Nothing newer then 2008 at least. I took the Wiz's advice and got a 2002 Lesabre grandpa car. The few things that needed fixed never cost more than $200.
I had a 2014 CLA 250, basically the non-SUV version of the GLA 250. I bought it brand new and after all the problems I had with it while still under warranty I knew the problems are just going to get worse and more frequent so I sold it before the warranty expires because there's no way I'm keeping it out of warranty. Since then I've stayed away from German cars and I don't think I'm ever going back. There were just too many stupid things that went wrong in a brand new car.
Yeah right... The base models of most euro brands are awful or rebranded junk... It's like alpha and Chrysler essential the nicer models actually designed and engineered by BMW/Mercedes are usually pretty solid. @@lincolnmarklt
@@lincolnmarklt You're right, I did. Back then they said the CLA introduces non-luxury buyers to the brand and get familiar with it with the expectations of moving up to their higher level models as they move up in their careers and can afford them. So the CLA is supposed to be the introduction to the brand and you'd think they would put their best foot forward to keep the CLA customers by designing and building good quality cars by using high quality parts, even if they have to loose a little bit of money on the front end and make that up later as they move up in higher models. Instead, they put out a piece of crap and focused more on flashy shiny bits rather than actual real quality and expect the customers to come back? So for me it did the opposite. I'm running away from MB for 3 reasons. 1. They screwed me over once and I'm not going to reward them for it. 2. I don't have to have a MB. 3. There are just too much competition out there to be a slave to just one or two brands. Now my salary is in the $200K/year range and I can afford higher models but I'm not even bothering with MB, not even on my radar. Many of their models are getting too flashy and gaudy with the same cheap plastic parts under the hood. Hard pass for me.
@@danlove4270 Exactly. It had some other issues and after it over heated with a poorly designed thermostat I was starting to wait for the next problem to show up. The straw that broke the camel's back was when an engine mount went bad and it took the dealer 3 days to figure out that was the problem and another 3 days to wait for the part from Europe. After that I made sure all the issues was fixed while it was still under warranty and sold it and washed my hands of MB for good.
I just changed one of the few plastic parts in my 1980 Mercedes 280CE, the windscreen washer pump, $40.00, 2 minutes labour. Also no plastic engine covers to remove. 290,000km and still going strong.
I hope you redid the drive line its done..If it fails and they do no more car. flex disks end bushings center bearing and holder my center bearing had no grease left..1979 280sl. It scared me when I saw it. out of sight most forget about it.
Many years ago I was the shop foreman at a VW dealer. We were just getting the Bosch K Jetronic fuel injection cars and the beginning of emission controls . Even after attending many schools and training seminars on the new cars. They were very sensitive and difficult to get running right. . My best tech's were going crazy and the repeat customer complaints were many and sometimes loud and hard to settle down. While I understand the air we breath needs to be clean . Modern cars are poorly designed and way too hard to work on . No wonder there is a shortage of tech's and it's getting harder to attract good ones into the business.
LOL - have to agree! I have an 84 Jetta GLi coupe with the Bosch K Jetronic injection and I can never get it to run 'right' for all weather/temperature conditions. Most times it runs just 'well enough'. Thankfully it's only a weekend car. Can't imagine what it must've been like as a 4-season daily driver. BTW ---- as temperamental as it was before, it's only gotten worse now since ethanol-blended fuels became the norm in my area. No more 'pure' gasoline anymore. My VW, snowblower, and lawnmower all run poorer for it.
Modern cars are made of defective plastics, cheap Chinese game consoles and held together by chewing gum. A little over a year ago, my dad and I completely dis-assembled and re-assembled my 230k mile '01 Accord and not only was it fairly easy to do...the internals were in excellent condition. Lucky for me, it has analogue electronics even a 10 year old could take apart and put back together. I'm thinking I'll get at least another 100k out of it before it needs anything more than scheduled maintenance. If someone offered me a new car for it... I would tell them where they could stick it.
It's ok, we're replacing that with electric cars which require up to 1.5 million pounds of earth to be moved per battery. We can just push those jobs up the supply chain to mining in places like Africa and Asia, were wages are pennies on the dollar. We can use the petroleum we save to make plastic tents for Americans to live in. Everyone wins.
I was in a racing shop mostly working on older Miata’s and mustangs but we had a few newer Shelby’s and the bosses cars, modern cars. There’s a reason I’m an aircraft mechanic now and got out of cars as a professional. Lexus rx radiator replacement was almost 5 hours!!! I’m a very able mechanic and had the whole shops worth of tools and lifts. Still was the worst rad replacement I never had to do! My 80s Mercedes, to replace the radiator all you needed was a 19mm wrench and a screwdriver! And the newer diesel trucks which the emissions systems are an absolute nightmare waiting to happen! And the amount of plastics in the engine bays of cars is just asking for trouble as well. And we also had a Porsche cayman gt4 cup car and it needed a battery. So that’s simple….. NOPE!!! Same battery is used on the track only Lamborghini huracan track car and it’s 7600 dollars used!!! And once you have it, you needed to reflash the ecu and body module just to activate the batter and allow it to actually connect to the car and start it. And the fancy scan tool wouldn’t do it. So trailered the car ,which won’t drive, 4 hours away to the only Porsche dealer that could recode the car for the new battery. All that kuffufle for a damn battery replacement. It was almost 10 grand total. Yeah I’ll work on the carbureted lycoming 360 flat 4s in the Cessnas
We have a 2016 GLC300. We are on our 3rd CCV. First time was warranty. Second time was quoted at $2000 from one MB dealer and $1500 from another. Called Mercedes corporate and got a goodwill discount and we ended up paying $880. Last September, Mercedes extended the warranty on these, and we got a check from our Mercedes dealer for the $880 that we spent 3 years ago. The redesigned the CCV assembly and our 3rd one has the redesign. Allow me to guess a couple of things: Did the owner of this Mercedes drive in cold weather and have a lot of short trips of less than 15 minutes, and did it fail during the cold season? A good "Italian tuneup" every couple of weeks is probably not a bad idea. My wife never drove hers more than about 4 miles at a time, and drives like the librarian that she is. But, with the redesign assembly, nobody should have issues anyway going forward. Have the owner see if this model just had a warranty extension on this, as our GLC300 did. If so, MB should cut them a check for this bill. Unless they have modified the procedure, it requires the engine to be unbolted and pull up a little for them to get to the assembly. As well, they had to take about 5 major components off the engine to get to it. I think the dealer said they have it down to about 4 hours because they've done so many of them. But you still pay "book rate".
Yeah I was wondering…definitely sounds like a current or future service campaign / class action suit situation. I’ve already received a service campaign notice and warranty extension for my 2019 bmw X3 for a similar PCV issue…probably same junk manufacturer of this part.
@labourlawact7826 Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, Lexus ES250. All under recall. But honestly I've been wanting to try the RX350. as a replacement to my C300.
@@Petesworkshop2225 I’ve had an RX350 loaner (was a new 2022, so not the brand new one), and the interior was lovely. It drove like a crossover does (not enjoyable, mushy but generally not offensive). Not as fun as the C300 was, though…less enjoyment. Nothing does everything great.
Why do you need all this HASSLE - would imagine all that would be required is to turn on ignition and drive without MOUNTAINS of warranty paperwork, and endless FAULTS.
Where are you shit talkers to warn people about Hyundai Kia engineering or lack of it for that matter? I'm referring to engines blowing connecting rods through the block at 60k miles and other totally unacceptable nightmares.
@@phrosty-boiAgree, Grimes has to have a Phd in diagnostics & mechanical science to even have a chance of working out what the pipey, valvey thingy is supposed to do and WHY it should be there AT ALL.
It’s a known problem with these and a big chunk of the cars like the C, E, GLC with this engine family had a recall extending the warranty to 10/150k miles on that specific part. Tons of labor, whole intake comes off to fix. Benz will replace for free, check the vin.
Sorry Wizard, resident and hot rod owner in NYS, they cannot confiscate your car. They can however, if your car does not have a current inspection sticker, prevent you from renewing your registration. Also, if your car is 25 years or older, no emissions inspection is required, only a saftey inspection.
1950-1990s Mercedes Benz: "Nice car - should last you a long time!" 2000-present Mercedes Benz: "Nice car - gonna put your mechanic's kids through college fixing it."
I would say 2007 and newer. The '06 E-class Diesel is quite reliable, but that's the last year which is. Mercedes added all that DEF emissions crap in '07 and ended the reign of reliable Mercedes vehicles forever. I wouldn't own a modern Mercedes outside of its warranty period...
Engine balance shaft issue on Mercedes V6s from about 2004 to 2008. Affected the E350s & ML350s and maybe other models. Just an easy $6 to $7k fix. Lots of folks got burned by that one.
Depends on the model and year. I had a 2012 c300 that I drove for 10 years to 165.000 miles before I sold it and when I sold it it didn't need anything.. All it ever needed in the 10 years that I drove it was wear and tear items like fluid changes, spark plugs, filters, tires, brakes, rotors, and a battery.. That's it. In ten years!
Check engine light on a 2015 Jetta, $1,118 later and a new grill shutter assembly installed and check engine light was cleared I passed the annual emissions inspection. On European cars, you’re lucky to spend less than $1,000 on any repair.
Found that this happens when you don't pull the dipstick when you fill the engine with oil, the 271,274,260,261 etc get problems, during filling I believe they say in WIS/ASRA it states you must pull the dip stick or it forces oil into the ventilation system.
I'm a mechanic in NY. We are not allowed to hold cars for any repairs, especially emissions. Now it will not pass the yearly requires inspection and can't renew the registration if the inspection is out of date. NY city has different rules, so who knows down in that special world.
Most red paints will get some oxidation over the years, but it is mostly possible to just buf and polish out. We use clay pads and some good cleaner agent to help the paint look better again. Most small dents can be eased out if you are gentle and the paint has not been broken or cracked. Grimes is a valuable wizard's assistant on his own, and I hope you treat him well, so he wants to keep working with you.
This channel is one of the biggest reasons that I picked a 2024 Camry XSE V6 to be my new daily driver. It is a Toyota and It doesn't have a CVT, turbo, or hybrid system. No car manufacturer is perfect, but I do like my odds that it will age gracefully.
Toyota hybrids have a good track record of being reliable. The new twin turbo V6 Tundra engine seems to be having some issues though. That being said I just bought my wife a 2023 Audi A5 Sportback for her new daily. We paid $7k for a 130k mile powertrain warranty because I figured that would be cheaper than paying as we go😂
@@WilC379 If I did buy a Hybrid or electric, it would definitely be a Toyota because I think they are the best at it. For now, I see hybrids as being something extra that could potentially go wrong and not being worthwhile since I don't put a ton of miles on my vehicles. Once the batteries in hybrids and electric vehicles are known to consistently last 15 years in the climate of Florida (maybe the upcoming solid state ones) or are more economical to replace I will be interested. Plus, having a 300hp car was on my bucket list and Toyota doesn't currently make a hybrid V6 Camry. 😁
@@themidcentrist I also would recommend a Toyota hybrid b/c it seems to have the most aftermarket (battery replacement) support if necessary. You can also upgrade to newer gen batteries as well.
