RHD W213 E63 crabbing issue?

[AyEmGeE63]

I currently drive a BMW, but am looking for a change and need a V8 engine in my life.

I've driven a stunning W213 E63 this morning and all was well until I got back to the dealership, where I did a 3 point turn (to test out the reversing camera).

Driving forwards slowly out of the parking space, on full lock left, I felt a "jump" through the steering wheel and heard a clunk. I've never experienced this sensation in any car I've driven previously (40+ different cars of various makes/models) and this was my only concern.

Having got home, I've looked online and have found many reports of the GLC43 and C43 models crabbing. What the reports have explained, or demonstrated in videos is exactly what I felt.

I'm going to try and arrange another drive in the car, but it's a 150 mile round trip, so I was hoping somebody might be able to advise whether they have noticed this phenomenon on a 4WD E class?

Regards,

Paul

 

[whitenemesis]

W213 E63s 4Matic clunking... Anyone else?

Also worth a read

Mercedes tyre 'skipping' - official statement

 

[AyEmGeE63]

This is a very useful reply, thank you very much

I'd seen the second one, but the first didn't come up in any searches I did, but at least it puts my mind at rest that it's "normal", if somewhat abnormal.

 

[DRIVER200]

This is a very useful reply, thank you very much

I'd seen the second one, but the first didn't come up in any searches I did, but at least it puts my mind at rest that it's "normal", if somewhat abnormal.

If you actually believe that this is ''normal'' then good luck as it's only normal in a negative way. This should not be happening and the cause is very well documented eg. RHD cars have it and LHD cars don't. MB refuse to accept responsibility and recommend winter tyres at your cost obviously. Be under no illusion that because its a MB that it's OK as its' NOT!! MB couldn't care less about owners' problems unless you drive a GLC and then they will mask the problem by offering you winter tyres/wheels FOC. As for all the other 4Matic owners well tough luck and if you don't like it tough luck again. What a wonder world we live in...... Happy straight line driving.

 

[AyEmGeE63]

Sorry, I put the word normal in quotes to infer that whilst it appears it's normal behaviour for the 4Matic system, it is far from it as no other car I've ever driven has noticeably experienced this behaviour.

What I felt reassured by was that I wasn't imagining what I felt and that the issue I read about is also present on the E63. This though left me extremely disappointed as everything else about the car was just so right, but I just can't drop that much money knowing the product is so clearly flawed.

After sleeping on it, I just feel disgusted that Mercedes can treat their customers this way. Since the first reports in 2015, they were denying the issue and only accepted there was an issue in 2017 when threatened with legal action. Rather than accept they have made a fundamental design error on RHD vehicles, they blame the tyres and expect the customer to buy new smaller wheels and winter tyres to mask the problem.

I updated my car details in my profile from "Soon to be E63" to "Was to be E63, not any more" earlier this morning and expressed my disappointment to the dealer who was clearly surprised at my change of heart considering how much I liked the car yesterday.

 

[DRIVER200]

Sorry, I put the word normal in quotes to infer that whilst it appears it's normal behaviour for the 4Matic system, it is far from it as no other car I've ever driven has noticeably experienced this behaviour.

What I felt reassured by was that I wasn't imagining what I felt and that the issue I read about is also present on the E63. This though left me extremely disappointed as everything else about the car was just so right, but I just can't drop that much money knowing the product is so clearly flawed.

After sleeping on it, I just feel disgusted that Mercedes can treat their customers this way. Since the first reports in 2015, they were denying the issue and only accepted there was an issue in 2017 when threatened with legal action. Rather than accept they have made a fundamental design error on RHD vehicles, they blame the tyres and expect the customer to buy new smaller wheels and winter tyres to mask the problem.

I updated my car details in my profile from "Soon to be E63" to "Was to be E63, not any more" earlier this morning and expressed my disappointment to the dealer who was clearly surprised at my change of heart considering how much I liked the car yesterday.

Yes it's a shame but MB still don't seem to actually ''get it'' when it comes to their cars. They really assume that people will buy whatever faults they have. How they continue to get away with masking GLC owners' problem by offering tyres/wheels FOC and not other 4Matic owners baffles me. You did the right thing. Incidentally did you ask the salesperson why MB are changing GLC owners tyres/wheels FOC?

 

[AyEmGeE63]

I didn't realise GLC owners were getting wheels and tyres FOC, so I didn't ask about that.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Sorry, I put the word normal in quotes to infer that whilst it appears it's normal behaviour for the 4Matic system, it is far from it as no other car I've ever driven has noticeably experienced this behaviour.

