E Class Rust

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I would hazard a guess that M-B has finally discovered customer power isn't just an expression but a reality. Maybe kicking out Schremp is a prelude to re-connecting with the customer. We can only hope. Some owners experiences have been absolutely dire. M-B of Germany absolutely does not deserve the loyalty they get from UK owners. If it were a Japanese or an Italian company would they get such loyalty here? I doubt it!
 
Hi - just in the process of buying an E240 Avantagarde Estate 2000 (V) from an independant dealer. Noticed small bubbling at the rear of both back wheel arches (car otherwise fine). I understand the warranty issues discussed and would be happy to repair it privately from the amount haggled off the car, however, I'm interested as to the extent of the problem. Is it rust or paint bubbling through water ingress or both? Is my car likely to break out in huge problems or is it perhaps not as drastic as it might seem (recalling real rust problems in cars of days gone by!). The car seems beautiful otherwise and as a 7-seater meets my families needs (towing and lots of kids) better than any other on the market (for the money (£9800 with 60K). Should I steer clear of this car or not overly worry about it and balance it with the other benefits of the car? Thanks very much. Gaz
 
Gaz

There are many more people on this Forum who know more of the technicalities than me and a quick read through these threads will give you some food for thought.

I have not had a good experience and the rust on my car is developing day on day. I am currently fighting MB for a more responsible approach to their dealings with the warranty issues and it is a bit of a roller coaster ride - I would not wish this on anyone.

If you do buy the car and it has FMBSH I would not recommend that you repair it privately as this might cause you problems later if rust appears elsewhere (likely) - take it to MB and do not let up make them stand up to their obligations.

Sorry if this presents more questions than solutions.

Bill
 
Thanks Bill - it transpires that the car was last serviced by a MB dealer in Chichester in Mar 04, hence it should still comfortably lie within the 2 years required of the corrosion warranty, albeit that it's now due for a service. I'm in the process of contacting the dealership now to put my case to them - will let you know how I get on! Gaz
 
Fireblade said:
The car seems beautiful otherwise and as a 7-seater meets my families needs (towing and lots of kids) better than any other on the market (for the money (£9800 with 60K). Should I steer clear of this car or not overly worry about it and balance it with the other benefits of the car? Thanks very much. Gaz

Ultimately depends how long you want to keep the car for I guess. Long term I'm not so sure, short term 1-2 years may be OK.

Read here http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6397

Audi A6 Avant 7 seater is cheaper, and better built with galvanised body. Though has less toys than a high spec E Class. That would be my choice for the long term with no corrosion worries. There is the Volvo 7 seater estate too as another option.

Edit/ the E class W210 has a design problem with the door seals which seem to get blocked easily accumulating water and rusting the upper and lower door seals. The paint seems awfully thin and is very susceptable to stone chipping and the water based paint and steel pressing/stretched steel contruction leads supposedly to the rust problems.

If there is warranty cover then of course you don't take the hit, but repair methods have been scaled back to be more economical treatments as warranty costs have been spiralling. In the past new panels have been fitted, from recent news, the rust is simply removed locally, prepaired and resprayed.
 
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Fireblade said:
Hi - just in the process of buying an E240 Avantagarde Estate 2000 (V) from an independant dealer. Noticed small bubbling at the rear of both back wheel arches (car otherwise fine). I understand the warranty issues discussed and would be happy to repair it privately from the amount haggled off the car, however, I'm interested as to the extent of the problem.

If you are genuinely asking for advice before buying the car I would strongly recommend you read a few of the threads that have highlighted the 210. Grav888 comes to mind.

I would personally NOT buy a 210 that new from an Independant. This might be going against other members advice, but how comes that corrosion was not fixed prior to the vehicle being sold?????

You are highlighting my suspicions with your own remarks..... You have negotiated an attractive price for the car???? If the vehicle had been repaired for free under the Mobilio scheme then the car would have been worth more and you would not have been able to get it so cheaply?

I take onboard what you say about the car still falling within the servicing stipulations of the warranty, but I would STRONGLY advice you to check that this is correct. Do NOT take the traders word for everything being okay. I feel that you are only just seeing the first signs of this dreaded proplem and it may well be a very expensive problem.

