W204 2008 rear subframe failure!

Oldspanners

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Going back to the OP, I can't think that MB would be liable (legally or morally) for a corrosion failure on an 11 year old car. The car has been used, we do not know if it has seen salt water, so yes, bad news, but I would just suck it up and pay. To put it in perspective, this is part of the suspension , and suspension parts need replacing all the time. It is part of the car ownership "experience".

Just playing devils advocate.
It's a failure of quality control otherwise virtually every UK C class ever driven on UK roads would have the same problem.
Mercedes used to have a publicity blurb something like Quality doesn't cost you, it pays you. In this case it would certainly pay them if anyone with this fault would "just suck it up and pay."
 

JBell

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I did three of these last week, Wednesday Thursday and Friday along with meters of brake pipes, seems to be my main job now days!!

Do you use OEM brake pipes of make them yourself?
 

poodros

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Fingers crossed buddy (from another C class owner :D) . Let us know how you get on

An update for ya, My Local MB dealer has agreed to replace the subframe on goodwill at no cost to us.

To be honest, we didn’t even have to fight for it, they obviously know they’re in the wrong.

A premium brand ‘approved used’ vehicle corroding to the point of un-roadworthyness in just 7 years and 50K miles…. its just not right is it.

Im making sure I get a record of the replacement date and mileage incase it happens again in a few years….

The service manager did mention they’d had another 2 or 3 in with the same issue, also repaired on goodwill over his 7 years with the dealership….. wether thats per week, per month, per year, who knows …... hahaha
 

malcolm E53 AMG

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Very pleased with the outcome for you and totally agree that a 7 year old car on 50k miles shouldn’t suffer from this in fact I wouldn’t expect a 15 year old MB to suffer in this way, as you say no where for the dealer to hide from this one and the red paint fiasco and to their credit MB have put their hand up and agreed
 

Trev1964

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CLS 250 cdi estate 2013
Was under my car on a ramp yesterday while it was having a full set of brakes fitted.
Its a 9.5 year old CLC with 54k miles on it. Car is mint everywhere, including underneath. Mechanic expressed surprise at how clean it is. No corrosion anywhere, including the exhaust. Really lovely under there.
With one exception...
Rear subframe has started to go. Its not bad yet, will wire brush the corrosion and treat it with rust remedy and then paint it. They really have cut corners with the material used for the subframe. For it to be mint everywhere else but the subframe.
 

davemercedes

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Given the success poodros had at his MB dealer, I think you should try the same thing. ASAP when I get the chance I'd better take a look at mine (2007 C Estate S203) as well...
 

Bay City Roller

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New member and first time MB owner.
Recently purchased a 2005 C180K coupe from a friend, no reason to believe there would be any issues.
Put it in for an early mot to make sure all was well - rear subframe rotten next to the petrol tank.
Bizarrely, the rest of the underside is great, it's even got the original exhaust, still nice and silvery with no sign of rust. To me, if the rest of the underside is good, it suggests that there's either a design issue allowing water/salt etc to pool, or there's a quality issue with the steel used. To be honest, if it's still got the original exhaust which is spotless, I'm leaning towards substandard quality.
Luckily, local mechanic managed to source complete subframe and ancillaries from a breaker, so hasn't been the disaster that it could have been, but disappointing first 3 weeks of ownership.
 

grober

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IIRC the rear subframes are fabricated from hollow box section steel. They are not sealed and have open ends allowing water ingress. They may have been dipped in some coating prior to surface painting but does leave the prospect of badly protected interior surfaces lying in water traps to rust from the inside rather than the outside. :(
 

davemercedes

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Fingers crossed buddy (from another C class owner :D) . Let us know how you get on

OMG Sorry to hear about this poodros... Frankly it gives me the willies... my C Class (S203 Estate) is an 07 car and it's had to stand on the drive since I bought it... I've taken it from 62K in 2013 to 101K today and always felt a bit smug at the way it handles etc. But arthritis prevents me crawling around to look at things underneath so I'll have to ask my garage guys to check it particularly well this time - it's going in for it's 13-month MOT date next week.

I suppose, if there is no evidence of severe corrosion, I can get them to apply waxoyl or similar?
 

Wighty

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OMG Sorry to hear about this poodros... Frankly it gives me the willies... my C Class (S203 Estate) is an 07 car and it's had to stand on the drive since I bought it... I've taken it from 62K in 2013 to 101K today and always felt a bit smug at the way it handles etc. But arthritis prevents me crawling around to look at things underneath so I'll have to ask my garage guys to check it particularly well this time - it's going in for it's 13-month MOT date next week.

I suppose, if there is no evidence of severe corrosion, I can get them to apply waxoyl or similar?

Absolutely , I used Dinitrol , and have used waxoyl in the past . Ask your garage advice on what he might recommend ? Maybe also buy some ACF50 and get him to spray other exposed brake pipes whilst it's up in the air ?
I must admit , next car I get I'm going to get underneath it from day 1 and spray everything with the appropriate "gunk" to try and preserve things from the start .
Another easy worthwhile job is to clean the inside lip of the wheel arches yearly with a hose and small brush . Doing this after a wet drive means the muck comes free a lot easier
 

Shash21

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CLK 200 Convertible 2000
Hello Merc People,

My lovely parents were shocked to discover a cracked rear subframe and rusted brake lines on their 2010 E-class, to the degree that the NCT (MOT) deemed it too dangerous to be on the road. It seems from the posts here and on other forums that their experience isn't as rare as they had initially thought, which is pretty frightening. How many people are unwittingly driving dangerous cars that could cause a catastrophic accident at any time?

