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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / April 2005Slight clunking noise in rear of 2001 E320
I purchased a 2001 E320 4matic with 12,619 miles on it in March and have been very happy with the purchase. Apparently, with all the things to absorb in a test drive I did not hear a slight clunking noise from the back. What is happening is if I am in traffic and I take my foot off the accelerator and then a few seconds later apply some gas I hear a slight clunk coming from the rear - sounds like a universal joint (I think the Merceds equivelant is a slip disk). I bought the car from a dealer (paid $32,200), I have the Starmark program (and I bought a 4 year 100,000 mile warranty from AAA) so getting it fixed won't be an issue just wanted to get some feed back on what it might be and if this is common with E320's of this year. BTW I did check CarFax and the Mercedes repair history and the car wasn't touched except for normal maintainence (oil changes etc). The car was exceptionally clean - not a nick, scratch, dent on the paint, the leather was clean etc..., cd changer, Bose system. I had a Volvo S80 Turbo that was transportation. Driving this car is, well, like a mini vacation. Thanks, Jeff > What is happening is if I am in traffic and I take my foot off the > accelerator and then a few seconds later apply some gas I hear a slight > clunk coming from the rear - I have this same issue, although much worse than what you describe as car is much older. I have seen this in several other cars and always thought it was play in the differential. A little play in the differential is supposedly normal for many cars. Be sure to write back on what the dealer does (if anything) to cure this. -Kent I purchased a 2001 E320 wagon (non-4Matic) last April from a Mercedes dealer. It was still under factory warranty with an additional one year Starmark. I literally drove the car off the lot and noted a "clunking" in the rear. I didn't pay it too much attention thinking it was a loose car jack or spare tire. When I got home (75 miles later) I checked those items and they were not the problem. After several more days of clunking I took the car to my local dealer (5 miles away) and they diagnosed a defective hydropneumatic suspension system. It took 5 days to get the parts from Germany and fortunately the parts and labor ($1500) were covered by warranty. I was quite peaved that a "Starmark certified" car could be driven off the dealer lot with a MAJOR suspension defect. I wrote a letter to the General Manager of the dealership. Several days later I had a message from a junior salesman left on my answering machine. That was the extent of the response from the dealer to my problem. So much for customer satisfaction............ >I purchased a 2001 E320 4matic with 12,619 miles on it in March and have >been very happy with the purchase. Apparently, with all the things to [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Jeff > I purchased a 2001 E320 wagon (non-4Matic) last April from a Mercedes > dealer. It was still under factory warranty with an additional one year [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > my answering machine. That was the extent of the response from the dealer to my > problem. Other then fixing it under the warranty. What did you want? and engraved apology? > Other then fixing it under the warranty. What did you want? and engraved > apology? Engraved..........no Apology.........yes 1. The dealership which sold me the "Starmark Certified" car was not the dealership which did the diagnosis and repairs. 2. Do YOU consider it perfectly acceptable that a "Starmark Certified" car (you know, the program which meticulously goes through 128 inspections to make sure you have a good-as-new car) allows a car to leave the lot with a major suspension defect? 3. Isn't customer satisfaction one of the PRIMARY responsibilities of a General Manager? Is he TOO BUSY to call me on the phone? Sorry, if MB adapts your attitude, their J.D. Powers ratings, consumer satisfaction and sales will continue to plummet. <snip> > 3. Isn't customer satisfaction one of the PRIMARY responsibilities of a > General Manager? No, making money is his only reponsibility. > Is he TOO BUSY to call me on the phone? Yes, see above. > Sorry, if MB adapts your attitude, their J.D. Powers ratings, consumer > satisfaction and sales will continue to plummet. I am not affiliated with DC, and any attitude expressed by me is purely my issue... I am not saying that they didn't have a problem, but fixing it was there responsibility (which they did). Unfortunately, people who buy expensive fancy stuff (like MB's) also seem to like to have there a.s kissed, which they failed to do. Marty PS I bought a Used certified 2 year old Volvo for my wife, and had similar experiences, where the warranty clearly spelled out certain criteria, I still had to bring several items to there attention (emphatically) to get them resolved. "Making money is his only responsibility" As a small business owner I'm intimately familiar with "making money" and "responsibility". One must ask......"how is that done...?" Business owners know they live and die by their reputation. MB has over 100 years of good will based upon superior engineering, flawless execution, meticulous service and dedication to customer satisfaction. What they aren't about is "making money" by cutting corners, avoiding responsibility, and looking to the fine print in the warranty to justify sloppy, inattentive service. Sure, a company can live on it's past glory for a period of time but eventually the chickens come home to roost. When Hyundai soundly spanks Mercedes in the J.D. Powers Customer Satisfaction survey, something is seriously amiss. All one has to do is follow the newsgroups, read The Star magazine and talk to mechanics to know the precipitous decline in MB quality. I'm not a Mercedes basher....I own three and have owned a total of eight Mercedes in the past 22 years. I'm saddened that a once-glorious company has fallen into the pit of mediocrity. I own a 1995 E320 wagon, 2001 E320 wagon and a 2002 SL500. The execution, fit and finish and solidity of my 95 is better than my 2001, and the service advisor at my local MB dealer agrees. I bought my MB's for superior engineering, not because I like to have my "a.s kissed". The old saying applies: "fool me once, shame on you.....fool me twice, shame on me". If my 2001 E320 has the problems many other owners report, my next car is likely to be a Lexus. Happy motoring............. > <snip> >> 3. Isn't customer satisfaction one of the PRIMARY responsibilities of a [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > still had to bring several items to there attention (emphatically) to get > them resolved. |
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