Recent content by Big_Stick

My wife's now-sold 2003 C180K estate never pulled to the left. Though the tyres were obviously brand new. But perhaps we never noticed what with the rattling and squeeking and poor build quality (sorry guys, had to slip that in..I need professional help to get my 'new C-Class was a disaster'...

You’ll find it in my newly-acquired silver 1981 W123 280TE automatic. It has 208,047 miles. Engine is near silent and still pulls like a train. Reverse gear has (just) started to go. There is rust on the front and rear arches. Chrome parts are real chrome…no plastic at all. The blue M-B...

Check the front suspension for clonking-known weak spot on 2/3 year old C-Classes. A friend had the same problem (around £ 385 to fix +VAT if no warranty) Check for uneven tyre wear. Check air con/climate blows really cold: else megga bucks to fix. Check paintwork quality. Interior...

R2D2, C-Class estate was a gift to my wife...she found 3 bodywork manufacturing faults the first day she owned it...that is why I've got the hump with the dealer/M-B quality thing...embarrassing to me... and ended up getting my (legal) hands around the dealer's throat. Replaced it with an...

Hi Robbo, Fair point, which I wholly understand. The character of the car is as important as its quality/appearance. But at the end of the day I am the customer: I do not mind if there are things wrong with a new car as long as the dealer is there to help out. True, the Avensis is not...

Hello Don, You are not alone. C-Class quality is one thing, but the stealerships are something else. Like Kaa the snake in the Jungle Book, I was taken in by the Mercedes-Benz hype. Read my thread: http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7011 So far the Toyota Avensis has been...

Marcos: How could your car be the second one in the country when DaimlerChrylser UK had 4 in its own customer fleet plus 3 press cars weeks before the E-Class was even launched in the UK? Hope you did not get that info from the 'honest' salesman.

KillerHERTZ: No it was not Robinsons; the car was supplied from elsewhere because Robinsons would not give me a 12% discount. I cannot say who the real culprit dealer was 'due to legal reasons' and all that legal fluff that I signed with DaimlerChrylser UK. Sorry about that.

I replaced my wife's brand new C-Class estate after 6 months for a Toyota Avensis estate. Enough said really. The C-Class was awful: rattles, poor body work finish, poor door fit, bonnet not aligned, poor interior finish (including footwell carpet that did not fit and you could see all the...

Do what I do: write next to where you sign 'Not exceeding £XXX' where XXX is the estimate they provided to you. Show it to the service person. If the bill is higher than the agreed estimate, and you did not authorise the additional work, then pay the bill but write on the service form 'Paid...

Just a moment… How much do they advertise their labour hourly rate for in the service area? £75 +VAT? The service parts would cost no more than £75+VAT (oil, oil filter, bulbs and wiper rubber). So your ‘A’ service should not cost anymore than £150 + VAT. In fact, if you called your...

Dear all, Thanks for your responses. I based my comparison of the C-Class on my previous ownership of VWs and BMWs. And even the humble but excellent Ford Mondeo, which are the cars I lease in my company. Some of you will know from previous threads that my other car is a 2003 E55; so I am...

This was expected. There is another thread on this site about this…there have been several complete brake failure events reported with SBC. MB Germany have had a team of engineers working on the problem for at least 6 months according to the German car mag AutoBild. Of course, DaimlerChrysler...

After 6 months of owning my first M-B, a new C-Class, I have sold it. I heard the rumours about the suspect build quality. But I thought I'd ignore them and put my money where my mouth is. I was a fool. 1. Poor bonnet alignment on delivery. 2. Poor bodywork panel finish. 3. Visible...

The original thread (Within Warranty Servicing) has run its course I think. But it contains some very important info summarised here. As some of you may know, I wrote the DCUK for clarification for warranties and servicing. They basically told me to take my car to an MB main dealer. This is...