R231 rear subframe.

[NickinKent]

My R231 rear subframe has corroded, identified at annual main dealer service. Merc dealer, Lookers have pressed Merc UK & Germany and after over a week+ of waiting, thankfully they have approved the subframe replacement under warranty. (Phew)
My car is a 2013 model with just 50k on the clock and always main dealer serviced by the pervious 2 owners and myself, and none of their previous annual servicing & MoT's had noted any corrosion (??) and it only does about 5k miles a year. Some brake pipe corrosion too but I'll have to pay for that.

On a separate note: when your cars are serviced do they update the satnav?

 

[Blobcat]

My R231 rear subframe has corroded, identified at annual main dealer service. Merc dealer, Lookers have pressed Merc UK & Germany and after over a week+ of waiting, thankfully they have approved the subframe replacement under warranty. (Phew)
My car is a 2013 model with just 50k on the clock and always main dealer serviced by the pervious 2 owners and myself, and none of their previous annual servicing & MoT's had noted any corrosion (??) and it only does about 5k miles a year. Some brake pipe corrosion too but I'll have to pay for that.

On a separate note: when your cars are serviced do they update the satnav?

Hello and welcome,

They should update the satnav… they don’t as it ties up a lift for a number of hours and telnet can then charge future owners after the 3 years of free updates they didn’t do…

 

[Panfelda Rob]

Hello and welcome,

They should update the satnav… they don’t as it goes up a lift for a number of hours and telnet can then charge future owners after the 3 years of free updates they didn’t do…

 

[Panfelda Rob]

If anyone reading this forum has any concerns about the subframe on their Mercedes, I strongly recommend a visit to the SLK Owners Club website where there is a whole section dedicated to subframe rot and advice on getting it fixed under warranty.

 

[Blobcat]

If anyone reading this forum has any concerns about the subframe on their Mercedes, I strongly recommend a visit to the SLK Owners Club website where there is a whole section dedicated to subframe rot and advice on getting it fixed under warranty.

You said in post 5…

 

[star]

My R231 rear subframe has corroded, identified at annual main dealer service. Merc dealer, Lookers have pressed Merc UK & Germany and after over a week+ of waiting, thankfully they have approved the subframe replacement under warranty. (Phew)
My car is a 2013 model with just 50k on the clock and always main dealer serviced by the pervious 2 owners and myself, and none of their previous annual servicing & MoT's had noted any corrosion (??) and it only does about 5k miles a year. Some brake pipe corrosion too but I'll have to pay for that.

On a separate note: when your cars are serviced do they update the satnav?

Check the price their charging for the brake pipes, the quotes we’ve seen are unbelievably high??

 

[Panfelda Rob]

You said in post 5

Check the price their charging for the brake pipes, the quotes we’ve seen are unbelievably high??

I was forewarned about this as a possibility (our SLK is going in next week) and was quoted £400 which didn't seem too bad and was comparable to the cost for my old E280. By contrast, some 4-5 years ago I paid for replacements to my son's Honda Jazz (good old bank of mum and dad) and because of Honda engineering (not knocking it), the pipes to all 4 wheels came as one piece. £800!!!

 

[star]

£400!!! and the subframe is out to, making the job twice as easy.

 

[Panfelda Rob]

£400!!! and the subframe is out to, making the job twice as easy.

I take your point but, least we forget, these subframes will only get replaced under warranty at main dealers and, as has previously been mentioned, few of us normally use (or choose to afford) main dealerships.

 

[Targa77]

My 2013 350SL, with only 38K on the clock, has just had its subframe replaced under the Mercedes goodwill policy. The car covers less than 5K miles per year and, at its MOT in September 2022, no problems were reported with the subframe. It was only when the car went in for its annual service at a specialist in November that a hole was identified in the subframe. The car has been serviced three times by a Mercedes specialist since I have had the car and this had no impact on Mercedes agreeing to cover the cost of the replacement. The STAR record has been kept fully up to date though so the main dealer could see that the car had been well maintained. The Mercedes specialist and this Forum were both extremely helpful in giving me the confidence I needed to speak with the main dealer about a free replacement - thank you!

 

[NJS5]

I hardly dare ask this question...but is the R230 at risk of rear sub-frame corrosion too?

NJSS

 

[V6Matty]

I hardly dare ask this question...but is the R230 at risk of rear sub-frame corrosion too?

NJSS

Yes, seems that way reading some of the posts, although not as prone to it

 

[alexanderfoti]

Check the price their charging for the brake pipes, the quotes we’ve seen are unbelievably high??

We have found the same. In some cases telling the customer that it has to be done otherwise they cannot do the job without damaging the brake lines.

What year was the 231?

 

[LostKiwi]

Is there any Mercedes of the era 2010 to 2015 that isn't affected by subframe rot?

 

[alexanderfoti]

My 12 plate C63's subframe was starting to look rustier than I'd like, and that was 2 years ago

 

[00slk]

Did the r230 have an alloy rear subframe on the 350 and 500 models??

 

[alexanderfoti]

Did the r230 have an alloy rear subframe on the 350 and 500 models??

Yes

 

[00slk]

Yes

Thanks Alex.
No rust issues there then

 

[alexanderfoti]

Living the dream

 

[00slk]

Living the dream

The 55 says it has a steel subframe???