3 or 6

[Dave K]

DAVE K - which body shop did you go to>?

My local MB stealers (Eastbourne) don't have a bodyshop and contract all work out to Eastbourne Coach Finishers. Damned good they are too. The quality of work on the Estate tailgate is superb and there's enough wax inside the panels to make me think they melted an entire candle factory.

 

[stuart_hatch]

Hi there, i have rust on My Dec 1998 C250 in the exact same place as jimmys
It is just a big rust flake of about 1 and a inches long. Does this rust that works from the inside out and if it is do you think it is likely that i will get it repaired FOC by Mercedes.

Hopefully i will not have to use my local stealership as they made me wait 2 and a half hours to tell me the reason my cruise control wasnt working was because one tire was a little bit bigger! I had to remind them that i was still here about 2 and a quater hours of waiting, only for him to say that "oops i forget"

Dont you just love Mercedes-Benz Customer Service?

 

[jimmy]

Hi Stuart,

It has to be worth a try.

I am getting really rather annoyed now, I gave them a week and have heard nothing so I have started to ring them everyday, they have nothing they can tell me as yet.

As much as I really do like my car I am starting to think it will be the last MB that I buy they just don't seem to care, shame really as it is my third MB, my father has had countless new AMG's, C, E and S-classes, guess thats the difference between buying new and secondhand.

 

[mark.t]

5 weeks

jimmy its taken 5 weeks to get any reply from my dealers like you phoned each week nothing, i would like to know who the them is, anyway got a call last night from mb but missed it was in bath he did not leave a message so ill ring today

 

[Satch]

If you encounter ongoing problems I suggest you write directly, and on a formal basis, to the following

Ray Smith, General Manager, Daimler Chrysler UK Ltd

Dr Wilfried Steffen, President & Chief Executive Officer, Daimler Chrysler UK Ltd

DaimlerChrysler UK Ltd
Tongwell,
Milton Keynes,
Buckinghamshire
MK15 8BA.

These gentlemen will no doubt be delighted to learn how well their minions are coping with these oh so difficult matters.

 

[jimmy]

No Luck!

Spent all this morning making 5 phone calls to the dealert and to MB HQ, they seem to be puposely delaying an answer, the Kettering dealer is blaming the Northampton bodyshop and MB are denying any knowledge of a claim.

MB customer services even made my day by saying that my car was only covered by a 1 year guarantee and the same old 'what do you expect from a 5 year old car'.......absolutely disgusting!!!

I mentioned this club and it seemed to have some clout, I asked him to have a look at the forum and see just what their customers think of their cars and the service they get from MB. I also mentioned that my aim of buying an E320CDi estate is fast being replaced with thoughts of a BMW, Audi, Jag in fact anything other than a MB that will be a heap of rust in a few years.

So I have a horrible feeling I am going to have to fork out the best part of £500 to repair the rust myself.

 

[racall]

I have exactly the same rust patch on my boot lid.Mines a 1997 so i guess i,m out of rust warrantee perhaps we could both turn up at MB

 

[jimmy]

I have exactly the same rust patch on my boot lid.Mines a 1997 so i guess i,m out of rust warrantee perhaps we could both turn up at MB

Spooky, I was just thinking exactly the same thing.

If they say it is not problem and must be a one off we ought to do that, both take our cars to them to show them it is not uncommon.

It's @~#$* annoying that they are so arrogant that they think their product is so superior that it cant possibly be faulty and it is the owners fault.

 

[C240Sport97]

Everyone affected by rust on their MB should take pictures of their car's problems, and write a joint letter to MB Customer Service demanding attention and resolution, failing which you make a big stink in enthusiast magazines, press etc. You could also threaten them with driving en masse to their MK HQ, blocking the entrance etc with press in tow, until they act reasonably. Bad publicity or the threat of it should frighten them into action ... we hope !

 

[GrahamC230K]

ME Magazine are a waste of space, but I'll join in a protest!

 

[stuart_hatch]

Here are the pictures of rust on my Dec 1998 C250, both in the wheel arch and boot:





Ok, uploading isnt working, if you would like to see them email me at either

[email protected]

or

[email protected] (own site)

Jees my pics are awfull, i will try to redo them asap!

 

[mark.t]

will they take notice

I agree, we should send an invite to Mercedes Benz about a rally we are planning to hold at their headquarters with the aim of providing them with some publicity (WATCHDOG) and the topic being 'rust warranties and lies'.

I'm sure this would get Mercedes Benz to sit up and take notice when so many owners have so many of the same rust problems and getting it fixed is a lottery as I have documentation of 1997 cars being repaired and later models being knocked back with the classic explanation 'STONE CHIPS'.

Basically we're all getting fobbed off and P****D off. :bannana:

 

[jimmy]

Think were on to something!

Thanks to racall and stuart_hatch for emailing me their details and photos of the corrosion on the boot handles of their 202 estates. Their corrossion is identical to mine so their is no way MB can claim it is an isolated case, it is obvious a design fault.

I am appealing for anybody else with similar problems to contact me so that we can get a case together and discuss the problem with MB, in person if neccessary.

racall's November 1998 C250TD Estate:

 

[sym]

Took a very close look at mine, and there is the start of something forming - bearing in mind my car is a year newer than yours, this could be the first sign of problems . . . I will take a pic and post tomorrow when its light.

S.

 

[jimmy]

stuart_hatch's December 1998 C250TD Estate:

 

[jimmy]

jimmy's April 1998 C250TD Estate:

 

[230K]

Hi

Here is a pici of my 11/98 210 300TD estate

 

[230K]

Some more picis of the 11/98 210 rust. This car has never been damaged as confirmed by MB and they want me to pay 30% of the cost.

 

[racall]

Many thanks jimmy.
keep the piccys coming folks.Its strange all the rust problems are so far been diesels .

 

[230K]

Another picture of 11/98 300TD Estate NSR Door all doors are equally as bad