MCF

How come there are gaps in my rear bumper....how come my hood doesn't like up evening....how come I have a dash rattle that has been to the dealer FIVE times now and they still can't fix it??

BECAUSE MB cut quality when they made the W212 to reduce price. Last year someone posted about the poor quality of these cars and I replied what do you expect when the reduce the price...things have to go. AND STUPID me I still bought one. I believe that the W212 is one of the lowest quality cars I have ever owned and that is comparing to Chevy Tahoes and even a Pontiac Trans Am...hehehe. I would take that bright red Trans Am with T-tops any day over this overpriced POS MB. Even if they do ever get my problem solved I will NEVER EVER own another overpriced cheaply made MB. The happiest day of ownership on this car will be the day after I sell it. My car has spent over 25 days at the dealer - that is a full car payment, some more depreciation and just that much closer to my next service interval. I hope next time I buy a car I folow my instinct and stay Japanese - Lexus RX350 or Infiniti FX would have been sooo much better than this POS. Rant over....

Texas993

Sell it and move on. Too bad there are no more Pontiacs for you to drive. I like both of my MBs.

ngerstman

Sorry you have had issues that make you feel that way. My 2011 e550 is eight months old with 9,000 miles and I have no particular complaints. Still feels solid, with no rattles or any warranty issues. Hope it stays that way. Regards. Ned.

220S

They did do some cost cutting, but so did most manufacturers recently. Not that it's an excuse.

Overall I think the new cars are decent albeit still a bit overpriced (add x number of dollars for the three pointed star.)

Whether the W212 is a better product than previously won't really be known until a few more years from now. But they seem to be doing okay so far. Even my 2009 W211 has been fine and with no issues at all for the past 2 years and 25k miles. And I'm happy with its build quality. Although a parking sensor went belly up. But I think it failed because a rock smacked it (it had an obvious paint chip on it.)

SolidGranite

Careful what you wish for. I had a 2008 GS350 and I couldn't wait to get rid of that squeaky rattle trap piece of sh*t car. Yes MB cut a lot of corners when they lowered the price on the W212 but I wouldn't call it a pos either. I think the facelift for the 2014 model year will do wonders for it.

MCF

Most of my post was ranting because this freakin dash rattle (which I recorded on my iphone this morning and it actually almost sounds like an 'arcing sound') because it is now causing my wife and I to argue about a stupid car and she is literally within days of having a baby. I am SICK and TIRED of taking the car to the dealership (forcing me to go into work late) for them to keep it for three days to put 'felt' in one place or another. In addition to this problem, the CD changer rattles unless it is full of disks and there is a click sound every 3-4 minutes from behind the AC controls. But I am not saying anything about this as they are 'tolerable' where as the driver side dash rattle (or whatever the F*K it is) really pi**es me off. I have NEVER been so disappointed with a purchase in my life! Even if they do fix this problem (which I will bet anything they won't but will probably keep shoving sh*t into the dash to mute it to a tolerable level) I will keep the car but will NEVER buy another MB. The quality just sux - what kind of $60K car doesn't even have a housing over the electrical cables going to the seatbelts - just look down between your seat and the center console and you can clearly see the electrical wire. I have yet to have a SINGLE person get in the car and be really impressed with the quality.

hyperion667

mcf: could it be you're feeling stressed about you and you wife giving birth?
been there man! it will be okay hopefully!! you're going to be a Dad! relax about this stuff man! these are nothing compared to bringing in a new life!

take a breather.......dive another car for a few days if you can, let your Benz rest....
bring the new life into the world and have your babymoon! when things settle down come back to the car and continue to drive.....

just sounds like you're over stressed and need to take it easy; which is understandable
given that you all are days away and there is a lot of pressure, I know!

hang in there cousin

ngerstman

There is no question that $60,000 doesn't buy what it used to!! I still feel that you are getting a pretty well built car for your money compared to let's say, what you you now get for $45,000(Acura TL, etc). I still think you are getting a generally more solid, better fit and finish vehicle. Much, much nicer exterior finishes, nicer color palettes, better engines and trannies, nicer designs. Once again the kinds of things that you are unhappy about would drive me nuts as well, especially rattles that can't be fixed. Regards. Ned.

MCF

Thanks...things are just F*ked. BUT the car is just driving me freakin nuts. The ONLY thing consistent about this 'sound' is that if it decides to do it, it ONLY does it the first time you drive the car after it has sat for 10-12 hours. Once you drive it and it does it (like the entire way to my work today) and then let the car sit till lunch it won't do it again and then didn't do it on the way home. To boot, I went to pick up my wife's push present (diamond eternity band set in platinum) and my jeweler (who has ALWAYS impressed me) had the stones set into the wrong setting. Now the ring may not be ready by the time we come home from the hospital (considering my wife is having contractions all day so we may be within days - induction is scheduled for next Thursday). Regardless we are ready for the baby but this damn car is really making me mad. I have elevated it to the Service Manager and we have had to conversations regarding the issue. I am taking it back in to the dealer tomorrow morning so I can continue to pay for an E class while driving a C class (or Impala depending on what the Hertz has at the dealer).

