xraymd

Haven't found the study on line yet, but check this out. E class wins top honors for reliability in Europe in its segment.

http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/dccom...-0-0-0,00.html

http://autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=4429

LeslieRushforth

Build July 2003 20,000 miles first sevice.
Requires two rear shocks AIROMATIC.
I dread to think $1,000 plus may be.
Lucky warrenty.

DWP

Nobody has yet defined "breakdown" in connection with those reports. Does that refer to mechanical problems in general, or specifically to problems that leave you stranded by the side of the road? The latter is the usual meaning of "breakdown" in the US. The problem may be a bad translation from the German. If somebody who knows German could locate the source materials, the mystery might be solved. Or not.

xraymd

I was wondering the same thing, but haven't found the original source. It has to be here somewhere.

http://www.adac.de/Default.asp?TL=2

LeslieRushforth

How do you want to interprut the word (reliability) ?
1. THe car just stops dead
2.Wan,t start.
3.Misfires runs lumpy
4.Raltles and bangs.


Any way......I love the car.
Previous I had te W210 (no problems 20,000 miles) traded for w211... 18 months ago.

After 1 week I took the car back to be checked over.
I complaind that the car was like being in a sail boat in mid Atlantic in huricane(THE CAR JUST ROCKED FROM SIDE TO SIDE).

The technician told me that there was nothing wrong.
Any way I managed to pick up a thread on the English MB forum with a guy with same problem.

I took it back to the shop again and they fited a new control unit foir the AIRAMATIC SUSPENSION.

NO DAM DIFFERENCE.

Two weeks ago I went to another workshop and asked the head technician on how to hard wire a radar detector.
He spent ten minutes explaining how to do the job and was very very helpfull.

For his information and courtisy I gave him £10 about 20 bucks and told him about the problem ROCK AND ROLL.

One hour later he phoned me back and told me that both rear shocks were
F****D.

This is the only problem I have had since owning the car after eighteen months 20,000 miles.

I will keep you all posted about the repair.

BACK TO RELIABILITY.

WELL A £43,000 or $70,000 car with a name of MERCEDES BENZ can,t make shockers that don,t leak proberbly from day one on buying the car THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG.

I just hope that MB....DON,T make landing gear for aircraft.

Going back to ROLLS ROYCE I own a 1930 20/25 LIMO and still can stand a nickle on the the rocker cover without it falling after seventy years and no engine rebuilds (original) 90,000 miles.

GET IT RIGHT MERCEDES ( NO LONGER)...............CRYSLER may be.


Les in Chesterfield U.K.

SAguirre

If I can think of it and get to it I will read up on the ADAC site and see what they say constitutes a breakdown.

Unfortunately, I personally think that the ADAC is notorious for being bought. They always raved about Continental tires and when you turn the page, there is a full page add for Continental tires. I think that the ADAC has some serious conflicts of interest in some of their reviews.

I am personally happy with my Mercedes' performance and reliability. In 8,500 miles I had a small axle ring seal leak that I caught right away and a driver's power lock that bounced as if it was possessed. I still expect a few more things to break down, but nothing that would leave me stranded. I love my Mercedes and I still plan to buy many more in the future.

Steve

LeslieRushforth

Going back to tyres.
My previous w210 had continentals all four tyres 1/2 + a little worn at 20,000 miles.

I have replaced the rears on the w211 after 13,000 miles with TOYOS and seem to be wearing much better than the conti,s without any loss in handling.
The front tyres are about 2/3 worn 20,000 miles.

No difference in driving habits in the two cars.

ruykava

hmm, never had a breakdown in my E240 or S350, that's true. previous w124 E220 gave me its first breakdown (i.e. stop at traffic light, engine just stalled) when it was about 7 years old, so we shall see how long this one lasts :P

Dvinn

Going up is the only way Mercedes will go. The new ML is now rock solid and getting rave reviews in the magazines, CLS is a hit and the E is a classic. No doubt next year the new S and C class will follow the same steps.

MB Fanatic

Never had any major problems that have left me stranded in the E or S in the few years that I have owned Mercedes products with the W210 being the first. My W211 E55 and E350 have been trouble free. I had a few recalls on the cars but in todays day and age of electronic gizmos, which car doesn't? My Acura had a recall on it for the transmission and it was fixed. The Odyssey has had its share of TSB's as well.

I think Mercedes is doing a great job of keep problems to an all time minimal when they are at the forefront of techonological advances such as Keyless GO, SBC, ABC, transmissions, safety features like Pre-SAFE, curve illumination, and so forth. I don't see other companies inventing technology like Mercedes so they arent faced with the problems Mercedes is and I think people need to realize that.

PHYBENZ

That reliability test is I beleive strictly for breakdowns which leave you starnded with the car, and doesn't take into consideration electronic glitches which is the primary problem with MB's these days.