What was the worst MB that you ever bought ?

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mercmush

Active Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
269
Location
London
Car
w222 S500e PHEV 2014
Don't be shy, better out than in ! I'll start, the worst Benz that I ever bought was a w126 500SEL F reg that I foolishly bought unseen from a retired policeman off eBay. The car had only done about 135k miles and only lasted 5 months before the alternator, radiator, condensor, exhaust, battery, bonnet release catches.....all gave up. Oh and just for good luck water entered the boot and gathered where the spare tyre lived. What a day that was when I scrapped the thing and my wife threatened to kill me..... :eek:
 
Hi, sorry to hear you had a bad experience, Ive only owned one, which i have presently, renewed the front wings, brakes, tensioner etc.
 
I have two, 1997 C250 owned from 1999 has a huge rust problem and two weeks back locked me out, I'm unable to get anyone to look at it when I tell them the problem, my two indies said ring them if I have a problem ... :doh: well thats why I'm ringing now!!!

Second, an E320 2004, it has had loads of electric problems and there's always a fault showing on the dash ....

They drive extremely well when they're going well, but just way too many problems for vehicles in this bracket.

Cheers

:wallbash:
 
2000 model E320 CDI, bloody hopeless piece of junk; electrical issue after electrical issue after electrical issue.

At one point I drove it into a dealer in Germany with a whole load of warning lights on to see if the could figure out what was wrong with it. I asked them if it was this year or model that was the problem, should I buy another model? The answer I got was "Yes , we advise you to buy a Lexus......"

It got quite heated with the dealer principal and we spoke regularly. The party line was that there was nothing wrong with the car. Eventually Mercedes turned up with a cheque and bought it back from me. I thought that was probably the last time I'd hear anything. However I was wrong; about a month after it went I got a phone call from the dealer principal. He'd taken his family on holiday in the car and it had thrown one of its hissy fits. How the hell could he get it going again to drive on?

I helped him out and gently asked him if he now believed the car was playing up?

The last I heard of it was a couple of years later when I got a letter from HPI askling if I could provide data of the mileage? It seemed it had been clocked. Not that surprising as I had it less than 2 years and it had done nigh on 100K miles by then.

On the other hand my R plate Sprinter just keeps rolling along.
 
Early w203 c-class saloon. One of the few german built ones. Total and utter rubbish. Delivered new with a faulty dash screen, airconditioning flaps in the wrong way round so it steamed up all the time. It then got worse. New alarm system - twice. New electronic ignition switch, new keys, new "brain module" in the boot, front suspension bushes, alloys corroded prematurely and a few others I have forgotten. At one point my wife went to the crowded dealer showroom and very loudly announced that she did not want it back until it was fixed properly. They then seemed to try a bit harder to fix it Regularly left us stranded and unable to get into it or start it. Got to know the mobilo and enterprise people very well. Warranty repairs came to approx £6000. Sold it as soon as warranty ran out. That was our first MB. However we stuck with it and all the others since have been great.
 
An 02 reg C220 estate with about 5K miles and 6 months old.

Gearbox very clunky - drove like a learner in a manual
No rear wiper
Courtesy lights permanently on
Intermittent front wipers - they stopped when you operated the washers
Central locking sometimes opened of its own accord - needed three plips to be sure
 
Only ever had one Merc a 2005 W203 C180K, 158,000 miles on the clock now, and proud to say not a single issue :thumb:
 
I've never had a 'bad' Mercedes.

Same here , and while I can't give an exact figure , the number to have passed through my hands will be well into double figures ..... 30 ......40......?
 
Sadly, its the one I currently own. Rockinfreakshow, you are trolling, right?

I suppose as you say 'in your opinion' and your definition of 'bad'. I've sunk thousands into mine, and with the errors and issues currently, could easily spend at least 5 grand more just to get it trouble free.
But is it a bad car? I've just blasted from Edinburgh to Sheffield in 's very short time' and it didn't skip a beat, ignoring the errors and warnings. But could I recommend one to a family member or close friend (a true acid test)? Absolutely No Way. Making it, in my opinion, not just bad, but shocking for a, relatively recently, 35 grand car.
 
I had a w124 for a year, and despite their reputation for reliability, mine was the most unreliable Mercedes I have ever had.
Constant stream of issues - it failed the MOT for a bulb that wasn't showing yellow and a fuse failed (it hadn't blown, it just broke at its thinnest point)

Fortunately despite the rust, the more modern cars have been much better. The SLK has never had a moments problem in six years and passed all its MOTs and the CLK after 15 months has had no problems whatever, and passed its MOT.

Don't beleive all they say about the old Mercedes being the best :/
 
From number of Mercs I went thru I cant find the worst - they all where great. They all had some issues but I cant describe which one is worst.
1. 76' W123 200D - rust holes in a sill a size of fist
2. 78' W123 220D - cracked head due to overheating (my fault :( )
3. 79' W123 200D - knocking suspension (couldnt diagnose it bback then)
4. 97' W208 230K - many elektrical faults and MPG was s..t but I loved it
5. ...... many more....

.....but I cant point worst one as every single one was absolutly great. Loved every one and every mile in them.
 
RE: cars counted as had problems due to corrosion: We live in a country that kills off more cars than any other country in the world.

in GP801's case, it seems you got a black sheep! thats awful.

it all comes down to a few points i think to make the merc NOT the worst benz you have ever owned LOL

Would you have these problems if owned form brand new i.e. rust, blown radiators etc, who ruddy knows what hands they were in? Nothings bullet proof. You make it bullet proof.

QA is very questionable in the era of after say R reg merc's to say early 2000's after this point IMO is when they pulled up their socks.

Look at the state of some CLK's and Eclasses around that time. might as well have left it at the bottom of Salt lake!
 
I had a w124 for a year, and despite their reputation for reliability, mine was the most unreliable Mercedes I have ever had.
Constant stream of issues - it failed the MOT for a bulb that wasn't showing yellow and a fuse failed (it hadn't blown, it just broke at its thinnest point):/

you are joking, right? is that the level of 'serious' problems that make your 124 unreliable? a dodgy bulb and a dodgy fuse? lol
 
I have two, 1997 C250 owned from 1999 has a huge rust problem and two weeks back locked me out, I'm unable to get anyone to look at it when I tell them the problem, my two indies said ring them if I have a problem ... :doh: well thats why I'm ringing now!!!

Second, an E320 2004, it has had loads of electric problems and there's always a fault showing on the dash ....

They drive extremely well when they're going well, but just way too many problems for vehicles in this bracket.

Cheers

:wallbash:
124Fan - Your 320 electronic display problems might be solved with a new battery - it fixed mine.
 
In 8 cars not had a 'bad' one at all, so there isn't a 'worst' one, although there is a 'best' one and that the current E320cdi with straight six engine. Its got style, power, economy, low emissions, reliability (yes!). Even though one of the front road spring broke and collapsed, it was an inexpensive fix done next day by my indie. Apparently its a common German car fault and they usually go when the car is parked! The SBC was too noisy on one of 220cdi's and I had constant electronic warnings on this car that was due to low battery voltage - new battery fixed this, well it was 6 yrs old! Done some long european driving holidays in total confidence with breakdown/accident cover for backup. I see less complaints about MB cars in the letters columns of papers and car mags than any other make, even though they are just about the largest manufacturer in Europe. I suppose I could complain that the 250D was not as fire resistant as I would have liked! See my album.
 
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