Bad Rotors at 9400 Miles?
Dealer wants to replace pads for free but thats not correcting that the rotors are all rusted, and have groves in them. I contacted MB corporate and am waiting on a call back. In essence my car has 2000 miles on it, 3 months old and the dealer wants me to come out of pocket for new rotors...
Any advise here?
-PS car as sport brake kit with bigger calipers and drilled rotors if this makes any difference here.
GL to you!
I Agree. They don't want to come out of pocket for the rotors. Do add insult to injury they replaced the pads "at no charge"... thats not helping me. They admitted the pads were fine but thats all they could "get the warranty to cover". This is not a warranty or manufactures issue from the plant.. This car was driven for 7500 miles by other individuals as a loaner. I picked it up as a pre-owed lease.. promised it passed the 1000000 point inspection. do the right thing, replace everything.. and flush the brake fluid while your at it.
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Usually you see that after tens of thousands of miles and have gone thru a set of pads. Sounds stupid, but are they actually grooves and how deep? Or is it just the appearance of grooves. Pictures would help. Rust, same thing... some surface is normal, depending.
The car looks great otherwise, nice color
https://vimeo.com/558264742
Those look like more than 10k rotors... on the front the holes are plugged up and a decent amount of rust on the pad/rotor face. The rear looks worse, from a rust perspective. Does this car spend time parked outside overnight? On gravel, over grass, near water? What the climate?
I've seen rust occur of the rotor/pad face, especially cars that don't get driven much in combination with lots of rain, snow, salt. In addition once the face starts rusting a little, if your a gentle braker... you never fully wear that rust off and it only gets worse and worse with time. Happened on my Wife's car on the rear brakes, back when she had a Honda.
The plugged holes, again I see once the car gets a # of miles on it and then the rotor will start to form grooves connecting them.
I wouldn't say this is "normal"... the fronts, may clean up with a die-grinder and cookie, the holes can be cleared with a small bit and new pads of course. The rears are too far gone, either cut the rotors or replace them and the pads.
Last edited by bmwpowere36m3; Jun 3, 2021 at 01:21 PM.
I've seen rust occur of the rotor/pad face, especially cars that don't get driven much in combination with lots of rain, snow, salt. In addition once the face starts rusting a little, if your a gentle braker... you never fully wear that rust off and it only gets worse and worse with time. Happened on my Wife's car on the rear brakes, back when she had a Honda.
The plugged holes, again I see once the car gets a # of miles on it and then the rotor will start to form grooves connecting them.
I wouldn't say this is "normal"... the fronts, may clean up with a die-grinder and cookie, the holes can be cleared with a small bit and new pads of course. The rears are too far gone, either cut the rotors or replace them and the pads.
I have an E convertible also, I switch between both. The sedan never sits for more than a day.
my argument is I’ve only have the car 3 months and out 2500 miles on it. This can’t be from me. It was a Loaner.
I have an E convertible also, I switch between both. The sedan never sits for more than a day.
my argument is I’ve only have the car 3 months and out 2500 miles on it. This can’t be from me. It was a Loaner.
i thought the car has OK bite. Worse when cold. Once driving for a while it stops quickly.. but high pitch squeaking comes with it.
IMO Buying a loaner cars has the same risks as buying a used taxi or police vehicle.








