4Gosselin

Yes I was thinking about doing the AWE, but don't have model out for 2019 yet. Other cars I'd consider are an M2, not quite a practical or the M240i. Sounds good and more of a drivers car. Just feels a bit small, but driving experience is solid.

gkjupiter

Eric, I just bought a brand new 2021 AMG C43 and I am having the exact same vibration problem at 110 to 130 KPH - only 2000 miles on the car. I Googled the problem and found your posts - shocked that my problem was exactly the same as you described and at exactly the same speed. I couldn't believe a car like this would pass QC with such a problem. After reading your post, I know for a fact it's the driveshaft. I brought it to Mercedes, explained the problem, printed out multiple MBworld posts for them review and hopefully to save time. I've tested the car with no less than 3 technicians to confirm the vibration at my local dealership. All of them agree, it's not the tires. Of course they have to go through their warranty and test procedures to perform any warranty work. I know you got yours fixed. Would you be able to share the dealership information with me? I was hoping that I might be able to have my dealer call the one that fixed yours to confirm and expedite the repair. Any help or advice would be very much appreciated.

W205C43PFL

Sorry to hear that you are facing this issue, I wish you all the best in getting it fixed especially how the car is so new. Personally I been through many visits to the dealership and still not fixed. Although I do have the PFL one.
Whether yours ended up being fixed or not, please keep us updated.

gabe.m

2017 C43, with the following not rectified by the dealer:
- passenger seat headrest rattling at 70+mph
- squeaks/rattles from a couple of other spots

Got a 2014 Q50s - amazing car, no squeaks, no rattles, stiff and sporty! Got a Mustang, had a 328, got a SantaFe, had a Mazda3, Focus, Jetta,... NONE rattling and squeaking to his extent! Love the car, I will tune it and keep it, rattles are absolutely driving me insane!
I am amazed how the C43 had rattles and squeaks from the first day, some of them fixed, some of them not. It feels like it falls apart while driving on non-smooth roads - rattles from too many points for a Mercedes!!! Custom ordered car, thank you MB.

Car drives well otherwise, just the annoying rattles! Let me know what I need to do to get rid of them, they really take the fun out of driving this car!!!

W205C43PFL

1. For the headrest just fix it yourself don't waste your time at the dealership. Fixed mine by following this guide https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ml#post7840622
2. For the other squeaks and rattles, it is a Mercedes characteristic, along with the headlight condensation. The band-aid solution would be to apply felt tape but then you need to take apart the trim pieces so you need to decide if it is worth your time.

gabe.m

Thanks, mate! I will follow the thread see if I can get it figured out, seems helpful!

W205C43PFL

No worries at all. Hopefully it will be actually helpful. It worked for me so it should work for you. Keep me posted!
Edit:
One thing different is that you need to be careful with the wires since our C43 cars have an electric adjustable passenger headrest (if you live in North America that it is standard) Although it might also had been an option for C300 as well I'm not sure (anyways not like that matters to us since we have the C43). The person who wrote that if I remembered correctly seems to have the manually adjustable headrest so no wires to deal with. I did the fix a year ago so I can't remember the details.

Art Paterson

I’m having a vibration as well in 2019 c43 at 70mph+. Seems to be causing issues with tires. In January I had 3 slipped belts in 6 month old tires and vibration came right back, brought to dealer, two more new tires in April. The foreman test drove after new tires and confirmed the vibration still there. Said Mercedes instructed him to test drive other C43s and after he did, said the vibration is normal?! It definitely does not feel normal and actually feels unsafe. Not sure why they continue to focus solely on the tires, and not look deeper, but patience is running thin

W205C43PFL

It is common. Might as well call it a characteristic of our cars. Most if not everyone of us that has a C43 has this issue I mean characteristic, if you think of it as a characteristic and something that distinguish your car from the base C-Class, you will be happier : )

