W120 E55 AMG Rust

[S55]

Hi All.

Seems the rust issues on the W120 are well known. However MB have sunk to new lows of incompetence regarding my car.

I had bonnet, bootlid and doors sprayed under warranty 2 1/2 years ago and the rust has broken out again. Badly.

Already this year they have replaced the front cross member which was dangerouly corroded (and managed to incorrectly refit the engine under tray)

Investigating getting another warranty paint repair my dealer and MB directly have said that paint is covered only by a 12 month warranty and they would like £3000 + VAT to replace all 4 doors, bonnet and bootlid and repaint one front wing and both rear quarter panels - A repair which they will only again guarantee for 12 months!!!

I've argued that the original repair was defective/ineffective but they have basically told me to like it or sod off.

Now, has anyone else had dealings with paintwork etc. The car is a 1998 and has full MB history.

 

[Xtractorfan]

Tricky one this, and very expensive to prove negligence on the part of the bodyshop, It is generally accepted within the bodyshop fraternity that a 3 yr warrany with new paintwork is acceptable and most insurance companies insist on a 3yr warranty with repair work.. biggest problem you will have now is the present economic conditions, when Motor manufacturers are losing money big time.. so 10 yr old cars arent top of the worry list..Check if the bodyshop is a member of any trade body, or does work for any of the major insurance companies..you may find some levers in this area.. good luck..

 

[edz649]

I recently had my E55 sorted under Mercedes goodwill i.e. if it was 8 years old or younger and I had owned it for at least 6 months.

Initially I had 1 new front wing fitted and the remaining 3 arches shotblasted, waxoiled and resprayed as per Mercedes own instructions. The bodyshop told me that they had to carry out the work according to Mercedes requirements. He told me off the record that he did not agree with Mercedes thinking, i.e. they stated that the panel should be blasted and waxoiled, the latter designed to starve any remaining corrosion of oxygen, thus eliminating any future rust. Hmmmmm!

Well needless to say within two months the corrosion had started to come back on one of the rear arches so it had to go in to be re-done.

A few weeks later after washing the car I noticed that the arch on the front wing that had not been replaced had started to corrode again. I took the car back to the bodyshop and they ummd and ahhhd. I decided to bypass them and went back to my local MB warranty claims co-ordinator. I argued that the wing should have been replaced when the other one was done and that I was concerned that the rust would appear again if they just blasted it again.

In the end they agreed to replace the other wing.

Unfortunatley now the same rear arch that has already been done has started to corrode for the third time! All this in the space of 6 months! The bodyshop want to see how bad it gets before they attempt to do anything more with it.

In conclusion, MB's method is pants and is only a temporary fix to what is obviously a major problem for them. In my opinion the rear arches should have been cut out and replaced and so should any other panels that have corroded to ensure complete elimiation of rust.

My advice to you is to go and see your local dealer's claims co-ordinator and put some pressure on them. What they don't tell you is that they have access to a pot of money for problems just like yours!

Good luck.

 

[television]

The very fact that the wheel arches can and do hold mud, that can remain wet all winter will cause the rot to start on the inside and work its way through the metal.

Its always been the case that when you sand off rust,,any black marks are where the metal is porous, and it will rust again, new metal is the only answer.

But I do urge all members to clean out the mud around the lip of the arches, Volvo seal them with the plastic liner, why MB do not do this I will never know

 

[Xtractorfan]

On the rear wheel arches i would advise waxoyl pumped into the gap between the inner wheel arch and the quarter panel.. followed by a mix 50/50 waxoyl and underseal or bodyschutz

 

[Xtractorfan]

There are solutions out there for stopping this rust, sanding priming and painting will not stop the rust, it will only accelerate the problem..