W212 - Rusty Calipers and only 2 months old!!

[JuJigsaw]

I took delivery of my W212 Sport Estate at the end of September and it's been a superb car so far (although the MPG isn't close to what MB state, will wait until fully bedded-in to make a judgement).

Anyway, car's now done 1800 miles and a few weeks ago I spotted the front and rear calipers were starting to rust. The fronts are worse but the rears are catching up fast. I took the car into the local dealer yesterday and they've now submitted a claim to MB but they weren't very hopeful at all as they these issues are usually knocked back, in fact they said they'd never had rusty caliper replacements approved. I'm hoping they do accept this one as the car is so new but to say I'm annoyed that this can happen to such a new car and an MB as well is seriously annoying especially as it's done such very low miles.

I'd be interested in anyone else's experiences of this issue with their calipers and also if anyone has managed to get them replaced under warranty.

 

[st13phil]

MB UK changed their policy regarding "cosmetic defects" around November 2011. Prior to that you may have been successful in getting something done, but based on my experience with my wife's SLK earlier this year you will get a refusal and then stonewalled.

Personally, I think the new policy stinks. If you're selling what's supposed to be a premium product you should rectify even the smaller cosmetic defects without question. More importantly, your manufacturing processes and materials quality should mean that such issues don't arise.

 

[Dieselman]

Anyway, car's now done 1800 miles and a few weeks ago I spotted the front and rear calipers were starting to rust. The fronts are worse but the rears are catching up fast. I took the car into the local dealer yesterday and they've now submitted a claim to MB but they weren't very hopeful at all as they these issues are usually knocked back, in fact they said they'd never had rusty caliper replacements approved. I'm hoping they do accept this one as the car is so new but to say I'm annoyed that this can happen to such a new car and an MB as well

Why is an MB different?

What do you use to clean the wheels?

 

[renault12ts]

Don't all brake calipers rust? Paint them.

 

[jaymanek]

Do you use the local eastern european car wash?

 

[Dr-Nab]

I managed to get the calipers on the GL changed in March/April after they had started to rust/corrode for some brand new ones by MB (they had to see pictures and authorise the replacements). They were painted by MB to prevent corrosion, two different colours - light gold and silver, I had the silver ones fitted along with some replacement wheel bolts.

 

[sinewave]

Do you use the local eastern european car wash?

I've heard that mentioned before?


Is that because they use loads of TFR?

 

[jaymanek]

Yes... many use it in the wrong concentrate...
ive seen them pour the straight concentrate into those pump things and then apply it directly to the car... Really not a good idea...
And I know they havent pre diluted it as its the same sealed containers we buy from the same supplier.

I think its supposed to be diluted something like 20:1 depending on use.

 

[JuJigsaw]

Don't all brake calipers rust? Paint them.

Yeah, thanks for that. The point your missing is that this is a £40K car that is less than 3 months old. I should not have to paint, or even get someone else to paint them. It's not why I shelled out for a premium product. If I'd wanted (or expected) to have these sorts of issues then I'd have bought an old Vectra.

 

[JuJigsaw]

Do you use the local eastern european car wash?

You might be on to something here. I do use them and have used them about five times sine the car was new. Holy s**t, they do spray the wheels with some pump action sprays with a clear liquid.......but hang on, my wife's '05 Touran (85k miles) has been there plenty and those calipers haven't rusted although her alloys aren't anywhere near as open-style as my six spokes.

Actually, while were on the subject, beware of those hanging smelly (Magic Tree-style) air freshners they hand out. In my old Vectra I used to hang them on the indicator stalk and never lobbed them, I just added another one. When I came to sell the car and chucked them all the last one which had been touching the plastic cowling around the steering column, had actually melted the plastic and welded itself to it! What chemicals are these boys using???!!!

Is that because they use loads of TFR?

What is TFR?? I'm getting worried now.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

TFR stands for Traffic Film Remover.

Very strong stuff for removing grime.

 

[JuJigsaw]

TFR stands for Traffic Film Remover.

Very strong stuff for removing grime.

.....and is this the sort of gear these Eastern Europeans use or are all hand car washes using this stuff? If they do this is astonishing because at the one I go to it's usually chocker block with MB', BM's, Range Rover's, Porsches etc. If only they knew the damage they (we) were inflicting on there very expensive cars!!!!

 

[Dr-Nab]

TFR also strips your paint of any polish/wax/protection and considering the dirty gritty water and wash mitts the car wash places use on X amount of cars over and over imagine the swirls it adds to the paintwork... making your rather expensive premium product look very dull in no time at all.

 

[st13phil]

I managed to get the calipers on the GL changed in March/April after they had started to rust/corrode for some brand new ones by MB (they had to see pictures and authorise the replacements). They were painted by MB to prevent corrosion, two different colours - light gold and silver, I had the silver ones fitted along with some replacement wheel bolts.

