Petrol Pete
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
You might need to look at the story again . MB have been replacing them FOC (not always) on cars 13 years old even without full MB service history.
They know something is dangerously wrong with the rear subframes.
How serious is Mercedes C class subframe failure?
- Thread starter Fastcar155
- Start date
They know something is dangerously wrong with the rear subframes.
Numair Aidroos
Active Member
There are anti rust treatments available for under body frame. I don't know how well these after market solutions work. I use Silicone sprays after the underbody has been jet washed.
Numair Aidroos
Active Member
Just C class? Or all sedans and suv line up?
Well we are hearing of owners with aged C class cars getting the rear subframe renewed free,so there is a problem and MB know about it and of course it is a safety issue,a complete guess by me is that MB had two suppliers of this sub frame and one of them has used sub standard material to make it,because we do have a couple of owners who have had their subframes inspected and they are ok.
It has changed. I’ve always sent my customers to mercedes first to see if they would cover it. For a while the success rate was maybe 50%. For those who were rejected I replaced the subframes at customer cost. For perhaps a year or so I haven’t replaced any. Mercedes have done them all, at no cost to the customer. These are cars which I have serviced for some of their lives. Ok, I’m recognised by Mercedes and do keep accurate DSB records. Maybe they look at the service history, maybe they don’t. I don’t know for sure.
Petrol Pete
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
As jobsworth says . It's a bit 'hit and miss' but MB are for sure well aware of the issue so if it happens to you lean on them for an FOC replacement, even if you do not have full MB service history.
Hi, do i have a chance with mercedes if my car is from UK and now in Ireland from 2019? Today failed NCT only on rusted subframe and its dangerous...
steveq
Active Member
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- Nov 2, 2011
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- 2011 S212 E220 CDI Estate, 2011 W204 C220 CDI, 1965 230SL Pagoda
Bring it to a main MB dealer.
My rear subframe was rusted and MB replaced it FOC. My car was also a UK import and it didn't have a full main dealer service history.
wil do it today after work, also my car is
went to MB dealer in Carlow, they will take it for inspecection at 7 of april (136euro from me) and then need to wait if MB will replace it and all that can take ap to 3 months + dude agreed that a lot of people has this problem
Mercedes will cover my car and now need to wait for the parts, but my nct is out and they dont give a courtesy car, im happy that they cover it but now i dont have a car until they fix it..
steveq
Active Member
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- Location
- Dublin
- Car
- 2011 S212 E220 CDI Estate, 2011 W204 C220 CDI, 1965 230SL Pagoda
Great that it is being replaced FOC.
Hopefully you will only have to wait a couple of weeks.
By the way, I got a 4 wheel alignment done straight after the rear subframe was replaced -- which I would recommend. The outside of my front tyres were being scrubbed even before the rear subframe issue so I was thinking of getting it done anyway.
Definitely this. The two little toe adjustment arms on the back will be seized 9/10. New ones, and new eccentric bolts too, will require a four wheel alignment every time. Tbh it will need it even if the original arms can be saved, which is rarely.
Hello all, I am posting to say that my W204 also has a broken rear sub-frame. The car is 11 years old. This comes after the timing chain replacement last year which I believed was "the worst thing that could go wrong" with this car. Turns out I was wrong. I guess I should be grateful myself and my family weren't killed when the car started swerving. I'm hopefully getting it to the dealer next week, but no idea yet how long I might be without a car.
Numair Aidroos
Active Member
God willing, you're all lucky to be alive.
ALFAitalia
MB Enthusiast
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- 2010 Mercedes W212 E Class E350 CDI Sport, 2006 Mercedes W169 A Class A170.
How did it get to the point of breaking without being spotted....My MOT place advice even the slightest bit of surface corrosion on load bearing parts.....it takes years to rust to the point of failure so the signs must have been there for at least the last few tests???!!!
Petrol Pete
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
How did it get to the point of breaking without being spotted....My MOT place advice even the slightest bit of surface corrosion on load bearing parts.....it takes years to rust to the point of failure so the signs must have been there for at least the last few tests???!!!
Its's a fair question ALFAitalia but these things are rotting (mainly) from within and just about every car in the UK of MOT age with average mileage and a steel subframe will probably be showing some kind of surface rust , an MOT tester will have a little prod around and pass the car.
More tellingly it would seem that Mercedes Benz have not officially recognised this as a problem (safety or otherwise) so it has not been flagged up as a safety issue.
A friend of mine owns a garage and employs 2 MOT testers , he is a MB owner and has failed a W204 because of the subframe and has made his guys aware of the issue and told them to look very closely at the subframe of any W204 that comes in.
I doubt many other MOT garages do the same. The thing is not every owner of a W204 is a member of a MB forum like this one and are blissfully unaware of the problem.
Its's a fair question ALFAitalia but these things are rotting (mainly) from within and just about every car in the UK of MOT age with average mileage and a steel subframe will probably be showing some kind of surface rust , an MOT tester will have a little prod around and pass the car.
More tellingly it would seem that Mercedes Benz have not officially recognised this as a problem (safety or otherwise) so it has not been flagged up as a safety issue.
A friend of mine owns a garage and employs 2 MOT testers , he is a MB owner and has failed a W204 because of the subframe and has made his guys aware of the issue and told them to look very closely at the subframe of any W204 that comes in.
I doubt many other MOT garages do the same. The thing is not every owner of a W204 is a member of a MB forum like this one and are blissfully unaware of the problem.
The part that fails most often is the forward upper arm mounting. It’s in a position that is very hard to see if the wheel is fitted. It’s behind the tyre, shrouded from view from below by the body of the subframe. To be absolutely fair unless an MoT tester is intimately familiar with that particular problem area he is going to miss it. Even with knowledge of exactly where to look I would need a mirror to look at it without removing the wheel. My ‘shop is old school, and the wheels come off at every service. At Mercedes I’d expect the wheels to be removed at a B service, but from what I’ve seen I don’t believe that necessarily happens every time. Obviously it’s an area that can be inspected properly with the wheels off, but MoT testers aren’t allowed to do that. It’s not surprising it is missed on an MoT to be fair. I have alerted my MoT man to this particular point - we have a good relationship, he did his apprenticeship with me about 12 years back. Eventually a bulletin will be forthcoming from the DVSA to all MoT stations telling testers where to look, but don’t hold your breath…
I don't know. Last year I had a few advisories in the MOT which I fixed shortly after.
This year I had an annual service and they flagged up a couple more non-urgent issues which I booked it in for.
The sub frame failure occured about a week later. But my MOT last year seemed more thorough than usual (for example, they picked up on a windscreen stone chip which had been there on all 5 of the previous MOT's!) And I use a good indie for the service. So I am inclined to think that wherever the frame had corroded, it wasn't visible. Or it is covered in surface rust but not apparent that it is about to break.
I will certainly avoid driving behind another W204 from now on!The thing is not every owner of a W204 is a member of a MB forum like this one and are blissfully unaware of the problem.
