Has anyone ever managed to get their rust repaired by MB?

[jpbp200]

Hi All

I have just bought a 1998 w202 and it has rust appearing around the boot lock, wheel arches and beneath the door trims. It's not much but I am interested in repairing it. My local MB dealer have said they will take photographs and send them off for a decision. How likely is it that they will fix it?

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
As far as i understand it the 30 year rust warranty applied on vehicles late 1998 onwards you maybe lucky. Before that it was 8 years.
There have been cases with vehicles being refused warranty because of the time it had been owned by the current owner.
Six months ownership has been mentioned before entertaining a claim.

 

[jpbp200]

Thanks Andy. Mine was registered sept 98 i think.... Bu***r. Having read a few other threads around the forum it appears that maybe each case is individual and there are no hard and fast rules. I will let everyone know what happens...... My car has full (apart from 1 year) MB service history so maybe that will help. Everything else on it is perfect so it's such a shame that the bodywork lets it down!!!

 

[jberks]

if they do turn you down, put in an appeal - they are often at least partially succesful. In anyswer to your title - yes I have with no problems and excellent results.

 

[Bluegrass]

I've had it done once and it's due for some more next week under the 30 warranty cover.
They took a photocopy of the service book to confirm that it had FMBSH for head office.

If they do the work check it very carefully on collection.The rust on my door rims was just sprayed over and as a result it's back.

 

[hawk20]

I've had it done once and it's due for some more next week under the 30 warranty cover.
They took a photocopy of the service book to confirm that it had FMBSH for head office.

If they do the work check it very carefully on collection.The rust on my door rims was just sprayed over and as a result it's back.

I find it incredibly difficult to believe that an approved Mercedes bodyshop would just spray over the rust. If you are sure you should report the fact to MB Customer Service. On many other threads most have been delighted with the standard of work done.

As for jpbp200 apart from the date problem, it is also true that the previous owner should have reported the rust issue and got it fixed before selling. Fingers crossed.

 

[philharve]

Yes, to repairs paid by MB

Hi All

I have just bought a 1998 w202 and it has rust appearing around the boot lock, wheel arches and beneath the door trims. It's not much but I am interested in repairing it. My local MB dealer have said they will take photographs and send them off for a decision. How likely is it that they will fix it?

Hi jpbp200

My 'W' reg. (2000) C230K received extensive repairs to light corrosion on all 4 wings, 2 doors and a bonnet during 2006 and 2007. The major cost burden was bourne by MB.

I did not find my dealership much help so I bypassed them and went direct to the MB-approved repairer. In retrospect this was a wise decision because the opinion of a repairer, in my case a champion repairer, carried more weight than the dealership. I was lucky. Persistence pays.

Photos are a necessary part of any claim but the backing you get from the dealer/repairer is even more important.

Proof of regular servicing by MB or a competent garage is considered an essential ingredient to the progressing of any claim.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[jberks]

I find it incredibly difficult to believe that an approved Mercedes bodyshop would just spray over the rust. If you are sure you should report the fact to MB Customer Service. On many other threads most have been delighted with the standard of work done.

As for jpbp200 apart from the date problem, it is also true that the previous owner should have reported the rust issue and got it fixed before selling. Fingers crossed.

Sadly I can believe it. However I don't blame MB. They pay for a proper repair but often the work is farmed out to supposedly reputable firms that are not under the control of MB or the dealer.
My Dad had the rear wheelarches done on his E. Upon inspection, we noticed that they had just blown them over and in fact they hadn't even removed the mud that had collected behind the lip (how do you do a proper treat and repair job if it's covered in mud!?) So, he returned to the bodyshop which was a big multi million pound operation belonging to a large garage chain and questioned it. Suffice to say the car went back in and was redone properly.

MB weren't involved in the second repair (which they would have to have been if they were required to pay) which leads me to assume they had paid for the proper job in the first place and someone at the bodyshop thought they could get away with a bodge and make their figures look better.

All that said, my personal experiences have been excellent with extremely good quality repairs. Their blending in went almost to extremes, spraying several extra panels to get it perfect, and no return of the tin worm on treated areas, so normally it's very good.

 

[jpbp200]

Thanks Guys. Fingers crossed then! It's going in on Thursday for auto transmission fluid chamge and the person in service I spoke to seemed very helpful. In fact it was they who suggested it might be warranty repairable in the first place after I enquired about the cost of rust treatment/repair. I do wonder why the previous owner didn't put in a claim but maybe they didn't realise it was an option and their dealer didn't point it out either?

 

[maddog]

I've had it done once and it's due for some more next week under the 30 warranty cover.
They took a photocopy of the service book to confirm that it had FMBSH for head office.

If they do the work check it very carefully on collection.The rust on my door rims was just sprayed over and as a result it's back.

Believe it Hawk20 , mine is the same , was only done just before Christmas and already pin head sized bubbles of rust under the paint.

I only had the drivers door done as back in September when they checked it that was the only one with the problem, now all four are around the same.

 

[philharve]

Sadly I can believe it. However I don't blame MB. They pay for a proper repair but often the work is farmed out to supposedly reputable firms that are not under the control of MB or the dealer.

