Body corrosion warranty

[nickcc101]

I have just read that Mercedes have a 30 year corrosion warranty, does this apply to a 2001 C180 estate W203. I have some corrosion starting on the lower ns rear door panel and the front corner of the bonnet (not caused by external damage). I have only owned the car for a few weeks so does the warranty, if there is one, transfer to other owners.

 

[jberks]

Merc keep changing their minds and I suspect the interpretation is partly down to the dealer. So, yes the cover includes your car. If it has full dealer history, it will be simpler but even if it doesn't you may still be succesful. If it's had any bodywork previously (you probably won't know) then you won't be covered. (they test the paint depth with a meter so can tell).
They sometimes ask you to wait until you've had it 6 months, but not always.
Bottom line, call into the dealer and show them the problem. They will give you a good idea how succesful you'll be and will handle the claim for you.

 

[philharve]

I have just read that Mercedes have a 30 year corrosion warranty, does this apply to a 2001 C180 estate W203. I have some corrosion starting on the lower ns rear door panel and the front corner of the bonnet (not caused by external damage). I have only owned the car for a few weeks so does the warranty, if there is one, transfer to other owners.

Hi nickcc101

jberks advice is reliable. Getting your corrosion problem sorted could take quite some time and you need to be persistent. MB may/may not reject your corrosion claim. You won't know until you contact your dealer. A FMBSH is an essential starting point.

It has taken me two-and-a-half years to get my 2000 C-class fixed. After lodging my first corrosion claim, it was 8 months before MB responded and I had to badger them to get a decision. During this time the corrosion had spread dramatically.

MB didn't accept all of my 5 claims and eventually I was several hundred pounds out of pocket having had to fund the repairs myself. But with the benefit of hindsight, MB paid by far the greater amount of money to bring my car back to an acceptable condition.

The corrosion appeared on my C230K in all the 'usual places'. But because the problem is so well known and documented, MB were duty bound to perform the repairs under warranty if I could demonstrate to them that the car had been looked after, i.e. it had a FMBSH.

You might have trouble with the dealer (I did) who might take out their paint thickness gauge and exclaim, 'your paint thickness is within specification!' This statement is probably true when the car left the factory but history now shows that as a result of a cost-cutting exercise, MB failed to apply an adequate coat of paint to particular models around the Millenium years and you are now experiencing the effect of that bad decision. This is a quality issue and I wasn't prepared to see my pride and joy oxidize before my eyes.

I had difficulties with my dealer so I bypassed them and sought a second opinion from an MB-approved bodyshop whose judgement, based upon extensive experience, is unquestionably superior to any dealer. MB accepted their assessment and almost GBP2,000 of warranty repairs were undertaken within a matter of weeks, not months. I must add that I had a couple of repairs undertaken at my expense at the same time: a small crease in a rear wing was removed and a rusted door bottom repaired. I think my willingness to spend my own money may have persuaded MB that my car was worth restoring. Only the roof and boot lid have not needed attention. The extent of the repairs might suggest my car had serious corrosion problems, but this is untrue. I had a handful of small spots on the bonnet and on two doors. The biggest problem was the formation of a light covering of rust appearing on all 4 wheel arch lips beneath the paint surface, a classic MB 'thin paint' problem. The only lasting solution in my case was a back-to-bare-metal repair. A quick blow over with a spraygun will likely see the corrosion breaking through the paint again, quite possibly in different places.

I've had the bonnet, all 4 wings and doors repaired and repainted. And I don't mean 'touched up', I mean the full back-to-bare-metal repair treatment. The paint thickness on each of these body panels now far exceeds the original factory specification which was crap anyway.

My 7-year old Merc' now has a coat of paint rivalling that of older Merc's and should last a couple of decades, at least, if looked after.

It seems warranty claims are a bit of a lottery. Your dealer might support your claim without question, then again they might not. It might pay to seek a second opinion. Be bold and be prepared to fight. It might take some time to resolve.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[FIBAMAN]

Paint thickness is not a guarantee of better corrosion protection but metal preparation prior to paint application is paramount if you want a result.
When I took my 01 C180 to have the rust assessed, the body shop told me that they had been on a factory visit where they saw the result of the MB cost cutting exercise, namely the removal of certain prep methods previously employed, and the base steel stock stored in the open and then straight into the press shop. The atmospheric salts were already at work before the steel was even pressed. Hence we all suffer from the result. Another case of the "bean counters" overriding good engineering practice.

 

[philharve]

Paint thickness is not a guarantee of better corrosion protection but metal preparation prior to paint application is paramount if you want a result.
When I took my 01 C180 to have the rust assessed, the body shop told me that they had been on a factory visit where they saw the result of the MB cost cutting exercise, namely the removal of certain prep methods previously employed, and the base steel stock stored in the open and then straight into the press shop. The atmospheric salts were already at work before the steel was even pressed. Hence we all suffer from the result. Another case of the "bean counters" overriding good engineering practice.

Hi FIBAMAN

My indie related a similar tale to me. He said the only way you can effectively deal with rust is to treat the whole panel, not just the immediate area where rust has broken through the paint. That explains why my car was given the back-to-bare-metal treatment.

