[keepitreal]

Daimler’s Mercedes unit has had terrible quality control problems in the last few years itself.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/01/mercedes_ads.html

[KenHorse]

Maybe this explains why when I was recently shopping for a used Corvette (which I bought!), I noticed used Mercedes were going for what I considered dirt cheap!

I was somewhat surprised to see them depreciating so badly! I mean 2002 S series selling for under $16K?

[truth_seeker]

“Daimler’s Mercedes unit has had terrible quality control problems in the last few years itself.”

As I sadly found out the hard way. Transmission, to be specific.

And the transmission was one thing the Chrysler 300 got from the Mercedes line.

I wonder if the deal includes Chrysler getting Mercedes hand-me-downs?

[Don Carlos]

I quick browse of E-Bay Mercedes ads confirms what you said. Many e-class ads are so called "factory buyback" vehicles, more commonly known as lemons.

[sitetest]

Dear keepitreal,

My impression, confirmed by the article that you linked, is that Mercedes’ quality problem hit bottom a few years back - early ‘00s.

It had been building for a long time. Our 1991 300E, with nearly 200,000, is still running great. But my 1996 S-Class, although a fun drive, would have been very, very expensive if I hadn’t purchased the extended warranty. I let it go at lease-end. I think I’ve bought the only early M-Class (2001) that wasn’t a lemon - and pretty much by the late ‘90s, things, quality-wise, were a wreck with Mercedes, which dramatically changed for the worse the way the dealers operated, too.

Things have been getting better, or so I’m told, but the loss of confidence that Mercedes owners once had is real and could be long-lasting.

sitetest