What I felt reassured by was that I wasn't imagining what I felt and that the issue I read about is also present on the E63. This though left me extremely disappointed as everything else about the car was just so right, but I just can't drop that much money knowing the product is so clearly flawed.

After sleeping on it, I just feel disgusted that Mercedes can treat their customers this way. Since the first reports in 2015, they were denying the issue and only accepted there was an issue in 2017 when threatened with legal action. Rather than accept they have made a fundamental design error on RHD vehicles, they blame the tyres and expect the customer to buy new smaller wheels and winter tyres to mask the problem.

I updated my car details in my profile from "Soon to be E63" to "Was to be E63, not any more" earlier this morning and expressed my disappointment to the dealer who was clearly surprised at my change of heart considering how much I liked the car yesterday.

So what are you getting instead, please do keep us posted?

 

[AyEmGeE63]

To be honest, I haven't got a clue.

The E63 was fantastic and did everything I wanted and, to be honest, if I'd not accidentally come across a video mentioning the crabbing issue, would probably have put a deposit down on one this morning, but now I know there is an issue and the way customers have been treated, I can't get beyond this.

 

[Alps]

yes the e63 definitely crabs more than the e55 i had, not a problem in normal driving though

 

[Alex]

This "issue" is not exclusive to Mercedes - our Range Rover does it. Never stopped me from enjoying the car. No idea what all the hysteria with not ordering or rejecting cars is about.

 

[AyEmGeE63]

The reason I'm not ordering isn't actually down to the problem itself, more Mercedes UK's "couldn't care less" attitude to what is a design flaw that, even now, they are trying to blame on somebody else by saying it is the tyres.

Why should they deserve to get my money?

 

[DRIVER200]

The reason I'm not ordering isn't actually down to the problem itself, more Mercedes UK's "couldn't care less" attitude to what is a design flaw that, even now, they are trying to blame on somebody else by saying it is the tyres.

Why should they deserve to get my money?

Now you understand why some owner's feel very strongly about this but other's seem to accept as a ''Characteristic'' just because it's a MB... As for other cars doing it, that may well be true but it shouldn't happen as not ALL cars do it regardless of the size of tyre so you have to ask yourself what have those manufacturers done to prevent this that MB haven't?

 

[flowrider]

To be honest, I haven't got a clue.

The E63 was fantastic and did everything I wanted and, to be honest, if I'd not accidentally come across a video mentioning the crabbing issue, would probably have put a deposit down on one this morning, but now I know there is an issue and the way customers have been treated, I can't get beyond this.

Take a look at the Audi RS6.

 

[DisappointedBuyer]

I collected my E63 on December 8th. I drove it out of the dealers showroom so the tyres were warm and it didn’t crab but the first time I took it off the drive it crabbed badly. I took it back to be looked over but they confirmed there was nothing wrong. MBUK said I could try winter tyres at my cost which is joke support for a car like this. Every journey starts pulling out of the drive or out of a parking space and it crabbed and I was dreading every tight junction.

The dealer was very supportive and I tried an E43 with 19” rims. It does crab in extreme situations (wet mossy surfaces) but is so much better than the 63 - it doesn’t crab on normal wet tarmac.

Given that the VAT from the original purchase is lost to HMRC, I had to take a loss to swap but the dealer shared the loss with me 50/50 and I am much happier with the “inferior” car.

My lesson from all of this is don’t buy unless you test drive the exact model you’re buying, not a similar car from the range, and make sure you try 3 point turns and parking manouvres in a test drive not just open road driving.

 

[bluestreak]

I would have thought "crabbing" can be dialled out thru drive train software. If E63 does not "crab" in rear wheel drive mode it would be a question of different torque distribution when vehicle is manoeuvring. As with all large corporations it will take some time before they do something about it.

 

[Bluegnomes]

Could you have tried a E63 on winter tyres? (Are 19inchs possible on a E63?).

 

[DisappointedBuyer]

My E63 was the base model (not the S) and it comes with 19" rims as standard so they are possible. I thought the slightly lower state of tune, the non-performance seats and the 19" rims would make for a better all purpose drive.

 

[JDL60]

My E63 is on 19in winters now, I’m not alone on here in using these either! No issues at all.

 

[AyEmGeE63]

My E63 was the base model (not the S) and it comes with 19" rims as standard so they are possible. I thought the slightly lower state of tune, the non-performance seats and the 19" rims would make for a better all purpose drive.

I think it may well have been "your" car I looked at and was considering buying. A hyacinth red E63 with black interior, registered on 8th December with a registration ending in UVB?