Comments: 1-15, 16-30
See the note (below). It turns out that the car was very badly aligned. The C240 was also badly aligned, just not so bad as the C230 Kompressor. I had alignment on C240 done at independent shop - C240 is OK...
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Paul G. Juron
General Manager
Customer Assistance Center.
Dear Mr. Juron.
I’ve never driven, much less owned, a car that handled so poorly and sounded so cheap as this C230… Around town, it was fine. On the expressway at speed, the car was just awful. It seemed determined to follow every irregularity in the concrete and generates more road noise than any car that I’ve owned since 1975… I thought that there certainly must be something physically wrong with the car.
I called the dealer after accumulating about 50 miles and owning the car for about 4 hours and told them that the car was unacceptable for the reasons outlined above. The next day, I went to the dealership and found that the car had depreciated seven thousand dollars overnight. I tested a C240 which was everything that I imagined that a Mercedes ought to be. By exchanging the C230 for the C240, the depreciation was somehow reduced to 1500 dollars, so in order to avoid a substantial loss, I bought the C240. The irony that the C240 that I bought had more miles on it that the C230 that I traded did not escape me…
I asked if Mercedes couldn’t be contacted to “back the title” out of the system and was told no, that the car had been titled to me immediately after I drove away from the dealership and that “that was that”. That struck me as a fairly strange way to welcome a new customer to the Mercedes family.
The bottom line is this… I have wanted to own a Mercedes for many years, but the process of buying one has been thoroughly unpleasant. If the dealer had even offered to try to talk to Mercedes on my behalf, that would have been enough. But, that didn’t happen… I would like to add that the salesperson was never part of the problem…
I bought (among other things) a set of the headlight trim accessories for the C240 which were fine for three days until the first rain at which point they came loose from the car. The double-sided tape stuck fine to the headlights, but came loose from the headlight trim. That, coupled with the experience with the C230 has begun to convince me that I made a serious misjudgment by purchasing a Mercedes-Benz automobile.
I will probably keep the C240 for the length of the warranty and then dispose of it. I had hoped to stay with Mercedes for the remainder of my life, but unfortunately, I will not likely be purchasing another nor can I in good conscience recommend the brand to any of my acquaintances. My wife generally purchases a new car of the same brand, but different model as I within a month or two of my purchase. This pattern has prevailed for almost 25 years.
As things stand, I can just about guarantee you that she won’t be visiting the dealer for a Mercedes-Benz automobile…
My wife and I have owned 3 Mercedes Benz since 1987. The vehicles, a 1986 300E, a 1989 190E 2.3, and a 1993 190E 2.6 have never been the problem. German engineering certainly has been the benchmark for automobile styling and manufacturing. At the beginning, the dealerships might have been a bit smug, but very reliable. In the last few years this has not been the case. The local workmanship has been absolutely deplorable. Quite a shame from a company that has stood for excellence, in my book.
I don't blame this gentleman for his harsh words. I wonder what M-B is doing to check out those dealers who are not getting return customers, because at this moment, I'm not one.
This is the problem when car companies start buying each other out or entering into shared supplier or production agreements. For a company like Mercedes which has traditionally built cars in the most impeccable way possible, out of the highest quality components and materials possible, it can only mean things going downhill as they chase profits and reduce costs in a global marketplace.
It's probably no consolation, but if you think Mercedes' quality is slipping, go and look around a new Volkswagen. They might have brought some German engineering quality to Seat and Skoda, but some Spanish/Czech cost saving has crept back the other way too. The new Golf's interior looks like something Vauxhall would have chucked together a decade ago.
I purchased a new C230K in 2003, I have had nothing, but problems with it beginning the first week of ownership. My car after 2 years just ended warranty at 50K, my sunroof does not work again for the third time and when I put the car in gear and press the gas I have no reaction. I called MB USA for help repairing these "out of warranty repairs" due to the fact that they have previously repaired, Steve from MB USA who called me here in Missouri basically stated that he would help me out this time. When I questioned him on what will happen if they break again since I have 1 1/2 years more on the lease, he said that I'd better take this offer and stop asking questions or he would hang up on me and that would be it!! NEVER again will I own a MB and please be aware that the two repairs above are just two of the many that I've had with this car... I can go on and on about the repairs that have been made to this car.
The C-class have been unreliable since their introduction. Mercedes has always been known for their flagship sedans. Since 1985 I have owned 5 Mercedes and have the best of luck. The first was a 1985 500sel, then a 1991 560sel. Those 2 were the best in my opinion. I bought a 1995 S500 and then a 1998 S420. I bought a 2002 S500 which my wife now drives. I have placed an order for a 2007 S550, hope it turns out to be like all my others. My 1995 S500 has well over 150000miles and still runs like a champ. Buying a C-class is like buying Hyundai or Kia, which at least they offer a decent warranty. Mercedes warranty is ridiculous.
If you look at what really happened to Mercedes, ALL models were affected by its push to produce more cars at the cost of quality.
The S Classes were no different. In fact, there was a recent article about some guy who sued Mercedes and won a huge amount for the unbelievable quality issues in his 2001 S Class.
I had a 1998 C Class (pre compressor) and it was pretty reliable, but wasn't anywhere near as reliable as my 2000 528i.
I wish you luck with your new 2007 S Class, but unless you have a programmer on your payroll I think you're in for a lot of pain.