We have seen Mrercedes-Benz dealer stamps being sold openly on E-bay.

Good luck with your decision, but PLEASE take your time and look at other similar vehicles.

Regards,
John
 
Thanks for the advice - I've run a full vehicle check on it, contacted the dealer who serviced it and they confirmed the correct mileage and servicing that's in the book. Consequently, I'm not concerned about getting ripped off for a dodgy car, but just concerned about the extent of the rust problems. The marks are very small and in all honesty if I was a dealer, I wouldn't go through the hassle of either trying to repair it under warranty or indeed repairing it myself. Gaz
 
E Class

Spending £10K on a car with signs of rust is madness. Do not touch it, spend your money on another car, You cannot beat a V70. Audis are prone to exploding gearboxes so I would not even think about them. Remember, what ever rust you can see will actually be 3 or 4 times as bad.
 
SlimJim said:
Audis are prone to exploding gearboxes so I would not even think about them.

Possibly those are the ones which have had their transmission oil changed to non Audi approved but more specifically oil contaminated with dust - which somehow destroys the gearbox (autos)?

I think newer VW group auto boxes don't need transmission oil changes and are sealed for life (at least my 2001 VW is). My previous Audi needed auto transmission oil changes every 40k from memory - and Audi 80/90 auto boxes did keel over if contaminated with dust.

Or is it a general mechanical failure that you are referring to?
 
uumode said:
Audi A6 Avant 7 seater is cheaper, and better built with galvanised body. Though has less toys than a high spec E Class. That would be my choice for the long term with no corrosion worries. There is the Volvo 7 seater estate too as another option.

.

When I was looking at getting a 6/7 seater I had a good look at both the E-class and the V70.

I imagined my kids in the back (3rd row) seat which is literally a "Bench" whilst I travelled to the S/France and I couldnt do it to them.

This is why I eventually got a Galaxy. Whilst I think the build quality is pants for a car that cost the 1st owner £20K+, the seating is faultless.

If you really need the extra seats on a regular basis I would look elsewhere than a 7 seater estate car.
 
Update for all

Car was booked in for Tuesday after last inspection and having been told all was well and MB would be correcting the problem - just had a call to say that MB will still be looking for a contribution - therefore all I was previously told was tosh. Car no longer going in on Tuesday.

Back to stage 1 - only even more pissed off than before.

Bill
 
Bill, don't let the bastards grind you down, or the rust for that mater,get new panals.

adam

Bill G said:
Update for all

Car was booked in for Tuesday after last inspection and having been told all was well and MB would be correcting the problem - just had a call to say that MB will still be looking for a contribution - therefore all I was previously told was tosh. Car no longer going in on Tuesday.

Back to stage 1 - only even more pissed off than before.

Bill
 
Agreed, visible rust in certain places is always the tip of the iceberg.

adam

SlimJim said:
Spending £10K on a car with signs of rust is madness. Do not touch it, spend your money on another car, You cannot beat a V70. Audis are prone to exploding gearboxes so I would not even think about them. Remember, what ever rust you can see will actually be 3 or 4 times as bad.
 
Update

Got a letter on Friday to relate that my case was still being researched and apologies for delay blah! blah! - got a letter Saturday from MB High Command to tell me that they are sorry that their decision is not what I want to hear but that they will be looking for a contribution from me of 35% towards their manufacturing failure - well that was not their exact words. This is the position that was offered to me in March of this year and sticks firmly in my throat.

They have not clarified the point that I have been asking from day 1 "How have I contributed to the rust problem on the car". I need them to clarify precisely why they are rejecting a full repair as it is my intention to now pursue this through the courts and to make as big a noise about this as possible along the way. I have decided that I will just keep the car it is 'unsellable' anyway and have some cheap motoring - it is paid off and runs well - I may put a sign on the car pointing out the quality of the bodywork.

How do I get pictures of the car on to this thread can anyone explain to me in idiot proof steps?

Ta

Bill
 
Bill G said:
How do I get pictures of the car on to this thread can anyone explain to me in idiot proof steps?

Ta

Bill

Hi Bill,
I am very sorry to hear about your problems, are you a member of any motoring or other organization that might offer legal advice.