@@supertouring1 I'm thinking that by the next time I am in the market for a new car, the battery technology will be fully mature and most if not all cars will be some kind of hybrid / electric / Hydrogen cell.
That’s what’s nice about older cars and nice living in a state with no inspection stickers. All those dashboard lights that sometimes have no drivability concerns but can cost thousands to fix. To much crap on newer cars. So many middle class people just can’t afford those cars anymore today to keep all the dashboard lights off.
*oven cleaner* Regular supermarket *caustic soda based* *oven cleaner spray foam* used into pcv and other clogged valves melts away the carbon and gunk and frees up the clogged valves. The caustic soda spray foam -not bio or green b.s. One. $3 a can. Rinse with water, then dry , and use brake cleaner for final clean thru. Thank me. 😊 Jonny s.
Crazy repair costs, considering it is one of their lower end econo box car models. Stunning, how much plastic is all around on the outside of this car and under the hood too - well done, Mercedes! The fake looking chrome gives it away, all chrome on plastic not chrome on metal, it just doesn’t shine that nicely.
@@aussie2uGA On my old Mercedes the front grill was brass underneath, chrome plated, shiny and a joy to look at. But I agree, there are good plastics out there, they just cost a little more. For instance on my old Camry, that baked 16 years under the Californian sun, not a single crack on top of the dash. Still soft to the touch, and yes, plastic not leather. On my 7 year old Genesis Ultimate, plastic on top of dash also no cracks (yet) but dark color already starts fading. Someone save on a good uv-resistant dye it seems.
I'd though the 'Merkins love that sort of stuff with the fake chrome and plastics ... being widely introduced by their native car makers in past decades ... ;-) Most common problem: maintenance neglection. The owners only show up when problems occur. But "regular maintenance" is for cowards and europeans only. So: you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for regular maintenance the sums spool up with the next oncoming problem. The engine on that should be the M270.920, which is used in 345 different models of the A-, B-, CLA- and GLA series and Infinity Q30/QX30 cars between 2012 and 2018. In Germany it is not known as particularly error-prone. However: users ruin everything, no matter how fool-proof and solid things were designed ... so I keep it as a good idea to shut of the radio, bluetooth and air-condition when the check engine light comes on the tenth time in a row to *force* them into a workshop.
This is the problem with luxury car companies trying to gain market share in the cheap SUV segment. Mercedes has to make this car at a price point that guarantees poor quality. These vehicles are tailor made for people who want to buy a Mercedes just to keep up with the Joneses.
it could run, but what we don't know is if the car is emitting more pollutants as a result. That said, a critic can argue if you're so worried, we should be all riding e bikes instead. 😅
@@supertouring1 Emissions standards are BS & not the same everywhere. Many county's in America don't even require emissions test/stickers. Also if emissions was so important why would they wave it for older cars? Emissions is just another way for the government to tax you. To add insult to injury its the cheap plastic emissions parts that the Government forces manufactures to use that go bad. If they cared so much about less waste why would they force manufactures to use plastics to try & meet the ridiculous MPG standards set by Tyrannical Bureaucrats?
@@wandameadows5736 if the government mandates emissions controls they should be paying for any subsequent repairs for said controls. There is no having your cake and simultaneously eating it.
I've lived in NY for 25 years and I've never heard of anyone not getting their car back after a failed emissions test. We just check OBD for emissions codes and that's it. California does the whole dyno test thing.
He is thinking of that truck that got seized for having the tuner on it. Would be a great way to get the regulatory foot in the door and the manufacturers would definitely lobby for it.
I live in San Diego. If it is a 2000 and up, it only gets the OBD check. The computer in the test shop is hooked up directly to the Sacramento Bureau of Automotive Repair. They control all of the test facilities in California. If your car is from 1976 to 1999, then you have to get a dyno test on it. We have no actual running cutoff limit like 25 or 30 years like most states. My 1979 Chevy C10 still has to be tested on the dyno and it is 45 years old! Problem is that less and less of the people opening new testing places want to pay the thousands it cost to install a dyno. They just open shops that only test 2000 and up cars. Don't know what is going to happen when there are no more shops that have dynos anymore. It will happen too.
CAL. LA, Tech drives your vehicle on to these rollers and runs engine with sensor in tail pipe, and puts car in gear rev's engine to 2500 rpm (?)sensor reads (I forget how many), gases car is putting out to this machine, with print out! Tests every other year on all vehicles. Failure is no vehicle registration, until fix! having 1995 BMW
I bought my daughter a C class and have been so disappointed with quality. 1. The clear coat is a common issue with cars painted mars red. There is a class action lawsuit out, MB was found liable but they appealed it and they will drag it in the courts for years. The rear lens broke from a plastic garbage can hitting it, bought one on eBay replaced it. The cars are engineered to produce high repair bills when things fail. Like in your customers case most things are engineered in a way that have set of things pipes, intake etc. and take hours replace. We spent at least $8k at the dealer after the warranty ran out. I now do repairs myself and have saved at least $7k. Unfortunately most people are not handy or don’t have the tools to do the work. As an example the turbo oil line from the engine to turbo was leaking it really was the O ring on the pipe to the block. The dealer wanted $1,100 to repair $87 for the part and the rest was labor 3.5 hours. I ordered the part from pelican (for $47) and replaced it less than 2 hours. It’s crazy how they are engineered to produce high repair. No longer is “nothing but the best”
In my retail parts counter days when a DIY’er came in for points and condenser we’d grab the appropriate PCV valve and bring it back to the counter as a $4.00 up sale. Usually didn’t work, but I can imagine the $1,000 Merciless Benz part would find its way back to the shelf even faster.
Grimes reminds me of "Grimes" from the Simpson's episode where he is Homer's coworker at the Nucleur Power Plant. Homer drives him completely insane just like the CarWizard does here! Fred Grimes is his name!!!🤣🤣🤣
When I see al this - Just rolledin episodes I don't think they have any inspections at all in the US, it's totally unbelievable what is showing up in the shops, and that is cars we all meet on the road.😱
It depends on the state. It’s usually either one extreme or the other. NY state has overly strict yearly vehicle inspection. In the backwards south like Florida they have absolutely no inspections at all. They let any s#$@box on the road then wonder why their auto insurance is the highest in the U.S.
People will be so excited about saving $25 not having a yearly inspection but then will be shocked when their auto insurance keeps going up when the roads are filled with death traps.
@jayson657 Actually, the money will still be charged on the registration, you just don't need a safety inspection.😮 If you live in an emmisions county like Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Harris etc. You still need an emissions test. 😢
There are two sides to the "assembly" debate - Car Wizard called out one where parts seem to fail one after the other - the other is that they are cheaper to manufacture or source all at once - if there's a new / updated version the entire assembly is usually "leveled" up. The downsides are obviously if you only really need the one little part you have to buy the entire thing - that's where the aftermarket comes in - if the issue is very common the non-OEM manufactures (and even some OE parts suppliers) will have parts that will replace one specific part and create adapters or include additional hardware. It's like if your muffler goes bad and to replace it you have to cut the old one out and clamp or weld a new one in - if you go to the manufacturer you'd have to buy the exhaust from say the catalytic converter back.
According to the Wizard, this seems to be a common problem, yet no aftermarket manufacturer has stepped in to provide just the intake. That said, the Wizard did note that the other parts could be on their way out too so replacing a whole section vs just a part may still be a good idea considering it takes 7hrs to do the job.
Anyone who owns a newer 4 cylinder turbo Mercedes should be changing their oil every 5-6k miles. Extended 10,000 mile oil changes makes this crankcase breather malfunction more common. Either way, it's still a poor design which has been redesigned a couple of times already by Mercedes - still not right.
I'm guessing if Wizard features your car in a video any repairs are free ( or a major discount) since he probably makes more $$ on the RUclips video than the repair.
Have a Jaguar with a "Check Engine" light on with a little over 20K on the mileage!? Turns out it was a Oxygen Sensor That cost us a bit over $500.00!!!
Not under warranty? I would have complained to Jaguar corporate to try to get them to pay, way too early for bad sensors. I used to be a mechanic and would probably never buy a Jag, on some of them just brake pads are hundreds of dollars, crazy. The XK and XJ look amazing though.
There are parts for your car that crosscheck with other brands. Hope you keep it and can find parts cheaper and may save yourself a fortune doing the easier work yourself! Good luck!
I am on my 5th. Latest is a 2012 E350 w 174k miles. 1st repair ever 3 months ago. Engines mounts due to speed bumps in our town. $1200 Monday it goes in for a radiator $1400. Same as all the rest . Great for 170 to 200k. Then watch out. Still have the 1982 Turbo diesel in the family. Greatest car ever.
@@rustynail7866100k worth of tools sounds a bit excessive for a PCV on a Honda. A layman that watches enough RUclips could probably do it, which is what this guy probably did. Regardless, I'm pretty sure he was contrasting his ownership experience with that of the Benz, rather than attacking the credibility of anybody's mechanic shop. Sensitive much?
@@BikemanSuperfast Spent many years watching people go to the local parts store for diagnostics and RUclips for repair lessons. It's quite funny, actually. And yes, he was complaining about a mechanic shop charging him 67 bucks for 10 minutes work, not taking experience or overhead into consideration.
In Illinois where I live, if you don't pass emissions, you won't get your new license plate sticker for your vehicle, that's why I go early and if there's a problem I can get it fixed, pass emissions and then I can still drive legal
Took my ‘15 CLA250 with the assembly I bought for 500, they initially said 4-5 hour job. Next morning they called said it’s an 8 hour job at $200, $1600!! I gave them the finger and did it myself with a few 420 breaks and couple beers in 8 hours. RUclips videos to get familiar and went right in.
