Mercedes-Benz Problems

We contacted Mercedes-Benz hoping they might be able to throw some light on the problem, but without being able to see the car they couldn’t offer any help. Their suggestion, one I endorse, is to take the car back to your dealer and ask them to contact the Mercedes-Benz technical people for help.

Buying a smaller, new car would give you the certainty of a long warranty and the benefit of capped price servicing. You could consider a Kia Rio, for instance, which would have a 7-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

In terms of reliability and common faults there is little difference between Mazda, Honda and Toyota. They are all good, reputable brands building cars of a good quality with few reliability issues. Choose the one that best suits your family needs.

Somewhere in the region of $3000-$5000 depending on the condition.

It's probably in limp-home mode, which means the car's computer has detected something amiss and will only allow the car to run to get you home or to a mechanic. Have a mechanic do a diagnostic check on it, which should show up the cause of the problem.

If it is a diesel I would have the particulate filter checked, it might require regenerating.

The warranty expired a year ago now, and had expired when you approached Mercedes about it last April. Talk to Mercedes and try to enlist their help, but I doubt you will have any success.

Is it a minor service? Perhaps it’s a major one? The cost depends on what needs to be done. The best thing to do is to ring around and check a number of service places, from main retails outlets like Kmart, Repco, Ultra-Tune etc., and some specialist Mercedes-Benz mechanics. That would you a good guide.

There could be any numbers of reasons for it cutting out, but there are two fundamental things that are needed for an engine to run, fuel and spark. You should check the ignition system, coil, plugs and leads, and also check the fuel supply, pump, filter and injectors.