2003 Mercedes Benz C230

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, WITH OCCASIONAL POOR GAS MILEAGE, ROUGH RUNNING. WHEN ENGINE STARTS ROUGH, ENGINE STOP/RE-START GETS ENGINE TO IDLE/RUN PROPERLY. DEALER REPORTED CAM SOLENOIDS LEAKING ENGINE OIL INTO THE WIRING HARNESS SHORTING HARNESS COMPONENTS (O2 SENSORS ETC.), HIGH $$$ REPAIR. FIRST OCCURRENCE AT 57K MILES (JUST OUT OF WARRANTY). CONTACTED MB, NO CONCERN, TOO BAD FOR YOU. SPORADIC RED LED WARNING ABOUT GAS CAP, BLINKING INDICATOR IN FUEL GAUGE, STOP/RESTART ENGINE, GOES AWAY (ERROR NOT IN OWNERS MANUAL). CAR STILL RUNNING AT 78K MILES AND USUALLY 35 MPG DURING NORMAL COMMUTE SO FAR (WITHOUT REPAIR SO FAR, DO NOT HAVE TAIL PIPE EMISSION CHECK IN AREA YET, SO NOT MANDATED TO FIX MIL LIGHT ISSUE), CLEAR ECM CODES OCCASIONALLY, COME BACK AFTER 3 KEY CYCLES. STUCK WITH CAR THAT IS NOT WORTH FIXING TO HAVE SAME PROBLEM COME BACK. THIS CAM SOLENOID/WIRING HARNESS/O2 SENSOR/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE SHOULD BE RESOLVED AND PAID FOR BY MB SINCE THIS IS KNOWN DEFECT THAT SEVERELY REDUCES THE DRIVABLILTY AND VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ C230. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, IT SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE OIL WAS LEAKING AND DAMAGED THE WIRING HARNESS AND OXYGEN SENSOR. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $2,000. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY; THEREFORE, THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE O2 SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AND THE ENGINE HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS BECAUSE THE CAM SENSOR LEAKED AND PUSHED OIL INSIDE THE HARNESS AND NOW THERE IS OIL FLOWING IN THE HARNESS. THIS MEANS EVERYWHERE THERE IS A CONTACT OF THE HARNESS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE IS OIL ON IT. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME A COMMON ISSUE NOW AND MERCEDES IS IGNORING IT. I HAVE NOTICED THAT I AM GETTING BAD MILEAGE BECAUSE OF THE BAD O2 SENSOR. THE IRONY IS THAT THE DEALER WILL FIX IT WITH THE SAME EXACT PART NUMBER ONLY TO HAVE IT LEAK AGAIN IN 4 YEARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SRS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR DAYS LATER. THE MECHANIC PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND STATED THAT THE SRS CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT IF THE SRS CONTROL MODULE WAS NOT REPAIRED, THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,704.

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON, THE NEXT DAY I GO TO INDEPENDENT MERCEDES SHOP. THEY TELL ME MY O2 SENSORS ARE BAD. THE REASON THAT THEY ARE BAD BECAUSE OF THE CAM SENSOR AT THE TOP END OF THE MOTOR WAS LEAKING. THE WHOLE TIME IT WAS LEAKING I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. THEN THE BAD NEW EVERYTHING HAS BEEN COATED IN OIL SUCH AS O2 SENSORS THAT IS IT GIVES OUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE ENGINE HARNESS IS ALSO COATED IN OIL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY START AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. SOMETIMES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, IT WOULD FAIL AND NOT RESTART. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE PCV HOSE. THE COST FOR THE REPAIR WAS $404.27. THE SAME DAY THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, IT FAILED WHILE APPROACHING A RED LIGHT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, SHE RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST WAS $389.82. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,022 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,646. UPDATED 05/05/08. *LJ UPDATED 05/05/08 *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ C230K. WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE BRAKES ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY USING THE HAND BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING BECAME DAMAGED AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE SPINDLE. THE BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,500. UPDATED 4/21/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR ALL COSTS INCURRED DUE TO THE DEFECT. UPDATED 04/21/08 *TR