Hi ,
I just wanted to warn everyone about what happened to me.. My front driver side tire fell in a parking lot off due to a rusted thru LOWER SUPPORT ARM... This can not be seen during a usual inspection because the part rusts from the inside out...I called Mercedes USA and they were arrogant and more concerned about discrediting me personally rather than being "Interested" in my problem...The other front side is failing also, so I can't drive the car until both sides are repaired. The front tires will fall off on these cars while driving... The lower support arm is made of layers of stamped sheet metal welded together, and they are hollow with 3" inch holes on the top and the water, salt, mud ect. get into the assy. and runs down inside the part and lays and rusts from the inside out... Surely my car isn't the only one affected like this, My car was only subject to snow and salt 2 years, I kept it in over the winters and only drove my 240d.. PLEASE CHECK YOUR C220's Mine is a 1995
WHAT would have happened if it fell off going down the highway, Even in the parking lot the front end slammed down to the pavement going about 2 mph
PLEASE CHECK YOUR C220's
Good luck,
Lee
PS: Mercedes USA told me that the car was out of warranty

[IMG]local://upfiles/30722/E46AA51B6FF8436BBABF0CDC8D98F33A.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/30722/D9BEB60A9211423283E3E6CC5417AEE8.jpg[/IMG]

 

What were the symptoms like? Any steer slop, vibration, etc? From the pics it looks like it would have been noticeable considering the ring of rust around the area that built up. Even if the parts were together there should have been a secretion of rust at the bottom of thatsupport arm.I'm glad you're not hurt and weren't on the highway too!My W201 is 24 years old with the same arms so perhaps it's a design defect on the W202 that limits longetivity?

 

C220 Front Wheel fell off
[hr]

Hi Guys
Well a nice girl at Mercedes Customer service called me today... She called to let me know that they " received "? my emails and phone calls... She hinted about a "special warrantee" BUT when I told her that I sent the car to a non Benz garage, she hushed up...
I told her that I went to a non-Benz garage because it would be half the price and I had no incentive to do otherwise.. Since I was paying the whole bill..

I called back after lunch, (18 minutes on hold) And asked why they really called and she said that a possability existed that they may have paided for some of the repair, But since I didn't take it to an authorized garage it was no deal.... I told her that it had been 21 DAYS from the first time that I called them and now TODAY their calling talking warranty???

I told her I NEED my car, and I couldn't wait 3 weeks to tell me that they MAY possabily cover "some"? of the repair

[/align]

 

Well My car is finished and BOTH lower control arms were bad, The mechanic hit the other arm with a hammer, and it went thru the arm... Lee[/align]

 

I would have someone put the car up in a rack and just " inspect" the lower support arms,
like a good alignment shop, normally the parts in question in the picture were clean and black, but it had snowed that week several times and I didn't get a chance to clean it... I can tell you that you don't want to just crawl under and tap the support arms with a hammer, If it was like mine the car will fall..
Lee

 

I really had no idea that the lower support arm (s)were rusting thru.. It drove ok untill it fell off..

Lee

 

Well I purchaced a 1999 Mercedes C280 to replace my demolished 1995 C220 and the lower support arms are rusting thru also...

[IMG]local://upfiles/30722/BA0CE67A524848D3B33B068ADEA4C3F6.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/30722/22C5AACCD2274BACA7C1A667FD66030C.jpg[/IMG]

 

Hi guys its Me again andMy "new" 1999 c280 also suffers from Lower control arm failures, I have the tell tale rust "stain" on the lower control arms like I had on My C220.. I called a Mercedes service manager and he said that they ROUTINELY replace the lower control arms on C Class Mercedes. Mercedes looks at this like it was Scheduled maintaince to routinely replace Lower control arms at $3000.00 a wack every few years.. I've found that this covers All C class 1993 - 2000 cars, Several other people have emailed me saying they lost front tires while driving.. Heres another review that I copyed from a automotive reviewer.. "Lower front suspension control arms can rust through. They are made of layers of stamped sheetmetal rather than solid steel. They have a 3 inch large hole on top and the salt and water goes in the hole and soaks down to the lower ball joint area, and rusts from the inside out because they are hollow.
So I'm going to trade my Mercedes in for something that I don't have to worry aboutone or both fronttires falling off on my daily drive to work on the interstate

[IMG]local://upfiles/30722/A51476AD5CC74B07AC808DCF1457007C.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/30722/9A2FE86D95874B05BF973CF6B889D1B1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/30722/899271549DF9433280030E7790A5BAA2.jpg[/IMG]

 

guy a honda civic si. ther fun and reliable. i just sold mine for a 2006 C280 Merc.

 

Well I received another Email today that a girl lost her lower control arm and front tire while driving... I wish Mercedes would notify people that have 5 -15 year old Mercedes with these lousy lower control arms... The good news is she wasn't hurt.. There have been others