Brian McL

Have a look at "My Rusty Mercedes". This is a 1997 W210 / E320 with 170000 Kil. on it. Always babied. Just unbelievable for a Mercedes.......I have been trying to get this issue dealt with by Mercedes for MONTHS. Nothing but a run around. The .tiff's have notes attached, but you may need Photoshop to open them. I removed the front bumber and the headlights. There is even rust UNDER the sound deadening on the hood and inside the trunk on INSIDE panels not even close to the outside. Just awful!!! It will make you sick!! How could they let the quality slip so much? ftp://secondnature.homeip.net/

MBE55AMG

You know, I could've sworn I saw posts concerning the rust issue on past W210s. Maybe that's what happening in your case. As far as I can remember, the only thing I can blame is improper fitment of insulation or something of that nature. I'm sorry to hear about your problem. Hope it is fixed.

JLLG

What steps have you taken for getting this addressed by MB? I too have a 97 E320 with 140k Miles (2nd owner). I have in rust several places as well. I have not looked as much as you have but I am sure I too have similar rust. I know it is under all the door seals (improper tool usage during seal install at the factory, documented in the WIS), both front quarter panels near head lamps, hood around air intake, trunk. This rust just makes me sick. I plan on documenting the rust with photos as you did and send letters to dealers and MBUSA.

Brian McL

Well, so far I have just been looking for somebody to listen. I have gone to the dealer who noted the rust and said they would discuss it with the MB rep. That was last November. After 3 months of no action I called the rep. directly, in Feb. He said he would look into it...and as of last Thursday, he hadn't done anything. So, I callled MB to lodge a formal complaint. Guess what....Friday morning the rep is on the phone to my office. I just now got off the phone with him and they have offered me 50% compensation on the cost of repair..."because I am the second owner" How that makes a difference I don't know. So the moral of the story.....persist!!! Keep going up the food chain. This is clearly an issue that MB is aware of and want it to go away. Everybody out there with a rusty W210 (90% of you) need to go to the dealer and insist the rep looks at the car. Know that he is the only person you should talk with and also know that they (MB) will pay at least 50% of the cost of repair, if you are not the original owner!
I haven't agreed to accept 50/50....but at least I have finally got them to discuss this with me.

JLLG

That is great you got them to offer something and not just brush you off. I too do not appreciate the "second owner" argument as I feel it should not make a difference. I will it my best shot pretty soon. My thinking right now without seeing an estimate is that I would probably take a 50% offer. I am curious however what yours would take to fix.

Natalie

Hope it works out. I had a BMW, in a previous life, and they would not touch it unless it was "rust perforation" (warranty code for rusted completely through the metal).

Brian McL

They have offered 50/50 this AM.....but it was like pull'n teeth. So there you go......still a car worth owning....well, maybe not the W210.

zstig

Same problem in my '96. I told the dealer, he called MB. They offered a 60/40 split on price with me only if I replaced the affected sheet metal [doors, deck lid, rear dog legs] to insure it wouldn't come back- at a 3500$ cost to me [thats the 40%]. Looks like I'm driving a rust bucket. I need to save the money for Premium fuel.

JLLG

$3500 That is unbelievable! Wait a minute, MB ducking responsibility - no way Joking aside, that is down right depressing. With the total bill at $8750 and taking some average blue book value, that is 60% + of vehicle's value. I imagine that just repairing rust properly and painting where needed would be less than $3500. Plus, they have got all their profit built into the new sheet metal.

Brian McL

I'm not taking the 50/50 'cause they will only allow it to be done by one or their approved MB bodyshops, which is by far the most expensive quote. So they really aren't helping...it's all smoke and mirrors.

Raymond Lee

Maybe somebody should take a lead for a class action law suit. I would say most of all Mercedes have rust problems. Jack up your car and look under chassis. There you have it all over! I am spraying WD40 to minimize the rust effect. I have cleaned and oiled wherever I could.
Mercedes have to wake up for their own reputaion and loyal customers that supported them so far before they really blow it all.

Raymond
Orange County

Brian McL

Yeah...it sure is a terrible car...no doubt. Just awful!! The only thing you can do is oil it, but use the correct product. Not WD40....it won't penetrate. Use an oil designed for the job like Rust Check or Crown. Not Zeibart.

zstig

I took my ride to 3 shops to get quotes before I took it to the dealer, and all three shops said practically the same thing:
"I've never seen a Mercedes rust out like this. In the past they've gotten an 'E-coat' [?] at the factory to prevent rust long term. Rarely do I have to do rust body work on older MBs."
Seems like the e-coat crew had a few too many steins during lunch at the factory that day/model year.

Air Marshall Eldritch

Where should I look first (the first place it generally shows up)? I never noticed any rust whatsoever, though I'm not in the habit of pulling up coverings or looking underneath.

JLLG

Common rust areas:
-Around trunk locak and infrared receiver (if equipped 96-97 only). There is actually a WIS article on this.

-Under the upper door seals where the seal flaps over the door. Lift these up. There is also a WIS article on this that blames a burr on the in the install tool, which I can believe. When they pushed the seal into the seam, it scrapped all the rust protect off. I fixed my rear doors with rust bullet. Did not mind doing this myself since all this is covered by the seal.

