R350 sports package with - Air Suspension, Panoramic Sunroof, Nav, Harman Kardon sound and 19" wheels etc

Have driven 28000 Kms and think am now qualified to give my 5 cents worth to anyone who wants to listen at MB!

1. Like the shape and uniqueness of the vehicle - shape, size, interior space etc., (mini van or not does not bother me. everyone who have said anything say "I really like your mini van" "it is like a hearse" especially when I had the black one.

2. Vehicle quality - Seems mercedes thinks they can make a luxury vehicle and market it as a luxury vehicle price it as a luxury vehicle yet no need to provide the same level of service customers of Mercedes brand expect!

3. Was disappointed to read on their sales information package "No primary R-class competitor features standard rear side airbags" this is on page 9 of their presentation! If MB wants us to keep beleiving it is a unique category (Sports Tourer) then what are they comparing it to?

4. At this price level for the size of R-class you would think they will make the parktronic standard!

5. When I got the vehicle the following deffects were in the vehicle - Panoramic sunroof was not functioning and they had to replace it - Side view mirror was not functioning and they said it was some adjustment however the mirror kept falling everytime I went through a car wash and I need to push it back in place! Have stopped going through car washes so I am not sure if the fix is good to hold it in!

6. I got the R350 sports package - have had a vibration from the day I got the vehicle and they have been blaming it on the wheel balance and when ever they balance the wheels the problem is some what lessor but the vibration is always there only the intensity level is different! Finally it got so bad I could not drive the vehicle and took it and said please fix it or else and now they are saying it is the tires and since it has driven 28000 Kms it is happening and that when I replace a new set of tires it will be gone!

7. Are we begining to see the Chrysler part of Daimler Chrysler taking over customer service and quality at Mercedes-Benz brand? Makes me wonder! Dont take me wrong I am a fan of Mercedes brand from the days my dad drove them and gave me my first car I have always had a mercedes.... I am only disppointed with the attitude of service departments and sales staff who seem to suggest that
since these vehicles are not made in Germany we should not expect the same quality levels! One person even commented "it not and S-class" !!!!!!!! OK then dont sell anything other then S under the brand should have been my response however I kept quiet.......

8. I am not sure if this is because it is one of the first vehicles to come off the assembly line or is it a common problem they know and are trying to just pass the time until it comes out of warranty and then ask me to change drive shafts as I think it has to be something to do with the drive train or drive shafts.... You actully have a massage seat on the passenger side when no one is seated there as it rattles with the vibration! Anyone have any problems with their vehicle please let me know I am interested in fixing this problem even if I have to get some one else to fix it!!!!! Oh when you put the gear to neutral the vibration disappears and comes back when you engage the gear and sometimes when you are stop signs or red signal the vibration gets more noticeable!

Sorry for the long winded post as I am mad as hell with level of service I am getting in fixing this issue!

 

Hey Ray;

I feel your pain. New cars should be fun love affairs, not a series of dissapointments.

For what it's worth, it sounds like you really have 2 main issues: a vibration and a lousy dealer. The sunroof/mirror issues sound like the type of initial QC problems that should be fixed and forgotten. Keep going through the car wash and insisting that the mirror is busted yet again until they get it right. That's not typical for Mercedes in general or the R-class.

I'm lucky in that my town has three Mercedes dealerships. I've purchased cars from two of them, and have received good service from one. Turns out there's no requirement for you to take the car back to the dealer you bought it from for service, so I've make appointments for both cars at the good dealership and have been happy ever since.

When it comes to vibration in cars, I've had issues with that with on cars in the past. The worst was a Mini Cooper S, which got traded in on a C-class after 30,000 miles; had the vibration issue for it's entire life and through numerous attempts to find/fix it. In retrospect, I've have done things differently (to be exact, I would have insisted on isolating the problem before fixing it, rather than trying fix after fix at my expense, only to find that: it wasn't the tires, it wasn't the wheels, it wasn't the etc. etc. etc.).

Some simple things that could have and should have been done that you might want to try:

1) Scout out the neighborhood around the dealer for a test track. You need a section of road that produces the vibration in your R-class that doesn't produce a vibration in your other vehicles. When you drop the car off, have the tech rep drive the vehicle down that road, at the speed you've observed the problem, and tell them their goal is to fix the car so that is doesn't do that on that section of road ever again. When you pick the car up, go straight to the test section, and if things aren't to your statisfaction take it right back to the dealer and say "problem not fixed. Try again.".