W205C43PFL

That being said, if it bothers you (which it did for me until I decided it wasn't worth my time) You could go to another dealership and see if they say it is normal. If they agree it isn't normal, then you can suggest them to look into the driveshaft, the fix is a rebalance of the driveshaft from AMG or most likely full replacement. That alone is a hit or miss though because a lot of replacements are still off balance.
I wish you good luck and get it fixed, please update us when it is, will be happy to know : )

gkjupiter

Art,

I feel for you. don't give up!! Mine is fixed and it's NOT normal for ANY MERCEDES to make this type of resonating vibration. It's not the tires nor is it a bearing. I did my research and purchased a tool for my iPhone to measure the vibration and corroborate exactly what I felt and heard. I didn't bother F'ing around with my advisor or the shop foreman when they said it was "normal" and they would not authorize the fix. I took my problem to the top of the food chain, the general manager. I politely made it clear that it would be in his best interest to represent the brand and get me whoever was above his head to get the problem resolved. He summoned 2 corporate techs from MB corporate. I insisted they ride with me and my measurement tool. It took them 15 minutes to unanimously confirm the drive shaft vibration that I felt. The 2 techs from MB corporate personally fixed the problem by rebalancing the driveshaft. I now love the car. Mine was a 2021 C43. I've got a big chain of emails i can share with you if you'd like. let me know if you want to chat by phone for more information. Regards, Greg.

W205C43PFL

Hi Greg,

I hope you don't mind me replying despite not being the target person for your message. I also want to get mines fixed. I was surprised when you mentioned you had a 2021 C43, that is literally the end of the 205 generation and they still had that issue which is surreal.

Here is how the journey all started:

My car is a pre-facelift and it started when I notice the differential whining noise at speeds of 80km/hr (approx 50 miles/hr), (this is caused by the rear differential though, which is another issue that still occurs on the facelift C43) and then subsequently the pulsing vibration which other forum members described as entering a construction zone and immediately driving on smooth pavement area and ... repeat. You guys have the lemon law, I think that plays a key role in solving this issue. In Canada, we don't have that, I've been to several dealerships to no avail, they all say it was normal. What is more frustrating is that they start to break things like denting my car door and scratching the trim pieces inside my vehicle (so basically break more than they fix when I bring the vehicle in) to the point that I decided it is no longer worth my time. I unfortunately don't have a footage of my car before the visit (which taught me to take pictures and videos from now on before handing the keys to the service advisor)

Anyways, so the first thing they obviously blamed the tires then they assumed the wheels were bent, finally they said it is normal. Main problem is, they have "evidence" that it is normal because they can test it on vehicles on the lot which unfortunately also have this issue right out of factory. They had new and used inventory of both facelift and pre-facelift from various model years and body styles for the test. A lot of members on this forum got their driveshaft swapped but it turns out it was just off-balance. It is very difficult to get them to admit it is not normal in the first place and now the replacement itself is defective (well... off-balanced). Now they have an argument that it is most definitely "normal" because they replaced it with a new part and it still exhibits those symptoms.

I already escalated to MB Canada and MB Germany via a TIPS case to no avail. Prior to that, I did what you did, took it to the shop foreman (they say it is normal) then service manager (say it is normal), then general manager (say it is normal) They agreed to have a regional service manager to check out the car (say it is normal as well). I drove to downtown Toronto where the MB Canada head office is, and as you guessed it (say it is normal).. and yes I was more than being polite when talking to everyone, in fact I think I was too nice that they decided I can be easily brushed away. They all rode the vehicle with me once when I was driving and once when they were driving. The road test was on the highway during non congested hours (otherwise they will just blame the roads of downtown Toronto) All that time spent (over a year and almost a half) dealing with this and resulting in cancelled/rescheduled client appointments at work with no positive result was certainly discouraging.

I would love to see the emails you sent, if you don't mind posting here or private messaging me. That will be awesome. Thanks in advance.