@@musouiI had a coolant leak under my intake manifold. All mechanics said I needed to take the manifold off which would’ve been over $600. RUclips mechanic showed me that I could just take the alternator off and do it that way. Fixed it successfully for $4.97 instead. I guarantee the mechanics would’ve done it this way and still charged me “book” the scam justification
As a mb tech not all cars have that solid tank quality they used to have but thats for the most part true from what i see in all brands now . Mercedes still has great cars this is just the cheapest one you could get at the time . The job really isn't as bad as its made out to be in this video i see a lot of scare tactics when it comes to mercedes in general but each to their own, especially with skill level being a major factor not just anyone can thrive at the dealership
Interesting you talk about the walk-around. My local Toyota dealer does the same thing, with an iPad. They make a video of the outside of the car (30 seconds) as they walk around and document any damage or anything wrong all while you're standing there with them before you turn over the keys and go wait for the car to be done or leave. Good idea IMO. Takes 30 seconds but could save them a lot in terms of disputes with customers. Never had a problem with them, and in many cases, car came back cleaner than when I bought it in (they will sometimes vaccuum it for me and if it's bad enough, wash it). But that aside, this is why people DO say not o buy these brands (BMW, Mercedes, Jag, etc) or at least, ones that don't have a warranty with them (or get rid of them before the warranty runs out). Now $2k is not bad these days for repairs, as I've seen some get into th the $5-$6k range just because of labor, so $2k "isn't that bad" but is still a lot of money. But it's stuff like this that makes me just not really care that much to own these types of vehicles. Yes their luxurious compared to your Toyota or Honda, but the Toyota and HOnda (and even a few others like Ford's) generally don't need this level of repairs or have these types of issues because well, they're better built (like you can replace just the PCV valve in most cars which maybe only costs $50 for the part and not much even for labor if you have to have a shop do it (maybe $250 if it's a real bad job and really difficult to get to). These types of issues make me glad that our county doesn't have emissions tests. I mean the handful of "bad" cars I've had over the years that probably would have failed, managed to slip by because emissions tests were not required in my area, thankfully).
We have a 2017 Kia Soul with just about 100,000 miles on it now and I have to check the oil at least once a week. It can use up to 3 or even 4 quarts of oil in 3,500 miles (we change oil every 3,500 miles in our other cars). We now just change the oil in the Kia once it uses 1 quart of oil and that's usually about 1,000 to 1500 miles. Those cars and their engines are complete garbage.
@@mattsolfronk6510 Because the oil in the pan is compromised by the amount of gasoline that ends up in it. These engines are direct fuel injection and some gas gets by worn rings and ends up in the oil pan. Enough of it in the oil and it's no longer doing what good oil does for an engine. This car has to last us another 6 to 7 months till its paid for. Once that is done, it's going by by... I want to have a good running engine for trading it in.
Another reason why I got rid of my last German car, a VW Passat, and bought a Toyota Camry and never looked back. I previously owned an Audi as well and nothing but problems with it. I’ve never owned a M-B but from what I hear they are not very reliable either.
@@BubblesTheCat1 I mean, a lot of people that crashed didn't survive, that's the issue lol. Back then the highest speed limits were 55 mph, now you can go 80 legally, and people cruising at 90 pretty commonly. I wouldn't wanna be in a small car with no air bags in an accident at those speeds, just depends how much you care about living and being able to walk away from an accident versus spending millions in medical bills and drug costs for the rest of your life if something goes wrong.
@labourlawact7826 The airbags may not save you but they're going to help which is the point lol. I don't think airbags go off after hitting a curb that might be a bit of an exaggeration. Nor do I think airbags really matters in the over all reliability of a car other things sure but airbags? I'd rather have them to be safe than not, if my car gets totaled that's fine I pay for good insurance I prefer not to keep damage accident cars because they're never fixed to the same quality as factory.
@drunkenhobo8020 Nah, it was built in South Africa. In the Nissan factory. It was the last car they built, not to have one. It was also the last face lift model of a car that came to our market in 92. It has port injection, but no mass airflow or map sensors either. Cheap to run, simple to maintain 😊
The wizard is absolutely correct! If one sensor/part is bad, the others in that system are not far behind. I purposely daily a 25 year old chevy 3800 for the cheap repair costs. Even with all the known failure points on the 3800, it's ridiculous dirt cheap to maintain the reliability after 375k miles.
Sounds like a job for DORMAN! I cannot believe a simple plastic valve cannot be duplicated for 90% less and retrofitted into the system. You have to be a moron to buy a newer vehicle these days, when the cost of a repair can be devastating financially.
That is absolutely insane! The car isn't even that old. Gotta say though, its seen better days. 9yr old merc costing you this much already? I don't know.. might want to consider moving into something else?
For a daily driver around town. An EV may make sense. It will depend on the area also as charging stations may not be common for some people if they aren't charging at home.
The CCV failure is common on the m270 engine, usually around 100k. Outside of that, the thermostat housings are known to fail and water pumps can go. Otherwise they’re alright. Change fluids with regularity and you’re set
I can't imagine owning a foreign car and not doing my own work. I have a 2020 330i and had a check engine light recently, turned out to be a actuator flap that broke. You need to remove the front bumper to replace it. Not sure what it would have cost to get the work done but no less than 1k. Part alone is 300. I just removed the bumper myself, and deleted the whole unit lol. It's only for aerodynamics for better gas milage on the highway. Since my car is full bolt on with a custom tune, I don't get good gas Milage anyways.
I had an emissons cod3 that kept coming back every few months, I was so happy my car happened to come with a 15 year emissons warranty. I cant imagine how much it would cost given the amount of time it spent at the dealership
FIY, not a thing in NYS, if you don't pass emissions you fail inspection. If you fail inspection you cant re-register your car. Again they DON NOT keep your car in NY lol!
In CA, a failed emissions test will stop you from getting the license plate sticker showing law enforcement that you have a valid car registration (although I suspect that detecting this is a low priority for the cops, as I have procrastinated in putting my sticker on my license for as long as three months with no repercussions). As for how the failed emission system affects the performance of your car, you might see a slightly lower mpg (since the recovered vapor is recycled to be used as fuel). The real concern is that you will not detect any serious problem occurring that would light up the check engine light with the check engine light already being on for the emissions issue.
Happen to my Cla since it has the same plate form, drove fine but would have a CEL in colder weather. Got that oem part at fcp for $600ish. Had my Audi boy do it and he had to take the axle out, such a pain.
Fancy car -> fancy repair bill. I scan my VW Golf each season. Nothing interesting has ever shown up, except when I replaced the battery and she freaked when I started the engine. Afer a drive around the block I cleared the remaining codes and she's been fine ever since.
VW’s have expensive repair bills and unreliable parts also. Just because it’s a cheap car doesn’t mean it isn’t still a German car at the end of the day.
@@timscott7136golfs before 2016 are very reliable vehicles and won’t leave you at the side of road like a Honda or Toyota that’s blown it’s clutch and gearbox after 100k. Don’t get why Americans hate German cars with a passion
I knew I wasn't going to get Toyota reliability when I bought my Golf, and I'm OK with that. I'm also not going to get BMW or Mercedes-Benz reliability, and I'm OK with that too. I accept lower reliability (but not *that* low...) for a more involving driving experience.
@@timscott7136 25 year old mk4 with every receipt from factory says different. I’ve seen blokes on this channel calling Hondas and other JDM brands reliable after needing a new engine swap or trans swap after 100k but alright 😂
Best Wizard ever. Thanks from Australia. Love my Mercedes but this should be a 'wake up call' to the Company. And it will be. Brilliant. Love your work.
In the UK V6 bluetecs are common for larger mercedes models like the Mercedes E class and S class.@@EBIndy in 2017 mercedes replaced the V6 diesels with I6 diesels which are much quieter and smoother
@@EBIndy ok except the I6 wasn’t available in a sedan in 2010s. I lived in Germany and had an E430 wagon (4.3L V8) good autobahn cruiser but also a very expensive car to maintain, even in Germany. I drive either my 2015 Tacoma or my 2018 Mazda CX5 as my commuter, both very reasonable vehicles, super reliable. I do the routine maintenance on both and have had nil issues with Tacoma, a weepy valve cover on Mazda covered under warranty. Nothing since.
If your ride has to be a MB , then find a fine example of a W126 or W140 (w/wire harness upgrade) , and with proper upkeep , it will last a lifetime... You can't work on these under a shade tree any longer (proprietary STAR system component registration & software) . From my experience, today's MB = money pit
$2000! $175/hr! I live in Cambodia and I don't have the time of day for cars that are all codes and black boxes. So I'm rocking a 1999 Honda CRV. Cars here don't seem to rust and this wagon is rock solid. But maintenance still has to be done. Listening to the exhorbitant numbers in some of your videos I thought that I might tell you what car work looks like here. I just replaced the front shocks , the front brake discs and the CV axles on my CRV.. While the car was in getting that done I also had them do a re and re on my power windows and door locks. That entailed removing the door panels and putting them back on. They also repaired my windshield washers. Back in Canada that was about a million dollars worth of parts and shop time. Here , the work was professionally done and my bill was $424 usd. You almost hope your car breaks just so you can smirk about how cheap it is to fix it! Cheers!
I had a 2007 MX-5 Miata that popped a CEL, but it ran great. Turned out to be the thermostat was stuck open and it took too long to come up to operating temp. I put in a new part to get rid of the CEL so I'd know if something else failed.
@@fboomerang BULLSHIT...has hundreds of moving body parts and interior parts that are garbage, doors that jam, interior parts that fall off, and main batteries that have to be replaced at $20,000 if even slightly damaged...,and only Tesla dealer can fix so when car is old has zero resale value--can't even be sold for parts.....so stick it up yerrraZZZ
Obviously you didn't listen carefully, to what the Car Wizard explained: you *might* come away with replacing one single piece at a time ... but you will come back next week, or next month. Or both. The "Kit" contains everything that could - and would - fail in a short period of time if *the* *one* valve already failed. Its an avalance effect unfortunately, like many engine failures. They barely root into a single point of failure. If you piece together the repair bit by bit you sum up twice or more workhours, because you have to take apart the very same things multiple times. Ok - 2 Grands is a hefty sum for parts and labour. And the "ingenious solutions" used don't make it easier, that's why it takes so long to get it fixed. Most modern cars are production-line-optimized. With the engine and gearbox along with the front axle assembly out and on a tray it is a five-minutes-job to put on the PCV tubing. With the engine installed ... well ... here's the cockroach in your cornflakes. But that the way with most modern cars one way or another. I would not call that a rip-off. Well maintained most of the problems barely show up - or not as bad, because the workshop has an oversight what went wrong and sometimes got an early warning by stored error codes. If you drive a car with no maintenance and observation until something breaks ... well ... then something is broken and needs expensive fixing. That's economy.
Toyota dealership wanted to sting for 70$ for pcv valve for my new to me 1997 Toyota landcruiser v6.. Oven cleaner caustic spray foam from supermarket did the job for 0.20cents. 😅
I noticed a similar effect years ago when I was a computer repair technician. Would have 1-2-3 week periods when I got more than the usual number of certain model broken printer calls with the same problem. Then after that, broken terminal calls, after that broke pc calls, and on and on. Or maybe next to no service calls for anything for weeks, and then all of the sudden a deluge, everything breaks at once. I have no idea why that happens, maybe game theory might explain it.
