I was interested to read the correspondence on rusting Mercedes-Benz cars. I bought four E-class Mercedes-Benz Estate cars in a row. The first three were excellent, both mechanically and bodily. I bought the fourth new in 1999 and, because the previous three had been so good, decided to keep it until it fell apart. What I had not anticipated was that, like the S-class models you refer to, it would have only scrap value after 10 years. By 2009 it had outbreaks of rust on virtually every panel. I took it to Mercedes-Benz in the hope that they would honour their 30-year warranty, which they did not. So, needing something smaller, I traded it in under the scrappage scheme for a Passat. So much for Mercedes-Benz quality. I will not be buying one of their products again.