[QUOTE=sklasse;1754343]take it easy , Harley. it was a joke....just answering the guys thread. [QUOTE]

What has this thread come to. I don't know this sklasse person and I am very new here on the forum but all this sh.. talk is not necessary. I'm sure not everyone on this forum are as rich as the others and there is nothing wrong with waiting for a car to fall below what you can afford. That would be smart IMO. I am definitely not rich but just have the desire for quality automobiles. This is my first luxury car that I purchased new only because I couldn't pass up an offer I made the dealer for the 2006 E350. I do not have much clout here since I am fairly new to Mercedes or any luxury cars so I don't expect much respect from more experienced owners, but all this sh.. talk has to end. If you don't like what one person writes, just go on and the thread will continue to not be derailed with nonsense.

 

Well I own one, and I agree with Rock. I have an '04 E320 w/ appearance and premium packages, and keyless go. 37000 miles (i.e., barely out of warranty). It's a P.O.S., plain and simple.

Starting with the static problem everyone had in '04, then engine shutting off while slowing down (no resolution, waiting for this one to kill me at an intersection), turn signal indicators failed twice, battery drains for no reason, CD's won't eject (then they will), Radio won't turn on (then it will), radio turning itself on after I've turned off, exited and locked the car, auto-locked out of the car with engine running, and the last straw, the cupholder stopped working.

Totally bummed about my MB ownership experience. Definitely my last. Easily the best interior comfort and design imaginable, beautiful exterior, smooth ride, but the quality is unacceptable. Not sure what I'm going to buy next, but I'm counting the days until I'm out of this one in March 2007. Peeved that I have to pay to fix everything that breaks until then.

My dealer has already started calling about lease end. They won't have me as a customer unless they have a used non-Benz on the lot, like a pre-Bangle BMW 530 maybe. Thinking my next car will be cheaper, since none of the $40k+ luxury sedans appeal to me. I will research Audi and the BMW 330 sedan, otherwise I'll pick up a Passat for peanuts until the luxury brands get their act together. If it's going to stay in the shop, at least I won't have paid so much.

 

My first "premium" car was a new 2003.5 BMW M3 convertible with everything. I spent 6 weeks total in the shop in the first 6 months of ownership. 2 weeks were spent one time and after multiple "computer downloads to New Jersey" they still had no idea why the car would not start. Total of 8 different problems in that 6 months, including soft top getting stuck mid-closure with approaching thunderstorm.

I traded the car in for a 2004 Lexus SC430 Pebble Beach edition. Total number of problems in 2.5 years of ownership: zero.

I bought my MB E500 3 months ago (2004 with most every option, but only 12K miles) and have been in the shop 4 times. Problems include leak in Airmatic hose (10 days and 2 visits to find the problem), sunroof doesn't work and Trunk Open indicator on inappropriately.

One thing to point out: My Lexus is not "uncomplicated". It has all the options including a super-premium sound system (if you haven't heard the Mark Levinson system in these cars, it is simply amazing), a retractable hard top (major hydraulics), navigation, 6 CD in-dash changer etc..

So, is it a question of German vs Japanese; options vs. no-options. I'm not going to make a sweeping generalization. However, if I were to buy a new car now for the price of a new E it would be a Lexus GS430 or LS460. The looks of the new Lexi are much improved and the reliability is next to nothing.

A favorite quote of mine from a Lexus forum is: "Reliability is the ultimate luxury".

 

I can only speak to my expereince with my wifes 2003 E-500. Twenty-six service visits in 3yrs, from SBC n times to new transmission at 40k miles. This is our third Mercedes. The dealer has been good, extended my warranty, loaner everytime etc...it's funny, my wife's friend's joke about how many different Mercedes shes drives because they see her so frequently in one. However, in spite of the good dealer service Mercedes can;t give us back is our time spent with these problems and our trust has been permanently eroded in this car.

I couldn't agree more, 'reliability is the ultimate luxury" when you time is valuable. My wife has a deposit on a new LS460 coming out later this year. Hopefully she'll have a better experience.

 

I was more than happy to get rid of my E after the lease was up. In fact, I ended the lease early with a slight monetary hit (the pricing was very good for the ML for me at the time). While my problems never left me stranded, they were annoying, and are documented on this site.

Let's see. Multiple fluid leaks. SBC recall issues. Climate control issues (I couldn't change the rear climate for fear of it blowing out hot air with the AC on). COMAND issues on many occassions (the usual, not turning on, static). Steering issues. At 40,000 miles, the car just didn't feel "right". While I had purchased the extended warranty because I originally thought I may be over mileage, I didn't want to have to deal with issues anymore.

Outside of reliability, the substandard stereo and climate control were also dissapointing. In the end, driving the car became a very frustrating experience. Too many quirks to enjoy the car anymore.

I've had the ML since the end of June, and it has been a much better experience for me. Instead of the usual list that I'd have to create before I took the car in for service, so far I'll be able to just say whatever FSS tells me, plus some rattles.

 

well said...