Submitting pictures is done simply by clicking on the 'Manage Attachments' button directly beneath where we type our messages.

The pictures have to be less than 100 kb in size and I tend to do this in a photo package similar to Photoshop.

There are folks far more literate on this subject, but if you get stuck them pm me and I will do my best.

Regards,
John
 
:bannana: Hi :bannana:

Those that thought that I had given up - yippeee- car in this morning to get 'done' at MB expense - it has been a long hard slog but I am pleased to say MB have done the honourable thing at last. It had been booked in previously but MB withdrew at the last minute (paintus interuptus) so a flurry of letters followed and they resulted in me getting a new offer. I did not want to count chickens so I waited but yahooo in this morning.

It will be in for 3-4 weeks I am told but I have requested a report before any painting is done just to get an handle on what is being carried out. Though I am reasonably happy with the conversation I have had with the Body Shop Rep. and very impressed with the work they did on a friends car (which he has subsequently written off).

So here is hoping that there will be a good end to this saga.

Not too impressed with the Fiesta courtesy car - I kind of fill it.

So I now have to say well done MB and thanks, would have helped if I did not have to push so hard or so long (9 months) but what the hell.

Will post update and perhaps some pics on completion.

All the best to everyone else in the same position.

Bill :) ;)
 
Bill G said:
Will post update and perhaps some pics on completion.

All the best to everyone else in the same position.

Bill :) ;)

Congratulations Bill,
If you have a good relationship with the bodyshop then I would like to keep an eye on what they are doing.

It is sad that you have only been supplied with a Ford Fiesta, the dealership should be involved with this repair. They should have taken the car to the bodyshop and they should have supplied the courtesy vehicle. This is after all a warranty claim against Mercedes-Benz???

I accept how hard you have fought to get this far and it has no doubt taken a toll.

Good luck and fingers crossed it will all turn out for the best.

Regards,
John
 
Cheers John and thanks for the support over the period and I will keep all posted.

'There is a faint light at the end of that tunnel ....'

Bill
 
Success

A cheery story to offer some hope! Having bought the E240 with the rust patches on the rear arches, I went with the car to the Mercedes dealer in town to ask about it. By this time, the car had been serviced by an independant 5 days prior. The Service Manager indicated that the recent service would be a problem (nothing to do with rust of course). Anyway, he checked with the paint meter to ensure that it hadn't been re-sprayed and then asked if I wanted him to check other bits which 'I may not like'. He did, and to my horror revealed corrosion along the tops of the doors under the rubber seal (inside)! One of the front doors and one of the rear doors had an area along their leading edge (about 5 inches) that had completely rotten and was about to show on the outside (nor readily repariable). Anyway, he offered to do a B Service on my car and then submit the claim with a full service history (actually only doing it if the claim was successful). Long story about to be shortened - MB agreed the claims in full (7 in total) - 2 new doors, 2 door repairs, 2 wheel arch repairs and a rear hatch claim......£3700. The car is due to be collected today from a very good mercedes approved repair facility after nearly 3 weeks.

During the repairs, the facility manager called to point out that a number of other areas on the roof, front pillar and rear hatch were showing signs of problems (stone chips that had spidered, but problems nonetheless). In effect, he offered me an £800 quote for a further 18 hours of labour + materials to redo the whole car (apart from the front wings and bonnet, both of which were very good). I went in and looked at the car and discussed it with them. They work involved removing the roof rails, front and rear windows, completely doing the rear hatch, treating EVERYTHING they found and then a complete prime, spray and lacquer job. Not delighted about shelling out, but I figured it was a small price to pay for getting back a very sorted car. They are also waxing everything to prevent downstream problems and of course doing the Mercedes procedure for door repair (pretty extensive).

Bottom line - they looked after me well after I met the right bloke. The doors are now on recall, but ONLY if you take it in for a service - I assume that if you go in between services, they will have to look at them. I'm aware of many difficulties in claim resolution, but I have to admit to being very impressed with MB who have held their hand up and got on with it.

Good luck.
 
Fireblade, I am glad you are having the job done professionally so you can enjoy the car and not worry about future related problems.
What a pity it has come to this, though.
Bill, good to know persistence has earned you a much-deserved result.
Glad you've got an outcome.
 

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