There Are 5 Luxury Mercedes-Benz Cars You Should NOT Buy!

1Mercedes Benz ML Class (W163)

Model years: 1998–2005

Mark is very knowledgeable about this model because he once owned it. This car was popular at first because it was available in either automatic or manual transmission. Here are some of the issues reported over time by owners of this model:

1. Rusts easily - this seems to be a problem with many of Mercedes’ models and may have been due to poor choice of coating materials.

2. Door lock problem - the doors either would not lock easily or be difficult to unlock.

3. Transmission sticking - It was difficult to switch gears and could sometimes idle between gear changes.

4. Sunroof comes loose - As some owners opened their sunroofs, the repeated action would result in the sunroof peeling or falling off.

5. Poor quality plastic - Plastic accessories in the car would wear down quickly and then be difficult to replace.

6. Pump problems - There were problems with both the water pump and air pumps. Either the pumps leaked or they did not properly expel their fluids.

2Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W220)

Model years: 1999–2005

Mark feels this model’s problems are rooted in Mercedes’ management team seeking profit over safe construction. Here are some of its reported issues:

1. Transmission failure - The manual version of this model had problems with its transmission. The transmission would malfunction within a few years of ownership.

2. Rust - the bottoms of doors and back edges were especially vulnerable to rusting.

3. Suspension problems - the front end of the car would often shift to one side and require frequent adjustment or replacement.

3Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (X164)

Model years: 2006 - 2012

Mark warns us this model is the most problematic. It had many parts replacement issues and would need frequent maintenance. Here are some problems:

1. Rust - Like the other models; it rusts easily and the finish will be tarnished.

2. Coolant leaks - The coolant system would leak. The leak would get progressively worse.

4Mercedes-Benz R-Class

Model years: 2006–2013

These were created as a response to the “family car” market but didn’t fill the need as well as other makers’ models. Mark gives us some of its other drawbacks:

1. Rust - once again, the bottoms of its doors and the covering of wheels and the fenders would break down quickly.

2. Poor suspension - The suspension would wear down and sometimes even “crack”. When driving around corners, the car would lean toward one side.

5Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W202)

Model years: 1994–2000

This was a compact model and relatively economical. Here are some of its problems:

1. Rust - this was a problem for most of its exterior surfaces.

2. Idles Rough - When stopped and idled, the engine would be loud and rough.

3. Poor acceleration - The uptake of speed was very slow in these cars.

4. Shifting Problems - in the automatic version, it became difficult to shift gears.

5. Power window problems - The windows would sometime stick in one position and be difficult to move.

6. Dangerous batteries - The batteries would fail quickly. Even worse, there were even some reports of “exploding batteries.”