Mercedes-Benz Problems

If there are any common problems and complaints about Mercedes Benz's reliability or faults, they'll likely show up on our Mercedes Benz problems page. You can also calculate a car's projected resale value via our price and specs page.

It’s worth using it, if just for peace of mind, and it certainly can’t do any harm, but it’s hard to quantify its value.

There is nothing that should cause them any concern, the C-Class ’Benz is a well-engineered and well-built car. While they are generally reliable they can, like any car, breakdown and need repairs. Servicing can be expensive, you pay for the name. Otherwise, any common faults are likely to show up on our problems page. 

The Vito van has been under scrutiny for failing to meet the emission laws, and Mercedes has been ordered to recall them.

There’s nothing that you should be concerned about, Mercedes cars generally age gracefully, but like any car they can always break down. Servicing is paramount, so make sure your budget will allow you to keep your car properly maintained.

Take it to an auto electrician who should be able to test it and tell you if it is malfunctioning.

We can understand your feelings about the centrally-mounted screen in the Tesla, though you do get used to it surprisingly quickly.

As for the other models you’ve mentioned, we’ve had to get the crystal ball out to attempt to answer you!

The Polestar 2 will be on sale by the end of 2020, if all goes to plan. The company will be pushing hard to make that happen. 

The VW ID3 is likely not going to be here until 2021, likely the mid or latter part of that year. It certainly has a lot of potential, and with pricing set to start below $50,000, it could well be The People’s (Electric) Car. 

There are other options coming, though it depends on your diary and your budget.

You could consider the Tesla Model S, which may have been around for a while, but that also means it has a more traceable reliability history. It has a digital instrument cluster in the regular spot as well.

Have you looked at the Jaguar i-Pace? It has a claimed range of 470 kilometres, though it is on the pricey side of the equation, starting from about $125,000.

Indeed, a high price tag is a common theme among those EVs with big battery capacity and expansive driving range, because you’re basically covering the cost of the batteries with your money.

For instance, there’s the Audi e-tron quattro, which is due here in early 2020. That model will have a range of “more than 400 kilometres”, and - we suspect - a price tag above $120,000. 

The Mercedes EQC is about to go on sale, too. Range for that mid-size SUV is pegged at about 450 kilometres, but again, you can expect a high price tag.

If 2021 isn’t too long to wait, there’s the Volvo XC40 Recharge coming then. Based on our previous experience with Volvo XC40s, it’ll be a great small SUV, with predicted range of 400km - though we think that’s understating it, because it has a 78kWh battery pack, and it has AWD too.

At the more affordable end - though admittedly still not quite meeting your expectations for range - there’s the very impressive Hyundai Kona Electric, which has a WLTP range of 449km, and a price tag of around $65k. It isn’t all-wheel drive though.

And MG is about to launch a real upstart in the segment, with the ZS EV hitting showrooms soon for $46,990 drive-away, albeit with a range of 262km. It’s also FWD only. 

The Mini Cooper SE will also arrive in mid-2020, with pricing set to be less than $60k. But again, a range of 270km will likely rule it out for your needs, and its 2WD as well.

Another new small EV due next year is the Mazda MX-30. Pricing is still to be confirmed, and range isn’t great at about 300km. It’s FWD too. 

In short, at this point in time - and out towards the end of 2020 - it looks like you’ll either need to spend a big amount of money on a premium EV to get the best range possible, or you’ll have to get used to the Model 3’s screen. You could always get an aftermarket head-up display fitted…

A broken valve spring is not something that would be caused by the fuel. Most likely the spring was faulty, perhaps there was in inclusion in the material it was made from, or there could have been some other manufacturing problem. Use either 95 or 98-octane fuel.

No, I don’t believe it would be some sort of trick to get more business. Have you been servicing it at a Mercedes-Benz dealership, or perhaps a regular mechanic? It could be a reset glitch after the last service.