temperature related juddering on GLC

[bretherton]

I bought a new GLC Sports 2.2 in January 2016. When reversing on full lock from cold on a winters morning the front wheels juddered and banged. After months Merc tried to suggest it was tyre related but I successfully rejected the vehicle and got a replacement in August. With the onset of cold winter mornings my new GLC is doing the same. When reversing on full lock first thing in a morning the noise from the front wheels is very loud and the juddering can be easily felt on steering wheel. From my previous torturous experience with the Merc agent I do not anticipate an easy battle to get this matter resolved. Has anyone else a similar story?

 

[television]

Mercedes do have an exceptional lock, in reverse you can be almost pulling the wheels sideways when on full lock.

 

[Rory]

I'm sure I read they've been giving some people winter wheels and tyres to overcome this.

 

[Tony Mac]

GLC AMG - Wheel juddering and knocking

I bought a new GLC Sports 2.2 in January 2016. When reversing on full lock from cold on a winters morning the front wheels juddered and banged. After months Merc tried to suggest it was tyre related but I successfully rejected the vehicle and got a replacement in August. With the onset of cold winter mornings my new GLC is doing the same. When reversing on full lock first thing in a morning the noise from the front wheels is very loud and the juddering can be easily felt on steering wheel. From my previous torturous experience with the Merc agent I do not anticipate an easy battle to get this matter resolved. Has anyone else a similar story?

I have the GLC AMG Line 250d with 20" wheels and experiencing exactly the same fault / problem.

The car jumps, knocks, judders and lurches when making relatively tight turns, and has got worse in the colder weather. Very ugly and annoying behaviour that is embarrassing when taking friends out, has people on the street or car parks turning to see what the noise is, people think the car is broken - not what I had expected from a £46k luxury car.

I have to make 5-point turns to reduce the noise, people watching must think I just a bad driver :Oops:

I have read that MB are suggesting fitting Winter tyres - I wouldn't say winter has really arrived here in the UK, plus my car has been like this virtually all year round.

Winter tyres will be at least £300 each - I have not found Run Flat options.
Still not totally sure this will resolve the problem.

Has anyone fitted winter tyres - does it eliminate the problem?

We have had many different 4x4's - BMW, VW, Ford - but never experienced anything like this

 

[television]

I have the GLC AMG Line 250d with 20" wheels and experiencing exactly the same fault / problem.

The car jumps, knocks, judders and lurches when making relatively tight turns, and has got worse in the colder weather. Very ugly and annoying behaviour that is embarrassing when taking friends out, has people on the street or car parks turning to see what the noise is, people think the car is broken - not what I had expected from a £46k luxury car.

I have to make 5-point turns to reduce the noise, people watching must think I just a bad driver :Oops:

I have read that MB are suggesting fitting Winter tyres - I wouldn't say winter has really arrived here in the UK, plus my car has been like this virtually all year round.

Winter tyres will be at least £300 each - I have not found Run Flat options.
Still not totally sure this will resolve the problem.

Has anyone fitted winter tyres - does it eliminate the problem?

We have had many different 4x4's - BMW, VW, Ford - but never experienced anything like this

Using 20" wheels is beyond most normal driving, run flat tyres do have a very stiff sidewall, not sure if they can benefit at all, get a puncture and they are scrap.

 

[scotty9]

Wheels Juddering & Jumping

I own a GLC Coupe and am currently trying to reject the vehicle due to this exact problem. It's been nearly 4 weeks since I first told finance company I was rejecting it and yesterday I got a response from the dealer and finance company explaining that there is now a letter been issued from Mercedes explaining why the wheels do this and this is the explanation.

Following your visit we can confirm that there is no safety concern with the issue you have experienced.

This characteristic comes from flexibility within the tyre sidewall, the grip between the front tyres and the type of road surface being driven over. It is something which can be felt only at very low speeds, and when a certain percentage of wheel lock is engaged for turning. This is demonstratively more evident in colder temperatures due to the changes in the tyre rubber elasticity.

As per the Mercedes-Benz Digital Handbook for your car, we would always recommend the use of winter tyres for temperatures which fall below approximately +7 degrees. The recommendation given to improve this characteristic would be to change the tyres on your car to suitable tyres for the winter period.

Please be assured that this is a comfort issue and does not affect the safety or overall performance of your car.

I have had a discussion with a senior engineer at Dekra who has explained that it isn't a fault with the car however did say possible design flaw but did confirm this will cause extra wear and tear to the tyres and did not think winter tyres would help. My dealer did offer winter tyres as well I wanted to reject the vehicle as felt this vital piece of information should have been told to me prior to purchasing the vehicle. Mercedes won't back down have replied saying it was in the digital manual which having checked I can't see any mention of this so called characteristic so I've told them I'm going to the financial ombudsman as the fact a letter has been now issued by Mercedes means they have been inundated with complaints and funnily enough when I took mine in to get the tyres checked the technician told me that mine was the 4th GLC in with the same problem and it was only Wednesday so loads of complaints and they are trying to cover it up

 

[Tony Mac]

Using 20" wheels is beyond most normal driving, run flat tyres do have a very stiff sidewall, not sure if they can benefit at all, get a puncture and they are scrap.

20" wheels with run flat tyres are standard on a new AMG Line spec GLC

You would hope MB have tried and tested the standard wheels / equipment fitted to a new £46k car

 

[mikestrivens]

Perhaps they didn't test reversing round corners.

 

[Tony Mac]

Be interesting to know what the German / European customers are saying.

I'm sure the straight-talking German customers are not happy with a MB dealer telling them to fit winter tyres in the autumn, to help mask such a bad driving experience in their new GLC Merc.

