Mercedes-Benz Problems

Close to 60,000 Mercedes-Benz cars sold new in Australia between 2018 and 2026 are the subject of a safety recall relating to a potential door lock failure that may result in unintended vehicle movement.  The Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts has issued a safety recall notice impacting 58,822 Mercedes-Benz vehicles across a wide range of Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG models. It confirms examples of the A-Class, CLA, B-Class, C-Class, EQA, GLA, GLB and GLC  have been impacted and said, “Due to a manufacturing defect, the door-lock microswitch may be susceptible to water damage and could fail. “If this occurs, the door may not be detected as open, preventing the auto park feature from operating as intended,” the notice said.  The department added, “A loss of (the) auto park feature may result in unintended vehicle movement.  “This increases the risk of an accident, causing injury or death to vehicle occupants and other road users.” Multiple grades of the nominated models are included, and the department says drivers should always engage the Park position on the gear selector and apply the parking brake, as described in the Owner’s Manual, prior to leaving the vehicle. Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by Mercedes-Benz in writing asking them to schedule an appointment with their preferred authorised dealer for the free of charge repair when parts become available. Alternatively, the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Centre can be contacted on 1300 762 718 or via cs.aus@cac.mercedes-benz.com.

We normally associate the Mercedes-Benz brand with luxury passenger cars. But the world of Mercedes commercial vehicles is a well established and respected one, too. Popular in Europe, the M-B commercial range is spearheaded by the Sprinter line-up of trucks, vans and busses and Australia has seen its share of them over the years, too. The second generation (code-named W906) was sold here from 2006 to 2018 and, in the process, helped Mercedes commercials get a good foothold in this market. And if you think luxury cars have a bewildering range of options and specifications, the Sprinter line-up over the years puts them all to shame. It’s reckoned the various permutations of Sprinters could generate as many as 1000 different vehicles. It’s easy to believe, too, and even in Australia, Sprinters have been available as vans, busses and cab-chassis formats, with choices including high and low-roof options, short-, mid- and long-wheelbase layouts, single or dual cabs, various driveline choices and even the option of all-wheel drive. Yet for all that diversity, the vast majority of them have been painted white (the only no-cost paint choice in many commercial vehicles). Nearly all Sprinters of this generation sold in Australia were powered by turbo-diesel engines (either four cylinder or V6) and were fitted with five- or six-speed manual gearboxes or six or seven-speed automatic transmissions. Improved engines were added as time passed, usually with a small uptick in performance and economy, but by and large, the engines remained very similar across the 12 years the W906 was on sale here.   Any second-hand commercial vehicle can be a can of worms due to the way it’s been used in the past. While some fleets are meticulous in terms of servicing and maintenance, others are not so careful. And even though it’s built to commercial-vehicle standards and specifications, neglect like that can ruin any vehicle. But if you find a good one, a Sprinter has the potential to change your views on commercials with dynamics and quality that are a cut above the rest of the white-van pack. And let’s face it, a good van is worth its weight in gold when you really, really need one for a specific task. And with Mercedes’ decades of experience in this type of vehicle, the Sprinter often gets it just right.   The reliability and durability of a Sprinter van is much more likely to be determined by the vehicle’s service history than any inherent faults. That said, there are a few things to watch, but the Mercedes is probably one of the better commercial vans for reliability.   