The Shocking Truth About Mercedes Benz Reliability...

Cars built these days are throwaway consumables

I get the feeling MOST brands nowdays dont make durable cars. Some 30 years ago Mercedes were very reliable, BMW too! Its all on purpose so we keep buying parts and fixing these things, and having to trade for new ones.

I had a Mercedes c280 for 12 years. Minimum money on service. Donated the car with over 270 thousand miles and was still working wonderfully. Wish I didn’t give it away.

I have a young man in our warehouse who recently bought a 2015 Mercedes-Benz with 80,000 miles from a used car lot. Unfortunately, he's already dealing with issues like timing chain rattle during the initial start-up, and there are clear signs of the transmission starting to slip. The most unfortunate part is that he's making payments on what was initially a nice car, which now seems to be turning into a money pit. Finding someone who can repair the vehicle without breaking the bank has become quite a challenge for him. What started as a nice car is on the verge of becoming a beached whale in some independent garage's parking lot.

The speaker falling off really pissed you off huh .

sad to say I totally agree with your assessment of MB today. Bought a new 1997 E320. Bulletproof for 300,000 miles. Bought a Lexus ES and never regretted it. I miss my MB but would not own one for the reasons you gave. Thank you

Any car that you buy with high miles and don’t know the history of it is bound to be a pain in the ass!

Interesting how things change over time. It wasn't that long ago that you rightly said that BMWs were poorly made, particularly in the engine area. Now, MB seems to have taken the top spot and BMW has improved. Strange how some manufacturers can go through cycles of producing problem cars, then improve quality, then decline again in quality. To address this, IMO consumers shouldn't just focus on the brand for their purchase decisions, but also the specific model year and its features/components. I own a Volvo (2020 V90 Inscription T6). LOL! I don't think this brand has been known for reliability, at least in his century. My V90 has been problem free, going on 4 years. Starting around 2015/2016, when the Geely/SPA models were introduced, these new models had a host of problems (e.g., defective oil rings that caused excessive oil usage, defective coolant O-rings that could cause an engine fire, spark plugs with exploding ceramic material that could trash the engine, poorly performing infotainment system, defective supercharger seals, weak brake pad springs contributing to premature brake wear, etc.). By the time of my 2020 model, the earlier issues were mostly addressed. Then, around the 2022 model year, Volvo's Google-based infotainment system introduced a host of serious issues. Even with Lexus, my 2007 ES350 (purchased new in 2007), it has been rock solid, AFTER they replaced its transmission after 6 months of initial ownership. Noticing that the front dashboard is prone to getting "sticky" and soft in extremely hot weather, I purchased a high quality windshield reflector to reduce sunlight intensity and cabin heat, and on particularly hot days cover the entire car. Yes, some Lexus cars have had a problem with the dashboard cracking. No car is perfect, and some cars are more-or-less perfect than others.

Fluid may be getting caught in the bottom panels. I bought a 2008 ML320 CDI new back in 2008, had nothing but problems the entire time - turbo seals cracking within 2 years, COMAND center stopped working - and the car stopped working because it controls the entire vehicle 1 week before warranty expired - a 5k repair under warranty, tailgate motor problems they could never resolve. Finally sold it after 4 years; stuck with Lexus, Toyota, Honda vehicles since - never been happier. Simple, reliable, and no unexpected or nagging problems.

I have owned about 9 and currently own an 2019 A220 I brought brand new and has 90,000 km on and and I have only had to do one recall service b and a New tires and brakes as well as an battery it’s never ever had any problems at all