« Engineer Presidents - Carter is one, too | Main | McCain comes on strong »

Link This | Comments (20)

John Dodge

Mercedes Rust Bucket

January 3, 2008

If you pay a $50,000 car, you would not expect to have rust problems. But if it’s a 1999 Mercedes E320, think again. Before you say I’m paid too much, I was working two jobs in 1999 and splurged for a fancy schmancy car.

My Mercedes has a bad rust problem. More than 15 sizeable rust spots have sprung up, mostly around the trim in the two rear passenger doors and some on the front quarter panels (see photos). This infuriates me when I look at other nine-year old cars costing half a much that are rust free here in the Boston area. When the problem started, I e-mailed Mercedes via that little comments box company’s have on their web sites. They told me how much they loved me as a customer, but would take no responsibility for the rust problem. You know, conditions vary.

I called my local dealer who would not even look at the car until I squawked very loudly in the comments box and said I would write about the problem. It’s my guess if you really push them and threaten to make trouble for Mercedes, it’ll eventually do something (too late for me).

So after gouging me $155 for a new ignition key that I needed, I got my local dealer’s service manager to inspect the rust problem. He admitted much of the rust was the result of a Mercedes design flaw where moisture finds it way in behind the trim. Then he said Mercedes wouldn’t help out with the repairs because the car is more than eight years old. Mine is eight and a half. He estimated the cost of the repairs to be about $6,000 I had heard when someone screamed loud enough, Mercedes on occasion has paid half the cost for repairs. A local body shop estimated about the repairs at $1,800 a year ago, but the problem has worsened. That said, a Mercedes dealer is as expensive as it gets. The service manager explained that Mercedes rationalizes that I have already gotten “value received” out of the car and that they are obligated to do nothing. And this is a premium auto maker that prizes itself on reliability, status and precision engineering!!!?? And customer (Can’t Get No….) satisfaction!!!?? It’s hogwash just like Dr. Z in those once inane Daimler Chrysler commercials. I also called a Mercedes PR person given I am in the media. That person never returned my call.

It’s my contention Mercedes should pay ALL the cost given this is a problem its own making. That much rust never should have happened. Sure, there’s salt on the road in New England, but like I said, other cars do just fine here. What happened to my car seems to be a trend in German auto making. For reliability, they have ranked far behind their American and Asian competitors especially in the upscale and luxury categories, according to the ranking in Consumer Reports.

To be fair, my E320 is a joy to drive and has suffered few mechanical problems in the 184,000 miles I have put on it. Just the usual maintenance stuff – brakes, ball joints and changing the synthetic oil (a must) every 7,000 miles. Two cooling fans went under warranty and I had to replace two front end springs about 40K miles ago. I can’t think of much else. Even the exhaust system is the original!! The 221 hp V-6 still has good power and gets upward of 30 MGP on the highway. As a rear wheel drive car, it’s terrible in the snow, though.

No doubt, hitting 200,000 miles will be easy given its sound mechanical condition. But it’ll look even more like a rust bucket than it does today – hardly a good advertisement for a premium car brand. I plan on going to auto show in Detroit the week after next. Maybe I’ll have a word with Dr. Z then.




		Left front quarter panel



		Click below for more images:
		1 2 3

Posted by John Dodge on January 3, 2008 | Comments (20)

November 13, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Allan commented:

I am wondering - why all of you do not constitute a class action suit against Mercedes?

November 4, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Jim commented:

I have a 99 E320 that I bought new. Here in Edmonton, Alberta, very little salt is used on the road. Most cars last years without any rust problem. My MB is rusting badly - a door has to be totally replaced and other rust spots have appeared around wheel wells and door sills. If I was to spend $7000 to fix the body, I have no way of knowing whether new rust will appear.

October 29, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Martin commented:

Check for rust on the front suspension perches (The thing that holds the spring down) get your garage to look when they are servicing as these can fall to pieces. Both sides went on mine and its just as well I wasn't going fast because both times the suspension just disintegrated

October 29, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
ROBERT CLATWORTHY commented:

I HAVE AN E240 1998 AND THE RUST IS POPPING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE. I HAD PAINT REPAIRS DONE LAST YEAR AND THER'S MORE COMING UP AGAIN. APART FROM THAT, THE CAR IS WONDERFUL TO DRIVE, HAVING DONE ONLY 47K MILES. IT'S MY 5TH MERCEDES AND THE QUALITY IS DEFINATELY GOING DOWN HILL!

October 26, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
larcat commented:

I have a 2001 s 500 total rust bucket. spent 2,000 to get it fixed enough to unload.. everybody knows about the problem, so good luck getting rid of it. Never be another M.B. in my garage. Goin back to domestics. Had a BMW before MB. great paint, everything else had to be replaced... everything... no more German cars for me.

September 3, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Ash commented:

Hi i will never buy a mercedes benz again , ive got a 2001 plate c class avantegarde had it for about 4 years and it's got rust everywhere , ive heard if the cars less than 10 years old mercedes will do something about the problem ???
failing that it's going in for a full respray grrrrrr

June 3, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Arthur Smith commented:

revised e-mail mbclaim@yahoo.com
I have 200 S500 , rusting everywhere. My Dealers are complete snakes about rust issues. Never again! I see to many with the same problem, please send e-mail at ccaaccaa@yahoo.com, I hire the lawyer ready

June 3, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Arthur Smith commented:

I have 200 S500 , rusting everywhere. My Dealers are complete snakes about rust issues. Never again! I see to many with the same problem, please send e-mail at ccaaccaa@yahoo.com, I hire the lawyer ready

April 2, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Adam parker commented:

I have a 2000 c320 and its rusting to, I have heard a rumour that in 1988 to 2005 mercedes brought a load of steel from fiat which they used to build these cars. so we are all driving fiat's with mercedes logos.