Everything is modular so It is quicker to build , but you have to buy the whole assembly like the window switches , for example, In the old days you could replace one switch that was bad and you have to replace all four it's a non serviceable unit.
I have a 2015 one of these with 184,000 miles (I bought it at 180k) I had to sadly run it on a dead battery for a month or 2 and that fried my old alternator (which I repaired myself) as well as my electronic steering assist, which I think was caused by me running it on a dead battery. I bought a new power steering assembly for 200 dollars off a junker gla and outside those issues it’s been amazing.
Solution is to train your brain that check engine is good think,i have 2 cars that have check engine for nox sensor ,i drive them 4-5 years like that ,0 problems. Sometimes i clear code with my phone and then it run 500-600 km with out check engine ,i also that before year technical inspection in my country
I am just a regular owner of my car, and I have a Nissan. The car went past 100 k miles and started falling apart, I keep up with maintenance, sometimes I do my own maintenance as long as it does have easy access to a part that needs replacing and it’s not complicated. Something like MAF sensor, filters and coils I can replace myself. The general rule of thumb should be not to make cars very complicated to work on, no matter what brand. Be it Chevy, GMC, Cadillac or Mercedes. Intelligence is not making things complicated, intelligence is making complex things simple. The current car I have had some small accidents which made sure the car breaks apart even faster. I currently have an AC leaking water on the passenger side inside the cabin, and every mechanic I went to, even the dealer cannot find the source of the leak where it is coming from. The suspension parts are also failing one after another even though I replaced them gradually and on time. The brakes are squeaking, both front and rear. The PCV valve was acting up and I barely started the car, because it would shut off after starting. I have quite the repair history on my car. The mechanics started to hate my car because of it constantly falling to pieces. The transmission slips when I reach 40 mph, even though I don’t drive it hard and baby it. I do maintenance always on time and ahead of time before it reaches certain milestones. I have a 2014 Nissan Sentra. The only benefit I get from it is the fuel economy. I get 35mpg in the city and highway combined. Can’t beat that. Currently I am in a tough financial spot right now, and cannot afford a new car. So I drive like that wolf in a Russian cartoon waiting for this car to just go to smithereens. It started to rust also so I think it’s about time I get rid of it before the transmission goes, because I keep smelling the burned wire smell when I accelerate. I have to open the windows to vent the smell out of the car. I like cars, i like to drive them, like everyone does. But this car… No thanks. After 8 years of ownership… Never again I will buy a Nissan. Every car is made differently in every country. Here in the USA, I will only buy Toyotas, Hondas or Mazdas. I know some people might like this car, but mine has been nothing but one problem after another so I call it Junk in general. As I said before, cars shouldn’t be complex to work on, because the more complex it is, the bigger the repair bill. I’m not talking about Lambos and Maseratis - these cars are just for show. I wouldn’t buy them even if I lived 200 years.
I've had a 1996 Maxima SE 5-spd, 2008 Altima Coupe 2.5 S, 2009 Murano LE AWD, 2010 Titan Pro-4X, 2013 Infiniti M56XS, and a 2018 Titan XD Pro-4X 5.6. I took all of them except the 2018 Titan to 150k miles with only basic maintenance that any car would need. I still have both pickups. I think the 2002ish - 2012ish era FWD Nissans were the worst, but I never had any of those. I'll still buy Nissan/Infiniti over any domestic brand.
That's kinda neat that they return the oil back instead of burning it instead of a conventional PCV system. Especially with modern direct injection that doesn't get the valves washed by fuel.
Might as well do the thermostat while the intake is off. Those commonly fail too on the CLA/GLA. We only need one of those: as a warning from history. I do not miss working in those.
there was one point my shop had 4 caravan's in, with the famous oil filter housing leak in one day 😅 we told our customers they all had something in common oil leak's from the same place
I live in NY and if your car is 1996 or newer and it has a check engine light on, it will not pass the yearly state inspection. They do not keep your car, but if the inspection expires you can get a ticket for an expired inspection.
Check your oil every time you put gas in the vehicle. It’s worked for me for years. You’re already at a place where you can buy and add a quart if you need too. Only takes a few seconds.
Think that's bad-I bought a Dodge Viper that the previous owner had removed the secondary cats. The selling dealer disclosed issues identified during inspection, and the quote for new down pipes was over $8000. Close to 7,000 of that was just for the parts. I opted not to do anything with them. A set of aftermarket catted down pipes is less than $900. It's a weird car where parts fall into one of three categories: 1-Part is shared with a Dodge Ram and is cheap and available. 2-Part is Viper-specific and available but expensive, or aftermarket substitute available with a Viper tax. 3. Part is Viper-specific and unobtanium-best hope is a used part.
The mechanical issues wouldn't be my concern, but damn that paint quality on an expensive car like that? Paint work should be one of the most important things on a higher end luxury vehicle or brand because that's the first thing you see. Even if the motor's blown and it's parked in the front yard people driving by will go damn that's a nice looking car, but not if half the paint is peeling off lol.
I own an older benz, its been a great car, regular maintenance. I had the misfortune of driving one of these GLA 250s as a loaner. A truly miserable buzzbox.
Wiz, I’m really a newbie but I’m totally enthralled. Can you do a segment that shows what happens when the timing on a newer engine isn’t locked down, and someone works on it?
@@daveh2612 intake manifold no, but prob would have made life easier if I did. The pass side axle and lower engine mount has to come off so you can reach the separator.
@@elpena7547 I called the dealer, from my VIN they said I don’t qualify, which I was surprised to hear as I know they now have an extended warranty on this exact issue.
You put it in the sun thats what happens within 2 years of my friends Corolla being put in the sun the paint faded out and the tint bubbled it was pristine before when it was in the garage
In you opinion what is a better buy. 08 dodge Durango with 140k miles or 06 Toyota solara with 200k miles. Being sold In my area I’ve narrowed it down to these 2 for my price range
The problem in states with emissions testing, your forced to do it, or you not able to renew your registration tags. Someone I know had multiple leaks in the evap system for the fuel system. The car ran just fine, but the fuel vapors were escaping into the air, which is a no no. The garage wanted $1800 to replace the entire evap system on a 1996 chevy lumina that may have been worth a$1000 at the most. I told him since we don't do emissions testing in this state, drive it, just don't park it in your garage.
Don't forget to replace the engine mount, while it's on the floor.lol that job is even worse on the fwd car. Removed an axle and half shaft for EVAP repair. Good good Mercedes
You asked - so, I check my oil almost every other fuel fill up. 42gal tank, I'm already done washing windows and looking at the tires before 15gal has pumped. So, like, every 1k? 1999 GMT400, haven't had to top off for oil, changed every 5k or less.
Grimes is like a computer nerd turned mechanic , but he has practical knowledge and common sense as well.
At least he looks cleaner than my neighbour, who's the filthiest, dumbest piece of crap alive...
The guy definitely knows the stuff
Now that I think about it Your right it does look like a Nissan A rogue
He's definitely not stupid. He's worth his weight in gold.
He's definitely the best
Nothing costs $100’s anymore now $1000’s for car repair. A $100 has replaced $20.
Bearing in mind that money halves in value around every seven years !
Nothing newer then 2008 at least. I took the Wiz's advice and got a 2002 Lesabre grandpa car. The few things that needed fixed never cost more than $200.
@kevinwall6497
I have a 2013 MB.
But I just picked up a 98 CRV and LOVE IT!!
@@Petesworkshop2225 98 CRV can go half a million miles, but it's a chick repellent
Auto repairs cost is like going to the dentist.
I had a 2014 CLA 250, basically the non-SUV version of the GLA 250. I bought it brand new and after all the problems I had with it while still under warranty I knew the problems are just going to get worse and more frequent so I sold it before the warranty expires because there's no way I'm keeping it out of warranty. Since then I've stayed away from German cars and I don't think I'm ever going back. There were just too many stupid things that went wrong in a brand new car.
Lol. You bought the cheapest garbage benz there is😂
Yeah right... The base models of most euro brands are awful or rebranded junk... It's like alpha and Chrysler essential the nicer models actually designed and engineered by BMW/Mercedes are usually pretty solid. @@lincolnmarklt
Yep when theyre new...great performers...Yet after awhile I had so much anxiety waiting for the next problem to show up I couldnt never enjoy it
@@lincolnmarklt You're right, I did. Back then they said the CLA introduces non-luxury buyers to the brand and get familiar with it with the expectations of moving up to their higher level models as they move up in their careers and can afford them. So the CLA is supposed to be the introduction to the brand and you'd think they would put their best foot forward to keep the CLA customers by designing and building good quality cars by using high quality parts, even if they have to loose a little bit of money on the front end and make that up later as they move up in higher models. Instead, they put out a piece of crap and focused more on flashy shiny bits rather than actual real quality and expect the customers to come back? So for me it did the opposite. I'm running away from MB for 3 reasons. 1. They screwed me over once and I'm not going to reward them for it. 2. I don't have to have a MB. 3. There are just too much competition out there to be a slave to just one or two brands. Now my salary is in the $200K/year range and I can afford higher models but I'm not even bothering with MB, not even on my radar. Many of their models are getting too flashy and gaudy with the same cheap plastic parts under the hood. Hard pass for me.
@@danlove4270 Exactly. It had some other issues and after it over heated with a poorly designed thermostat I was starting to wait for the next problem to show up. The straw that broke the camel's back was when an engine mount went bad and it took the dealer 3 days to figure out that was the problem and another 3 days to wait for the part from Europe. After that I made sure all the issues was fixed while it was still under warranty and sold it and washed my hands of MB for good.
Everyone bagging on MB being maintenance nightmares, when really they should be celebrated for all the glorious RUclips content they provide. 🔧
As long as we don’t own one.
Yousa point is well spaken.
mercedes is the worst.
I just changed one of the few plastic parts in my 1980 Mercedes 280CE, the windscreen washer pump, $40.00, 2 minutes labour. Also no plastic engine covers to remove. 290,000km and still going strong.
I hope you redid the drive line its done..If it fails and they do no more car. flex disks end bushings center bearing and holder my center bearing had no grease left..1979 280sl. It scared me when I saw it. out of sight most forget about it.
Don't bully him. @markasread4349
Many years ago I was the shop foreman at a VW dealer. We were just getting the Bosch K Jetronic fuel injection cars and the beginning of emission controls . Even after attending many schools and training seminars on the new cars. They were very sensitive and difficult to get running right. . My best tech's were going crazy and the repeat customer complaints were many and sometimes loud and hard to settle down.
While I understand the air we breath needs to be clean . Modern cars are poorly designed and way too hard to work on . No wonder there is a shortage of tech's and it's getting harder to attract good ones into the business.