 

I keep hearind this SBC issues , ..it sucks that a critical thing as brakes has so many issues, that just scary.

 

I know there is always a tendency to focus on the negative. I do believe the problems reported are real with the MB vehicles. However my wife drives an E500 and exclusive of a heater water valve failure the car has been reliable and she loves the car. The dealer service is "good" given some small issues and pricing. So not all the MB cars have major issues. They are many being driven reliably. But consider all car makers have quality issues. I owned 4 Lincolns and one was clearly a "hanger queen ". It always wanted to break and drive itself to the dealer. Finally sold it bought another Lincoln that was "the most reliable car I ever owned". Then traded for the E500 because the wife wanted something smaller. The E500 is a great car but she said, "$1000+ for each service and oil change is too much" Next car will be something else.
Now I will start my own oil change and service at the next service and we will see how that goes. She might change her mind or go for something else.
My brother owned a Cadillac with headlights falling off under warranty and the dealer told him "they all do that" and would not warranty. In summary you can always get a lemon in any lineup. So consider 100000 produced and .02% being a lemon. That means there will be 20 Dogs / Lemons on the road. Best of luck on your MB 's and your future choices. Jim

 

I can understand why someone would turn to another model or another maker because of several reported incidents of sbc failures. I'm a new owner so I have not had any problems "yet". I'm hoping I didn't receive one that would eventually have any at all. I'm not on anyone's side here but just giving my opinion. If I knew about these problems before purchasing my w211, maybe I would have waited for the 2007 models. Oh well, I guess you'll see me on the "SBC problems" thread if it happens and I'm still alive to post.

 

I haven't seen any posts of someone even hitting anything due to an SBC failure, much less being killed. The damage done to this point seems to be scaring the hell out of the driver and causing a loss of faith in the safety of the car. This is too bad, since Mercedes-Benz has had a reputation as one of the safest cars on the road for as long as I can remember.

 

Very true. I will continue to believe it until I experience the problems for myself. That's what all forums do to the vehicle in question, makes drivers aware of possible problems so they would know what to do when it happens. I pay very close attention to the SBC on mine just to make sure it continues to work. Very well so far.

 

i bought the car from house of imports. they have always been pretty good as long as i make the call before taking the car there so i have an appointment and set up the rental car beforehand. when i took the car there, the service guy was rude. he said "sorry, we don't take cars without appointments on saturdays" and then i said "but i do have an appointment" so he was ready to help me out. he also said "no, we can't do a rental car" so i said "but i already had it set up for me before i got here" so he said "oh ok" and then got one set up.

the finance guy at H of I was trying to pressure me into an extended warranty that wasn't even by the factory (it was a third party) but he kept saying it was from mercedes. when i asked him why the paperwork that he's showing me is from a third party he tried to change the subject.

the worst is south bay mercedes. the one in torrance wouldn't even talk to me when i was looking to buy the car. the one in manhattan beach is the one who lied in the paperwork and lied to my face. they said that i approved of their estimate so they fixed the car when they never even called me back when i was asking if an estimate was ready.

don't get me wrong...it wasn't all bad but the service to me has been mediocre at best and terrible at worst.

i'm saying this...if the margins are so low that the dealerships can't afford to have good service, then the MB should mark up the cars that much more. most people who buy an E class or S class don't care about paying another $2k or even $5k for their cars. MB should just charge that much more across the board and ensure better service.

i'm not saying that BMW or any other dealership is going to have better service but i just don't feel like getting another benz.

 

i originally bought this car (not leased) because my friend has an old 1986 300E that is still going strong after 250k miles. it doesn't look all that great and the cushions on the seats are worn a bit and the leather is worn a bit here and there but he says it's still ROCK solid. i bought this car expecting to have it and drive it 10 years from now.

with the SBC problem that scared the hell out of me and the random issues (brakes needed to be replaced at 15k miles...i've never had that happen before) that have come up, i don't think this car will last another 5 years let alone another 8. the engine hasn't died on me yet but there have been times when i stop at a red light and the engine starts to sputter a bit like it's about to die out on me.

it's just not reliable enough for me.

as far as options go...i have a lot of them. panorama sunroof, xenon, headlight washers, heated seats, cd changer, navigation (COMAND), keyless go, etc. i think i got almost everything except for the sport package.

i'm leaning towards a BMW 750i to replace this car. i know it's more expensive but it's much cheaper than an S500 and i don't want another benz...my wife will also veto any future benz purchase.

Rock.

 

After owning the 750li for a while now I can tell you that it has its share of problems. We also have an S550 and an S600 to which this date they have not had any problems. Only time the cars have seen the dealer is for regular service.

If I were to pick a car blindly today, I would take the S550 over the 7 in a heartbeat.

 

i've actually decided that i'm going to lease my next car. i bought a toyota sequoia last year and so far it's been rock solid. i think with all of the technology that is in these higher end luxury cars, leasing is the best way to go. the car might have some little quirks here and there but 2 or 3 years later i give it back to the dealer and forget about it.

RVD.