AMG 210 Rust !!!

[amgman55]

Hi everyone !!. Am a new member given this site name by someone I met yesterday wgilst standing outside MB Dartford carrying out my protest (complete with placard !!).

Have an E55 AMG just over 7 years old and for the last few months rust bubbles have been appearing from under the paintwork all over the car - particularly the wings (the boot lid has already been replaced 4 years ago because of this !!). MB will only address the wings, one door and the boot lid again. I have told them I want the whole car stripped down and resprayed.

I am protesting every day outside MB Dartford this week (from 0745 - 10.00 then 12.00 - 14.00 then 16.00 until 18.00.

I have already had great support and two people have even come up to, had a discussion and decided not to buy !!!.

MB Dartford staff are very good (and some have agreed and support me !).

£70,000 prestige marque with only 81,000 miles on the clock rotting around me !!! I don't think so.

MB - wake up and support your brand. I am a Sales and Marketing Manager - negative marketing will cost MB so very dear. Bring back the franchises !!!.

Chris

 

[GRAV888]

Might pop up and say hello then.

Moved to bodywork section and welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[kwakdonut]

That is some first post!

Welcome and good luck!

 

[smillion]

Good luck in your quest. Sadly the E55 badge did not provide any additonal protection over and above that afforded to W210 E240s etc that are in the weeds.

Stand up and be counted -

 

[MercFanUk]

I thought MB's under 10 years old were covered by a rust warranty of sorts? The work they have offered to do, will that cover all the existing rust bubbles? If so, why do you instead want a full respray?

 

[lynall]

Cant you get story into the local paper?



Lynall

 

[8145keith]

Hi AMGMAN55

Good luck mate, its about time some one stud up to MB on this issue. There anti corrosion warranty is advertised to last 30 years, but then you find its at there discretion or that’s how it seems, then comes the VERY VERY small print, they tend not to mention when you are buying there cars.

To me a thirty year anti corrosion warrant is cut and dry, if it rusts then they should exercise the warranty and repair your car.


Regards KJ

 

[EDZ649]

Hi AMGMAN55

Good luck mate, its about time some one stud up to MB on this issue. There anti corrosion warranty is advertised to last 30 years, but then you find its at there discretion or that’s how it seems, then comes the VERY VERY small print, they tend not to mention when you are buying there cars.

To me a thirty year anti corrosion warrant is cut and dry, if it rusts then they should exercise the warranty and repair your car.


Regards KJ

The 30 year anti perforation warranty is just that, from inside out. If you get a stone chip on the bodywork and the metal is then exposed to the elements you cannot expect any car manufacturer to repair it FOC. It is not their responsibility.

I had rust around the arches of my 2001 E55 which were caused by stone chipping etc. MB replaced the front wings and repaired the rear arches under their goodwill proceedure, which is at their discretion, they have no obligation to do it so demanding a complete respray seems a little unreasonable in my opinion and I think you will struggle to get anything other than what they have already offered you.

Don't get me wrong, a car like that shouldn't rust and I am on your side but when you look at what others have experienced on this forum, what they have offered seems to be reasonable.

By the way, my car was done nearly a year ago now and still looks fantastic.

 

[Barbanasos]

I have some rust on my w210 e55 which I am going to sort myself. Mercedes said its out of the 8 years and to be honest I wouldn't trust them with it as they could cut corners if you push them. I have enquired for a good garage and i ll pay for it myself. The only thing I care is matching the colour.

 

[Cornish E430]

Similar Experience

I had the front wing and bootlid on my 2001 E430 (bought second hand but with MBSH from new) re sprayed under the Mobilo warranty after sorting out an assessment during routine Main Dealer servicing. That was in October 2008 - the service having been in May and I needed to chase the garage to get it progressed.

Sadly this year I noticed other front wing and passenger side rear wing has rust around the arches - similar places to the driver's side front wing so I hope that these other two wings will be sorted out.

I got stone chips sorted on bonnet by getting the repairers that did the job in October to re spray that (£250 cost to me). I would share general concerns that the rust issue is serious on these cars and should be considered when purchasing one secondhand - I think the warranty only permits one repair per panel so it is important to have checked what, if any, work has been done before you buy.

