Mercedes and Quality Issues--Interesting Article

[Kanab]

The guys on the Mercedes forum seem to recommend only owning a Mercedes that is under full warranty new/used and get rid of it when you are running out of warranty. From what I could tell a lot of the problems are electrical and computer and they cost big/big/big bucks to fix and when fixed they don't stay fixed. Example SL's with bad wiring harness and it cost like $9000 to replace the harness Really makes you want one real bad doesn't it

 

[Thai]

The guys on the Mercedes forum seem to recommend only owning a Mercedes that is under full warranty new/used and get rid of it when you are running out of warranty. From what I could tell a lot of the problems are electrical and computer and they cost big/big/big bucks to fix and when fixed they don't stay fixed. Example SL's with bad wiring harness and it cost like $9000 to replace the harness Really makes you want one real bad doesn't it

Yup, it sure does! However, there are signs that MB is getting their act together. For example, many G500's prior to 2004 had A LOT of electrical problems...many lemons. However, from about 2003.5 and on, MB has clearly updated the main computer. Most of the newer owners (including myself) have not had any troubles at all with the electrical system. (Knock on wood.)

 

[Kanab]

If I could convince the little woman I would buy a new SL with an extended 100K warranty and just grin all of the time. But I can't.

 

[EDGE]

I knew several guys who had older Benzs, things where tanks with 250k plus and ran like new several had 400k and they burnt alittle oil on start up, I don't think they could break, everything worked but their was not much to break compared to the current MB rolling off the line today.

Really sucks to know that out of warranty MB with low mileage will cost more then those old tanks, I would have figured if they built cars like that the new ones would be the same, guess not but the powertrains are really no different except for all the electronics and computers running everything but thats the problem:arrow:

 

[Kanab]

They have also cheaped out to become more price competitive. Example on the 5.0 V8. In 1990-1998 it was a DOHC V8. In 1999 they went to the SOHC V8 5.0. That is not an improvement and I understand they are now going back to the DOHC. Same deal with their V6 engines. I think Yugo got better JD Power numbers then Mercedes has in the last couple of years.