Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans

peter84 · January 2002

Over the past 15 months my 2001 Mercedes C 320 has been in for repairs 14 times. Two new transmissions, 2 repairs to the tel-aid system, new tires after 14,000 miles, electrical system repairs for malfunctions to the windows and mirrors, a new heating system control panel, two new CD players and the list goes on. Has anyone had similar problems with their C 320 or do I have the only lemon? To date the most I have have been able to negotiate with Mercedes is an extended bumper to bumper warranty for 100,000 miles and 6 years. Other than that all they offered was a new car at additional cost to me, and I will not pay anything more. I like the looks of the car, and it drives well when not in the repair shop but for $42,000 and a Mercedes I expected a very good reliable car. My previous car, an Acura TL, never needed anything other than routine maintenance.

mleskovar · January 2002

Way too many problems...tires after 14K miles, two transmissions, two CD players? Something is fishy here.

scaredmb · January 2002

In response to Peter84's posting - I am very sympathetic. I bought my new C320 in December 2001 and while my problems have not been as serious as yours I have been in the shop nearly ten times myself. I have experienced problems with the mirrors, windows, tele-aid, power seats, trunk not opening, keys failing, tail lights burning out, etc. Many of the problems I have been experiencing the dealer is not competent to repair. In fact they have done more damage to the car - usually there is black grease on the door, threshold, seats and carpet; they have dented the passenger door interior panel and removed and lost some rubber weather-stripping on that door (lots of wind noise now).
I'm afraid that buying this car was a huge mistake. I should have bought the 3 series BMW or waited for the new ES 300 or X-Type.
I am interested in how you won the extended warranty - did the dealer offer it or did that come from your regional MB rep?

djasonw · January 2002

I guess I happen to be lucky because I have one of the early build C320 Sport models. Have not had any problems at all! Mine has a serial number LESS than the one needed to make the tele-aid unlock feature work to give you an example of how early the build is. I don't even have the green light in the trunk!

The car is great but I believe it's extremely overpriced! Sorry to say, I won't be shopping Mercedes unless they rethink their options pricing. I also have a C230 Coupe which is priced right (didn't get power seats). I enjoy that car more than my C320. Too bad my wife rarely lets me drive it!

404c · January 2002

Castinstone wrote:"Some other metallic colors incur a special, one-time $1150 charge because the car needs distinct attention."

One of the few things that make it more attractive to buy a C Class in Canada is that all metallic colours cost the same (about $500 US) - no "special order" charge at all.

Another advantage I guess is the fact that the "Classic" version is available in Canada; a C 240 Classic costs $23,750 US here. And a C 32 is about $42,500 US in Canada.

But we get ripped off for the options: a rear blind, sold on its own, costs over $400 US here, and Xenons are about $1200 US. Can you say "ripoff"? So I guess we have to take the good with the bad.

Mike T.

jsn1 · January 2002

In response to message 5042, you can use an MP3 player with cassette adapter in the C-class if you don't mind leaving the access door open. There is a small switch inside the door to the right of the cassette slot which senses when the door is open. It is something like the switch on your refrigerator door that turns the light on when you open the door. To stop the beeping which occurs when the door is left open, I placed a small (about 1/8 inch square) piece of double stick foam tape in the small recess where the switch is. The foam tape works well because it compresses when the door is closed and holds the switch down when the door is open.

A more elegant solution is to buy a Cassette shaped MP3 player. The one I have seen is called the digisette. Their website is: http://www.digisette.com/

A third possibility is to use a small FM transmitter that connects to your MP3 player and transmits a signal to your FM radio. I tried this, but the one I had sounded so bad I went back to my cassette adapter.

As far as I know, Mercedes has not offered any other solution to this problem. Good luck.

peter84 · January 2002

In response to "scared MB" I was able to get an extended warranty only after arguing at length with the dealer about the great number of repairs, several of them serious, and about the offer they made to give me a new car at additional cost to me. If things continue the way they are I think I will just want to give the car back (I'm sure they will refuse that) and buy a lexus GS 300..

nyccarguy · January 2002

have you contacted MBUSA about all the problems with your C320?

ahost · January 2002

I also had numerous problems with my C320. None of them major, though, mainly of the nuisance type like rattles and memory drift. The car seems never to be in a perfect condition. This diminshes my joy of the car; it never gives me the feeling of solidity and quality that I would expect from MB, and it also makes my worry about what will happen once the warrenty expires. peter84, I wonder, what was the problem with your transmission?

nyccarguy · January 2002

Thats's crazy! Especially since MB makes probably the most bulletproof automaic transmission on the market. I would definitely get a hold of MBUSA and see what they'll do for you. Keep complaining (write letters & make phone calls) until you get to the top and speak to a guy named Paul Halata (President & CEO of Mercedes-Banz USA, LLC.). It will be worth your time. Don't waste your time trying to get another car from the dealer.

paul_p · January 2002

I have to agreee - the automatic transmission in my 2000 C-Class is the most solid of any MB or other car I have ever driven or owned. It "grabs" the car quite well - you can feel the application of torque to the wheels - at idle when put it into Drive, giving the impression of bank-vault solidness.

