KrispyK

Well, Kia has self-selected itself right out as well. When I took one out for a test drive (hey, free Lord of the Rings DVD!) the whole instrument cluster failed; the transmission also only held second gear. And this is on a brand-new car. I guess I'm not buying a Kia!

mookie

I have a 2000 S500 and have never had a major problem. I have had smaller problems with the express windows not expressing all the way up and getting some kind of memory of how much to close, the same goes for my sunroof. Clearly the product is not what it use to be but just the same its one of the saffest cars built

jhb

I have had many MBs over the years and had some minor problems. On the other hand I have had a Toyota from hell, a BMW from hell and others. The MBs have always been reliable to actually drive. The problems have been nits, save the ML320 which I discount as the first month production of a brand new model from a brand new factory in a brand new country for manufacture by MB (at that time it was not Daimler Benz). With the others, I had to get alternate transportation and a tow.

I agree with Dema too. I am very willing to put up with nits to have the design, features, and style that MB always seems to accomplish. Lexus had one beautiful car in the most recently retired ES300 sedan and another in the most recently retired SC300 and SC400 version coupes. But, they couldn't evolve them into more contemporary styles and designs. They ruined the design of both. MB just does it right in the evolution of its designs and sets the pace for everybody else. They are worth the minor hassles indeed.

greenm

I've had two ML's, both trucks from hell. The biggest problem with both was a clueless dealer, and arrogant treatment from MBUSA. I will vote with my wallet henceforth. It is interesting though that the once bullet-proof reputation of MBZ is no longer that great. The following sites attest to this:

http://www.mercedes-lemon.com
http://www.mercedesproblems.com
http://www.troublebenz.com

maybach

As we all know quility on MB's is not what it used to be, and nor is the service. However with the new SL, and facelifted S-Class Mercedes has supposedly incresed quality. Of course we probably wont know if that is true untila few years down the line. The issue of poor service at MB dealers is primarily a problem in the US where the price of an MB is drastically cheaper than in many other markets. For example in Australia an S500 with equivalent spec to the US model drives away for 275,000AUD or 140,000USD. This aloner ensures the exclusivity of the brand and keeps volumes much lower thus increasing the quality of service and personal attention. So unless you are all willing to fork out twice the price for your vehicle there is really nothing that you can do.