1999 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Elegance 1.6 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Rubbish rubbish rubbish

Faults:

I have a 160 Elegance, it has a "F" sign on the dash and is not going into gear at all. This happened out of the blue - went into services off the motorway to spend a penny, and got back to the baby and saw this F sign. Had to get towed back (200 miles away). Does anyone know what this fault is?

General Comments:

This is the worst car I have ever owned. I had a old shape C-Class before and it was lovely, but this A-Class should be renamed Toyota A-Class!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 5th September, 2007

8th Sep 2007, 05:58

A Toyota A-Class would be better built and cheaper. The F signal on your dashboard probably denotes a failure of the transmission (automatic, I'm presuming). On such an old car (1999) the repair will be very expensive compared to the replacement cost. I had a 2001 A-Class and happily sold it after a major engine failure. Good luck.

3rd Apr 2008, 10:25

Oh no! The dreaded 'F'

> That happened to mine after just two weeks of ownership

> It cost Mercedes £1167 to put a new one in

> My warranty paid the first £500

> Dealer offered to pay approx half the difference because I had just bought it

> Leaving me to pay £384 or so on a car I bought two weeks earlier for £2900

> A160 Elegance - run a mile from it!

Oh and 'F' means fault with semi-automatic transmission check fuse box, ensure fuse is intact and all relays are in place. If they are, you gotta take it to Mercedes to repair/replace

In reply to 3rd Apr 2008, 10:25

11th Sep 2013, 05:45

It took me just 45 minutes to fix the error 7 problem on my wife's A Class. The problem only occurs because EU rules force the manufacturers to use lead free solder in the construction of their printed circuits; this leads to dry solder joints, and that is what causes the gearbox problem. I simply changed the solder to leaded solder, problem solved, and you don't need to be a mechanic to do it, it's that simple.

In reply to 11th Sep 2013, 05:45

8th Apr 2015, 17:25

You are 100% right.

In reply to 11th Sep 2013, 05:45

13th Apr 2015, 13:24

Hi, I have the same problem. Please advise which part you soldered? And how did you take it out?

In reply to 13th Apr 2015, 13:24

14th Apr 2015, 16:52

So the car is supposed to be elegant and classy based on its name, but owners are having to stick the car back together? There's a disconnect there.

In reply to 11th Sep 2013, 05:45

18th Dec 2015, 22:55

Hi there, I have the F problem. Could you please advise what you did to fix it?

Thank you.

1999 Mercedes-Benz A-Class A-160 Elegance 1.6 liters gasoline from Mexico

Summary:

Excellent car with great handling, very safe, durable and enjoyable

Faults:

None. Normal servicing at scheduled intervals and that's it.

General Comments:

Very dependable, reliable car. It works perfectly. I change oil every 7000kms, with synthetic oil and that's it. I don't use it much, but every time I need it -even if it has been sitting for long periods of time- I just start it always at the first attempt and it is ready to go anywhere.

It is a very pleasant car to drive. The semi-automatic transmission is very nice in heavy traffic as it is in fast roads. I have run this car as much as 185kms/hr -more or less- quite often and it is and feels stable, very predictable, confident. The engine gives its power very well, you can really use all the capacities of that machine.

The seats are quite hard, so long trips 3 hours or so, might be a little tiresome.

It has every safety system you can ask for.

Good car, excellent car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th June, 2007

21st Jan 2014, 23:14

How about parts, are they easy to find? Prices of them? Thank you.

In reply to 21st Jan 2014, 23:14

29th Dec 2014, 08:31

Sorry to answer a year later, I hadn't seen your question. Parts are becoming a little scarce, and you have to find your way to them. Most of them, you can buy them directly at the Mercedes dealership, but some can be delayed quite a bit. The good part is that you don't have to change much in this car. Another way is to find parts from donor cars, which are abundant.