Why MB should hire Japanese engineers/suppliers for their electrical systems
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 234
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2006 E320 CDI
Why MB should hire Japanese engineers/suppliers for their electrical systems
Re: 2006 Mercedes E320 CDI purchased as a Certified from a MB dealer in 2008 with 18,000 miles on it.
The car now has 42,000 miles on it.
Pluses: smooth ride, very good mileage (averaging ~ 29 mpg in mixed city/highway), good handling, solid cabin with no rattles. Mercedes fake leather is a good and durable seat covering.
Negatives (from minor to major):
The gps on the car is totally useless. Our city is over 100 years old and the maps do not even show the major roads that have been there for half a century or more. Useless junk.
In less than 30,000 miles the flimsy fabric that MB used on the lower B-pillar wore through and looks like hell. What possessed MB to choose a flimsy cloth to cover an area that comes into contact with any driver over 5'10" tall whenever they enter/leave the car is beyond rational discussion. It was idiotic. The fake MB leather or just plastic would have been the rational choice.
At about 38,000 miles the alternator failed ($1100 to replace with a rebuilt one). I have never, ever had an alternator fail with cars owned up to 115,000 miles and 20 years. MB does not know how to build an alternator.
At about 39,000 miles the #1 cylinder glow plug failed with a replacement estimate of $200. I did it myself for the cost of the glow plug, ~$30.
At 43,000 I am getting the dreaded ESP failure message and my $150 code reader says that the steering angle sensor is bad. The MB repair estimate is about $1,500. Asked about getting MB to chip in due to the low miles on the car and was told "no" because I don't had a service history with the dealer (I do my own regular maintenance and they are 60 miles away, anyway).
It is pretty obvious MB engineers are overly ambitious in designing electrical systems that they cannot build reliably. No Japanese car (or even the two BMW's I've owned) has ever had any electrical system problems. At all. The MB is a nightmare at just 40,000 miles.
Sorry. had to vent.
No more Mercs for me.
The car now has 42,000 miles on it.
Pluses: smooth ride, very good mileage (averaging ~ 29 mpg in mixed city/highway), good handling, solid cabin with no rattles. Mercedes fake leather is a good and durable seat covering.
Negatives (from minor to major):
The gps on the car is totally useless. Our city is over 100 years old and the maps do not even show the major roads that have been there for half a century or more. Useless junk.
In less than 30,000 miles the flimsy fabric that MB used on the lower B-pillar wore through and looks like hell. What possessed MB to choose a flimsy cloth to cover an area that comes into contact with any driver over 5'10" tall whenever they enter/leave the car is beyond rational discussion. It was idiotic. The fake MB leather or just plastic would have been the rational choice.
At about 38,000 miles the alternator failed ($1100 to replace with a rebuilt one). I have never, ever had an alternator fail with cars owned up to 115,000 miles and 20 years. MB does not know how to build an alternator.
At about 39,000 miles the #1 cylinder glow plug failed with a replacement estimate of $200. I did it myself for the cost of the glow plug, ~$30.
At 43,000 I am getting the dreaded ESP failure message and my $150 code reader says that the steering angle sensor is bad. The MB repair estimate is about $1,500. Asked about getting MB to chip in due to the low miles on the car and was told "no" because I don't had a service history with the dealer (I do my own regular maintenance and they are 60 miles away, anyway).
It is pretty obvious MB engineers are overly ambitious in designing electrical systems that they cannot build reliably. No Japanese car (or even the two BMW's I've owned) has ever had any electrical system problems. At all. The MB is a nightmare at just 40,000 miles.
Sorry. had to vent.
No more Mercs for me.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,224
Likes: 1,798
From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Some things might be bad luck, some just the way you use them.
My lower pillar looks new after 170,000 miles.
What broke on alternator? Even VR for them are not cheap, it is still about $60 and less than 1 hr.
With hundreds of sensors on those cars, you will have some of them fail sooner or later.
Than you already figure out, that cars without sensors don't break
My lower pillar looks new after 170,000 miles.
What broke on alternator? Even VR for them are not cheap, it is still about $60 and less than 1 hr.
With hundreds of sensors on those cars, you will have some of them fail sooner or later.
Than you already figure out, that cars without sensors don't break
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 6,190
Likes: 1,549
From: MA
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
So what did you do about the steering angle sensor? I need this on my car and I will attempt to order one and have my indy put it in. Doesn't seem too bad, there's a youtube video about it.