March 2, 2009

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Alex commented:

I have a 2000 E320 with only 58,000 miles on it. This car spent winters in Florida, so no rust until the last two ears in Toronto Canada. Rust starting to come up like crazy now. Paid $110 to get it rust proofed at CROWN to hopefully stop it from getting worse..which is unheard of for Mercedes...had a 93 c280 which spent every year in Toronto Winters and still had no rust when I sold it in 2004.
Mercedes is not what it used to be. Wife has a 2001 BMW 330 and never been rust proofed and absolutely not a spec of rust on it still. I hope BMW quality does not go down like the Mercedes, but I will tell everyone I know, that I will never buy a Mercedes again as long as I live. I have done the same with the Cadillac piece of crap back in 93 after owning them from 1983, and they are still junk. BMW is still the ultimate car to own, and Lexus is right at par.

December 30, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Mark commented:

My S500 is a 2000 plate car, rusting everywhere. Mercedes are complete snakes when it comes to rust issues. Never again!

December 15, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
James Champlin commented:

I own a 1998 C280 sport, which I purchased used 2 years ago. In those 2 years the paint has decided to abandon ship. Even the roof (around the windshield and the sunroof opening)has started to show rust problems. MB has given me the same answer-the paint is only warranted for 4 years & the dealer doesn't want to look at it.

September 26, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Arne Christoffersen commented:

Seems like the practice differs from country to country. I had a 96 E300D/210, and experienced the same. My local dealer here in Oslo, Norway, replaced the roof, all four doors and the boot "lid" (What's it called in English?) free of charge. This was in 2003 when the car was approximately 7 years. I sold it straight after and got a 2002. I haven't noticed any rust yet.

August 2, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
George P commented:

Same story. 2000 E320 wagon, purchased new, always garaged, rusting everywhere! I was able to get some money from MB when the rust started (at age three), but they would only pay half even when the car was still under warranty -something about "stone chips" (the car was a grocery-getter at the time - right). Yes we live in Chicago where they use a lot of salt in the winter - but my previous wagon (1987 Volvo) went 17 years and 230,000 miles with no body rust in the same climate. It's very disappointing that the car is mechanically excellent but looks awful and will need premature replacement. Plus - the residual value stinks due to the rust. No more MBs for me.
PS - with Nokian all season tires, or pure snows, the car goes like a Jeep in the snow. It's ALL about the tires!!

July 29, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Rusty Benz commented:

My 2002 S yes top of the line has rust appearing on both rear doors at the bottom.
Don't buy a used or New Mercedes, they don't want to fix it.
Rusty

July 7, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
dimstranz@aol.com commented:

I have a 1999 e320 and that is why i went to this website you would think we would not have a rust problem. this is my second mercedes and same ending RUST needless to say no more

July 6, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
joe.mcclelland@virgin.net commented:

I have a 2002 SClass 320CDI 1year ago at age 5 it started to rust alohg the bottom edge of all doors and at the edge of sunroof, they took it in for a week ad treated the area but now one year later all the same areas are blistering and rusting again. My ansew is that much as I ENJOY DRIVING THIS CAR IT WILL BE MY LAST MERCEDES

April 18, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Andy from Scotland commented:

My problem is the same Love my clk230 2001 owned since new garaged 48000 miles now a rust bucket- i am fussy about my car so it's heartbreaking !

March 25, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
2001 E320 Owner commented:

I know it''s old post but I definitely have to drop my .02 also. I have same problem with my E320 driver''s side door. Like you I am living in a harsh winter area (New Jersey). But it''s mind boggling to see a 7 years old, one owner, garage kept, well maintained, supposedly pinnacle in automotive industry vehicles get rusts all over the place. I do agree that it still drives nice like brand new, but I didn''t expect rust problem on a Mercedes this soon. My E320''s transmission service is due so I am going to drop by and see what they say, but I don''t expect much.

Mercedes Benz''s hasn''t been building and serving their customers like they used to for several decades now. Although it''s difficult, but now we have to admit and somehow believe, rebadged Toyotas, Nissans, and Hondas are on top looking down. Yuck! Xp

February 1, 2008

In response to: Mercedes Rust Bucket
Martin commented:

Mercedes had a change of philosophy a few years ago from 'making vars that last' to 'making cars to sell'
Nuff said!

Design News Partner Zones

Light Matters: The Unsung Heroes of Modern Health Care
First, let's define "no-compromise." In an ideal configuration, this lamp would use a high-brightness LED (HBLED) that is built into a small, integrated package and is able to produce a large quantity of focused light, operate with a high level of reliability and generate no audible noise. Is this difficult? Yes, but it is possible.
Read More

Design Engineers' Portal for Sensing and Machine Safety
Whatever industry you're in, or whatever product you manufacture, the right sensors to automate your plant, and to improve your overall efficiency, quality and safety are a must. You'll find Banner Engineering to be an amazing resource of products, training and people with expertise.