-Front spring perches, turn wheel completely one direction and look where the spring is pushing against on the top. One member stated to be careful just in case it is severly rusted. From what I can tell, I do not see rust on mine.

-Under all the doors bumper (door ding proctector I call it). I have bubbling paint on both rear doors, back part of molding.

-Paint bubbling around the both headlights.

-Paint bubbling around fresh air duct on hood.

We all know this should not be happening this soon. I an understand the door seal caused by the install but when paint bubbles, the surface either was not repaired correctly or bad steel was used. A class action law suit would be nice but usually the affected parties get little benefit.

Brian McL

Here's an update. Yesterday they started to "fix" the rust in the front fenders and removed both front fenders to do so. WOW.....the rust is not just skin deep. It appears that almost every seam on the inner fender has rust between the pieces. There is a section just forward of the main front door pillar that has alot of factory "sealant" spead on it during assembly....the rust is coming out from UNDER it with such force that it is splitting this heavy sealing material. This is on both sides and in an area were outside water has no access. This can only be from poor material and/or workmanship. This car is rusting from the inside out. Those of us who purchase used and supported the re-sale market for so long have been suckered into buying what has to be the worst car MB ever made.

michakaveli

I am curious if your MB has been through something before you got it. Sounds to me like it might have been in a collision and not epoxy primed to prevent rust. Obviously they would re-caulk all the seams, but if the protective anti-rust coatong wasn't re-applied it could explain your extreme case...

Polar Bear

I have a CarFAX account for a few more days if he is interested...

Brian McL

Thanks for the offer...but this car has never been hit or had any body work done. It's just the car...a W210. I was just outside talking with a neighbor when a E320 W210 drove by and their was rust under the right headlight and a big rusty sore on the bottom of the front passenger door. This I saw as the car was driving by....imagine what we would find if the car had stopped!

E430_4MATIC

Do the rusted out areas you describe in any way compromise the structural safety of W210 vehicles? If so, is this something the National Highway Traffic Safety Admisninstration (NTHSA) should be informed about, forcing a possible recall?

Brian McL

Probably not a safety issue.

BostonC4S

Well I have a 96 E320 and have a rust problem also The dealer can't even change some because the rusted underneath the car is so bad they think they don't want to be responsible for breaking anything. The car has been garaged its entire life and it is rusting everywhere. Mercedes has treated me very poorly on this issue (my 3rd benz) and I won't be buying another.

Brian McL

Post pictures of the rust on your car. If everybody did that then the impact on future MB buyers would be greater. MB doesn't care about you or me as individuals....but if lots of individuals start posting their real life personal experience with the product or commenting on forums then futures buyers might not be as likely to disregard the comments of one person as "disgruntled". As a buyer of a previously owned MB YOU are the one who supports the decision making process of the NEW buyers...because traditionally the re-sale was so high....well not any more. It is a reputation that takes decades to build and a couple of years to destroy. And we are not alone in witnessing the demise of the reliable / desirable MB. Consumer reports show the trend down quite clearly. The company has changed....next they will start making them in Mexico....just watch! The best thing for you to do is treat MB the same way they treat you, with indifference and find another product you can shift your passion to.....and that will probably be Japanese.......hard for me to say that but friends of mine who drive Lexus / Infinity sound like I did years ago when I talked about the quality of MB and convinced both family and friends to buy one.."you won't be sorry.." and they weren't. Well my tune has changed and I let everyone know what a piece of garbage this car really is. I am embarrassed to show the car. I have 2 and will be rid of W210 by months end. The W124 I will keep 'cause it is a great car. I am now looking for a good clean '95 E320 W124. Failing that I will probably buy a G35.

X72

Brian McL, I was making the same point you just made but on the W211 board in this thread
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w211/103341-recall-all-cars.html
Another great thread I read was on the other Mercedes board by a poster named NordStern
http://www.mbnz.org/forums/forums/th...osts=21&fid=44

I have had a lot of problems, but they were just about all taken care of under warranty. I am keeping the car for now; I am willing to take the risk since it seems to be doing well for now. Also, my car does not seem to be having the problems associated with the newest recall.

My W211 reminds me of a 1985 Audi 5000 turbo I had. The Audi drove wonderfully too, but it broke often.

All car makes have problems; just look at the Lexus boards and you will see transmission hesitation issues (we have two Lexus ES cars that have a mild form of this) and oil sludge issues. My sister has an IS 300 Sportcross, and that car has had alignment issues and tire cupping problems.

It is just that when you look at the overall population, the Japanese cars, particularly Toyota and the 3 Japanese luxury brands, have fewer issues and break less often than the European makes in general.

These recalls and increased warranty claims at MB are wiping out the profits for the Mercedes part of Daimler Chrysler. Meanwhile, Toyota is earning record profits. Who do you think is going to be able to invest more and improve their product at a greater pace?

Wishing you the best, Brain McL

William
2003 E 320

zstig

Outside of MB who seems completely absent on this or buying new sheetmetal, anyone have any luck trying to stem the tide of exterior rust by themselves? I know rust is pretty much a terminal thing, but my deck lid is becoming an eyesore.

Hear that? It's my resale value falling through the floor.