Some owners have reported slippage and slow shifting in automatic Sprinters. The good news is this often seems to require nothing more than a transmissions service with new fluid to put things right. The trade reckons the automatic transmissions in the Sprinter need such a service every 120,000km. Sprinters with Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) can have trouble with blocked filters that require either manual cleaning or replacement. Sluggish performance and poor fuel economy are early signs of this. Manual Sprinters can develop wear in the shifter mechanism that can lead to a noisy, sloppy shift action and tricky selection. This is usually caused by worn bushings that can be replaced fairly easily. The Sprinter has a reputation for oil leaks from the oil cooler as the odometer clocks up about 170,000km. Replacing the offending seals is the fix. Turbochargers can develop leaks in their plumbing, allowing boost pressure to escape. Poor running, lots of black exhaust smoke and high fuel consumption are symptoms, as is a hissing noise from under the bonnet. The plastic trunking is the culprit but is pretty easy to replace.   This generation of Sprinter van has had its share of recalls, including common ones to attend to oil leaks, fuel leaks, wiring problems, software upgrades, sensors (for the ESP), seat-belt mounting bolts, park-brake problems and even a check to make sure vehicles were not fitted with a left-hand drive specification headlight that could dazzle oncoming drivers. But some other recalls affected very small numbers of vans, thanks to the huge range of shapes, sizes and layouts the Sprinter was available in. Those included a check on 21 examples for faulty paint, and another batch of 11 Sprinters to check whether some spot welds had been missed at the factory. Perhaps the one you really don’t want to miss these days was a recall for early-built Sprinters which may have had an engine problem that could cause the pistons to fail. Software upgrades were involved in the fix, but it would be worth checking to make sure this was done. You can find out more about any of these recalls by visiting https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/   The trade generally regards the 2010 to 2013 Sprinters as the ones to avoid on the basis of changes of the vehicle’s emissions system. This era of Sprinter often used an additive (AdBlue) and the system was not without its problems including a propensity to send the car into limp-home mode. Beyond that, the later the build date the better quality and reliability seemed to get.   Although European fleet operators don’t always travel as many kilometres per year as many Australian fleets, the Mercedes vans were designed for a long service life. Plenty have covered 300,000km or even 400,000km with no major problems, so a high-mileage Sprinter shouldn’t necessarily be overlooked, provided it’s been serviced properly. Most Sprinters sold here were built in one of Mercedes’ German factories, so build quality is pretty good, it seems.   The turbo-diesel engine is a no-brainer for a vehicle like this, and a Sprinter with an automatic transmission will be much nicer to live with in the city and suburbs. From there, your decision should be based on what you’re actually going to lug around with the vehicle The vans with sliding doors are popular and represent the most practical buy for many users. But make sure the one you buy has the load rating you need to stay legal on the road. And don’t rule out the Volkswagen Crafter of this era which was a Sprinter underneath. Previous and subsequent VW vans were all VW’s work, but this vintage Crafter was a rebadged Sprinter and might even be a bit cheaper to buy if you can find one.   Prices for useable Sprinters with some life left in them start at around the $10,000 mark or maybe a little less. There are cheaper ones to be found, but they’re a fair chance to be on their last legs as only a well-used commercial vehicle can be. Modifications such as refrigerated bodies, wheelchair-accessible fit-outs and camping conversions all add value to a used Sprinter compared with a standard one. But make sure any modifications have been done properly and cleared by an engineer so that the resulting vehicle is legal to drive on the road and insurable.   Because the Sprinter was an international model, there are literally hundreds of online sellers who will have the parts you need. You can source many parts locally, but be aware that Mercedes dealership prices on some items will be higher than independent specialists. The same goes for servicing and while there are plenty of M-B dealerships across Australia, equally there are plenty of independent workshops that specialise in this brand and have, on balance, a more palatable hourly labour rate.   Mercedes sold plenty of this generation Sprinter, particularly since it was on sale for about 12 years (a pretty good innings even by commercial-vehicle standards). In 2019, for instance, Mercedes retailed almost 3500 Sprinters across all body styles and specifications, so there are plenty still out there now. The fact that the Sprinter has outlived a lot of its competition from back in the day, also makes them more visible when shopping for a second-hand example.