 

[EAH]

I have a new GLC 250d withe the same problem.
It is most disconcerting with a car costing £47000.
I certainly won't be fitting winter tyres.
I live in the South West and we rarely have snow.
My local Mercedes dealer has shown me the letter from Mercedes and because there is no safety problem says that the matter is resolved.
I am certainly not happy and would welcome any advice about taking the matter further.

 

[Tony Mac]

I have a new GLC 250d withe the same problem.
It is most disconcerting with a car costing £47000.
I certainly won't be fitting winter tyres.
I live in the South West and we rarely have snow.
My local Mercedes dealer has shown me the letter from Mercedes and because there is no safety problem says that the matter is resolved.
I am certainly not happy and would welcome any advice about taking the matter further.

If the car is less than 30 days old your dealer should take it back, but you would then have to find an alternative car.

Not sure what the options are after 30 days - mine is 10 months old and MB are simply saying fit Winter Tyres.

Would like to hear from anyone if winter tyres does actually mask the fault / problem??

Any advice would be appreciated too?

 

[mikestrivens]

I suppose the answer is to never reverse on full lock. I wonder if the GLE has the same problem?

 

[Tony Mac]

I suppose the answer is to never reverse on full lock. I wonder if the GLE has the same problem?

Try reversing out of or into a parking space at the supermarket without needing to use a lot of lock = not easy. If I'm out in public with people around, I do actually take multiple small turns in order to avoid the embarrassing antics - passers-by assume I'm just a rubbish driver

Also worth noting that this is not only happening in reverse with full-lock. Turning into a space or pulling out at a T-junction or into a 90 degree corner,, even without full-lock results in the wheels bouncing and juddering around like a tractor in the mud - not pretty

 

[cataloyking]

steering

I have a glc 220 amg running on 19inch wheels and have the same problem I spoke to a technition at mb he said I was the second customer complaining about this he said vw had this problem and they cut down the turningcircle to cure it but as you all say a motor at £46000 you should not have this problem I must have another word with the local mb dealer to see what the answer is and will post back

 

[bretherton]

GLC juddering

Just to recall this is my second GLC having successfully rejected the first zone for this problem which has only started on the new car with the onset of cold frosty mornings. As the new car was supplied in August I am out of time to reject again. All I am being promised is the "letter" from Merc and an assurance that the knocking and juddering is a "characteristic of the vehicle" and could be improved by fitting winter tyres. I think this is a major cover up by Merc. But need some support to challenge them. Can we all keep this correspondence alive and perhaps someone will find out what the response has been in Europe and whether winter tyres do actually resolve the issue.

 

[Tony Mac]

Just to recall this is my second GLC having successfully rejected the first zone for this problem which has only started on the new car with the onset of cold frosty mornings. As the new car was supplied in August I am out of time to reject again. All I am being promised is the "letter" from Merc and an assurance that the knocking and juddering is a "characteristic of the vehicle" and could be improved by fitting winter tyres. I think this is a major cover up by Merc. But need some support to challenge them. Can we all keep this correspondence alive and perhaps someone will find out what the response has been in Europe and whether winter tyres do actually resolve the issue.

Any progress / news from MB?

This problem / fault is impacting many GLC owners, but MB are passing-the-buck by saying the car is Safe. This might be true, but you buy a Mercedes for the luxury quality drive - not to be embarrassed when people hear and see the car jumping around on a car park

 

[bembo449]

seems to me like the tyres are skipping across cold surfaces instead of gripping and thus giving a judder , it suggests there is a design fault in the suspension allowing excessive movement , not letting the tyre stay planted , ive noticed on my 216 that on full lock forward or reverse on damp roads the tyre appears to drag across , I put that down to the type of tyre fitted to my 20" wheels , Michelin pilot sports but its doesnt make any noise that concerns me at all

 

[designan]

I have a GLC 250D 4 Matic AMG Line Coupe that is also experiencing excessive jumping & juddering at low speed on full lock.

Took it back to the dealership today, we took it for a test drive and showed them the issue, and they said the stock Mercedes answer, that it is not a fault, but just a characteristic of the 4WD system.

When I said I wasnt happy with that answer, all they would offer me as a 'gesture of goodwill', was to change the tyres to winter tyres. But I would then have to basically sign to say that changing the tyres was then the limit of MB's liability on the matter.

Paying 48K to have a car that feels and sounds like it is shaking itself apart daily when I reverse out of my drive and turn everyday bends is not correct to me and over time surely will cause more damage to tyres / differentials etc that is normal.

It appears MB are trying to sweep this under cover and fob people off individually, rather than implement a full recall to fix a definitive fault.

Has anyone put anything in motion with MB for this fault that they need further back up from a number of owners with the same fault? as i am sure a number of owners would be more than willing to assist fighting MB as a group, who would have more clout than loads of individual people??

 

[Tony Mac]

It appears MB are trying to sweep this under cover and fob people off individually, rather than implement a full recall to fix a definitive fault.

Has anyone put anything in motion with MB for this fault that they need further back up from a number of owners with the same fault? as i am sure a number of owners would be more than willing to assist fighting MB as a group, who would have more clout than loads of individual people??

Take a look at this MBClub Forum thread,

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/general-discussion/201420-knocking-steering-new-glc.html

Towards the end of the thread there's a member who has contacted the Motoring Ombudsman - might be worth trying

 

[cataloyking]

glc steering

as designan said I think it would be better as a group to try and get mb to act on the problem the wheel size seems to make any difference some on 20inch 19 or 18inch I notice on the other form one member had new wheel bearings and a gearbox overhaul so before that has been done mb must know about the problem I would be all for a group stand for answers