LOL - have to agree! I have an 84 Jetta GLi coupe with the Bosch K Jetronic injection and I can never get it to run 'right' for all weather/temperature conditions. Most times it runs just 'well enough'.
Thankfully it's only a weekend car. Can't imagine what it must've been like as a 4-season daily driver.
BTW ---- as temperamental as it was before, it's only gotten worse now since ethanol-blended fuels became the norm in my area. No more 'pure' gasoline anymore. My VW, snowblower, and lawnmower all run poorer for it.
Modern cars are made of defective plastics, cheap Chinese game consoles and held together by chewing gum.
A little over a year ago, my dad and I completely dis-assembled and re-assembled my 230k mile '01 Accord and not only was it fairly easy to do...the internals were in excellent condition.
Lucky for me, it has analogue electronics even a 10 year old could take apart and put back together.
I'm thinking I'll get at least another 100k out of it before it needs anything more than scheduled maintenance.
If someone offered me a new car for it... I would tell them where they could stick it.
It's ok, we're replacing that with electric cars which require up to 1.5 million pounds of earth to be moved per battery. We can just push those jobs up the supply chain to mining in places like Africa and Asia, were wages are pennies on the dollar. We can use the petroleum we save to make plastic tents for Americans to live in. Everyone wins.
Don't forget the garbage gas also, a lot of problems are due to ethanol in the gas and low quality gas being produced.
I was in a racing shop mostly working on older Miata’s and mustangs but we had a few newer Shelby’s and the bosses cars, modern cars. There’s a reason I’m an aircraft mechanic now and got out of cars as a professional. Lexus rx radiator replacement was almost 5 hours!!! I’m a very able mechanic and had the whole shops worth of tools and lifts. Still was the worst rad replacement I never had to do! My 80s Mercedes, to replace the radiator all you needed was a 19mm wrench and a screwdriver! And the newer diesel trucks which the emissions systems are an absolute nightmare waiting to happen! And the amount of plastics in the engine bays of cars is just asking for trouble as well. And we also had a Porsche cayman gt4 cup car and it needed a battery. So that’s simple….. NOPE!!! Same battery is used on the track only Lamborghini huracan track car and it’s 7600 dollars used!!! And once you have it, you needed to reflash the ecu and body module just to activate the batter and allow it to actually connect to the car and start it. And the fancy scan tool wouldn’t do it. So trailered the car ,which won’t drive, 4 hours away to the only Porsche dealer that could recode the car for the new battery. All that kuffufle for a damn battery replacement. It was almost 10 grand total. Yeah I’ll work on the carbureted lycoming 360 flat 4s in the Cessnas
We have a 2016 GLC300. We are on our 3rd CCV. First time was warranty. Second time was quoted at $2000 from one MB dealer and $1500 from another. Called Mercedes corporate and got a goodwill discount and we ended up paying $880. Last September, Mercedes extended the warranty on these, and we got a check from our Mercedes dealer for the $880 that we spent 3 years ago. The redesigned the CCV assembly and our 3rd one has the redesign. Allow me to guess a couple of things: Did the owner of this Mercedes drive in cold weather and have a lot of short trips of less than 15 minutes, and did it fail during the cold season? A good "Italian tuneup" every couple of weeks is probably not a bad idea. My wife never drove hers more than about 4 miles at a time, and drives like the librarian that she is. But, with the redesign assembly, nobody should have issues anyway going forward. Have the owner see if this model just had a warranty extension on this, as our GLC300 did. If so, MB should cut them a check for this bill. Unless they have modified the procedure, it requires the engine to be unbolted and pull up a little for them to get to the assembly. As well, they had to take about 5 major components off the engine to get to it. I think the dealer said they have it down to about 4 hours because they've done so many of them. But you still pay "book rate".
Yeah I was wondering…definitely sounds like a current or future service campaign / class action suit situation. I’ve already received a service campaign notice and warranty extension for my 2019 bmw X3 for a similar PCV issue…probably same junk manufacturer of this part.
@labourlawact7826
Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, Lexus ES250.
All under recall.
But honestly I've been wanting to try the RX350. as a replacement to my C300.
@@Petesworkshop2225 I’ve had an RX350 loaner (was a new 2022, so not the brand new one), and the interior was lovely. It drove like a crossover does (not enjoyable, mushy but generally not offensive). Not as fun as the C300 was, though…less enjoyment. Nothing does everything great.
Why do you need all this HASSLE - would imagine all that would be required is to turn on ignition and drive without MOUNTAINS of warranty paperwork, and endless FAULTS.
@@BubblesTheCat1Exactly - appears that to look STUPID costs BIG BUCK'S.
"M-B......engineered like no other car." What garbage.
Grimes rocks as a diagnostic mechanic, knows his stuff pretty darn well! Great video, Wizard!
engineered like no other car is actually correct, as there's no other cars that are engineered so horribly apart from BMW or VAG products
Where are you shit talkers to warn people about Hyundai Kia engineering or lack of it for that matter? I'm referring to engines blowing connecting rods through the block at 60k miles and other totally unacceptable nightmares.
In the 80s they said Engineered no other car in the World. True then. Not now!
@@phrosty-boiAgree, Grimes has to have a Phd in diagnostics & mechanical science to even have a chance of working out what the pipey, valvey thingy is supposed to do and WHY it should be there AT ALL.
@@patrickcannell2258Actually still true. FAST FORWARD- add the word: ABYSMALLY to ENGINEERED LIKE NO OTHER CAR IN THE WORLD.
It’s a known problem with these and a big chunk of the cars like the C, E, GLC with this engine family had a recall extending the warranty to 10/150k miles on that specific part. Tons of labor, whole intake comes off to fix. Benz will replace for free, check the vin.
I thought that was with the exhaust values.
Sorry Wizard, resident and hot rod owner in NYS, they cannot confiscate your car. They can however, if your car does not have a current inspection sticker, prevent you from renewing your registration. Also, if your car is 25 years or older, no emissions inspection is required, only a saftey inspection.
Car Wizard likes scaring his customers into spending money & unfortunately people just believe him.
@@wandameadows5736yeah he also over charges for the labor which takes way less time than he says. Typical mechanic he’s just a little less evil😂
No more emissions testing in Ontario just safety and no cost plate renewal now.
1950-1990s Mercedes Benz:
"Nice car - should last you a long time!"
2000-present Mercedes Benz:
"Nice car - gonna put your mechanic's kids through college fixing it."
I would say 2007 and newer. The '06 E-class Diesel is quite reliable, but that's the last year which is. Mercedes added all that DEF emissions crap in '07 and ended the reign of reliable Mercedes vehicles forever. I wouldn't own a modern Mercedes outside of its warranty period...
That GLA is literally Kia, Hyundai or Nissan small tacky crossover/suv quality priced up.
Engine balance shaft issue on Mercedes V6s from about 2004 to 2008. Affected the E350s & ML350s and maybe other models. Just an easy $6 to $7k fix. Lots of folks got burned by that one.
No true find the right person to work on it I have a 1999. Sl 500 great car small problem s you have to keep up maintenance
Depends on the model and year. I had a 2012 c300 that I drove for 10 years to 165.000 miles before I sold it and when I sold it it didn't need anything.. All it ever needed in the 10 years that I drove it was wear and tear items like fluid changes, spark plugs, filters, tires, brakes, rotors, and a battery.. That's it. In ten years!
Check engine light on a 2015 Jetta, $1,118 later and a new grill shutter assembly installed and check engine light was cleared I passed the annual emissions inspection. On European cars, you’re lucky to spend less than $1,000 on any repair.
The shutters are a BMW service campaign…had one go at 45k mi on my X3. Even Chevy has had problems with the shutters…equinox I read.
Mr. Wizard getting ever closer to that Golden Play Button. Little less than 10,000 subscribers to go!
I remember when he barely had 10k. His hard work and dedication definitely paid off in big residuals.
You're almost at a million subs! Congratulations, you worked hard for this.
Found that this happens when you don't pull the dipstick when you fill the engine with oil, the 271,274,260,261 etc get problems, during filling I believe they say in WIS/ASRA it states you must pull the dip stick or it forces oil into the ventilation system.
I'm a mechanic in NY. We are not allowed to hold cars for any repairs, especially emissions. Now it will not pass the yearly requires inspection and can't renew the registration if the inspection is out of date.
NY city has different rules, so who knows down in that special world.
Most red paints will get some oxidation over the years, but it is mostly possible to just buf and polish out. We use clay pads and some good cleaner agent to help the paint look better again. Most small dents can be eased out if you are gentle and the paint has not been broken or cracked. Grimes is a valuable wizard's assistant on his own, and I hope you treat him well, so he wants to keep working with you.
This channel is one of the biggest reasons that I picked a 2024 Camry XSE V6 to be my new daily driver. It is a Toyota and It doesn't have a CVT, turbo, or hybrid system. No car manufacturer is perfect, but I do like my odds that it will age gracefully.
Toyota hybrids have a good track record of being reliable. The new twin turbo V6 Tundra engine seems to be having some issues though. That being said I just bought my wife a 2023 Audi A5 Sportback for her new daily. We paid $7k for a 130k mile powertrain warranty because I figured that would be cheaper than paying as we go😂
@@WilC379 If I did buy a Hybrid or electric, it would definitely be a Toyota because I think they are the best at it. For now, I see hybrids as being something extra that could potentially go wrong and not being worthwhile since I don't put a ton of miles on my vehicles. Once the batteries in hybrids and electric vehicles are known to consistently last 15 years in the climate of Florida (maybe the upcoming solid state ones) or are more economical to replace I will be interested. Plus, having a 300hp car was on my bucket list and Toyota doesn't currently make a hybrid V6 Camry. 😁
@@themidcentrist I also would recommend a Toyota hybrid b/c it seems to have the most aftermarket (battery replacement) support if necessary. You can also upgrade to newer gen batteries as well.
Love to see it do a million km with no issues like my A 45 from 2016
@@supertouring1 I'm thinking that by the next time I am in the market for a new car, the battery technology will be fully mature and most if not all cars will be some kind of hybrid / electric / Hydrogen cell.
That’s what’s nice about older cars and nice living in a state with no inspection stickers. All those dashboard lights that sometimes have no drivability concerns but can cost thousands to fix. To much crap on newer cars. So many middle class people just can’t afford those cars anymore today to keep all the dashboard lights off.
Dashboard lights? Now PC screen. Welcome to a future we all so DESPERATELY NEED!.
*oven cleaner*
Regular supermarket *caustic soda based* *oven cleaner spray foam* used into pcv and other clogged valves melts away the carbon and gunk and frees up the clogged valves.
The caustic soda spray foam -not bio or green b.s. One.
$3 a can.
Rinse with water, then dry , and use brake cleaner for final clean thru.
Thank me. 😊
Jonny s.
