MB Reliability

[Fishmrkt]

I heard on these posts some negative info. regarding MB's reliability. I am currently thinking of purchasing either a CLK or the new SLK, but this concerns me a bit. I currently own a 2003 G35 Coupe and the reliability has been just great. I've never had a problem yet. I've owned the 99' G20 and that too was an excellent car in terms of reliability. Feedback on MB's reliability issues would be greatly appreciated.

[J_P]

Yeah, M-B reliability is an issue. They used to be above-avg but it seems they started going downhill when they merged w/ Chrysler (ironically, it seems Chrysler reliability is up since the merger, based on Consumer Reports).

[KL316]

I personally, have never had a major problem with my C32. the only thing that goes wrong is that the drive side automatic headrest gets out of sync, but there is a procedure that one can follow to fix it. The car has never died on me or anything. The engine always feels smooth. I put 27K+ miles on it in 1 year.

Most people I encounter are happy with their cars, be it C-class all the way to S-class.

Ever if you have a problem with your car, MB always offers free scheduled service and free repairs. So even if your scheduled service hasnt arrived yet, you can goto the dealership and tell them to fix the problem or check whatever you think is wrong. They will always do it and for free.

My family has owned 5 MB's including the previous generation S-class and the current generation S-class my father owns in taiwan and we have NEVER had a problem with any of them. MB also offers free roadside assistance that also acts as a conciege service so you can ask them for resturants and movie show times, or anything at all (really!).

In terms of reliability I really dont see why magazines give MB such bad reviews. Before we started favoring MB, my father used to own a bmw 535i, and it was in the shop sooo many times that i think my father will never byuy another bmw again.

my friends mother has a BMW 745LI that she has had for a little over a year, and the main thing i hear from my friend is, "my mom keeps complaining about her car. its giving her problems" should have bought an S-class i guess.


so in short, MB has terrific reliability, and depending on which dealer you take it to, really really fast service also. I have never had to wait long for anything (i have yet to wait even a day). I also never need to make an appointment, the dealership has so many bays and techs that I can always drop by unannounced and ask for a free car wash or check tirepressure, whatever. My dealership also always provides free C240 loaners upon request.

with MB, you are always taken care of. no surprises

did i mention unlimited free car washes? lol

but i think bmw and audi offer that also

Edited by KL316 on 09/13/04 09:28 PM.

[glennp_1999]

"MB always offers free scheduled service"

Just a bit of info for you guys who wants to buy an MB. On the 2005 MB model year the "FREE Scheduled maintenance" is no longer offered. I know this cause I almost bought the new SLK350 and that was the big thing about the 05 models. Warranty is still intact but free service is no longer offered.



04 CB COUPE / WILLOW / PREM PACK

[KL316]

!!!!!!

ok nevermind then.... lol....

i guess everything i wrote only applies up to 2004...

are you absolutely sure??

i thought it was only a rumor, its certain now?

well, the cars will still have warantees....the scheduled service is basically an oil change anyways, which most car ppl would get changed more often than their scheduled service anyways....

[xswl0931]

I'm sure the MB service dept is great, but some people would rather not visit the service dept at all :P

However, you can check out these studies and see that MB is not that great (although certainly not the worst):

Initial Quality Survey
Dependebility Study

There's also a Consumer Reports manufacturer reliability study that I can't seem to find the link to right now.

[glennp_1999]

I am absolutely positively 100% sure about this. My friend was buying an 04 so he can still get the free service, but the dealer didn't have what he wanted in an 04. He ended up buying an 05 which didn't carry the free service. The dealer did give him one free oil change as part of the deal but that's about it.



04 CB COUPE / WILLOW / PREM PACK

[xswl0931]

MB dropping free service is true. Check www.autoweek.com or www.theautochannel.com

[xswl0931]

MB dropping free maintenance service is true. Check www.autoweek.com or www.theautochannel.com

[J_P]

The problem is you are just 1 person or 1 family. Even if you knew 10 people who haven't had problems, that's still not enough to infer accurate reliability as it pertains to the population at large.

I know someone who had many problems w/ a Lexus, but that's just 1 person (hardly enough to discount the majority of Lexus owners who are trouble-free).

Consumer Reports reliability is based on problems reported by actual owners. They have over 600 000 survey respondents. M-B has reliability issues.

I love the luxury & styling of most M-B, the safety, the comfort, the interior, & I even find most are good performers.

I disagree w/ people who say their fit & finish has declined. I think it's more peoples' preconceptions of "downhill since merger". Their reliability has gone downhill, but their interior fit & finish is still excellent (CR gave "excellent" rating for fit & finish to every current M-B they tested).

Finally, I think M-B gets a bad rap for performance. In general, their cars handle better than their class rivals from Acura, Audi, & Jaguar.

IMO, Acura & Audi are 2 of the most over-rated in sportiness. Acuras handle well for FWD, but they still aren't as good as a decent RWD car. Audi's A6, A8, & TT don't handle as well as their M-B rival. The only Audi line that handles better than its M-B rival is the A4.

[def35]

My father has a 2002 s430, it's had so many f-ing electrical problems, luckily they repair everything under warranty.

[Audi_2_7t]

i kno u said IMO so im stating my opinion also. but in terms of handling my a6 handles ALOT better than my friends 540i. and E class, well my buddy has an E55 so i dont think i can compare my car to his amg~. my springs and Hsports sways will change that

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[J_P]

I find the A6 doesn't feel as nimble in routine situations, & understeers more at the limits. Again, just based on my opinion. I know some prefer the feeling of security w/ understeer, I don't.

[Sukairain]

If you want reliability, stay with Japanese brands like Infiniti/Lexus and Acura. MB reliability and initial quality has gone bad since the late 80's. We used to own a 89 S560SEL and it was a great car. Our last two Mercedes in the family hasn't fared so well, constantly having electronic problems, our C36 needs a new engine...... and you don't want to know how much a hand-built AMG engine costs.


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