2003 Mercedes Benz C230

EXCESSIVE WEAR ON REAR TIRES AFTER ONLY 15000 MILES. THE BRAND IS MICHELIN PILOTS SPORT.THE SIZE IS 225-45ZR-17 THE CAR IS DRIVEN NORMALLYAND THE MAKE IS MERCEDES C230KK SEDAN. EXAMINED TIRES DURING WASHING CAR AND NOTICE WEAR AFTER ONLY 15000 MILES . BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR.PRESSURE WAS CHECKED REGULARLY. CAR CANNOT SPIN TIRES DUE TO TRACTION CONTROL. PLEASE DETERMINE IF THERE IS A DEFECT IN THIS BRAND OF TIRE. *AK

1)7/29/03 A.PURCHASE OF CAR B.SALESMAN TOLD ME THAT AM THE ONLY CAR HE HAS FOR THE C2 CONVENIENCE PACKAGE. HE ALSO WENT ON TO SAY THAT THIS PARTICULAR CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH A WHEELS PACKAGE. WHEN I ENQUIRED WHAT IT WAS, HE SAID IT IS A PREMIUM DESIGN, WHICH ENABLES ME TO HANDLE TURNS BETTER. I WAS NOT ENTIRELY EXCITED AT THE OFFER, BUT SINCE THE DEALERSHIP SAID CARS COME WITH PRE-DESIGNED PACKAGES, I HAVE TO TAKE THE CAR WITH THE WHEELS PACKAGE, IF I WANTED THE OTHER EXTRAS I WAS LOOKING FOR. 2)01/15/04 A.FIRST OCCURRENCE OF CAR TIRE GOING FLAT. B.THERE WERE NO HOLES ON THE TIRE; IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE TIRE WENT FLAT AS A RESULT OF A DENT ON THE RIMS OF THE CAR. C.I ARGUED MY CASE IN VAIN, SAYING THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFAULT; BUT SERVICE CENTRE(INCLUDING SUPERVISORS) COLDLY SAID THAT IT WAS DUE TO EXTERNAL INFLUENCES AND THUS IT WAS NOT EVEN COVERED IN THE WARRANTY. THEY MADE ME PAY FOR A NEW TIRE AND A RIM (INVOICE ATTACHED). 3)03/17/04 A.I DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT THE SERVICE CENTRE, AS I FELT THE CAR WAS WOBBLING. B.THE SERVICE GUY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THAT IT WAS DUE TO ANOTHER DENT ON ANOTHER TIRE. I TOOK THE CASE ALL THE WAY TO HQ (MONTVALE), BUT TO NO EFFECT. C.WORSE STILL, THE SERVICE CENTRE MADE ME PAY FOR THE TIRE, RIM AND THE ALIGNMENT OF THE WHEELS. THEY CLAIMED THE REALIGNMENT WAS NECESSARY, AS IT WAS THE IMPACT FROM THE DENT THAT CAUSED THE MISALIGNMENT, AND THUS IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. D.I WAS PISSED, AS I FAILED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WARRANTY WAS FOR, IF I HAD TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING. IF EVERYTHING THAT WENT WRONG ON THE CAR WAS AS A RESULT OF UNEVENNESS OF THE SURFACE (WHICH AGAIN I CANNOT CONTROL), THEN ITS AS GOOD AS HAVING NO WARRANTY. 4)05/06/04 A.MOST RECENT CASE OF A FLAT TIRE B.CLEARLY, AGAIN, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY HOLES ON THE TIRE. HOWEVER, I AM PRETTY SURE; IT WAS CAUSED BY A DENT ON THE RIM. *AK

CONSUMER DISAPPOINTED WITH HER PROBLEMATIC, UNRELIABLE AND POTENTIALLY UNSAFE VEHICLE. *PH THE WINDOW SEALS SCRATCHED THE GLASS TINT. THE RADIO RECEPTION WAS POOR AND THE KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM ONLY WORKED AT CLOSE RANGE. THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE TINT WAS LIKELY THE CAUSE OF THE POOR RECEPTION AND INABILITY TO USE THE ENTRY SYSTEM AT FURTHER DISTANCES. THE DEALER INSTALLED SCRAPER SEALS TO ALLEVIATE THE SCRATCHING. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF FIVE TIMES IN A 45 MIN PERIOD AND ALL THE SERVICE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT HE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT A CYLINDER HAD MISFIRED AND WATER WAS IN THE SPARK PLUGS. THE DEALER REPLACED HE CYLINDER HEAD AND ALL VALVES. THE BAS, ESP AND ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS A LACK OF AIRFLOW POWER WHEN THE A/C WAS USED. THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN ACCELERATING. THERE WAS A STRONG MILDEW ODOR COMING THROUGH THE VENTS. CD SKIPPED WHEN TURNING CORNERS. A RATTLING NOISE COULD BE HEARD FROM THE ENGINE WHILE THE A/C WAS ON. *NM

VEHILE IS AN AUTOMATIC. VEHICLE "JERKS" HARD WHEN LIGHTLY APPLYING GAS. THIS CAN BE COMPARED TO STARTING IN FIRST GEAR (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) WHEN NOT FULLY DEPRESSING THE CORRECT COMBINATION OF GAS AND CLUTCH. THIS HAPPENS WHEN TRAVELING FROM A DEAD STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES IN HITTING OTHER VEHICLES.*AK

WHILE VISITING SOUTH EASTERN UTAH IN A PERIOD OF ONE WEEK THERE WAS NO THROTTLE RESPONSE ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THROTTLE RESPONDED ON THE THIRD PRESS OF GAS PEDAL ON EACH OCCASION. CAR HAD ONLY 7,500 MILES ON IT. ON FIRST OCCASION, THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF GAS INSIDE THE CAR. DASH BOARD INDICATOR DID NOT SHOW ANY MALFUNCTION DURING ANY OF THESE OCCASIONS. *AK

THIS IS A NEW MERCEDES-BENZ C230 COMPRESSOR ENGINE WITH ONE THOUSAND MILES. LAST MONTH A SULFUR SMELL EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST WHILE WARMING. I WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL. THREE TIMES THIS WEEK ON IGNITION THE CAR SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CAR IS DRIVABLE AND I HAVE RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER. THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO FIX IT. *JB