Crazy repair costs, considering it is one of their lower end econo box car models.
Stunning, how much plastic is all around on the outside of this car and under the hood too - well done, Mercedes!
The fake looking chrome gives it away, all chrome on plastic not chrome on metal, it just doesn’t shine that nicely.
To their credit, it is far lighter to make things from plastic than metal. But I agree they need to up their game on the quality of the plastics.
@@aussie2uGA On my old Mercedes the front grill was brass underneath, chrome plated, shiny and a joy to look at.
But I agree, there are good plastics out there, they just cost a little more. For instance on my old Camry, that baked 16 years under the Californian sun, not a single crack on top of the dash. Still soft to the touch, and yes, plastic not leather. On my 7 year old Genesis Ultimate, plastic on top of dash also no cracks (yet) but dark color already starts fading. Someone save on a good uv-resistant dye it seems.
I'd though the 'Merkins love that sort of stuff with the fake chrome and plastics ... being widely introduced by their native car makers in past decades ... ;-)
Most common problem: maintenance neglection. The owners only show up when problems occur. But "regular maintenance" is for cowards and europeans only. So: you get what you pay for. If you don't pay for regular maintenance the sums spool up with the next oncoming problem. The engine on that should be the M270.920, which is used in 345 different models of the A-, B-, CLA- and GLA series and Infinity Q30/QX30 cars between 2012 and 2018. In Germany it is not known as particularly error-prone. However: users ruin everything, no matter how fool-proof and solid things were designed ... so I keep it as a good idea to shut of the radio, bluetooth and air-condition when the check engine light comes on the tenth time in a row to *force* them into a workshop.
This is the problem with luxury car companies trying to gain market share in the cheap SUV segment. Mercedes has to make this car at a price point that guarantees poor quality. These vehicles are tailor made for people who want to buy a Mercedes just to keep up with the Joneses.
@@wacholder5690Germman cars require NO MORE maintenance than any other--just more repairs .
I've driven thousands of miles with warning lights on. Especially old Cadillacs. If it runs ok just put a little black electric tape over it.
it could run, but what we don't know is if the car is emitting more pollutants as a result. That said, a critic can argue if you're so worried, we should be all riding e bikes instead. 😅
not in california
Not in Georgia if you live in the metro Atlanta area unless it’s 25 years old or older. Emissions are dumb but that’s all we have luckily
@@supertouring1 Emissions standards are BS & not the same everywhere. Many county's in America don't even require emissions test/stickers. Also if emissions was so important why would they wave it for older cars? Emissions is just another way for the government to tax you. To add insult to injury its the cheap plastic emissions parts that the Government forces manufactures to use that go bad. If they cared so much about less waste why would they force manufactures to use plastics to try & meet the ridiculous MPG standards set by Tyrannical Bureaucrats?
@@wandameadows5736 if the government mandates emissions controls they should be paying for any subsequent repairs for said controls. There is no having your cake and simultaneously eating it.
I've lived in NY for 25 years and I've never heard of anyone not getting their car back after a failed emissions test. We just check OBD for emissions codes and that's it. California does the whole dyno test thing.
Me neither. No idea why he keeps saying this.
He is thinking of that truck that got seized for having the tuner on it. Would be a great way to get the regulatory foot in the door and the manufacturers would definitely lobby for it.
I live in San Diego. If it is a 2000 and up, it only gets the OBD check. The computer in the test shop is hooked up directly to the Sacramento Bureau of Automotive Repair. They control all of the test facilities in California. If your car is from 1976 to 1999, then you have to get a dyno test on it. We have no actual running cutoff limit like 25 or 30 years like most states. My 1979 Chevy C10 still has to be tested on the dyno and it is 45 years old! Problem is that less and less of the people opening new testing places want to pay the thousands it cost to install a dyno. They just open shops that only test 2000 and up cars. Don't know what is going to happen when there are no more shops that have dynos anymore. It will happen too.
what dyno>??
CAL. LA, Tech drives your vehicle on to these rollers and runs engine with sensor in tail pipe, and puts car in gear rev's engine to 2500 rpm (?)sensor reads (I forget how many), gases car is putting out to this machine, with print out! Tests every other year on all vehicles. Failure is no vehicle registration, until fix! having 1995 BMW
I bought my daughter a C class and have been so disappointed with quality. 1. The clear coat is a common issue with cars painted mars red. There is a class action lawsuit out, MB was found liable but they appealed it and they will drag it in the courts for years. The rear lens broke from a plastic garbage can hitting it, bought one on eBay replaced it. The cars are engineered to produce high repair bills when things fail. Like in your customers case most things are engineered in a way that have set of things pipes, intake etc. and take hours replace. We spent at least $8k at the dealer after the warranty ran out. I now do repairs myself and have saved at least $7k. Unfortunately most people are not handy or don’t have the tools to do the work. As an example the turbo oil line from the engine to turbo was leaking it really was the O ring on the pipe to the block. The dealer wanted $1,100 to repair $87 for the part and the rest was labor 3.5 hours. I ordered the part from pelican (for $47) and replaced it less than 2 hours. It’s crazy how they are engineered to produce high repair. No longer is “nothing but the best”
Grimes is like spaghetti and car wizard is like meatball, they make a legendary duo!
In my retail parts counter days when a DIY’er came in for points and condenser we’d grab the appropriate PCV valve and bring it back to the counter as a $4.00 up sale. Usually didn’t work, but I can imagine the $1,000 Merciless Benz part would find its way back to the shelf even faster.
Grimes reminds me of "Grimes" from the Simpson's episode where he is Homer's coworker at the Nucleur Power Plant. Homer drives him completely insane just like the CarWizard does here! Fred Grimes is his name!!!🤣🤣🤣
When I see al this - Just rolledin episodes I don't think they have any inspections at all in the US, it's totally unbelievable what is showing up in the shops, and that is cars we all meet on the road.😱
It depends on the state. It’s usually either one extreme or the other. NY state has overly strict yearly vehicle inspection. In the backwards south like Florida they have absolutely no inspections at all. They let any s#$@box on the road then wonder why their auto insurance is the highest in the U.S.
Next year Texas will go to no state inspection. I feel states that do this are making a mistake
People will be so excited about saving $25 not having a yearly inspection but then will be shocked when their auto insurance keeps going up when the roads are filled with death traps.
@jayson657 Actually, the money will still be charged on the registration, you just don't need a safety inspection.😮 If you live in an emmisions county like Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Harris etc. You still need an emissions test. 😢
@@lcssay yes you are correct
@@jayson657 yes you are correct
There are two sides to the "assembly" debate - Car Wizard called out one where parts seem to fail one after the other - the other is that they are cheaper to manufacture or source all at once - if there's a new / updated version the entire assembly is usually "leveled" up. The downsides are obviously if you only really need the one little part you have to buy the entire thing - that's where the aftermarket comes in - if the issue is very common the non-OEM manufactures (and even some OE parts suppliers) will have parts that will replace one specific part and create adapters or include additional hardware. It's like if your muffler goes bad and to replace it you have to cut the old one out and clamp or weld a new one in - if you go to the manufacturer you'd have to buy the exhaust from say the catalytic converter back.
According to the Wizard, this seems to be a common problem, yet no aftermarket manufacturer has stepped in to provide just the intake. That said, the Wizard did note that the other parts could be on their way out too so replacing a whole section vs just a part may still be a good idea considering it takes 7hrs to do the job.
Rich people car. Simplicity will make a comeback out of necessity.
Not really. When those were new they were about the same price as a new Toyota Rav4 at the time.
In New York State they can’t keep your car. You have maybe 30 days to get it fixed and then take it back to the testing site.
Anyone who owns a newer 4 cylinder turbo Mercedes should be changing their oil every 5-6k miles. Extended 10,000 mile oil changes makes this crankcase breather malfunction more common. Either way, it's still a poor design which has been redesigned a couple of times already by Mercedes - still not right.
Ive said it before, but Grimes is really impressive. What a great asset to your shop, seems very knowledgeable about modern vehicles.
Need's a Phd to work out the INSANITY of current engineering practice.
I'm guessing if Wizard features your car in a video any repairs are free ( or a major discount) since he probably makes more $$ on the RUclips video than the repair.
Just put electric tape over the light
😂😂🤣🤣
I took the bulb out once. Problem solved. Sadly in California you really can't pass smog with any CEL on.
That’s what I do with my TPMS light. 😂
💀💀💀💀💀💀
That’s a good idea
Have a Jaguar with a "Check Engine" light on with a little over 20K on the mileage!? Turns out it was a Oxygen Sensor That cost us a bit over $500.00!!!
A little piece of black tape is much cheaper.
Not under warranty? I would have complained to Jaguar corporate to try to get them to pay, way too early for bad sensors. I used to be a mechanic and would probably never buy a Jag, on some of them just brake pads are hundreds of dollars, crazy. The XK and XJ look amazing though.
You bought it knowing full well jaguar reliability
There are parts for your car that crosscheck with other brands. Hope you keep it and can find parts cheaper and may save yourself a fortune doing the easier work yourself! Good luck!
@@connor3288it’s probably an older car with low mileage.
That car hasn't been cleaned since it rolled out the factory. Also, the paintjob should 100% still be covered by warranty.
I am on my 5th. Latest is a 2012 E350 w 174k miles. 1st repair ever 3 months ago. Engines mounts due to speed bumps in our town. $1200 Monday it goes in for a radiator $1400. Same as all the rest . Great for 170 to 200k. Then watch out. Still have the 1982 Turbo diesel in the family. Greatest car ever.
MGC - Modern German Crap.Behind the badge is a car of unparalleled mediocrity.
Just replaced a PCV valve for a ‘15 Honda and I was mad at the $67 price. 10 minute replacement.
Baby.
Easy. Go to school, get in an apprentice program, buy a hundred thousand dollars worth of tools. Then you can diagnose it and pay less for the PCV.
I replaced the PCV valve last weekend on my wife’s 2012 Highlander. $16 OEM part but a MF’r to get to and remove/replace.
@@rustynail7866100k worth of tools sounds a bit excessive for a PCV on a Honda. A layman that watches enough RUclips could probably do it, which is what this guy probably did. Regardless, I'm pretty sure he was contrasting his ownership experience with that of the Benz, rather than attacking the credibility of anybody's mechanic shop. Sensitive much?
@@BikemanSuperfast Spent many years watching people go to the local parts store for diagnostics and RUclips for repair lessons. It's quite funny, actually. And yes, he was complaining about a mechanic shop charging him 67 bucks for 10 minutes work, not taking experience or overhead into consideration.
In Illinois where I live, if you don't pass emissions, you won't get your new license plate sticker for your vehicle, that's why I go early and if there's a problem I can get it fixed, pass emissions and then I can still drive legal
Took my ‘15 CLA250 with the assembly I bought for 500, they initially said 4-5 hour job. Next morning they called said it’s an 8 hour job at $200, $1600!!
