Car stubbornly veers to the right despite "proper alignment" (or so says the dealer). Three visits to the dealer have not solved the problem.
Numerous squeaks and rattles in the dashboard.
Brakes squeak when applied.
It's been 3 months since I bought it and the dealer hasn't given me the car's floor mats.
This car has been a huge disappointment. The alignment problem has left a terrible impression on the car. The squeaks coming from the dashboard also are very unbecoming of the quality I expected of a Mercedes.
Otherwise, the ride is comfortable, and the cabin is well-insulated. But the engine is noisy and underpowered for a US$48K car.
The on-dash, on-steering-wheel computer
is difficult to operate.
Dealer is slow to respond to complaints. Unbelievably, after 3 months of ownership they still haven't provided me with floor mats. The check's in the mail...
Cars more often veer to the side because a tire is damaged, just a small lump will set it off course. It can happen from various reasons like overheating or by hitting the sidewalk or a speed-hump. This does not check on an alignment test!
The 2,6L is not really the greatest choice, although there isn't too much option in the petrol department. The diesels are much more impressive. The best thing is to buy either the most economic or the fastest engine, IE. the e220 CDI or the e500, all the other engines are just compromises.
Breaks can squeak from dust or from metal in the pads. I had a factory "error" on my brake pads... it was so loud I used the handbrake for the whole day!
The veering "problem" is a feature designed into all Mercedes cars. Since you live in Panama, I assume you drive on the right, so you are on the left side of the car. If this is the case, then the reason the car pulls to the right is to keep you from running into oncoming traffic if you fall asleep at the wheel. (No insult meant by this.) So if you fall asleep, the car will go right, into a guardrail, instead of into oncoming traffic.
If you want the car to track straight, you can ask the dealer to.
What do you expect from a 2.6 litre in a big car like that? You buy the 2.6 for economy, not power! Why do you think so many of the 70's Benz were underpowered diesels? Buyers' wanted the economy of the diesel and didn't care much about performance. Makes sense? If you wanted power, you should have gotten the 320.
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