It seems that MB are aware of the issue but that different franchises, dealers or athorised repairers have varying degrees of success/commitment in getting the warranty to operate. I will be chasing up my recent approach for the two wings shortly as not heard since the service in May/June this year yet.

 

[neilrr]

Did MB Dartford sell you the car?

 

[Dovedale1508]

My 2001 W170 SLK230 has rust on all four wheel arches, bonnet, boot lid and roof edge.

I initially approached a local repair shop who took one look at it and suggested I go straight down to my dealer and claim on the warranty ("I've seen so many of these Sir...")

The assessor didn't even have to be told where to look, he went straight to all the spots with his camera, took photos of my docs and said he'd send them off to MB.

One week later and the nice lady from MB Customer Services called me and told me that the Mobilo-life book in my vehicle was meaningless (?) and that I had a standard 8 year anti-corrosion warranty which expires on 1st Sept 2009. The car has only done 60k, I've owned it for 3 years and have it serviced by my local independent (the same guy who did my V8 Jag for 10 years)
MB offered a goodwill payment 50% of the estimated £2400 cost of repairs on the basis that I didn't have a full MB service record.
I asked what different changing the oil made on the failure of the vehicle finish on the bodywork. They said that the dealer would have checked and cleaned all areas (yeah?)...

I objected and told them to go away and think again, on the basis that I had purchased a prestige brand and expected better. My 120k mile Focus is not rusty. My son's 15 year old Fiesta isn't rusty. Even my Jag at 10 years and 120k wasn't rusty (!)

Three weeks later they called back and said that their offer was final. 50%.

Apparently the offer is valid for 30 days so I don't have much time left.

If I had £1200 kicking around looking for a good home, I might give in and just do it. But I don't.

Who do I write to at MB? Should I start with the Chairman?

Has anyone else got any further?

Steve

 

[SilverSaloon]

Dovedale; this is a common problem. most get turned away without any "good will". there are a few theads (search for "W210 rust" etc) that give details on who to write to. Milton Keynes i think. some try other dealers with sucess but as MB are involved now, rather than the dealer just saying no, then i doubt that will help.

all i can say, if you do decide to pay yourself, i'd prefer to take it to a good bodyshop garage rather than MB dealer who will send it to their approved repairer anyway.... you may get a better price dealing with it yourself elsewhere. £2400 is a lot to spend on some localised rust repairs. remember also that the rust may not just be bodywork - check theads on here for more serious chassis rust, that you may also wish to check at the same time!!!

 

[renault12ts]

My wife's 12 year old Seat Cordoba was scrapped last year, due to mechanical issues. The day she bought it ( brand new ) she reversed over a kerb and ripped off the offside front mud flap, leaving two jagged holes in the bottom edge of the wing. 12 years later the two holes were still as they had been when she first got the car. The point being, if Seat can provide metal which withstands rust so well, then why can't Mercedes? Wings will get road grit and stones and allsorts hitting them, it's a fact of life, but they should withstand this. The OP is talking about rust from the inside out, which is unforgiveable, but other rust caused by normal wear and tear is no less acceptable.
MB have been producing cars for more than 100 years and still seem surprised the bloody things rust.

 

[Simon_M]

Nice speaking to you this monring Chris!!!

Next time I am passing I'll bring a Starbucks...

Simon

 

[Simon_M]

Chris,

Did you ever get a resolution to your satisfaction?

Simon

 

[hawk20]

Chris,

Did you ever get a resolution to your satisfaction?

Simon

Seems the OP made just the one posting and never returned.

 

[Simon_M]

Yeah, he was blitzing everywhere, but I met him outside the dealership back in the glorious autumn we had and just wondered if he'd frozen / given up / got it sorted.

We shall see.........

 

[prprandall51]

Like many others who come on the forum and complain about rusting, he quietly failed to answer the basic questions of who he bought the car from, how old was it when he bought it and what sort of condition it was in when he bought it.

Hard to build any sympathy for him on that basis.

 

[tmaoahthfte]

Like many others who come on the forum and complain about rusting, he quietly failed to answer the basic questions of who he bought the car from, how old was it when he bought it and what sort of condition it was in when he bought it.

Hard to build any sympathy for him on that basis.

I go past MB Dartford most days, haven't seen him for a while now.