I gave them the finger and did it myself with a few 420 breaks and couple beers in 8 hours.
RUclips videos to get familiar and went right in.
@@musouiI had a coolant leak under my intake manifold. All mechanics said I needed to take the manifold off which would’ve been over $600. RUclips mechanic showed me that I could just take the alternator off and do it that way. Fixed it successfully for $4.97 instead. I guarantee the mechanics would’ve done it this way and still charged me “book” the scam justification
As a mb tech not all cars have that solid tank quality they used to have but thats for the most part true from what i see in all brands now . Mercedes still has great cars this is just the cheapest one you could get at the time . The job really isn't as bad as its made out to be in this video i see a lot of scare tactics when it comes to mercedes in general but each to their own, especially with skill level being a major factor not just anyone can thrive at the dealership
Yea I would want to believe the S-Class being their flagship car is put together better than this horrible monstrosity
I'm confused at how 3D printing and JB weld is not a possibility? Like that's the future man
Interesting you talk about the walk-around. My local Toyota dealer does the same thing, with an iPad. They make a video of the outside of the car (30 seconds) as they walk around and document any damage or anything wrong all while you're standing there with them before you turn over the keys and go wait for the car to be done or leave. Good idea IMO. Takes 30 seconds but could save them a lot in terms of disputes with customers. Never had a problem with them, and in many cases, car came back cleaner than when I bought it in (they will sometimes vaccuum it for me and if it's bad enough, wash it).
But that aside, this is why people DO say not o buy these brands (BMW, Mercedes, Jag, etc) or at least, ones that don't have a warranty with them (or get rid of them before the warranty runs out). Now $2k is not bad these days for repairs, as I've seen some get into th the $5-$6k range just because of labor, so $2k "isn't that bad" but is still a lot of money. But it's stuff like this that makes me just not really care that much to own these types of vehicles. Yes their luxurious compared to your Toyota or Honda, but the Toyota and HOnda (and even a few others like Ford's) generally don't need this level of repairs or have these types of issues because well, they're better built (like you can replace just the PCV valve in most cars which maybe only costs $50 for the part and not much even for labor if you have to have a shop do it (maybe $250 if it's a real bad job and really difficult to get to). These types of issues make me glad that our county doesn't have emissions tests. I mean the handful of "bad" cars I've had over the years that probably would have failed, managed to slip by because emissions tests were not required in my area, thankfully).
We have a 2017 Kia Soul with just about 100,000 miles on it now and I have to check the oil at least once a week. It can use up to 3 or even 4 quarts of oil in 3,500 miles (we change oil every 3,500 miles in our other cars). We now just change the oil in the Kia once it uses 1 quart of oil and that's usually about 1,000 to 1500 miles. Those cars and their engines are complete garbage.
Why change oil when it constantly is being flushed anyway?
@@mattsolfronk6510
Because the oil in the pan is compromised by the amount of gasoline that ends up in it. These engines are direct fuel injection and some gas gets by worn rings and ends up in the oil pan. Enough of it in the oil and it's no longer doing what good oil does for an engine. This car has to last us another 6 to 7 months till its paid for. Once that is done, it's going by by... I want to have a good running engine for trading it in.
Another reason why I got rid of my last German car, a VW Passat, and bought a Toyota Camry and never looked back. I previously owned an Audi as well and nothing but problems with it. I’ve never owned a M-B but from what I hear they are not very reliable either.
That's why I hold on to my 2001 Nissan Sunny. It has port injection, no cat, no abs, and no emissions crap like egr. And it runs just fine😊 42 mpg😁👍🏻
... and your knees are your crumble zone. 🥴
@@BubblesTheCat1 I mean, a lot of people that crashed didn't survive, that's the issue lol. Back then the highest speed limits were 55 mph, now you can go 80 legally, and people cruising at 90 pretty commonly. I wouldn't wanna be in a small car with no air bags in an accident at those speeds, just depends how much you care about living and being able to walk away from an accident versus spending millions in medical bills and drug costs for the rest of your life if something goes wrong.
@labourlawact7826 The airbags may not save you but they're going to help which is the point lol. I don't think airbags go off after hitting a curb that might be a bit of an exaggeration. Nor do I think airbags really matters in the over all reliability of a car other things sure but airbags? I'd rather have them to be safe than not, if my car gets totaled that's fine I pay for good insurance I prefer not to keep damage accident cars because they're never fixed to the same quality as factory.
A 2001 car doesn't have a catalytic converter? Did it get stolen or something?
@drunkenhobo8020 Nah, it was built in South Africa. In the Nissan factory. It was the last car they built, not to have one. It was also the last face lift model of a car that came to our market in 92. It has port injection, but no mass airflow or map sensors either. Cheap to run, simple to maintain 😊
The wizard is absolutely correct! If one sensor/part is bad, the others in that system are not far behind. I purposely daily a 25 year old chevy 3800 for the cheap repair costs. Even with all the known failure points on the 3800, it's ridiculous dirt cheap to maintain the reliability after 375k miles.
Sounds like a job for DORMAN! I cannot believe a simple plastic valve cannot be duplicated for 90% less and retrofitted into the system. You have to be a moron to buy a newer vehicle these days, when the cost of a repair can be devastating financially.
true
I'm wondering if spraying some carb cleaner in the gummed up valve would be the cheap fix.
That is absolutely insane! The car isn't even that old. Gotta say though, its seen better days.
9yr old merc costing you this much already? I don't know.. might want to consider moving into something else?
For a daily driver around town. An EV may make sense. It will depend on the area also as charging stations may not be common for some people if they aren't charging at home.
What kind of mileage is on this car ? Can you tell us more often what the mileage is on future repairs ?
The CCV failure is common on the m270 engine, usually around 100k. Outside of that, the thermostat housings are known to fail and water pumps can go. Otherwise they’re alright. Change fluids with regularity and you’re set
I can't imagine owning a foreign car and not doing my own work. I have a 2020 330i and had a check engine light recently, turned out to be a actuator flap that broke. You need to remove the front bumper to replace it. Not sure what it would have cost to get the work done but no less than 1k. Part alone is 300. I just removed the bumper myself, and deleted the whole unit lol. It's only for aerodynamics for better gas milage on the highway. Since my car is full bolt on with a custom tune, I don't get good gas Milage anyways.
I had an emissons cod3 that kept coming back every few months, I was so happy my car happened to come with a 15 year emissons warranty. I cant imagine how much it would cost given the amount of time it spent at the dealership
FIY, not a thing in NYS, if you don't pass emissions you fail inspection. If you fail inspection you cant re-register your car. Again they DON NOT keep your car in NY lol!
In CA, a failed emissions test will stop you from getting the license plate sticker showing law enforcement that you have a valid car registration (although I suspect that detecting this is a low priority for the cops, as I have procrastinated in putting my sticker on my license for as long as three months with no repercussions). As for how the failed emission system affects the performance of your car, you might see a slightly lower mpg (since the recovered vapor is recycled to be used as fuel). The real concern is that you will not detect any serious problem occurring that would light up the check engine light with the check engine light already being on for the emissions issue.
Happen to my Cla since it has the same plate form, drove fine but would have a CEL in colder weather. Got that oem part at fcp for $600ish. Had my Audi boy do it and he had to take the axle out, such a pain.
2 big mistakes- merc and Audi.
Fancy car -> fancy repair bill.
I scan my VW Golf each season. Nothing interesting has ever shown up, except when I replaced the battery and she freaked when I started the engine. Afer a drive around the block I cleared the remaining codes and she's been fine ever since.
VW’s have expensive repair bills and unreliable parts also. Just because it’s a cheap car doesn’t mean it isn’t still a German car at the end of the day.
@@timscott7136golfs before 2016 are very reliable vehicles and won’t leave you at the side of road like a Honda or Toyota that’s blown it’s clutch and gearbox after 100k. Don’t get why Americans hate German cars with a passion
@@conorf8091 You have a head injury if you think VW’s are more reliable than any Toyota on the road.
I knew I wasn't going to get Toyota reliability when I bought my Golf, and I'm OK with that. I'm also not going to get BMW or Mercedes-Benz reliability, and I'm OK with that too. I accept lower reliability (but not *that* low...) for a more involving driving experience.
@@timscott7136 25 year old mk4 with every receipt from factory says different. I’ve seen blokes on this channel calling Hondas and other JDM brands reliable after needing a new engine swap or trans swap after 100k but alright 😂
Best Wizard ever. Thanks from Australia. Love my Mercedes but this should be a 'wake up call' to the Company. And it will be. Brilliant. Love your work.
I'd go to a place that doesn't require emissions testing as California won't let this problem fly by any means
Had a 2011 E-350 Bluetec - after a $5,000 repair I dumped it and never looked back.
Any diesel with DEF is junk....
Those V6 Diesels from Mercedes are junk.
Either get the I6 or the I4 if you want a diesel benz.
In the UK V6 bluetecs are common for larger mercedes models like the Mercedes E class and S class.@@EBIndy in 2017 mercedes replaced the V6 diesels with I6 diesels which are much quieter and smoother
Wow! Sorry to hear that. 5 grands is a lot of money. Glad I don't drive a Mercedes.
@@EBIndy ok except the I6 wasn’t available in a sedan in 2010s. I lived in Germany and had an E430 wagon (4.3L V8) good autobahn cruiser but also a very expensive car to maintain, even in Germany. I drive either my 2015 Tacoma or my 2018 Mazda CX5 as my commuter, both very reasonable vehicles, super reliable. I do the routine maintenance on both and have had nil issues with Tacoma, a weepy valve cover on Mazda covered under warranty. Nothing since.
If your ride has to be a MB , then find a fine example of a W126 or W140 (w/wire harness upgrade) , and with proper upkeep , it will last a lifetime... You can't work on these under a shade tree any longer (proprietary STAR system component registration & software) . From my experience, today's MB = money pit
$2000! $175/hr! I live in Cambodia and I don't have the time of day for cars that are all codes and black boxes. So I'm rocking a 1999 Honda CRV. Cars here don't seem to rust and this wagon is rock solid. But maintenance still has to be done. Listening to the exhorbitant numbers in some of your videos I thought that I might tell you what car work looks like here.
I just replaced the front shocks , the front brake discs and the CV axles on my CRV.. While the car was in getting that done I also had them do a re and re on my power windows and door locks. That entailed removing the door panels and putting them back on. They also repaired my windshield washers. Back in Canada that was about a million dollars worth of parts and shop time. Here , the work was professionally done and my bill was $424 usd. You almost hope your car breaks just so you can smirk about how cheap it is to fix it! Cheers!