I have never owned a Mercedes-Benz, but I feel like I have. My girlfriend's mom purchased a 2003 C230 Kompressor with very low mileage in the summer of 2004. She has to do a lot of traveling which requires her to put around 20,000 to 30,000 miles on her car per year. The car now has nearly 100K. The engine performance has been fine as well as the outside physical appearance. The inside of the car is where she has had all the problems. I have known her for a long time now and she has never been abusive to her cars and they have all held up in good condition. However, the Mercedes is falling apart. Inside the door there is a grip that you grab to pull the door closed and it has broken off not only on the driver's side, but the passenger side as well. Not only has the door grip broken but one day she got in the car and closed the door only to have then entire door panel fall off showing all of the wires and speaker. Also, ever since she had the first maintenance done the "Malfunction" sign shows below the speedometer. She took it back to the dealership on several occasions to have it looked at and they say they turn it off, but it always seems to come back within a hundred or so miles of driving. Also, the buttons that control the drivers window have broken on the drivers side. Another time a passenger decided to recline back in the passenger seat after a long ride and the back of the seat literally popped off revealing the springs inside the seat. That was within a month after she bought the car with only about 5,000 miles on it. She knew it was a Mercedes so she expected maintenance and parts to be expensive, but having a key copied was ridiculous. Her car key isn't a typical metal key that can be copied at any hardware store. It is a plastic "chip" type key that seems sophisticated. She went to the dealership to inquire about getting a spare key for an emergency and they quoted her $350!!! WOW, that seems outrageous!! We should have all realized that the car wasn't worth having when we saw it's price tag, $27,500, sounds to cheap for a "luxury" car. Take it from someone who has been around a C230 - don't buy one!!! Unfortunately I can't vouch for any other Mercedes model.
Philip - AR.
I own a 2003 230k "sport coupe" / hatchback and the car has been great. At 43k miles I had to add power steering fluid- could be a leak somewhere, but I can't detect it. That's pretty much it. Engine is always strong and I love the 6spd manual. When I let people drive it they can't believe the low end torque the little engine makes.
Oh yeah, one real problem. The rear deck for the hatchback has two cords that keep it in place and lift it out of the way when you need to access the trunk. They normally retract when you remove the lid, but the left side doesn't retract fully anymore. I had to take it apart and re-wind the spring inside.
Overall the fit and finish is not what I am used to with my older E class, but it's an entry level car and overall I'm pretty happy.
My experience with a MB dealer in Texas was not a happy one. I was looking for an used, but still young Mercedes, say 1 or 2 years old and was ready to invest 30-40K. Without knowing I found myself first in the new car section and was treated like a pariah as the sale man was certain that I was not interested in a new car. Such an arrogance! Perhaps I was underdressed?
I get annoyed with the dealers who are much too aware that they have desirable products because they act like they don't need you to buy from them. Our Jaguar dealer performs good service, but I get a rude vibe from them when I have a question about known faults with the cars. They act like every issue I inquire about is a big lie when it is actually well-known and serious. It's not as if I bring it up in front of other people in there, so I would appreciate them not talking down to me as if I were an idiot! I did not get in a position to be in the Jag/BMW/Mercedes market by being an idiot! Our Mercedes dealer stinks worse than the Jag place and I will not use them for anything! I've never even been in their showroom because their reputation for service has been deplorable for decades now.
The one attribute that everyone seems to be talking about is the decline in quality of Mercedes' cars. It's really too bad that it hasn't reduced the arrogance of the manufacturers or dealers. So long as they keep bringing out new models to lure the buying public and market them in ways that completely make one forget the flaws, these problems will exist. To the person who posted prior to this, if a dealer is getting angry because you are asking questions that they don't like, all I can say is imagine their attitude once you have actually bought a car from them and have real problems on your hands!! It's a shame consumers don't have more protection.
I can afford any car I want,except maybe a Bugatti Veryon or some of the hyper expensive European sport machines, any way I love Subarus, fast, hyper reliable, top notch All Wheel Drive system blows BMW and Audi away, in the heavy snowy mountains of Alaska the truth comes out and in the deep snow the BMWs have problems and Audi are just O.K. yet the mighty Subaru love it and want to run, with 30 below ambient temperaure you better be certain as to your machines capabilites, the mighty Subis dominate and run all day long, my sisters $115,000 BMW 745 died in the mountians of Georgia leaving her stranded, black fingers and toes are not included in a winter time mountain run, in Alaska mountains, mountains, mountains everwhere, Subaru the ulimate mountain machine!
I have to add to the comment about Subaru's , after the sale, after the bank (if financed) has given the dealership the money will they stand behind the sale pitch, the hype, the proms etc etc, too many dealers drop the ball,to those of you whom live in Anchorage find out who owns the Mercedes Benz dealership and ask your self -- is past performance a good indication of future performance ?-- beauty is only skin deep.
Why did your sister pay $35k over list price for her 745? Seems strange to me.
My sister had engine work done to increase performance, and several outher changes made, I am certain a cool $ 35,000 is not going to get her too excited, shes not on a budget and trades these cars in and out on a regular basices, after the BMW 745 let her down for a second time she now has a fixication on AMGs, Subaru's are just not her style, but I am still trying to convience her to try one,tire of it and donate it to me.
This is a general comment and my not fit the scope of the original intent of this site.
Factories build machines for us to drive, some great, some not so great. The factory places a price on the merchandise, and one either pays the price asked or moves on. To some, for a person to spend $35,000 more on an item in order to get what they desire play with it, tire of it, sell it and try some thing else is part of being lucky enough to be prosperous here in this place and time.
I trade cars in on a regular basis also. There is an item that I scower the country for, I have paid hundreds of dollars over market value to get these items into my safe, and I was laughed at for doing so at the time. Now after doing this for years, the supply has dwindled, the ones saying I paid too much are asking me to sell them just one please, just one, and I just smile at them, thinking of my safe full of boxes and boxes of this item, loving every minute of it.