What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Brake judder
I am a Private Hire Chauffeur Driver who went to a Mercedes Dealership a few weeks ago because I had a brake judder from a distorted front offside disk, which had been fitted 19,000 miles and less than 4 months previously.
Whilst they had the car on the ramp they said they would have to get it down and send a report to Mercedes Head Office, I at this point instructed them to replace the discs as I needed to stop the judder!
This was done at my expense of £312 whilst I awaited the outcome of their investigation. I have since been declined a refund on the grounds that the car had done 19,000 miles.
Because of the nature of my work I am extremely gentle on brakes and believe that my previous set of discs lasted in excess of 130,000 miles. Another point is that the pads which were fitted at the same time as the faulty disc are still in good condition today, they have not been able to offer an answer to that!
Is there anything else I can do? I have already appealed and they have come back and said no as a final decision!
Whilst they had the car on the ramp they said they would have to get it down and send a report to Mercedes Head Office, I at this point instructed them to replace the discs as I needed to stop the judder!
This was done at my expense of £312 whilst I awaited the outcome of their investigation. I have since been declined a refund on the grounds that the car had done 19,000 miles.
Because of the nature of my work I am extremely gentle on brakes and believe that my previous set of discs lasted in excess of 130,000 miles. Another point is that the pads which were fitted at the same time as the faulty disc are still in good condition today, they have not been able to offer an answer to that!
Is there anything else I can do? I have already appealed and they have come back and said no as a final decision!
Asked on 25 May 2011 by STEPHEN WELBURN
Answered by
Honest John
The usual cause of a sudden warp is a long brake into a roundabout after which you stay on the brakes. The long brake superheats the discs, then staying on them clamps the pads over part of the discs so the heat cannot disperse from that part as quickly as from the rest of the disc and it warps. But if this is a W211 E Class, they had a fundamental problem with a new type of braking system anyway, not rectified until August 2006 from which date a conventional braking system was fitted.
Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.
The Good Garage GuideSimilar questions
My E-Class started perfectly and did a 5km run and I put on the screen heater briefly.
The following day the car started perfectly but the screen warning of electrical systems disconnected with red...
My independent Mercedes-Benz servicing garage tells me that the Sensotronic Brake Control unit on my 2004 E320 cdi (90,000 mileage) needs replacement at a cost of £900+.
I've read on various MB Forums...
The following scenario reads like an extract from you website, under the heading of "what to watch for" in Mercedes-Benz W211 review. "On 07/09/2006, I entered into a Hire Purchase agreement with Royal...
Related models
Excellent range of refined engines. Comfortable long distance car. Superb ride quality. Models from 2006 are much improved and more reliable.
Elsewhere on 
.jpg)