Mercedes-Benz has never been afraid to pioneer new tech, trends and styling. But you could argue the brand’s more conventional, old-school, take on what a compact family car could be, was the B-Class’ biggest hurdle. Certainly, by the time the world arrived at 2019, and the W247 (in Benz-speak) landed in showrooms, the concept Mercedes was chasing was definitely out of fashion. While other carmakers were adding plastic wheel-arch flares, larger bumpers and a jacked-up ride height to cash in on the tidal wave of compact SUV ownership, Mercedes-Benz stuck with a more traditional people-mover concept. The writing was already on the wall, of course, and you suspect that was the mood even within M-B, as the B-Class range shrunk from a choice of engines and trim levels to a single drivetrain package and a single trim level. And by 2024, it was all over for the concept as far as Mercedes-Benz in Australia was concerned, and the B-Class disappeared from price-lists. But a lack of fashion-sense has never meant a particular car has no other redeeming features, and the Mercedes B180 (as the single model was badged) certainly had its followers. You get the feeling, however, that much of the appeal might have been an adverse reaction in some quarter to the march of the SUV. But that was never enough to sustain the B-Class as a stand-alone, single-spec model (although, like many M-Bs, there were packages the buyers could specify). Mechanically, the B180 used a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine driving through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to the front wheels. It was a five-door vehicle with seats for five and sold against vehicles like the Audi A3, BMW 2-Series Active Tourer and Volvo V40. The B180’s biggest problem was that it was simply an old-fashioned concept; a people-mover at a time when everybody wanted an SUV. But it was also flawed in terms of its driveline and the combination of the small turbocharged engine which could feel slow to build boost, and the dual-clutch transmission meant progress was not always as composed or serene as a Mercedes-Benz badge suggested. Quality, however, was better than some less recent Benzes and the multimedia system was modern and sophisticated. The B180 was also a very safe car with a great package of inclusions to keep you safe before and after a crash, including side-curtain airbags for every outboard seating position. As such, it makes decent sense for a younger or first-time driver, as well as smaller families. Modern Mercedes-Benzes don’t seem to share the same reputation for bank-vault reliability as some of the brand’s previous efforts. But to be fair, the B-Class of this era was a decently reliable car. That’s on the condition, of course, that it’s been serviced and maintained correctly and driven appropriately. The major problem areas with the Mercedes B180 are shared with many other cars of this era and this level of technology. Probably the main issue is the dual-clutch transmission which can be jerky on take-off and then shift harshly. Often, this is traced to old or dirty transmission fluid which a full service should solve. In some cases, the problem may be with the electronic control module for the transmission. Oil leaks are not unknown on the W247, so check under the car or on the ground where it normally parks. The fuel injectors are also somewhat prone to carbon build-up which reduces their efficiency and plays against performance and fuel economy. You should also perform a full and complete check of all the car’s electronic functions before making a decision to purchase. Make absolutely sure that every button and switch does what it is supposed to and run through all the functions of the multimedia system. Don’t forget to check the air-con blows cold and that the cruise-control works properly. The B180 was recalled only once, to warn owners that the emergency call function (after a crash) was potentially not working. A software glitch meant the car may have deactivated this function without the owner knowing. The good news was this recall required no action by the owner, as the software update was to be delivered to the car over-the-air from Mercedes-Benz. This vehicle was not subject to a facelift or other revisions during its lifespan, so there are no 'good' or 'bad' production years. In any case, as with any second-hand car, you should buy on condition, kilometres travelled and – above all else – the service history. Since the B180 was largely reserved for urban duties (and the fact that it’s still a relatively young car) only a handful for sale right now have travelled more than 100,000km, and the vast majority a lot less than that. That makes it a bit difficult to forecast what the useful life of a B180 might be, but you need to consider that the small turbocharged engine works pretty hard and that any car like this can fall victim to slack maintenance and servicing. The other point to remember is that racking up big distances in this model will make it potentially a lot more difficult to move on when it’s time to trade up. There was only one model and trim level offered in the B180 of this era, so there are no real choices to be made in terms of which variant to buy. That said, Mercedes-Benz has always been very keen on extras packages and this car was no different. With that in mind, we’d look for an example with the upgrade from synthetic leather to genuine hide, and what’s called the Vision Pack which included the full-length panoramic sunroof. The B180 was a sub-$50,000 car when it was brand-new, which means prices are getting more reasonable now, but still a substantial outlay for what is a small people-mover. The most affordable examples are now popping up for sale in the high-teens and for that you’ll be buying a car with something like 100,000km on its odometer. A fully loaded B180 with super low kilometres (less than 30,000km) on board will be closer to $30,000 with $35,000 being asked for the very best examples with all the option packs. The M-B brand has been around in Australia for a long time now, and even though its dealer network is not as extensive as some, you’d be surprised at some of the regional centres that do, in fact, boast a Mercedes dealership (the cars were always popular with farmers in the good years). But beyond that, there’s also an extensive network of independent specialists who know their way around the brand and the cars. They can also often supply parts at a lower cost than dealerships. There’s also a huge online supply of M-B parts thanks to its status as an established global brand. Mercedes cars are highly regarded in many countries, meaning there are some good bargains to be had by shopping globally on the internet. The B-Class generally and the W247 B-Class specifically, were never great sellers for Mercedes-Benz in Australia. It’s difficult to know how many were sold overall, but estimates put the number at around 3000 examples.