However, I did have some problems with my 1995 automatic transmission when outside temps dropped below 5 degrees F. When cold, the transmission would drop out of first gear when coming to a stop very slowly - and then would re-engage once RPMs increased slightly. Once the drivetrain warmed up even just a bit, everything appeared to be normal.

I noticed it at about 10,000 miles, and when brought to the dealer's attention they did not think it was worth investigation, but did note it on paperwork for future reference. I traded at 5 years and 40,000 miles without any further issues - also moved to a warmer part of the country, so it never did happen again anyway, problem solved - sort of. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody's around to hear... :-)!

- Paul

peter84 · January 2002

Thanks for the advice. I have a meeting in a little over a week with the regional Mercedes rep. I'll see what he has to offer. I'm very discouraged with the car and with Mercedes so far but we'll see.

jamrock4 · January 2002

Decided not to pay $775 dollars for a CD changer. Have any of you purchased a CD changer recently from Clair.com or any other reliable source of MB parts? How much did you have to pay for the CD changer? Also how much did MB charge to install it? Appreciate your input...

wc68 · January 2002

Did anyone buy the extended warranty for their C240 or C320? How much did you pay? And is it worth it?

mleskovar · January 2002

1 year extension for $865. All extensions are for
100K miles and X years. I'll do 100K in 5 years so it is well worth it. Cost goes up with years. Factors to consider are how long you intend to keep car and mileage you drive. Also, REALLY helps with resale value if there is warranty left.

paul_p · January 2002

wc68,

Got my C230 warranty extended last year for an additional 4 years, for a total of 8 years and 100K at $1680, an $880 discount off the MSRP of $2560. The secret was that I went through Lisa Lehrbaum at Courtesy Motors in Chico, CA.

I found out about her from a very helpful poster on this board. It is the "real" extended warranty from MB, all done by phone/fax/visa. I checked with my local MB service advisor a month later, and sure enough my car is in the system as having the extended warranty! This provides real peace of mind, as I was recently laid off from work and may be changing careers (return to college, etc.) - but not to worry about MB repairs, at least until 2008!!!

Lisa's an awesome person, and she can be reached at (800)655-3535.

Good luck!!

- Paul

wc68 · January 2002

Thanks Paul! I will give her a call! Is Courtesy Motors strictly a MB dealer? Do you know of any sites that post the MSRP prices of MB extended warranties?

lexrules · January 2002

What is the best deal I can get and in which dealership in Bay Area on C230?

nyccarguy · February 2002

Good for you! You paid (or are paying the lease payments on a) $40,000+ car. Stuff like that shouldn't happen. Whatever you do, don't be satisfied unless you get the results you want. Keep us posted! The C is a crucial car fro Mercedes because for many people it is their first . If you're unhappy with your C now, you probably won't step up to an E Class or buy another C Class, but buy an Audi, BMW, or Lexus.

gdtobme · February 2002

I wonder if the repaint job was done at the vehicle prep center. From what I heard from friends, you'd be amazed at the damage done to cars during transport.

amattus · February 2002

Hi Everyone,

Two of my friends own a fairly new BMW 325i. One car was broken into but the thieves took non-car related items -- couldn't take the radio or start the car. On the other car, the thief couldn't open the car but did damage to the key cylinder. Both incidents cost between $200-$300 bucks to replace parts and fascia. No damage was done to paint or door panel.

I'm planning to get a C320 next year. Current owners of C320 who have experienced above incidents, what kind of damage was done to your car and cost to repair? Are thieves likely to damage paint and/or dent door panels in the process?

Thanks for your responses.
Al

paul_p · February 2002

wc68,

I'm not aware of any such postings on the net, but like everything else they are probably out there somewhere! You may want to try a Yahoo or Copernic search if you haven't already done so.

Good luck!

- Paul

lcheu · February 2002

I just found out that my dealer performed $2800 of repair & paint work to my car without disclosing it to me! The car actually had to be towed to & from a body shop. Then the car was delivered to me as a brand new car. I'm still not sure what caused the damage.