2) Have the dealer swap the wheels/tires with a "good" set from one of their demo or loaner vehicles (if you can manage to test the demo/loaner first to see that it's vibration free that would help). If the vibration goes away, or changes in a noticable fashion, then part of the vibration is due to the wheel or tires. The modern taste is for thin tires on big rims, and it's easier to bend the rims than most people think. If the swap fixes things, then you've narrowed the problem down. (Side note: on my Mini, the wheels installed with the aid of a spacer ring; seems the wheels were made to fit the maximum size bolt/center-hub configuration for a range of cars, and the Mini's setup was smaller. The spacer ring was supposed to help center the wheel on the axel; turns out the ring allowed a little slop, and the wheels which would balance fine and roll true off of the car would not sit right when mounted on the car. Problem could only be fixed by everyone who ever removed/mounted the wheels taking extra care to try and manually center the wheels when remounting.)

3) If the vibration is bad, and occurs at highway speeds, then try having a friend pace you down a smooth bit of highway, looking for a wheel which seems to hop in response to bumps more than the others. You might even try assisting the spotter by carefully placing a bright circular sticker over the hub location, so any vibration would be obvious.

4) Don't give up. Insist on the problem being fixed now, while it's under warrenty. The service folks often offer advice that ultimately translates into: "this problem will probably go away if you spend money at some point in the future", which seems to me to be the same as "I'm guessing, and hope that you'll just either learn to live with it or pay to have someone else fix it later." If they say "I think it's probably this...", then respond "so what can you do to test that theory now?".

 

Thanks a lot for your reply and will respond when I have sometime tonight!

 

See more problems i am starting to wonder if the cars always had these problems and now the dealers arent taking care of it. Or MB is just going down hill the problems u describe arent on my 89 560sel and it has 150k mi or my 86 300sdl with 296k mi. Plus the R-class is made in America. Lazy American workers dont care as much. I know i am a lazy American. [sm=icon_rofl.gif]

 

Well the problem has been there for a while and they have been blaming the tires and low profile tires rims story and when told them to take the wheels off and try another set (17") they said the vibration is still there! So then they said they adjusted the drive train and exhaust mounts and the problem seemed gone however when I picked up the vehicle and drove a while and it came back and is getting worse with driving! Even when the vehicle is stopped you fell the vibration at times or have come to expect it and only notice is when I think about the problem! Now they want me to drive it for a few days and give them exact feed back! Come on should they not do that and not expect the customer to do it for them! I am going to call MB Customer service directly and see if they can help! Thanks for the replies!

 

I forget something Yes I think it has to do with where the vehicle is made as well! If I ever buy another MB it will be made in Germany!

 

Auto car washes continue to wash car after car, collecting rocks, dirt etc which slowly scrapes your paint. Probably not the best choice.

The vibration occurances may be a faulty tire choice with low profiles disrupting the ride quality. Was this a problem when you had test driven your R?

 

Thanks...I do wash my car by hand when ever I can and at times I take it through car washes that are touchless whenever I dont have time to wash by hand and also since I live in Toronto I will have no choice in the winter time to wash by hand!

Now the vibration is there even when the vehicle is stopped and can hear a whining noise and a clicking noise! I have finally called the customer service at Head office for Canada and asked to help and I think they will try and do something and seems they will look into it!
regards
ray

 

Hi Ray
I new there is somebody out there with the same problem I got, Got the car 320CDI on 13 dec. beside the small scratch on the bonnet . I have the exact same problem vibration when in gear at a stop, then no vibration in N or P or R , get more or less when you turn the wheel.
I have told MB and was told that would have to leave the car to be tested; I also have a a slight noise from right door.
The drive is nice but have to say my BMW 525 2001 is so so quite, I am starting to hate this MB, after 2 days also had a puncture!!
They told me they would respray the bonnet and would look as new but I’m not sure if this will be as good as factory. ( the paint supposed to have millions of particles to protect from scratch , the delivery guy said it happened on the way , stone chip)

 

Well the problem will never go away and they told me that this is normal for an R-class! What they mean is they dont have a fix for it yet or may be never! They only offer to show you the vehicle against the same production year vehicles and when you ask them if they can compare it to a newer vehicle the answer is always they dont have any in stock! If you have only had it for a short term try to get out of the vehicle and I am also thinking of doing something to get rid of this vehicle! It seems the problem is something to do with the exhaust and how it is mounted as there was a modification and it still did not fix the problem! I am sure they know what the problem is as everytime I take the vehicle back they do something the vibration goes away but is back after driving for a while my concern is if I have to get the vehicle so often what I am going to do after the warranty!
If you are in a position to trade it or return it to them try to do that! If by any miracle they fix your problem please let me know please!