B200 CVT push belt failure
 

2010 B200 CDI, 208 000km, CVT push belt broken.

Mercedes SA wants to create the impression that this failure is "normal" for the age of the vehicle and that I should be happy paying R98k for the repair. come from the era of vehicle manufacture where the gearbox outlasts the engine by a long margin, and am of the opinion that the failure is caused by a latent design defect, in that the contact surface of the elements of the push belt will wear down with normal usage resulting in the edges of the steel bands also making contact with the drive surface, which causes the belt to break. Any expert advice out there?