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Why is the brake control pump in my Mercedes-Benz E220 CDi designed to fail?
I own a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E220 CDi Classic. It has 130,000 miles on the clock. Just a couple of weeks ago, a warning appeared on the dash: ‘Service Brake! Visit Workshop'. I visited my regular Mercedes-Benz specialist, who diagnosed a fault with the Sensotronic Brake Control pump. In reality there is no physical fault with the pump. It has a pre-set life of a certain number of brake uses, then, regardless of whether it is faulty or not, it will show as a fault that will cause the car to fail an MoT.
The specialist referred me to a main Mercedes-Benz dealer, as he was aware that Mercedes-Benz had been replacing these pumps as a goodwill gesture following uproar over this issue. I have taken his advice and booked my car in with Mercedes-Benz of Oxford who confirmed the fault. I let slip that I was aware of the SBC issues, and they contacted Mercedes-Benz on my behalf to ask if they were able to ‘help’. The decision came back that Mercedes-Benz would contribute 50 per cent of the repair cost, reducing the bill from £1760 to £880. I was strongly advised to accept this, on the basis that Mercedes have been rejecting claims recently, even for cars newer and with less mileage than mine. I still find it absolutely appalling and immoral that any manufacturer builds a car purposefully programmed to fail in the future.
The specialist referred me to a main Mercedes-Benz dealer, as he was aware that Mercedes-Benz had been replacing these pumps as a goodwill gesture following uproar over this issue. I have taken his advice and booked my car in with Mercedes-Benz of Oxford who confirmed the fault. I let slip that I was aware of the SBC issues, and they contacted Mercedes-Benz on my behalf to ask if they were able to ‘help’. The decision came back that Mercedes-Benz would contribute 50 per cent of the repair cost, reducing the bill from £1760 to £880. I was strongly advised to accept this, on the basis that Mercedes have been rejecting claims recently, even for cars newer and with less mileage than mine. I still find it absolutely appalling and immoral that any manufacturer builds a car purposefully programmed to fail in the future.
Asked on 14 December 2013 by LG, via email
Answered by
Honest John
This is nothing new. Morris Minors were originally built with a gearbox life of 30,000 miles and an engine life of 45,000 miles (my dad experienced both). Now, while engines and gearboxes last longer, there are so many complex electronic and mechanical parts in a modern car that the effective economic lifespan is no longer than seven years. If a car economically lasts longer than that it's by luck, not by design.
This is the reason why trade values of cars more than seven years old have plummeted. Traders don't want to buy a car that could cost more than its value in repairs before they can sell it. So the fact that MB will contribute 50 per cent of the cost of a fixed life component on a 130,000 mile, 9-year-old car is actually reasonable. But I'll make sure this warning is included in www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar so that anyone either with one of these or thinking of buying one is aware.
This is the reason why trade values of cars more than seven years old have plummeted. Traders don't want to buy a car that could cost more than its value in repairs before they can sell it. So the fact that MB will contribute 50 per cent of the cost of a fixed life component on a 130,000 mile, 9-year-old car is actually reasonable. But I'll make sure this warning is included in www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar so that anyone either with one of these or thinking of buying one is aware.
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