Needless to say, I am furious at the dealer for its lack of disclosure. I would advise all future buyers to demad to see all paperwork for your "new" car when taking delivery & make sure that there hasn't been any damage. Even though dealers are supposed to disclose this type of information; they apparently don't because they think that they can get away with it. btw, this is from a very large, established dealer in Northern NJ.

mga3 · February 2002

Which dealer in NJ? Prestige Motors,Ray Catena or another. I'm leasing my '01 C320 from Prestige and would like to know who to stay away from when my lease is up.

mfeldman · February 2002

nyccarguy · February 2002

only in my dreams

kenlh · February 2002

Hi all,

I am new to this site and I was wondering if anyone knows of a good Mercedes dealership in eastern MA. I noticed several posts about a Clair dealership. I don't know if this is the same one located in Boston? I really like the way the CLK320 looks. Any thoughts?

Thanks for any info.

kenyee · February 2002

Ken,

If you stop by Clair, talk to Jerry Pillari if you want an honest salesman (I know..sounds like an oxymoron). Be aware that some other dealerships use new cars for demos to spread out their demo mileage instead of beating up a few demos.

nyca · February 2002

Yes, please tell us what NJ dealer this was.

They have already lied to you, how did you get them to "confess" to this at this stage of the game?

I don't know exactly what the disclosure laws are, if they are state-by-state or federal. Start calling your state attorney general's office and BBB.

Also, I can imagine you are mad, but don't go crazy on that dealer. They may want to negotiate something with you to avoid legal action, you could walk away from this in good shape, but don't poison your relationship early in the game. If they blow you off, then get mad!

mbnut1 · February 2002

I'm no lawyer but in my mind you have a clear legal case and should have no problem getting satisfaction from the dealer.

wain · February 2002

from MCNBC.com
whats causing the decline?

"A SURPRISE BLOW to Mercedess quality reputation came last week when a normally secretive study of car quality in Europe was leaked to a German trade publication. The report, conducted for the auto makers themselves, showed Mercedes quality and customer satisfaction falling since 1999 to levels below Opel, the German unit of General Motors Corp. and a brand with one of the worst images in Europe. A separate German survey ranked the German-built Ford Focus compact car No. 1 in a study of durability during the first three years of a cars life. The survey, conducted by TÜV, a German auto-inspection and research association, put half a dozen Toyota models ahead of the first Mercedes model  the SLK, which came in 12th.

Mercedess quality rankings in the U.S. have also slipped, according to J.D. Power & Associates, an influential arbiter of automotive-quality ratings. In a fall study of vehicle dependability, the brand fell to 10th place in 2001 from sixth place the year earlier.

mylke57 · February 2002

I bought my C320 used. I've heard that the extended warranty can only be purchased by the original owner. Is that true? Does anyone know of any other warranty programs available?

lcheu · February 2002

I'm not going to name the dealer yet, because I am taking legal action against it. HOwever, it is not Catena, Prestige, Morristown, or Globe.

The dealer has been very uncooperative despite the clear evidence against it. The only thing that they have done is tried to sell me a C wagon at slightly below LIST.

I used to be a very big fan of MB, but will likely never buy a MB product again given the horrible treatment I've gotten from a major, authorized dealer.

shipo · February 2002

It's not Ray Catena, Prestige, Morristown or Globe, I guess that leaves Millennium or Benzel-Busch or maybe MB of Nanuet (just over the state line in NY).

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy · February 2002

is Benzel Busch

sascuderi · February 2002

I have been following this board for some time now and what a difference a year makes. Last year it was all good posts about the new C, but the last 6 months have been mostly negative.

My wife will need a new car soon and it was going to be either the new C or the upcoming 260 hp, RWD, Infiniti G35 for $32,000. Guess which I will pick.

wc68 · February 2002

I am in the process of buying a new 2002 C320. I have heard a lot of bad things about the new C classes. After purchase people bringing them back to the dealer for various adjustments. Is this common for MB? Does anyone still recommend me to buy this car?

brian125 · February 2002

not only is mb slipping in ratings more and more people are complaning. just a thought but if your leasing it you dont care as much. if your taking 40 or 50k out of your pocket it makes you mad as hell when a car with its reputation is going south like most american made cars.as for wc68 i would consider the lexus and the infinity as other alt. cars. i plan on buying the clk430 coupe i always wanted one i have to get it out of my system. has anybody seen the 03 model yet i heard its not as nice as the 02 coupes. i heard the back looks cheap looking.

brian125 · February 2002

consumer reports gave both cars a good rating. i would consider both cars before a c320. i noticed alot of complaints on the mb. org forum on c320 so i guess mb is slipping. dont get me wrong mb are great cars but when your paying top dollar you want the best.the vw passat v6 is a real nice ride my dad just picked up the 02. i thought the ride handling was excellent and cabin noise sounded quiet. for 30k not bad at all.but i have 2 kids a little small for me.

nyccarguy · February 2002

even if you're leasing, the lease payment on a $40-$50,000 car isn't cheap. So people who lease their new C's are still upset because they're making lease payments on a car that's always at the dealer and not being fixed. You also make a valid point as well.

