hawk20
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 27, 2006
- Messages
- 4,971
- Reaction score
- 11
- Your Mercedes
- ML250 BlueTEC Sport
RUST – THE RULES Aug 2009
If you have rust, Mercedes will sometimes repair it completely free. Having spent some time reading all the literature and talking to knowledgeable contacts this is the best I can do at summarising the position in August 2009.
Mercedes cars made in the late nineties and early 2000’s were painted with water-based paints. These were required under EU environmental rules. These paints are not inherently waterproof –unlike the older cellulose paints- and it is only the clear surface lacquer which has to provide the waterproof skin. Repairing stone chips and scratches is therefore most important.
Various primers and treatments were tried in production to prevent rusting from occurring but on the 210 E class especially (and some other models) rust has been a problem. Oddly the problem affects some cars but by no means all. Near me, by the sea, there is a 210 estate with over 500k miles, and with little or no rust. Elsewhere there are rusty examples of similar age but with far less miles, even well inland.
Towards the end of 2002, Mercedes began to move to full galvanising of all steel panels, which is generally accepted as the best preventative treatment for rust. BMW, which had had similar problems with rust, also moved to galvanising at around the same time. For details on the dates for galvanising different Mercedes models see: -
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=23630
Cars first UK registered from October 24th 1998 are covered by a 30 year rust warranty under Mobilo Life. To see if you qualify for MobiloLife see this thread: -
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?p=307465#post307465
If you have rust Mercedes will sometimes repair it completely free and sometimes will make a substantial contribution. To find out if you qualify you need to go to an MB dealer or an MB approved bodyshop for inspection. They will take pictures and take up your case with MB if they think you have a case. You can try more than one dealer or paint shop.
There are three potential kinds of cover for rust: -
1. MobiloLife 30 year warranty –but you need to qualify for Mobilo via MB servicing as above – and it only covers rusting through from the inside (pretty rare).
2. Rust and paint defects due to faulty manufacture are covered under the three year warranty. These are pretty rare too.
3. Most rust problems have been dealt with by MB as a ‘goodwill’ gesture. Once the three year warranty runs out MB have always been prepared to consider making a contribution (up to 100% in some cases) for anything going wrong which can be argued should not have gone wrong. So a gearbox, failing earlier than it should, might attract a ‘goodwill’ contribution. So might the rust problems which have sadly occurred with some models –and which all agree should not have occurred. In many cases MB have contributed 100% of the cost of rust repairs as many threads show. In other cases a percentage contribution has been made. Others have been turned down and have not always been clear about why, as many dealers are unclear about the rules. In any case the rules for ‘goodwill’ contributions are not actually published. Here’s what I think they are today.
RULES FOR GOODWILL (To qualify for 100% contribution).
Car should generally be under eight years old to qualify.
Car should have done no more than 175,000 miles
Car should not show obvious signs of neglect (scratches, damage, and/or stone chips left unrepaired etc).
Any bodywork repairs should have been carried out at MB approved workshops.
Car should have been in your ownership for at least six months (dealers were buying rusty ones cheaply at auction, getting MB to repair free, and then selling at a handsome profit)
Full MBSH seems to be required since mid 2009 (though, in the past, partial MB histories have been accepted).
Once the repairs are done they are guaranteed for two years (1 year by the bodyshop and for a further year by MB UK).
If you have rust, Mercedes will sometimes repair it completely free. Having spent some time reading all the literature and talking to knowledgeable contacts this is the best I can do at summarising the position in August 2009.
Mercedes cars made in the late nineties and early 2000’s were painted with water-based paints. These were required under EU environmental rules. These paints are not inherently waterproof –unlike the older cellulose paints- and it is only the clear surface lacquer which has to provide the waterproof skin. Repairing stone chips and scratches is therefore most important.
Various primers and treatments were tried in production to prevent rusting from occurring but on the 210 E class especially (and some other models) rust has been a problem. Oddly the problem affects some cars but by no means all. Near me, by the sea, there is a 210 estate with over 500k miles, and with little or no rust. Elsewhere there are rusty examples of similar age but with far less miles, even well inland.
Towards the end of 2002, Mercedes began to move to full galvanising of all steel panels, which is generally accepted as the best preventative treatment for rust. BMW, which had had similar problems with rust, also moved to galvanising at around the same time. For details on the dates for galvanising different Mercedes models see: -
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=23630
Cars first UK registered from October 24th 1998 are covered by a 30 year rust warranty under Mobilo Life. To see if you qualify for MobiloLife see this thread: -
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?p=307465#post307465
If you have rust Mercedes will sometimes repair it completely free and sometimes will make a substantial contribution. To find out if you qualify you need to go to an MB dealer or an MB approved bodyshop for inspection. They will take pictures and take up your case with MB if they think you have a case. You can try more than one dealer or paint shop.
There are three potential kinds of cover for rust: -
1. MobiloLife 30 year warranty –but you need to qualify for Mobilo via MB servicing as above – and it only covers rusting through from the inside (pretty rare).
2. Rust and paint defects due to faulty manufacture are covered under the three year warranty. These are pretty rare too.
3. Most rust problems have been dealt with by MB as a ‘goodwill’ gesture. Once the three year warranty runs out MB have always been prepared to consider making a contribution (up to 100% in some cases) for anything going wrong which can be argued should not have gone wrong. So a gearbox, failing earlier than it should, might attract a ‘goodwill’ contribution. So might the rust problems which have sadly occurred with some models –and which all agree should not have occurred. In many cases MB have contributed 100% of the cost of rust repairs as many threads show. In other cases a percentage contribution has been made. Others have been turned down and have not always been clear about why, as many dealers are unclear about the rules. In any case the rules for ‘goodwill’ contributions are not actually published. Here’s what I think they are today.
RULES FOR GOODWILL (To qualify for 100% contribution).
Car should generally be under eight years old to qualify.
Car should have done no more than 175,000 miles
Car should not show obvious signs of neglect (scratches, damage, and/or stone chips left unrepaired etc).
Any bodywork repairs should have been carried out at MB approved workshops.
Car should have been in your ownership for at least six months (dealers were buying rusty ones cheaply at auction, getting MB to repair free, and then selling at a handsome profit)
Full MBSH seems to be required since mid 2009 (though, in the past, partial MB histories have been accepted).
Once the repairs are done they are guaranteed for two years (1 year by the bodyshop and for a further year by MB UK).