Yes, I can believe it too. I had to have a door window channel repaired again after rust broke a second time in the same spot. It took 8 months for that claim to be processed. The second repair, also under warranty, looks like it will last. Different repairer that time.

So, he returned to the bodyshop which was a big multi million pound operation belonging to a large garage chain and questioned it. Suffice to say the car went back in and was redone properly.

MB weren't involved in the second repair (which they would have to have been if they were required to pay) which leads me to assume they had paid for the proper job in the first place and someone at the bodyshop thought they could get away with a bodge and make their figures look better.

I am surprised a big multi-million pound operation would risk a cheap repair because they have a lot to lose if found out.

When my warranty work was done the repairer took photos because it's impossible to look beneath a fresh coat of paint. The repairer informed me that MB could demand proof that the work was performed to a given standard. I imagine MB could demand evidence from any of their approved repairers. So why take the risk?

All that said, my personal experiences have been excellent with extremely good quality repairs. Their blending in went almost to extremes, spraying several extra panels to get it perfect, and no return of the tin worm on treated areas, so normally it's very good.

Yes, that was my experience too. I cannot praise my repairer highly enough. I would have no qualms using them again, if only for private, non-warranty work.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[hawk20]

Proof of regular servicing by MB or a competent garage is considered an essential ingredient to the progressing of any claim.

REGARDS

Phil

Desirable certainly. And they have every right to insist on it. But remarkably, as many threads have shown, Mercedes have often treated a rust problem even where the service history has not been complete. Much better to have it though.

 

[Pipemaster]

They fixed the known issue of the hardtop bubbling at the bottom of the rear window on my SL but insisted I own the car for 6 months before they would do it. They provided a courtesy car during the time they had it (Smart For Four) and did a very good job.

I have just noticed rust on the off side rear wheel arch of the C Class estate and as it's a 51 plate will be taking it in for assessment under their mobilo life warranty and see if they will sort it.

Neither car has FMBSH but it is stamped up by a reputable indie. As the hard top problem on the SL was a known issue it maybe that they decided to do those with or without the history.

 

[philharve]

6 months

... but insisted I own the car for 6 months before they would do it. ...

Hi Pipemaster

I have heard this condition being applied elsewhere within this forum but I have yet to encounter it in print. Where is this stated? I will see my indie tomorrow, I'll ask him.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[hawk20]

Hi Pipemaster

I have heard this condition being applied elsewhere within this forum but I have yet to encounter it in print. Where is this stated? I will see my indie tomorrow, I'll ask him.

REGARDS

Phil

Seems to me that if there is not a full MBSH then they are doing it under 'goodwill' and can fairly say that if someone bought a rusty car, they probably got it cheap and cannot expect MB to pay for repairs. And they can say the previous owner should have got it done and brought it in earlier.

BUT if there is full MBSH (and the car is late '98 or later) then it seems to me the 30 year warranty conditions are met and the repair should be free.

 

[joemargetts]

I have to say that I have had no problem with Mercedes Leicester sorting out the rust problems on my W202 2001 Y C200k estate. No questions asked and the car was booked in 2 weeks after I first spoke to them. It is with them now.

My car has 123,000 miles on and has not seen a MB dealer for a service since 43k. I think ther may have been a change of policy at MB on this as I contacted them last year at MB Loughborough and they weren't interested in helping at all.

joe

 

[joemargetts]

Also, I have just bought an E220CDi with 125k on and a full MB history and I wouldn't anticipate any problems with getting help for that if it rusted - although it is showing no signs at the mo.

 

[jpbp200]

I am not holding out much hope then as mine was 1st registered in Aug 1998 and I have only had it a week. Oh well, just hope the rust doesn't get too bad. Seems a shame though as the rest of the car is fantastic.

 

[Mikeroo]

Clk Rust

I bought my 2000 CLK 430 (was 76k miles now 105,000 miles) back in June 2007 and noticed some rust on the rear wheelarches, after reading various posts on here I decided not to mention it on my first B service at main dealer and sure enough on the "corrosion check" as part of the service they ticked that the car was ok, booked in for second B service today and I get a phone call "we have found some rust on the rear wheel arches, front arches, bonnet and bootlid".... uh oh I thought, here we go. "We have called Mercedes and they are going to get it all sorted free of charge and give the car what amounts to virtually a full body respray apart from the roof.." Woohoo

It looks like it was sound advice to wait that 6 months and maintain a FMBSH, I am guessing that kind of work would have cost me much money indeed.

Car is booked in for 25th and they tell me they will need the car for up to two weeks and I get a courtesy car.

Mike

 

[jpbp200]

Sounds like you did OK Mike! I will be very interested in what my dealer says when my car comes back tomorrow. I am mindful of the fact that my car was 1st registered in Aug 1998 though as it seems that a lot of later cars are getting the rust fixed, no one who owns an earlier car has posted anything so it's hard to tell what the norm is. From what I understand the 30 year warranty came in in late '98 ie Oct/Nov so my car registered in Aug is outside the boundry. However I would like to think that MB would do a "goodwill" repair on it as it has a full MB service history apart from 1 year (2005) where there is no stamp. It has to be said that I have seen french cars of the same age with less rust on than mine so surely MB would be interested in maintaining face if nothing else. lancia went out of business because of rust problems!!!! I will mention this if there are any problems!!!!!!!