OH NO! RUST! W220 S Class Sep 01. Advice please!?

[stargazerplus]

Don't know if this is very clear, but you can just about see rust blisters forming towards the bottom of the wheelarch. The car isn't even five years old yet! Grrrrr

The car has done 80,000 miles and has a FMBSH at Redhill. I'm the second owner and haven't needed a service yet!

 

[GregE240]

Theres actually rust further up the wheelarch.

Get it to a dealer PDQ, and be prepared.

 

[Flash]

Theres actually rust further up the wheelarch.

Get it to a dealer PDQ, and be prepared.

Our W220 2004 (face lift) has alot of rust worse than yours...

I am not in the slightest bit surprised...

 

[stargazerplus]

Theres actually rust further up the wheelarch.

Get it to a dealer PDQ, and be prepared.

Thanks Greg.... what do yo consider as adequate preparation?

And should I take it back to Redhill as they have been the main agent looking after it for the last few years? This is a bit out of my way!!!

 

[stargazerplus]

Our W220 2004 (face lift) has alot of rust worse than yours...

I am not in the slightest bit surprised...

I am horrified....When I was at Lancaster Lakeside last week I saw a 99 that had absolutely awful rear wheelarches... and that car was up for sale like that!

This is my seventh mercedes. Three 190e, a 1.8, a 2.0 and a 2.6, a 320ce, and SLK, and now the C240 and the S. None of them had any significant rust.

Having a look at the S, there is quite a dirt trap and a lot of dried caked mud behing this area, which isn't a very good design, methinks.

 

[Flash]

And should I take it back to Redhill as they have been the main agent looking after it for the last few years? This is a bit out of my way!!!

Just go to your nearest/local MB authorised bodyshop - IF they are not helpful then take it back to Redhill.

Thats now 3x W220s recently on this forum (Mercs' flagship model that have broken out with rust very recently in addition to the CL600...!!!)

 

[Flash]

I am horrified....When I was at Lancaster Lakeside last week I saw a 99 that had absolutely awful rear wheelarches... and that car was up for sale like that!

This is my seventh mercedes. Three 190e, a 1.8, a 2.0 and a 2.6, a 320ce, and SLK, and now the C240 and the S. None of them had any significant rust.

Having a look at the S, there is quite a dirt trap and a lot of dried caked mud behing this area, which isn't a very good design, methinks.

Our doors are starting to rust as well...

 

[GregE240]

Thanks Greg.... what do yo consider as adequate preparation?

And should I take it back to Redhill as they have been the main agent looking after it for the last few years? This is a bit out of my way!!!

Well, put it this way, if they feign surprise then they're lying through their teeth!

Rust on 202/210/215/220 (C, E, CL, S) models is VERY well documented. As is the main reasons for it being the case.

Given your car has a FMBSH, I would expect nothing less than the remedial work carried out at an MB approved bodyshop (critical) with no expense to yourself.

Search this fine site, take a look at Honest John (Daily Torygraph) and arm yourself to the back teeth with evidence.

I wish you well, sir. And please....feel free to ask for further advice. This simply should not be happening.

 

[stargazerplus]

Thanks again Greg. I have noted on other posts that you can't get anything done under Mobilo until you have been the registered keeper for six months. I am a longterm Honest John fan and he doesn't actually talk about W220 rust at all. I will be expecting a repair from Mobilo for this.

What I would like to find out, is which dealer in East or North London or Essex tends to be very accomodating with rust repair, or should I venture further afield?

 

[Vlad]

You should not have a problem getting this rectified.....its a common problem and if there is any comfort to be gained from any of this (hard I know), you will often find that when the paint is removed the rust is not that bad....yes yes, I agree it shouldn't happen, but unfortunatley its a fact of any modern day Merc with this type of paint and Merc must be kicking themselves for being so stupid in the first place as it must be costing them a fortune to rectify.

The area will be sand blasted to get rid of the rust, then treated and painted with a thicker layer of paint.

The work we had done on a E240 which was significantly worse than that shown in the picture was done to a very high degree and Mercedes did not quibble about anything....infact they undertook repairs to other parts of the body that were no where near as bad. Just be firm but polite and they will see you OK......hopefully

 

[big x]

You can see in the photo why it rusts... an unfinished sharp edge on an ungalvanized panal and thinnish paint. I had a look at a Saab 9-5 today and the edges where rounded smooth and a tight fitted plastic arch over the galvanized metalwork keeping rust at bay.
This is certainly hitting MB values...I saw a E320 cdi, 2000 X reg,silver,94k fetch £6300 today at auction.There was rust bleeding on all the arches.These cars used to fetch fortunes but the trade as wised up to the problems.

adam

 

[s500surrey]

Don't know if this is very clear, but you can just about see rust blisters forming towards the bottom of the wheelarch. The car isn't even five years old yet! Grrrrr The car has done 80,000 miles and has a FMBSH at Redhill. I'm the second owner and haven't needed a service yet!

Had the same problems with 99 W220 s500. Main dealer repaired the rust blisters and did a good job although it took them about 2 months to fix it. Take it to the dealer -they will take photos and make a mobilo life warranty claim.

* 6 months on the rust has appeared on the other side... Rust on modern cars is simply unacceptable unless its a Vaux.