I think that it is far from a ticking a time bomb affecting about 1 in 80,000 cars over a certain age and mileagei and only a certain type of engine gearbox configuration.I do not think the OP has given us the full story perhaps he wanted it repairig for nothing I do not no It will be interesting to hear the outcome there is a genuine fault not only with Daimler but I would put it down to an age related problem,my father always used to say big cars big expensive problems.

I reckon at least 50% of 2002-2005 W211's over 60k miles have suffered or are about to suffer this issue. It is very, very, common. A lot went early on so got done under warranty (some within 2 years and 20k miles).

Just another example of shoddy Merc quality from this era. They knew about the issue but did nothing to fix it for 2 years.

It isn't one in 1/80,000!

Facts do not bear your hearsay statement out my son owns a BMW and a Mercedes Agents in Germany and has had not one with this problem although as I said it does exist there is no doubting that .50% of W211 over 60k are affected where do you get figures like that from not all W211s are affected, not all are affected,not all are actually fitted with Valeo,not all Valeo are a problem my figures come from Daimler I think yours come from the toothfairy.

From experience of dealing with the stinking pile of turd that is the W211 on an all too regular basis!

Abysmal car - hated by the motor trade. Maybe more RHD models had the Valeo radiator or something (some had a Behr make) but it is a massive issue on 2002-2005 UK models.

Daimler lied through their teeth over this and many other issues from that era.

Hope you're going the small claims route, otherwise the costs against you could be eye watering, and if you lose, you'll still have to fix the problem anyway via a competent MB specialist indy, or scrap the car.

Its one of those things, you didn't research well enough and not doing so bit you in the behind, i expect that could apply to most of us here, lesson learned.

My own MB E320 bit me in the behind around 5 or 6 years ago, when the engine wiring loom disintegrated (known problem) causing the coils to short out, and spiking the ECU too just for good measure.

If i'd gone to MB that would have cost me £2.5 to £3k to put right, as it was my venerable MB indy replaced the wiring loom and all coils, and got the ECU repaired (a perilous journey that where con men and shysters abound), total cost around £1200.

Ironically enough, only the previous year i'd replaced the spark plugs and checked the loom, and my indy had checked the loom for exactly this only probably 6 months before failure, no one to blame really its just one of those things, when these things go they do so quickly and without warning, the car cost about £50k new, so £50k car repair bills are to be expected,

MB arn't going to entertain even a common problem on a 10/12 year old car, and i have my doubts that the most sympathetic judge would find in your favour here, but the best of luck to you.

Edited by gordonbennet on 18/02/2014 at 11:59

What are you taking MB Bath to court exactly for?

They sound like they have diagnosed a very common problem in Mercedes cars of this era. Mercedes have done nothing for customers with this issue so are not going to start now.

They are quite correct, that the more you drive it, the worse it will get until it literally grinds to a halt. The glycol starts stripping the friction material off the toqrue convertor and then proceeds to do the same to every gear in the gearbox. Eventually there will be no friction material left and it will not move.

The car required the gearbox to be rebuilt, a new radiator and a thorough coolant flush.

It effects lots of Mercs, W211 most of all, upto about 2005ish.

Only solution is to flog, stomach the repair and/or never buy another Mercedes. Sorry.

OP should be glad they didn't do anything.

You do *not* want a Mercedes garage doing this sort of work - you'll pay through the nose.

Take it to an autogearbox specialist who will have done loads of these. You're still unlikely to get change from £2000 however (but it'll probably be £4k at Mercedes).

Incidentally, Google "W211 valeo problems" and tell me it is 1/80,000!

They'd made about 800,000 by 2005 which implies there should only be 10 cases in the world.....anecdotal evidence says otherwise.