I am not trying to discourage anyone to follow your advice Greg, I too wished everyone else's car is fixed too even if I don't get mines fixed. I just want to share the experience and I believe you were lucky enough to have people at the dealership and from head office who cares (or pretends to at least) to have your issue solved. I also very much appreciate that you share your experience here on the forum and I admire your perseverance on this. I am sure your post will help others and I am truly thankful for that.

jhpmbusa

the reason why its considered normal is because the rest of the lineup does it as well. its not only a c43 issue, you will notice it in all of the sedan/coupes whether amg or not. The suvs, you sorta get away with because of the huge tires but ive noticed it in a glc as well.

My e300 was in the shop at least 5 times and nothing came out of it. I believe it was intentionally designed this way in order to provide a more sporty/steering wheel feedback feeling. fortunately, i think because they have received so many complaints that the newer 2021 c class and e class ive recently driven had become more smoother. I think incorporating this vibration into the steering wheel started in the 2018 models to 2020s or right around there. I had a good amount of benzes but only these model years caused me this confusion.

I also do not believe its not a benz issue only, other brands that are considered sportier all have this characteristic as well. Try driving an alfa romeo or bmw and you will recognize the same thing. also not sure where you are from, but i believe it has something to do with the newer roads, whether its the asphalt or cheaper compound/ or process overall. You probably wont notice the vibrations on older roads which haven't been paved recently (or a few years). On the surface the roads look great and looks like they are super smooth, but for some reason it creates a lot of feedback back into the car...

W205C43PFL

Thanks for sharing your observations. Perhaps that is the case but then I don't understand why they need to make an E-Class more sporty as it is supposed to focus purely on luxury (unless it is a coupé like you stated but... speaking of E-Class, I drove a 2019 E450 coupé and do not experience the vibration on the same roads I driven my pfl C43, maybe because I wasn't paying attention enough or the temperature affects it, or maybe it was just the tires. I believe both the cars had run-flat though. Although my C43 has summer tires and the E450 had all-season with a completely different tuned suspension. However, I did experience the same rear differential whining noise as my pfl C43 in the E450 just not as loud. As for the roads, it was not fresh asphalt, and it wasn't a construction zone.

Interesting comment on the other brands, maybe I should test drive other brands and see if I can experience it, that is a good suggestion.

I never driven a SUV, maybe I will ask for a test-drive with a GLC or GLE and see if I can experience it.

PeteC43

I came from a BMW 330i with 19 inch run flats to a C43 with non run flat tyres. the BMW at 110kph was as smooth as a tack. No vibration.
The Merc on the other hand starts to shake the wheel at 100kph. By 120kph its resonating throughout the whole car. Floor, pedals, door trims.....everything.

This is not normal

jhpmbusa

I feel for you. What year is your C43 and are you the first owner? Did you replace to non fun flats? Usually that should help a bit. Seems like your case is a bit more severe if the floor is shaking.

What year was the 330i? i test drove a 2019 330 and a 2020 M340 and both had the slight vibration in the steering. Was your 330i a non x-drive? I believe the vibration on the MB might be related to the 4matic, as an e300 rwd i drove didn't have this issue, but I can't conclude with just with one car.

George_1992

I've just read through this whole topic after being recommended about it by a C43 driver here https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-c63s-...elerating.html

With this sound you guys are describing.......... does it sound like a faint ooo sound? Just like when you blow over the top of a bottle with your lips?

I've had this sound in my car (C63S Coupe) since forever and I hear it at..........

45km/h (27mph)
70 to 75km/h (45mph)
110 to 112km/h (70mph)

Is the faint whine sound you hear more of a "oooo" noise? 🤔🤔🤔

W205C43PFL

Yes, that is exactly the way I would describe the sound I hear. I tried numerous times to record the sound but it is too faint for the mic to pickup but still loud enough to hear to the point that gets annoying.

stockbmw

Is this the pulsaing low rumble on the steering? Ooo .... Ooo ... Ooo ... Etc?

magicve17

Jesus, exactly what I'm experiencing right now, I just purchased a 2019 CLS AMG 53 with 13k miles on it, the second day I drove it on a quiet road I noticed this kind of pulsing sound.