Dealer wants to replace pads for free but thats not correcting that the rotors are all rusted, and have groves in them. I contacted MB corporate and am waiting on a call back. In essence my car has 2000 miles on it, 3 months old and the dealer wants me to come out of pocket for new rotors...
Any advise here?
-PS car as sport brake kit with bigger calipers and drilled rotors if this makes any difference here.
Second: rotors: I have often wondered how a piece of metal nearly 1/2 inch thick, which is what a rotor is, can warp in normal everyday driving. To warp a piece of steel this thick would require them to be heated to an intense heat and then rapidly and dramatically cooled - something that might happen if you are racing the car and then drive through a puddle but hardly if you are driving in everyday normal traffic.
Scoring of rotors is something else but that usually occurs when the pads are worn down too far and the rivets in the pad make contact with the rotors and score them.
I have been working on cars for over 50 years: Before we had disc brakes we had drums and replacing drum brakes as compared to disc pads went from a two hour job to 30 minutes: We hardly ever turned drum brakes and if the disc were replaced before the rivets protruded, the rotors lasted forever.
The better braking in the wet of disc vs. drums and ease of changing of discs vs. drums, made drums obsolete.
It has only been recently, and I suspect this is to increase revenue to the service departments that shops are recommending when you change the pads you change the rotors as well.
Personally, I have had the rotors turned but not replaced, but I do not even bother to do that:
If when you apply the brakes, and the pads are fine, and there is no shudder, then the rotors are still "true" and there is no reason to replace them.
Just my $.02 and I hope it helps.




BRAKE PADS:
Built into the pads are sensors that indicate when the pads should be replaced. If the sensor light(s) have not come on, then the pads are still good: why would you replace good pads?
ROTORS:
Unless the rotors are warped, highly unlikely, why are you replacing the rotors? You will know if you have a warped rotor: when you apply the brakes you will feel a "thud" if the rotors are warped. If the braking is smooth, the rotors are fine, and there is no reason to replace them. Rotors are "wear and tear" items like tires, brake pads and windshield wipers.
Hope this helps. Just my $.02.




If you buy a used car that has been a taxi or police vehicle you are buying "as is".
This is completely different: the original manufacturer's warranty is still in effect and before he bought the car was certified by Mercedes Benz: this is not an "as is" sale.




Dealer wants to replace pads for free but thats not correcting that the rotors are all rusted, and have groves in them. I contacted MB corporate and am waiting on a call back. In essence my car has 2000 miles on it, 3 months old and the dealer wants me to come out of pocket for new rotors...
Any advise here?
-PS car as sport brake kit with bigger calipers and drilled rotors if this makes any difference here.
If the rotors are both rusted and grooved, and normal driving does not clean up the rust then either the rotors must be either tuned or replaced. Most manufacturers choose to replace rather then tune - it is faster and they can charge more.
With only 9,500 miles, if in fact the rotors need to be replaced, I would assume that this would be covered under the 4 year/50,000 mile warranty.
If the brakes are from MB, you mentioned "sport brake kit" should make absolutely no difference. I have standard brakes. FYI the front rotors on my 2019 E450 also have drilled rotors, so this should not make any difference.
I agree with you: if the dealer does not give you satisfaction, then I too would be contacting MBUSA.
Last edited by JTK44; Jun 6, 2021 at 12:24 PM.
If you buy a used car that has been a taxi or police vehicle you are buying "as is".
This is completely different: the original manufacturer's warranty is still in effect and before he bought the car was certified by Mercedes Benz: this is not an "as is" sale.




When you are buying from a dealer, in this case leasing, you are buying with the remains of manufacturer's warranty and from a dealer at a premium price as compared to a third party. This purchase is not "as is". When you buy and/or lease from Mercedes, the dealer has inspected the car, and you can assume the car is free from patent or visible defects - and furthermore, patent or visible defects have been corrected
In this case the dealer and/or Mercedes and not you are responsible for any repairs during the balance of the warranty period.
I cannot imagine anyone who is buying new from a Mercedes dealership doing a third party inspection: Similarly it does not matter if the car is used: you have the balance of the manufacturer's warranty plus the inspection done by the dealership. The whole point of buying from a dealership, at a premium price, is that you are not buying "as is".
It is not possible to separate a problem from the car. In other words it is a problem with the car that needs repair.
Last edited by ua549; Jun 6, 2021 at 02:57 PM.




It is not possible to separate a problem from the car. In other words it is a problem with the car that needs repair.
When a defect is patent, it is the obligation of the seller, if the car is under warranty to correct that defect. The exclusion are normal wear and tear items.