Has anyone asked Mercedes why this fault - and it is a fault - hasn't been highlighted to owners with a fix offered FOC before there is a death? My Dad had intended taking a long journey which would have included bad, bumpy road conditions last week but decided against it due to bad weather. What would have happened if the rear subframe had come apart? It wouldn't have been a good outcome, for sure.

I'm really interested to know if anyone has asked Mercedes to take responsibility for this fault at a corporate level and alert drivers to the potential danger.
 

grober

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W204 C200cdi estate
Unfortunately in the UK we don't have recourse to a class action claim whereby one succcessfull claim for recompense is used as a basis in law for recompense in many similar cases thus avoiding the repeated individual legal costs necessary in each claim in the UK. This means manufacturers in the US are far more "generous " in their attitude to the recall of potentially defective products.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_action#England
 

umblecumbuz

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It seems that the subframe rusts from the inside. Any treatment, such as Waxoyl, needs to be directed inside as well as externally on the subframe - otherwise you're just 'painting the funnels'.

With regard to the 'class action' comment, I always thought that involved a group of people collectively taking the same legal recourse - usually fronted by one nominated individual. I didn't realise it involved a single individual setting a precedent first, which was then later mimicked by others. Two very different approaches. I'm not sure that Graeme's take on this is accurate, unless I'm misreading the post.
 
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Wighty

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Hello Merc People,

My lovely parents were shocked to discover a cracked rear subframe and rusted brake lines on their 2010 E-class, to the degree that the NCT (MOT) deemed it too dangerous to be on the road. It seems from the posts here and on other forums that their experience isn't as rare as they had initially thought, which is pretty frightening. How many people are unwittingly driving dangerous cars that could cause a catastrophic accident at any time?

Has anyone asked Mercedes why this fault - and it is a fault - hasn't been highlighted to owners with a fix offered FOC before there is a death? My Dad had intended taking a long journey which would have included bad, bumpy road conditions last week but decided against it due to bad weather. What would have happened if the rear subframe had come apart? It wouldn't have been a good outcome, for sure.

I'm really interested to know if anyone has asked Mercedes to take responsibility for this fault at a corporate level and alert drivers to the potential danger.
I have a 2009 CLK and E class , only the CLK seems to have rust on the rear subframe , the E class seems to be made of a different alloy type metal rather than steel ?
Brake pipes that are hidden and exposed to road salt do seem to suffer though
 

grober

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W204 C200cdi estate
It seems that the subframe rusts from the inside. Any treatment, such as Waxoyl, needs to be directed inside as well as externally on the subframe - otherwise you're just 'painting the funnels'.

With regard to the 'class action' comment, I always thought that involved a group of people collectively taking the same legal recourse - usually fronted by one nominated individual. I didn't realise it involved a single individual setting a precedent first, which was then later mimicked by others. Two very different approaches. I'm not sure that Graeme's take on this is accurate, unless I'm misreading the post.
I may not have got the precise details correct.:oops: Perhaps this may help
https://law.freeadvice.com/litigation/class_actions/class-action-lawsuit.htm
 
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Chaz8790

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MERCEDES C180 SPORT BLUEEFFICIENCY AUTO , 2012, 01796cc Petrol
An update for ya, My Local MB dealer has agreed to replace the subframe on goodwill at no cost to us.

To be honest, we didn’t even have to fight for it, they obviously know they’re in the wrong.

A premium brand ‘approved used’ vehicle corroding to the point of un-roadworthyness in just 7 years and 50K miles…. its just not right is it.

Im making sure I get a record of the replacement date and mileage incase it happens again in a few years….

The service manager did mention they’d had another 2 or 3 in with the same issue, also repaired on goodwill over his 7 years with the dealership….. wether thats per week, per month, per year, who knows …... hahaha
An update for ya, My Local MB dealer has agreed to replace the subframe on goodwill at no cost to us.

To be honest, we didn’t even have to fight for it, they obviously know they’re in the wrong.

A premium brand ‘approved used’ vehicle corroding to the point of un-roadworthyness in just 7 years and 50K miles…. its just not right is it.

Im making sure I get a record of the replacement date and mileage incase it happens again in a few years….

The service manager did mention they’d had another 2 or 3 in with the same issue, also repaired on goodwill over his 7 years with the dealership….. wether thats per week, per month, per year, who knows …... hahaha

I own an Mercedes C180 CGI 2012 ( 51k miles ) and had experienced the car swerve to the left when braking and hearing a soft knocking sound when i move from a standing still position. I asked a friend(Mechanic) to have a look underneath and it was discovered that the rear Subframe was cracked and there were signs of corrosion. I have a full service history with my local dealership - next service due in March 2020. When i called the local dealership they informed me that they will investigate the cause at a £170 diagnostic cost and it is unlikely that they will repair FOC, mentioning causes could be due to pot holes etc

Do you have any tips/suggested approach i can make to the dealership so that i can have an outcome similar to yours? They have given me a date of 17 Feb for the diagnostic test.
 

Rappey69

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c220 w204 amg sport
Forums are always full of problems so im going to say my 2011 w204estate with 160k miles has a rear subframe that looks totally free from any surface rust and in nice condition.
I went into the pit whilst it was being mot,d and had a good look.
 


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