I have been following the restoration project in 'Car Mechanics' in which a late model Mercedes-Benz is ungoing rust repairs. The latest issue shows many of the body panels being repaired and repainted but in order to save costs they have elected not to give it the back-to-bare-metal treatment and I suspect that in a year or two the rust will break out again. Doubtless it will look good when sold but will the new owner be aware of its history!

As you said, FIBAMAN, the stock metal used to make Mercedes panels had not been protected and the corrosion process had already begun before the metal entered the factory to be turned into body panels.

It is interesting that the E-class models seems to have suffered the most from corrosion. Maybe the stock metal used to construct them was stored in damp warehouses. I suppose we shall never know.

Has any member visited the Mercedes-Benz factories?

REGARDS

Phil

 

[TazCBR1100XX]

Alloy Wheels are covered by a 3 year warranty for corrosion - so if you're nearing 3 years have a look very carefully at the alloys and get it booked in to MB for warranty refurb if there's any corrosion at all. Once the 3 years is up you'll find it difficult to get MB to do them under warranty.

I recently had the arches sorted on my 2001 W203 C180 under warranty. Apparently the dealerships do alright out of the paintwork repairs so they don't mind doing all the chasing The did say that MB no longer do the full panel though which is a pity really cuz someone put a 12 inch scratch along the rear quarter panel not long after I bought it

 

[slippy]

Interesting thread.
I have had my `98 model CLK for just over a week now but used a couple of rust spots (one on a wheel arch & one beside the numberplate on the boot lid) as bargaining points to knock the guy down a bit. I was expecting to have to get these repaired in the spring but does this mean I may be able to claim off MB towards the repairs?

 

[M6AJJ]

You might just be unlucky with this one, I don't think Mobilo really came in until the end of 98 (I stand to be corrected), and goodwill repairs are only for the first eight years. But worth a try!

 

[slippy]

Thanks for your reply. Its an Aug `98 model.
Whats Mobilo??
Do you just take it to your local MB dealer & ask if it can be repaired under warrenty?

 

[maddog]

If it's had any bodywork previously (you probably won't know) then you won't be covered.

I had this with mine , i bought my car pre reg from a dealer when it was 3 months old. When they checked the paintwork the roof paint for the warranty claim it was far deeper than anywhere else suggesting it has been resprayed .

The roof was the only panel with no rust in it though and certainly hadnt been touched in the 6 years i have owned the car, the main dealer i bought the car from has since gone in the 2002-2003 shake up of dealerships.

I can only presume this was done at the factory but provided the bodywork repairs are noted and done by an apporved dealer it shouldnt be a problem.

There is space in the back of the mobilo handbook for this if you have one its on page 51 of mine.

 

[BP4200]

I have owned my 2000 E320 CDI estate since 2001 and have had real problems with rust. Thankfully I kept with main dealer for servicing and had no problem with the work being carried out under warranty (even tho I did have a repair carried out to a creased front wing by an independent body shop prior). Every panel, except the roof, has been attended to and resprayed. The MB body shop (a private company) also gave me a three year warranty on the work they carried out, advising me to return the car to them if any corrosion reappears in that time! ... then revert back to the MB warranty.
This 30 year guarantee is magic! .... it also includes underbody corrosion and breakdown assistance! 2nd January, 07... front suspension problem - one of the spring perches rusted, dropping the offside spring into the road!! Rang MB Assistance and within an hour the car was on the back of a lorry (in the snow) on its way to main dealer. An hour later a 56 reg E220 CDI hire car was delivered! ALL FREE! ... awaited with intrepidation the call from dealer telling me how much they wanted for the repairs, preparing myself for a battle!! NO NEED.. "It's covered under warranty" the nice gent on the end of the phone said... "but won't the nearside be the same?" I enquired... "We do both sides as a matter of course when this occurs" he said. "Any damage sequential to the dropping of the suspension is also covered" he continued. "Did you know the front bumper has a small split on the nearside?".... "No" I replied.... "we will replace that under warranty too!!" continued the very nice MB man!!!
MAKES ME WANT TO KEEP THIS MOTOR THE FULL 30!!!

 

[dieselman]

I don't think Mobilo really came in until the end of 98 (I stand to be corrected)

22nd November 1998.

 

[M6AJJ]

Thanks for that.

 

[eGuru]

Hey M6AJJ, how did you get on with your rust repairs? Hope it all went well.

 

[230K]

Hi

Couple of pics of the thorough process these cars go through when subject to warranty/goodwill repairs:

look at how many spots needed attention on the roof

Then Over 3 years later same spots

So correctly done it will stay away (fingers crossed)

230K

 

[M6AJJ]

Hey M6AJJ, how did you get on with your rust repairs? Hope it all went well.

So far so good, having repaired all four wings, not new but look good, and subject to a 3 year warranty, they now tell me a rear door needs respraying as the paint is too thin. Will let you know the outcome, but as yet have not had approval from MB, seven weeks so far.

 

[television]

230K post shows the only way to do it, and thats the way I did it , anything else and you are wasting your money