at my local MB dealerships, they have been rude and uncompromising. I have never disliked or have been as frustrated owning a car as I have with this one. Usually, I am envious over the higher tier models available but still have a very enjoyable experience owning the entry/mid level cars. I am sorry to say that I will probably never own a new MB again in the foreseeable future.

I will miss this color more than anything. It is one of my favorite colors, ever.

 

What’s car is next on the horizon?

 

I have to agree with you on these tires, WORST EVER. The OEM Pirelli's were shot before 8k miles.
Just out of curiosity, how many miles do you have on the car? I don't put a whole lot of miles on my car, but I do a lot of in and out and my interior has held up remarkably well. I do get some squeaks around the gauge cluster during very high temps, but that's really it.
Where is the car going, back to the dealer or a private deal (some sap)?

 

b9 audi S5 SB or S4.

Back to the dealer. Car is about 18 months old and I have 24k on the clock. Car was custom ordered and brand new on delivery.

 

For me you can put the c43 drivetrain on an ox cart and I'll have oodles of fun. No matter what once the buyers remorse sets in kapowee you are done.
My C43 is a bussiness lease and I drive it like I stole it. Couldn't care less about rattles clicks whatever as long as I stomp and she romps.
Good luck with the next ride whatever it may be.

 

Damn! Sorry to hear this. Thank goodness it seems some of the reoccurring issues with the sedan are not existent in the coupe.

The s5 SB is a sweet ride! I still pop up on audizine here and there...Look forward to seeing what you wind up with.

 

I agree with you on the constant rattling sounds. The car loses it luxury feel especially when you have passengers in the car, and gets very embarrassing. I have also been contemplating getting rid of my car because Mercedes has been incompetent in resolving the damn rattles!!

 

Mine is too, coincidentally. If it hadn't been I would be rather upset over this whole experience. But, I have little to no investment in the car. I have romped since day one and have enjoyed the chassis and drivetrain. Nearly everything else falls short, IMO.

 

That is true! I am glad that the quality is at least marginally better in the coupe.

Back to the Audi I go. They are just rock solid cars (for the duration of the warranty, anyways).

 

Good luck on your next car!

I have all the issues you are having with the car! I have pretty much warped all 4 rims, cracked and replaced 1 rim, and i dont think the tires has much tread left on them. Rattles EVERYWHERE around the car, I had to leave the car at the dealership for 4 weeks in order to have them fix all the rattles. Replacing the rattling COMMAND unit, replacing the factory cracked welds in the trunk, replaced squeaking components in the door panel. Also have had to replace the Alcanatara steering wheel as the alcantara portions had COMPLETELY faded away after 6 months.

The quality on these Mercedes are absolutely horrendous and I won't be shopping for another one any time soon.

 

Great choice on the S5 if going with the Sportback. Looks real good. Seen a few Technik models on the road in Daytona Grey and they looked amazing.

I probably would have been in one if they had landed back in Feb, as I was in back to back S4s before going with the C43.

Hopefully better luck this time around. Bringing my car in Monday to tackle these rattles also.

 

I can’t believe people are still getting these rattles.. mine doesn’t have any rattles at all! In fact it’s the most rattles free car I have ever owned..My previous Audi, BMW, Subaru, Cadillac, all had way more rattles..I have a C43 sedan and am amazed at its build quality so far

 

I bent 3 wheels, some bent multiple times a piece and had 3 tires replaced. Two of the tires could not be balanced and one was replaced due to premature wear. So, I'm right there with you. Ever since going with a rotary forged wheel and normal non-run flat tires I have had no issues. I looked into this and there has been a civil lawsuit since 2006, IIRC going on and off. Not enough substantial evidence, I guess. Still would think MB would try improving the quality of the wheels/source of wheels if that were the case.

Wishing you luck! Thank you.

There will definitely be a range of quality on every individual car. There is a human component in much of the manufacturing process still. I have heard more issues (granted, sample size being the forum so not accurate of the general populous) than people claiming solid build quality, so I'd go as far to say that your car was built on a good day, ha.

 

I just had a C 300 Coupe as a loaner while my wife’s SUV was in for service.
It had over 4K KM’s and not a single rattle.
I even drove on some pretty rough roads just to see what it was like.
No problems.
I would assume this car would be similar to C43 as far as quality of build is concerned.

 

So are you trading the car in or is the lease up?

 

the c300 is a much smoother car, and is not even on par for only ride compfortabity because of not having tight suspension, run flat tires. The c300 also has hydrlic suspension.

 

Unfortunately, I was happy to get rid of my C450 last year too. American build quality is very poor... No issues with the German build coupe though

 

Yeah very crazy how it differs. Both my 2011 and 2016 S4 did not rattle and creak like this, not once. Worst I had was maybe a blown bang and olufsen tweeter on the 2011, as far as interior noise. Got that fixed easily.

I wonder if coupe owners have same sounds (as those are made in Germany?) I'll have to read through the rattle thread again.

 

I think the C43 coupe isn't as bad from a rattling standpoint as the sedan. It's not any worse than a 4 series coupe built in Germany.

Truth be told, every car that I have ever owned that was built stateside was built like absolute turd. Including several luxury cars that have US plants. I don't buy anything that wasn't built in either Germany or Japan for that reason.

 

Like i said before, coupe is rock solid with no rattles. At least mine is...

 

No rattles in my coupe either which is nice considering the huge panoramic sunroof. That was an issue with my previous s5 and that roof didn't even slide open. The complaint I do share with alexusa is that the rims are crap. I've had bent rim issues and even a small crack that was only discovered when I woke up to a flat in the morning...smh.

 

New lighter aftermarket wheels and non run flat tires... changed the driving experience in a positive way. Those run flats are terrible. No major rattles here after initial trip to the dealer.

MY experience I would rate BMW way above Audi in terms of quality. The 2 Audi's I have owned had major oil consumption issues and some interior finishes that don't hold up very well. 2 BMW's were rock solid including my sadly missed M3.
Too early to comment on my C450 just yet. Drive train, paint and interior seem like they will hold up just fine.

 

My coupe is far from rattle free....

 

Sucks you had a bad experience, man. I haven't had an issue and love this car to death. Good luck.

 

Am currently in process of ordering a 2018 C43 coupe. Have heard that the sedans are having quite a bit of build quality issues. (US built vs Germany for coupe?)

Can anyone whose had the coupe for long enough give an opinion of it's overall quality?

Appreciate it.