Suspension Clang on E320 CDi

[jd2005]

After owning several MB cars over the years, I purchased a MB E320 Cdi car in April 2004. They overcharged me with the car road tax to begin with, 13 months???

There has been a knocking noise since the day I bought it, it has been back 9 times to MB to fix this fault without success. I have taken the car to 2 different MB garages and they have replaced the entire suspension system several times, and still the noise is there each time I take it over any uneven roads and especially speed bumps.

Their head office offer the usual apologies and then you hear nothing from them because they pass the buck to the local MB dealer. MB have told me they are aware of this fault on some new MB cars but they cannot find the fault, let alone fix it. MB have noticed this fault on some brand new cars, but cannot explain why it happens on some cars and not others!!

MB Tamworth have now told me there is nothing more they can do and I have to accept this fault as a standard feature of this particular model, do I look like an idiot who spends nearly £40k on a new car and have to live with a noise coming from beneath the car each time it goes over a bump. I think not! The general manager from MB Tamworth has told me they have done all they can and can do no more, I pointed out why have MB tried to fix this problem on so many occasions over the past year or so, his response was that MB was just trying to please me!

I have taken legal advice and intend to take the matter further. Don't buy the new E320 Cdi, you may regret it.

 

[jberks]

I know and understand that you are P'd off with MB and the car, but if (apart from the clang) you like the E320CDI, I would suggest that you should be able to turn this around and to keep you happy, have MB give you a remarkable trade-in against a new one. I did this with Audi a few years ago and got better than retail as a goodwill gesture. That way you get the new one - with the 7g gearbox, and the new more powerful engine, and restart the warranty - all for very little cost and get rid of the clang into the bargain. MB can shift an E320 very easily so it shouldn't be too hard to persuade them.
I have to say that the 2 E320CDIs I have driven didn't make a sound, and I have never heard of this complaint about any other W211, so it may be that the fault is rare - though I fully accept damn anoying.

 

[jd2005]

Thanks for the info, I will look into it. I'm considering carrying out an independent test engineers report which I will then forward onto my Finance company to support my case for a new car maybe??

Thanks again.

 

[jberks]

If you are still fighting them, it may be difficult given the car is now 18 months old. Not sure where it stands with the sale of goods act. What does your Solicitor say and have you asked the dealer to assist you with replacement?

I have finally got myself a W211 (Nov 04 model so similar age) in the last few weeks I haven't had any clunks or knocks (though at idle the air filter box makes an interesting impression of a B52 bomber - to be fixed shorty I hope!) so I suspect the problem is rare. Maybe they would swap it for a similar one on their forecourt. In any case, I'm sure there is something they could do, either swap out, buy back for retail value and supply a new/used one, one of their demonstrators perhaps etc (you'd probably have to pay the difference though) just may need a solicitor's letter to wake them up a little and get them thinking but they can always do something.

I do wonder though, if they have swapped out the suspension then perhaps it isn't in the suspension. Noises have the tendancy to sound like they come from elsewhere. Could it be as simple as the exhaust knocking or something loose swinging. I had an annoying rattle around the back seat on the W210 - turned out the warning triangle mounting clip had become detatched in the boot!