h3rmes

Hello,

I recently acquired a used 2003 ML500 sport with about 15k miles. It just came of lease. I love the truck, but recently, I discovered some very light rust is some very unusual places:

1. Right front brake caliper torx screws have light orange spots on the screw.

2. Rear door latches and locking mechanism have a couple of tiny orange spots.

My question is this:

1. How did these rust spots get there, since the front door latches and rear liftgate latches are in perfect condition?

2. Should I be concerned about the rear door latches breaking over time? Should I have them replaced? Is this something done under MBUSA rust warranty?

3. Should I also replace the torx screws for the brake caliper? Is there is risk that the screws will give way?

Concerned. . .
h3rmes

pointman

the screws wont give way. but you are covered for all that stuff under the warranty. bring it in, theyll take care of it for you.

by chance, do you live in seattle?

h3rmes

Sorry, no. I'm located in Nutley, NJ. Really! MBUSA is gonna cover this stuff? That's amazing. I'm going to the local dealership to ask what they can do for me.

Thanks for the help!

Regards,
H3rmes

pointman

yes, theyll warranty it... but dont ask them what they can do...tell them there is rust and leave it at that. act as though repair is expected.

saturnstyl

Its actually quite unlikely they will do anything about it. Its normal and to be expected in the climate that vehicle is operated in. At my dealer we don't do anything about it.... Had one 2 weeks ago with the whole undercarriage covered in light rust. Customer just bought it and wanted it fixed. I wondered if he ever even bothered to look at it before he bought it. Warranty generally only covers rust through.

h3rmes

Undercarriage rust is expected and normal given everyday driving. My ML has small patches here and there. I don't really mind undercarriage rust.

My quandry revolves on what kind of "operating climate" could cause such an unusual rusting scenario. When I bought my ML, I did a check of the undercarriage and found the rust acceptable for a used truck.

I did not expect that the locks, latches, and brake screws would have rust within only 2 years into the life of the vehicle. These are critical life or death components. If they ever give way because of rust in an accident, my family is screwed. It's disappointing to see MBUSA dismiss rust on critical components as simply normal wear and tear.

I'm willing to accept rust, but not rust on such critical components. Does anyone know how much it would cost to replace the latches and locks on the rear doors? Also how much to replace the torx screws on the brake calipers? I already paid too much for this truck, but for the sake of my family's saftey, I am willing to put in the $$$$ to fix this mess.

Regards,
H3rmes

pointman

i had rust on my tailgate and hood..both replaced. all dealers are not created equal.

saturnstyl

The only rust we see around here on brake calipers is caused by the use of overly harsh wheel cleaners. They eat the protective coating off the calipers.
The only body rust I have seen on any mercedes less than 20 years old was caused by accident damage that was improperly repaired. Our SPOM used a meter to check the paint thickness of the car, determining that it had been repainted. Claim denied. I would like to see some pictures of the rust in question, I can't bring myself to believe its anything more than light surface rust.
The entire caliper will have to be replaced, bolts are not available separately.

pointman

even "light surface rust" is not acceptable on a benz.

saturnstyl

Maybe not acceptable, but is it warrantable? Check out my side, and the junk I have to deal with everyday. Just because somebody wants something repaired for free does not mean that mercedes will automatically pay for it. The warranty will not cover a whole lot of things, and warranty auditors are cracking down big time. They debit the claims and return the parts to the dealer, who in turn backflags the technicians pay. Essentially that tech just replaced those parts for free. In some cases they may even require the tech to pay for the parts too!

h3rmes

Well, I hope the warranty auditors aren't the type of people who like to gamble with people's lives. What if the latches rust through completely, allowing the door to swing open in an accident? What if during hard braking, the torx screws break because of rust.

Nay I say. Surface rust or not. This is a major quality control oversight on MBUSA's part and this should be remedied under warranty. Otherwise, it definitely demonstrates that MBUSA commitment to safety is highly questionable.

This is not to mention that door latches are not exposed to the harsh exterior of the vehicle. Harsh wheel cleaner? That sounds a bit far fetched.

I've driven a ford crown vic for well over 3 years. That car was driven in winter with plenty of salt all over the brake calipers, taken to dozens of car washes with who knows what wheel cleaners they use. Not a single spot of rust, anywhere on the brake caliper.

This is a major quality control problem with MBUSA. I will be taking this up with my local dealer.

Regards,
H3rmes

saturnstyl

To have that latch rust through is extremely unlikely.... And yes the warranty auditors ARE a bunch of ball busters. Take it from someone who deals with this stuff all the time. If you are able to get them to replace anything then more power to ya, but in my area its highly improbable that it would happen.
I am getting tired of this back and forth mess... IMHO its making a mountain out of a molehill. The bottom line is MBUSA will decide what is or is not warranted, not the customer. I am through, have a nice day....

pointman

saturn, its a forum... back and forth conversations are what it is all about...no one is trying to annoy you.

autogunner

Saturn I see brand new ones everyday with rust on the rotors, its normal ,as long as you drive it everyday it wont be a problem, but it has nothing to do with wheel cleaners. On the original post is the rust on the striker "body" or on the latch "door" side? Autogunner.

h3rmes

Hi Autogunner,

Yes. I see rust on the rotors of the cars I've driven, just not on the screws that hold the calipers together. Seems like a risky place for something to rust.

Hi saturnstyl,

I understand your point-of-view. If I were in your shoes, I would be very skeptical of body rust claims. But this is not a body rust issue. If fact, there is not a single square millimeter on my ML500 that has any rust at all. What troubles me is that the rust is on a critical safety component. I just hope I can find an understanding dealer that will help me out on this matter. Let's part as friends

Regards,
h3rmes