Exactlly like Ooo...Ooo...Ooo..., and the frequency is related to speed.

I tested in different scenarios and finally found out that the pulsing cycling noise is most noticeable under this circumstance:
1. Speed above 40 mph
2. Slightly turn left(left curve)
3. let the car coast(release the gas pedal)
4. downhill road.

Those 4 combined make the pulsing noise worst. I can feel some vibration going on with those pulsing noise. Sometimes, I feel like when I turn back the steer, the noise disappears for a while.

Anyone here with other cars have this kind of experience? Dealer also couldn't find out what is going on and, this is the third time I dropped the car at dealer...can't believe.

Should I suggest the dealer to start from driveshaft? It seems people here didn't mention "slightly left turn" makes the noise most noticeable, maybe it's different issue? I'm so frustrated.

magicve17

Is it constant or more like "Ooo....Ooo...Ooo", and the frequency of the pulsing noise is related to speed.
When I accelerate the car to 60mph, and then let the car coast, the "Ooo..." interval becomes shorter and shorter since speed also reduces gradually.
And the noise is most noticeable under those conditions combined:
1. slightly turn left
2. above 40mph
3. coasting
4. downhill road

BTW, I just purchased a 2019 CLS AMG53, the noise drives me crazy, and I already took the car to the dealer 3 times. So frustrated.

BoyGeezy

So I'm currently waiting on a driveshaft from Germany for my 17 sedan. Been on order for over a month. Getting the work done at a local euro shop here in Alabama. Mechanic almost immediately thought it was driveshaft based on his experience Replaced bent/warped wheels and still have a harmonic vibration, though not as bad with new wheels. Might get an ETA on the driveshaft today. Will update with more info

magicve17

I'm going through bent wheel repair-tire replacement- the same process....and the "harmonic vibration" isn't getting any better. Looking forward to ur update!

PeteC43

Apologies for the late reply. The 330 was a 2015. When car hunting recently we did test drive the new generation 330 and 340. No vibration.
i have friends with current generation M2's, M3's, E63's, Audi S4.... None have any vibration.

the C43 is a 2017, which we bought earlier this year. We just had it at the dealer for a few warranty issues, including the vibration. They rebalanced the wheels, and pointed out that there were slight buckles in both front wheels and that replacing the wheels should rectify the issue.
Mind you, this is a car that we bought from said dealer, and we've barely done 1500 miles since buying it, so the wheels would've had the supposed buckles when it was sold.

The vibration is not keeping me up at night, though it is quite annoying in a car of this caliber. To see some comments here pointing out the same issue in new cars is even more disappointing.

i can understand maybe something like a fire breathing supercar having some sort of feedback through the wheel being considered as "normal". Not a luxury saloon

speedlaw

2019 Sedan. I have what I call the 70 mph resonance, which is gone at 60 or 80. It isn't as bad as the others described, just a slight vibration in the steering wheel. It has existed with the OE runflats, a set of Michelins, and is same with a set of BBS wheels and Continentals...so it isn't wheel or tire. It appears to be a multiple or divisor of the driveline speed, it isn't engine related, rpm related, or other...more apparent when cruising gently, less so when loaded. Car is smooth as glass everywhere else....around town, 50 mph, or at Warp on the interstate. Just a slight resonance you feel in the wheel at 70 mph....no sounds...


I'm taking the car in for 70,000 mile service (Trans oil, diff oil, spark plugs-I own the car) and will mention it then. I have the 100k warranty. Anticipate them blaming my tires/wheels, which are new out of box, so not bent yet.....

It's not a wheels issue.