To everyone with problems. Make sure you express your problems to Mercedes-Benz. Write a letter or drop them an email and tell them how unhappy you are with your car. The C is a crucial car for Mercedes-Benz. They hope to have C-Class owners eventually become E-Class owners and eventually become S-Class owners and buy the SLKs, CLKs, CLs, & SLs along the way. If someone is unhappy with their C-Class to the point that they will never buy another MB again, then Mercedes made the short term sale but lost the long term customer.

brian125 · February 2002

i'm in agreement with you.i have several friends who own the e class. all have nothing but praise for there cars so we'll have to see why the c class mb's are slipping. your also right if there are enought complaints about the c class it wont fall on deaf ears.but the owners have to lodge there complaints. good luck to all c class owners

cmcgahee · February 2002

All the news is not bad on MB quality. Bought a new C320 in late October and it's great. Have had 2 S-Class and 1 C-Class cars before and the 2002 C320 is by far the best yet. Have 3500 miles so far and couldn't be more pleased. Car is tight, smooth, with plenty of power.

Sometimes I think MB's competitors have taken over this post site to bad mouth MB.

blakec320 · February 2002

My previous car was a BMW 330 and it was a nightmare to own. The C-Class and the 3 Series are both built in different plants than their more expensive stablemates BTW. I think MB products and service are first rate overall. This just says to me that all cars (even ones with the three-pointed star or BMWs) will have issues. Be pesistant & list all your complaints, no matter how small, and attempt to address them at delivery or as soon as possible with your dealer. MB does stand behind their products and there is no reason you shouldn't enjoy any C-Class model. If kept well you'll discover you really did make the best choice for a car in this segment. If you want a more upscale car as far as features and materials, the MY2003 CLK promises to deliver in abundance.

paul_p · February 2002

Though my 2000 C230 has only 4800 miles to date, I have not had any significant problems with it. Any issues with the car have been minor, such as a small paint blemish which was so minor I chose not to have it redone.

My '95 C220 had many more issues when it was at the same mileage, and it appears to me that between the 1994 and 2000 model years of manufacture, overall quality improved. Time will tell, of course.

e320wagon · February 2002

I too have to stand up for MB quality. Last Feb (2001) we bought an e320 4matic wagon - it is an absolutely GREAT car. No problems so far (11k miles). We liked it so much, in Jan we bought a 2002 c320 sedan. Since the price is so much less than an "e", I had lower expectations. Boy, am I pleasantly surprised! This car is as good (maybe even better!) than the wagon in the "smooth and quiet" category. Eight airbags, and Babysmart airbag deactivation so we can put a child in the front when we have to. The adaptive five speed auto with the 320 engine is a great combination.

The e320 wagon is significantly wider (better for three in the back seat), and the rear seat leg room is quite a bit larger. All in all, these are two "sweet" cars!

As an aside, when I bought this car we noticed some C are assembled in Brazil, while others are built in Germany. You can tell from a delivery tag on the window, and from a letter in the VIN. Ours is German (I think the code is F for German, E for Brazil). Are the quality problems associated with only one of these two assembly points??

kenlh · February 2002

Have you had any experience with other MB dealers? Just curious on where Clair would rank in terms of service and price.

Thank for your Help
kenlh

fedssocr · February 2002

I have had my '01 C 240 for exactly one year. I have not had a single problem with it. I also don't drive much and only have 5100 miles on it. If I had to do it again I might get something a bit less expensive, but I always wanted a MB so I did it.

kenyee · February 2002

ken:
I stopped by just about every dealer in the Boston area. Jerry is the Autobytel dealer at Clair, so he has a bit more leeway. The Chambers ones have nicer facilities, but they're the ones who like putting a bit of test mileage on every new car...
Be sure to ask each place about a loaner if it's important to you to get an MB loaner. Make sure you get it in writing too in case they change their policy. I heard that Chambers is changing theirs.

jwacura · February 2002

Hi All-

After following the board for a while, I decided not to buy the C240 Sport with 6 speed and purchased an Acura TL Type S. What a car (so far). More spacious then the C, 260 hp, heated seats, 6 CD in dash, Xenon's, stability control, 17in wheels, etc, etc. All for less than $30K. Zero torque steer.

It might be worth considering.

John W.

djasonw · February 2002

It represents great value. My dad has one and so does my friend in Naples. Only drawback is the boring dash, noisy on the highway, some squeeks. Great smooth engine but way too much Honda sneaks through. Though that's not a bad thing, people in this segment want a more substantial interior. You don't get that with the TL. Repair wise, the nod goes to the Acura. I'd rather just buy the next generation Accord. A bit cheaper and probably 220 hp.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedans

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