You did well.

My wife's 2009 SLK350, which we've owned from new, suffered bad corrosion on the bolt heads that hold the NSF caliper together. This was changed without quibble in August 2011 (to my surpise, they changed the whole caliper not just the bolts).

Roll on to July 2012 when the car was in for a couple of minor jobs before the warranty expired and the OSF caliper bolts were now in a similar condition to those on the NSF caliper prior to replacement. Warranty claim was refused, with MB UK citing the changed policy re: cosmetic defects "that do not affect the functionality of the part". Appeal also refused.

The car is only ever hand-washed by me and I never use wheel cleaner. When MB first refused the claim they said that the corrosion was down to the use of harsh chemicals. I asked them to confirm their comment about harsh chemicals having caused the damage when I appealed the initial decision so that I could forward their assertion to Meguiar's whose Gold Class Shampoo I use. Unfortunately they declined that request too

 

[Dr-Nab]

You did well.

My wife's 2009 SLK350, which we've owned from new, suffered bad corrosion on the bolt heads that hold the NSF caliper together. This was changed without quibble in August 2011 (to my surpise, they changed the whole caliper not just the bolts).

Roll on to July 2012 when the car was in for a couple of minor jobs before the warranty expired and the OSF caliper bolts were now in a similar condition to those on the NSF caliper prior to replacement. Warranty claim was refused, with MB UK citing the changed policy re: cosmetic defects "that do not affect the functionality of the part". Appeal also refused.

The car is only ever hand-washed by me and I never use wheel cleaner. When MB first refused the claim they said that the corrosion was down to the use of harsh chemicals. I asked them to confirm their comment about harsh chemicals having caused the damage when I appealed the initial decision so that I could forward their assertion to Meguiar's whose Gold Class Shampoo I use. Unfortunately they declined that request too

I was pretty surprised they went with changing the calipers, I expected the wheel bolts to be sorted as it is a long running issue with the steel quality. I know that my dealership took pictures and got back to me a week later saying it was okay and to bring the car in whenever I was free as they had the calipers in from MK.

No idea whether they contributed or MB directly accepted the claim (seems unlikely given your case) but either way got new calipers out of it, the bolts on the calipers were pretty bad iirc but haven't had any problems with them on the E - they both get washed in the same way by me also, nothing harsh on them since the wheels are diamond cut and will rot at any given opportunity.

My dealer did mention something along the lines of "it depends what you spray on the wheels when you clean it" but hey all sorted now, doubt they will rot to pieces before the new one arrives anyway.

 

[renault12ts]

Yeah, thanks for that. The point your missing is that this is a £40K car that is less than 3 months old. I should not have to paint, or even get someone else to paint them. It's not why I shelled out for a premium product. If I'd wanted (or expected) to have these sorts of issues then I'd have bought an old Vectra.

You paid £40k...I'd have leased it...cheap as chips nowadays.

 

[grober]

Posted this elsewhere.

The brake calipers on your car are almost certainly made of cast iron with aluminium alloy pistons. Calipers are generally made from three metals: magnesium, aluminum and cast iron. The material used is important to help eliminate any deflection of the casting. The modulus of elasticity is a measure of material deflection. The higher the modulus of elasticity number, the greater resistance to flex. Magnesium has a modulus of 6.5 million, aluminum has a modulus of 10 million, cast iron has a modulus of 14.5 million and steel has a modulus of 30 million.
Cast iron is an excellent material for caliper manufacture but will form surface rust easily. The calipers will have had a thin protective coating initially but a combination of road grit,brake dust, salt and water jets from the road surface combined with heat from the brakes will soon remove it ! If anyone makes an adverse comment on their appearance then just say yeah but they've got a superior modulus of elasticity mate.

 

[whitenemesis]

Interesting / informative info is always worth repeating

 

[renault12ts]

Indeed...paint 'em.

 

[steve lomax]

Rusty E Class Brake Calipers

We purchased a new e class convertible in April 2013 for my wife and it has only done 3,000 miles. It has just been in for its first service and I have complained about the front offside brake caliper rusting already. Mercedes Benz warrington got in touch with Mercedes benz and I have just had an email from Mercedes benz stating that they feel that this is not an issue even though the dealer informed them that the rust is heavy and is apparent on other calipers as well. Mercedes suggested that they will give me a 15% discount off new ones amounting to approx. £350. I have just emailed them back to say if that is the best that they can do then it is my intention to speak to the dealer with a view to rejecting the vehicle and I am also going to involve the national press and motoring magazines. I have had issues with Mercedes benz in 1996 and 1998 with a c class and a clk and I rejected then and got my money back after involving auto express. I then went to BMW. I have bought 2 e class cars last year a convertible and a saloon as I thought that Mercedes benz had finally got the quality issues sorted out. Apparently not. Watch this space.