9th Dec 2008, 23:30
I have a 1999 300M that I bought 3 months ago.
I love the way the car drives, and the room for the whole family inside it.
It only had 78000 on it when I bought it; I have only put 3000 miles on it since I bought it, and I have had the same problems with the dash cracking and progressively worsening.
I have also had a weird problem that I have not heard anyone else experiencing; the shifter has moved very hard since I bought it. It started to free up after I drove it for a while, and then the weather started to get cold and it would almost freeze up, and I could not get it into gear until the car warmed up.
One day I got in to go to the store and I tried to put it into gear; the gear shifter moved all the way back and it was in the 'Drive' position, but the car was still in 'Park'. I took it apart and the shifter came unhooked from the cable, so I hooked it back up and it seemed okey for a while until it sat for about a week, because I don't drive it every day, and it happened again.
So I got it into gear, and got the shifter hooked up and put a pin in it so it would not come unhooked again, and it seemed good for about 2 weeks, and then yesterday I got in the car and it did it again.
I took it apart tonight, thinking that it came unhooked again, and the whole entire shifter down inside broke off. So I took it all apart and got the car to go into gear, and now it is stuck in 1st gear. I don't know what to do with it; I will have to see if I can get it to a garage somehow.
I have also had problems with my windows not working; they seem to work when they want to.
The sunroof has been messing up too. If theyn it all the way sometimes, theyll not close; they'l close and go to a certain point, and then open again. The time I had it open it took me 20 minutes to get it closed.
My tires will also not hold air. I have to put air in my tires every 2 or 3 days because they lose air so fast.
I don't know, I really like the car but I need something a little more reliable for me and my daughter.
21st Aug 2009, 07:32
I have had my 1999 300M for almost a year now. Overall, it has been a reliable car. We have had only a handful of difficulties:
1. The shifter was very difficult to move into or out of gear. I suspected it could be a problem with the linkage but found out that this car has no external linkage. The problem was the shifter cable. I took the car into the dealer and they replaced the cable for just under $200, which completely fixed the problem.
2. My battery was continuously dying, leaving me stranded. We replaced the battery about 4 months ago and so far, so good.
3. The brake lights stay on even after the car has been turned off. We have not fixed this yet but my husband suspects it is the brake switch.
4. Occasionally the interior lights flicker while driving down the road.
I am surprised at the number of reviews I have read that reflect positively on the comfort level of the car for tall people. I am 5'8 and my husband is 6'2 - neither of us find riding in the passenger seat a very comfortable experience because there is not room enough to stretch out our legs.
24th Mar 2008, 14:45
I have had my 300m now for about 6 years. I have been happy for the most part, but have had some problems that I will share with you today. My dash board was also cracked about 2 inches when I bought it, dealer said it was normal, and as it starting cracking more I took it back and they say it was not under any warranty, so I still have the same dashboard cracked completely across the dash.
The car starting overheating a few summers ago and smoke was coming out the pipe, it looked kinda blue. Shop said my heads were cracked and needed a new engine overhaul. I took it dealership and they said I just needed new fan motors put in, and that was it.
Wobbling and noise coming from the front pass end? This went on for years. Finally figured out I just needed my tie rod bushings replaced, no big deal.
Air conditioning went out and had a funny smell very stinky actually. Rotten water/fumes in the lines, there was nothing to do because I am not paying 2,000 to have it fixed. I am looking into fixing it this summer perhaps.
Headlights cover scratched and plastic ruined. I have read that you should not wipe plastic with cloth, oops too late. I am looking into buying a plastic repair kit, hope it works.
Now my car just stalls for no reason after driving for a half hour or so, then starts right back up again??? Someone says it may be fuel pump clogged, or sensor out, I don't know I am going today to investigate.
I had problems with battery and cables too, I just fixed it recently and now it works great. New battery and found a alternator at a junk yard that is awesome, had to cut and tape a portion of battery cable and put on 2 new cable ends to connect to battery, it has been working great now for one year. FINALLY!!!
Wheels and tires, Oh boy. Tires always going flat. Must have tire man grind the inside of the rim to remove corrosion so the tire can grip, he can also apply some chemical stuff to help it stay better. The rim caps are falling off too, so when I bought new ones I sealed the connection with super glue and painted the back side with rust proof clear paint to help them last longer.
That's it for now, ciao~
Jen.