220S

Sorry about the rattles. I personally couldn't bear a car with any rattles. Plus having a dealer chase rattles usually means they'll just introduce more.

When the W212 first came out, my dealer pointed out all those little cost cutting things and he wasn't very happy. But I think (assume/hope) MB will make corrections to the shortcomings as time goes by. And by the time the facelift comes around (like Solid Granite says) it should be a solid car overall. Every face lifted version seems to end up being the pinnacle of that model. I recently thought about getting the W212 E63 wagon with the new 5.5TT, but I'm now going to wait until the facelift shows up and think more about it. Plus I still haven't fully stomached the W212 design. I like all the other models, but the E Class just doesn't do it for me (the wagon I'm kinda okay with for some reason.)

220S

p.s., congrats on the new baby coming soon.

ryip49238

Ironically, when I read the title of this tread, I thought it was in reference to the quality of posts on this message board. I've seen messages that spread misinformation, loathing, self-serving posturing, arguments for the sake of argument, etc....anything but informative and factual information that would benefit others.

On that note.....+1 on hyperion's response. Take a break and then make a decision on whether to keep the car or not....otherwise, its not work the stress....there are better things for you to spend your energy and focus on.....best of luck.

MCF

Thanks! Just don't know if I can handle taking probably a $$$ hit on the car. MSRP was around $58K and I purchased it for $52K and doubt I would get anywhere near $48K for the car sold out right or traded. I do like the 'feeling' of driving the car but the frustration is just not worth it. They said now they are going to pull the dash and I know that is just like opening a can of worms.

grane

I lease a C; should I upgrade to an E Klasse? or a 4 door coupe?

ngerstman

Pulling the dash would scare me as well. Fix one rattle, find another!! But at this point, it sounds like it is worth the try. Congrats on the coming kid!!! It may be time to find your inner Zen and focus on the good and tune out the merely annoying!!!!! Regards. Ned.

220S

Upgrade to the new C63 coupe.

ngerstman

Or better yet, a cls63. I'm not sure how this post ended up on this thread. Trying to divert MCF from his misery? Regards. Ned.

SolidGranite

Have you considered bringing it to another dealer?? Based on my experiences your issue will only be fixed if the tech working on it has the skill and patience to get it done.

If you do bring it to another dealer, kill them with kindness and explain your situation in great detail. I'm sure it will work out.

Cheer up! You have a wife, kid on the way, drive a benz and the funds to buy diamonds for a gift! Life is good.

MCF

Thanks. I acutally called another dealer and the service advisor I spoke to was very kind and said they would be more than willing to start a relationship, BUT that an intermittent dash rattle is the 'kryptonite' of car issues...hehe!! He said that at least at Star Motors they have actually heard the noise and keep working with them until all else fails or I risk bringing it to them and then they not being able to 'replicate' the sound. That results in just a wasted trip. Heard the noise on Friday, nothing on Saturday, SUnday or Monday and then again this morning. It's MADDENING I tell ya..hahaha.

MCF

Ok...just went down and tried something nuts. Went to the garage and slightly pulled on the hood near the windshield on the passenger side. Nothing. Went to driver side and pulled on hood near windshield and 'rattle rattle rattle' where hood sits on rubber mount! Could it be possible that this sticks over night and that the hood moving against the rubber hood mount could be heard like it is coming from the AC vent near the driver side!?!?!? Wouldn't that be funny.

Nevermind...just had the pregnant wife sit inside while I made the hood make the sound and she couldn't hear it in the cabin. Damn, that would have been classic.

SolidGranite

Quite possibly. Your issue also seems like it is related to temperature which is why you're experiencing the sound intermittently. Some material is expanding and contracting bringing the rattle in to play.

EmE247

Wow all these posts in one day and u said your wife is due any day now? Any day now and your fighting your expecting wife about some car rattle?

Park your car, lose the keys for the few days it will take for your expecting wife to deliver, and then enjoy those precious moments with your wife and new kid and forget the car, the rattle, and these forums...

**** go rent a car for a few days so your wife can have some peace...

Then after all of that, hire a lemon law lawyer and get back all you paid for your car and get a different car.

I saw this vid on YouTube today where some dude was born without arms and legs speaking to youths about enjoying and living life... Seems this car rattle is rattling more than just the dash...

K-A

Sounds like you got an unlucky car.

The W212 outperforms everything in its Class in regards to statistical initial quality data, and even anecdotal if you do the research (research the POS Lexus GS, or visit the F10 Bimmer Boards to see what real problems are, that make ours sound like childs play).

On a fit/finish and build quality level, the W212 is leagues better than the M-B models of the previous decade+ that it replaced. The cost-cutting wasn't at the expense of quality, but more-so parts sharing, some plastics where carpeting were on the W211, simplifying some engineering aspects underlying the car, and stuff like that.

Rattles will ruin the experience of even the best made cars, and sometimes are impossible to mend. I hope my car doesn't develop any, but my W212's have been very good to me.

reckrab

Oh, I had one of those too. Mine was reliable but certainly a rattle trap. Much happeir with my E Class.

SixPak

Amen!
Looks like OP's priorities in life are all messed up.