German build quality anyone?

[Hughie]

First thread folks ....

We've been looking for a £5k ish E class diesel estate as a second car for a while but as I read the tales of woe on here about rust and other maladies, it's becoming scary. It looks like with a Mercedes, you can get stuck with a dog of a car on purely chance. My pals long owned 2001 E430 looked like a piece of Swiss cheese until MB fixed it and the wheels are all corroded too.

We have had a 53 VW Passat diesel for e few years and although we've been lucky overall, the stories of poor dealer support & loads of known mechanical issues are similar (though not with rust at least). The Passat is better built than a Ford Mondeo but less reliable. (We run ours over 20k annually on 50/50Makro rapeseed & diesel)

I also have a newish BMW 1150 motorbike and again bits fall off and stop working at random. All the paint 'fell' off the front forks recently. Maybe it's Yamaha time again.

How do these manufacturers get away with it? maybe it's all to do with product positioning that isn't always backed up by product quality. We must be in some sort of 'prestige' delusion .. I'd like to try a Mercedes but it's probably too risky.

Hughie

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Most cars are extremely reliable, certainly compared to those of 20 or more years ago.

You have to bear in mind that people don't normally post and complain about how well their car is running.

 

[television]

Hello and welcome. do bare in mind that only the worst ever comes onto a forum,,and we do not have threads saying "my car is like new and ran perfectly today"

There are some super cars out there as some other members will point out,, I have worked on many 210 cars that have been like new even after 8 to 11 years old

 

[roadhog]

A '53 Passat Diesel (common rail?) on 50/50 mix for 20k miles? I'd call that lucky indeed. I wasn't aware they'd tolerate it.

Your 5k budget puts you in the worst possible place as far as Merc Diesels go, usually reserved for late model W210 300 Turbo Diesel or early 320 CDI with all sorts of issues. Rust is the major one.

My advice would be to steer clear of the W210 and spend your money on the best W124 you can find. Then come back and talk about build quality.

Nice bike you have, even if the paint fell off. If you want to swap it for my Yamaha let me know.

 

[dragon]

The German are too lazy to work now, they are beside the pool, with reserved towels on the deck chairs.

Merc cars are now built by South African, Southern States Bama, Turkish and eastern block countries.

 

[psmart]

The German are too lazy to work now, they are beside the pool, with reserved towels on the deck chairs.

Merc cars are now built by South African, Southern States Bama, Turkish and eastern block countries.

The Germans are hard working and they take a lot of pride in what they do. Unfortunately, as many of my peers regularly discuss, whats happened in the UK has happened over here, where CEO's / Board are all interested in share-holder value and their golden shares/pension/bonus. A lot of jobs have gone abroad, just as per the UK.

 

[roadhog]

The Germans are hard working and they take a lot of pride in what they do.

Wot he said +1

 

[PeterCLK]

No car is perfect and all marques have some "issues". If you are planning to buy a car which probably cost new £35k for £5k second hand then it will not be perfect.
For all the cars I have owned the Mercedes is by far the best built.(built in Germany).
I've had it from new and apart from a couple of small things fixed under warranty I have nothing but praise for it and the dealer (unlike my previous Audi's).
I also run a Toyota RAv 4 and this model has "issues" - the DMF failures and the T180 "run flat system" con to name the 2 worst. Yes, even Toyota wriggle out of these 2 when they can.
It's your money so spend it where you will.

 

[truthfindergeneral]

This quality malarky is a myth. Don't forget, when it started we were turning out utter crap at Longbridge and Halewood. A well put together go-kart would have knocked spots off anything built in the strike riddled midlands car world.

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
I could get this one for you if your interested and you,ll have some change from your £5000. All the common W210 items and faults seem to have been done.
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=42208

 

[pma]

This is Mercedes Benz quality 6 months old 10,000 miles

 

[dragon]

What wrong with it? Have you abused it?

 

[pma]

No it just smokes like sometimes for about 1 or 2 mins sometimes on a long trip sometimes on a short trip it,s happened about 15 or 20 times now it,s been back to MB they say nothings wrong It,s used no oil & returns 45 or 50 MPG ???????

 

[dragon]

It looks like fogging outside temperature or the catalyst at fault.

You didn't tell us what model it is. It looks like W211 from the tail light.

 

[silverhorse]

I have a 1998 Eclass estate E300 turbo diesel auto . Done 147000 miles, Runs like a dream , leather and auto. Hardly any rust at all. (Dont buy a car from a coastal town as this where you can get more rust due to the sea air. I live on the coast but always buy a car from an inland town .The value of this car is under £3000 but I am keeping this one.
Good luck in your search

 

[pma]

I dont know but now I have photos maybe the monkeys at Mercedes will belive their customer and fix it

ps I bought a new motorcycle last week I was going to buy a BMW but I bought a Honda
build quailty & reliabilty made my choice

 

[dragon]

It is a petrol or diesel?

 

[pma]

It is a petrol or diesel?

220 CDI diesel

 

[dragon]

Shouldn't happen like that unless it has been abused. Have you ever floored the accelerator?

 

[pma]

Shouldn't happen like that unless it has been abused. Have you ever floored the accelerator?

Yes I have floored the accelerator many times but only up to the red line never over it but this problem started when the car had done less than 1000miles and had never gone over 2500 RPM as I said it uses no oil water & runs fine somtimes the smoke that comes out is like a F1 car engine blowup and the smoke stinks Maybe it,s the paticulate filter ? but all I know it,s not normal