I seem to have stumbled across one of the car industry’s worst-kept safety secrets: several Mercedes-Benz models are prone to corroded and perforated subframes. These essentially attach the axle and suspension to the main frame. So when they fail, they fail big time. In the US, Mercedes has increased the length of its warranty; in the UK it is handing out no-liability “goodwill” payments to cover some repairs.
My 2011 car was found to have a corroded and holed rear subframe six weeks ago, but Mercedes is refusing to fund the repair. It seems outrageous that a well-known safety issue is not being addressed in the UK with a recall or a revised warranty. It will fail its MOT unless I foot a repair of more than £3,000 – roughly half of what the car is worth.
JM, Marcham, Oxon
