Having bought a 2 year old C180K Estate, I have come to realise the German build quality issues (everyone mentions)first hand. First, the under bonnet sound proof membrane was peeling off (above the engine exhaust pipes). Second an annoying BAS/ESP warning lights on the cluster computer display every few hundred miles. Both were rectified under MB warranty without a quibble by a local MB dealer (although the second issue needed a modified wiring harness), however I am having second thoughts on my buy (only done 29k)- should have stuck to BMW or Audi?
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I have had my present C240 around two and a half years and find the build standards satisfactory, certainly as good as the three previous M.B. models I have owned before.
Peformance and smoothness everything I expected with a much better fuel consumption than earlier cars.
Reliability has been faultless except for the time I put the car in the garage, closed the door and left the lights switched on for three days! Put right within 45 minutes of my call to M.B. by a technician arriving at the house and dealing with it, all at no charge to me I might add. So there are other benefits in ownership.
Incidentaly I understand that the right hand drive 'C' models are actually manufactured in South Africa rafteh than Germany.
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Incidentaly I understand that the right hand drive 'C' models are actually manufactured in South Africa rafteh than Germany.
Leon_vas has a C-Class estate though which would have been made in Germany.
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I hear rumours in the motoring press that Mercedes have improved quality control in the last year or so - i.e. after Leon's was made. Has anyone got any hard evidence?
VW have had the same problem - much as I love S.Africa - we go every year - they don't seem to have the same controls as in the Fatherland. Interestingly more and more of the hire cars there are Toyotas and Nissans rather than Europeans cars. I think they too are manufactured in SA but they don't appear to have the same problems.
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I buy and sell a couple of Mercs a month on average. I currently have a '52 plate 180K with about (IIRC) 55k on the clock - I'll be advertising in February. Most faults on recent MB's relate to electrical problems or paint finish. MB have admitted that they have rushed to put too much electronics into their cars and may have outsourced (to E Europe) too much component supply. They are currently taking steps to rectify this situation.
The C-class is not a bad motor, but not my choice for running about in. I'm still using my '98 Nissan Maxima-QX which has been 100% totally reliable. Its as quiet as the Merc, engine is super smooth, and its very nearly as comfortable - doesn't handle as well though. Not a spot of rust on it. Its only worth about £2500. The 180K's a nice enough car - but I'd rather sell it and pick up £2k profit instead!
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I've had a C320 estate for the last 3 years, done 78000 miles and its been fault free. The only problem I have experienced has been the recent appearance of a rattle in the front passenger door. Not the end of the world and perhaps to be expected given the milage.
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