I had a 2007 MX-5 Miata that popped a CEL, but it ran great. Turned out to be the thermostat was stuck open and it took too long to come up to operating temp. I put in a new part to get rid of the CEL so I'd know if something else failed.
Really does a great job of showing what a complete and total rip-off all modern cars are.
Teslas are comparably simple and only have three moving parts! Front engine, rear engine, heat pump.
@@fboomerang BULLSHIT...has hundreds of moving body parts and interior parts that are garbage, doors that jam, interior parts that fall off, and main batteries that have to be replaced at $20,000 if even slightly damaged...,and only Tesla dealer can fix so when car is old has zero resale value--can't even be sold for parts.....so stick it up yerrraZZZ
Obviously you didn't listen carefully, to what the Car Wizard explained: you *might* come away with replacing one single piece at a time ... but you will come back next week, or next month. Or both. The "Kit" contains everything that could - and would - fail in a short period of time if *the* *one* valve already failed. Its an avalance effect unfortunately, like many engine failures. They barely root into a single point of failure. If you piece together the repair bit by bit you sum up twice or more workhours, because you have to take apart the very same things multiple times. Ok - 2 Grands is a hefty sum for parts and labour. And the "ingenious solutions" used don't make it easier, that's why it takes so long to get it fixed. Most modern cars are production-line-optimized. With the engine and gearbox along with the front axle assembly out and on a tray it is a five-minutes-job to put on the PCV tubing. With the engine installed ... well ... here's the cockroach in your cornflakes. But that the way with most modern cars one way or another. I would not call that a rip-off. Well maintained most of the problems barely show up - or not as bad, because the workshop has an oversight what went wrong and sometimes got an early warning by stored error codes. If you drive a car with no maintenance and observation until something breaks ... well ... then something is broken and needs expensive fixing. That's economy.
Basically a walking computer and plastic part
Toyota dealership wanted to sting for 70$ for pcv valve for my new to me 1997 Toyota landcruiser v6..
Oven cleaner caustic spray foam from supermarket did the job for 0.20cents. 😅
Could one flush the valve with carburetor cleaner or something similar and free it up
Engineers are like bureaucrats.
Their primary concern is justifying their continued employment.
I noticed a similar effect years ago when I was a computer repair technician. Would have 1-2-3 week periods when I got more than the usual number of certain model broken printer calls with the same problem. Then after that, broken terminal calls, after that broke pc calls, and on and on. Or maybe next to no service calls for anything for weeks, and then all of the sudden a deluge, everything breaks at once. I have no idea why that happens, maybe game theory might explain it.
sometimes i have the same experience in my veterinary clinic with a few dogs and cats in the same week or day with the same simptoms and problems
Everything is modular so It is quicker to build , but you have to buy the whole assembly like the window switches , for example, In the old days you could replace one switch that was bad and you have to replace all four it's a non serviceable unit.
Congrats on 1m subs. Love your content so much
I have a 2015 one of these with 184,000 miles (I bought it at 180k)
I had to sadly run it on a dead battery for a month or 2 and that fried my old alternator (which I repaired myself) as well as my electronic steering assist, which I think was caused by me running it on a dead battery. I bought a new power steering assembly for 200 dollars off a junker gla and outside those issues it’s been amazing.
How is the paint already peeling, I had a 01 pickup and it had good paint till I sold it and it was all rusted out,
What happened to Mercedes quality
Toyota came and knocked the German brands out of t
he luxury monopoly with the ls400
Solution is to train your brain that check engine is good think,i have 2 cars that have check engine for nox sensor ,i drive them 4-5 years like that ,0 problems.
Sometimes i clear code with my phone and then it run 500-600 km with out check engine ,i also that before year technical inspection in my country
2015 with peeling/fading clearcoat? True luxury. Aren’t these things joint ventures with Nissan or something?
nah bro, this owner never washed his/her car that is why it is peeling
Nope this year GLA is 100% Mercedes designed and built in house and in Germany. The next generation has shared parts with Nissan.
@@henrykim4230I thought that as well. Maybe never waxed and parked outside. The top bumper could be from stone chips?
Red is one of those colours that is almost always a problem as the paint and clearcoat age....
@@Lowbrass64top bumper chip means highway miles
I am just a regular owner of my car, and I have a Nissan. The car went past 100 k miles and started falling apart, I keep up with maintenance, sometimes I do my own maintenance as long as it does have easy access to a part that needs replacing and it’s not complicated. Something like MAF sensor, filters and coils I can replace myself. The general rule of thumb should be not to make cars very complicated to work on, no matter what brand. Be it Chevy, GMC, Cadillac or Mercedes. Intelligence is not making things complicated, intelligence is making complex things simple. The current car I have had some small accidents which made sure the car breaks apart even faster. I currently have an AC leaking water on the passenger side inside the cabin, and every mechanic I went to, even the dealer cannot find the source of the leak where it is coming from. The suspension parts are also failing one after another even though I replaced them gradually and on time. The brakes are squeaking, both front and rear. The PCV valve was acting up and I barely started the car, because it would shut off after starting. I have quite the repair history on my car. The mechanics started to hate my car because of it constantly falling to pieces. The transmission slips when I reach 40 mph, even though I don’t drive it hard and baby it. I do maintenance always on time and ahead of time before it reaches certain milestones. I have a 2014 Nissan Sentra. The only benefit I get from it is the fuel economy. I get 35mpg in the city and highway combined. Can’t beat that. Currently I am in a tough financial spot right now, and cannot afford a new car. So I drive like that wolf in a Russian cartoon waiting for this car to just go to smithereens. It started to rust also so I think it’s about time I get rid of it before the transmission goes, because I keep smelling the burned wire smell when I accelerate. I have to open the windows to vent the smell out of the car. I like cars, i like to drive them, like everyone does. But this car… No thanks. After 8 years of ownership… Never again I will buy a Nissan. Every car is made differently in every country. Here in the USA, I will only buy Toyotas, Hondas or Mazdas. I know some people might like this car, but mine has been nothing but one problem after another so I call it Junk in general. As I said before, cars shouldn’t be complex to work on, because the more complex it is, the bigger the repair bill. I’m not talking about Lambos and Maseratis - these cars are just for show. I wouldn’t buy them even if I lived 200 years.
I've had a 1996 Maxima SE 5-spd, 2008 Altima Coupe 2.5 S, 2009 Murano LE AWD, 2010 Titan Pro-4X, 2013 Infiniti M56XS, and a 2018 Titan XD Pro-4X 5.6. I took all of them except the 2018 Titan to 150k miles with only basic maintenance that any car would need. I still have both pickups. I think the 2002ish - 2012ish era FWD Nissans were the worst, but I never had any of those. I'll still buy Nissan/Infiniti over any domestic brand.
That Grimes guy is always taking a break.😂
New York State doesn’t seize your car. You just get a 10 temporary sticker to get it fixed
just think of how crazy it would get if they tired to keep the car! LOL!!!!
I know. I wish he would stop repeating this. It's just not true and never has been.
That's kinda neat that they return the oil back instead of burning it instead of a conventional PCV system. Especially with modern direct injection that doesn't get the valves washed by fuel.
Might as well do the thermostat while the intake is off. Those commonly fail too on the CLA/GLA. We only need one of those: as a warning from history. I do not miss working in those.
there was one point my shop had 4 caravan's in, with the famous oil filter housing leak in one day 😅 we told our customers they all had something in common oil leak's from the same place
I live in NY and if your car is 1996 or newer and it has a check engine light on, it will not pass the yearly state inspection. They do not keep your car, but if the inspection expires you can get a ticket for an expired inspection.
I live in PA my CEL has been on for 4 years now I got a guy I pay $70 for a sticker an just slap it on every year LOL
Check your oil every time you put gas in the vehicle. It’s worked for me for years. You’re already at a place where you can buy and add a quart if you need too. Only takes a few seconds.
Think that's bad-I bought a Dodge Viper that the previous owner had removed the secondary cats. The selling dealer disclosed issues identified during inspection, and the quote for new down pipes was over $8000. Close to 7,000 of that was just for the parts. I opted not to do anything with them. A set of aftermarket catted down pipes is less than $900. It's a weird car where parts fall into one of three categories: 1-Part is shared with a Dodge Ram and is cheap and available. 2-Part is Viper-specific and available but expensive, or aftermarket substitute available with a Viper tax. 3. Part is Viper-specific and unobtanium-best hope is a used part.
The mechanical issues wouldn't be my concern, but damn that paint quality on an expensive car like that? Paint work should be one of the most important things on a higher end luxury vehicle or brand because that's the first thing you see. Even if the motor's blown and it's parked in the front yard people driving by will go damn that's a nice looking car, but not if half the paint is peeling off lol.
From the dirt under the hood, the car has been driven extensively on unpaved roads.
@@Thisoldhiker Still shouldn't have the hood and top of the bumper peeling clear coat.
Always learn something when I watch one of your videos. 😊😊😊😊😊
Some states you could register the vehicle.. some states require passing an emissions test before they’ll register it …
11:45 No, actually local parts stores do NOT scan for free. They don’t do that anymore. Liability reasons.
Emission testing in Arizona very tough to
Pass
Register it in a different county. Plenty of people also offer services to "pass" your car.
I own an older benz, its been a great car, regular maintenance. I had the misfortune of driving one of these GLA 250s as a loaner. A truly miserable buzzbox.
Wiz, I’m really a newbie but I’m totally enthralled. Can you do a segment that shows what happens when the timing on a newer engine isn’t locked down, and someone works on it?
Just did this repair on my wife’s GLA last week. Yup, it sucked…
Did you have to pull the intake and motor mount etc like Grimes said?
@@daveh2612 intake manifold no, but prob would have made life easier if I did. The pass side axle and lower engine mount has to come off so you can reach the separator.
@@conamanona Did you apply to get reimbursed from Mercedes? Good chance its covered
@@elpena7547 I called the dealer, from my VIN they said I don’t qualify, which I was surprised to hear as I know they now have an extended warranty on this exact issue.
🎶 “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine…” 🎶
Definitely, its a no emission state why would I paid $2k to get rid of a light....let that light shine
It amazes me that a car with less than 10 years on it, a Mercedes no less, has peeling paint. Quality has really gone down the tubes.
You put it in the sun thats what happens within 2 years of my friends Corolla being put in the sun the paint faded out and the tint bubbled it was pristine before when it was in the garage
This one has obvious damage history and the peeling clear is a result of the repaint. None of the OE finish is failing.
In you opinion what is a better buy. 08 dodge Durango with 140k miles or 06 Toyota solara with 200k miles. Being sold In my area I’ve narrowed it down to these 2 for my price range
The problem in states with emissions testing, your forced to do it, or you not able to renew your registration tags.
Someone I know had multiple leaks in the evap system for the fuel system. The car ran just fine, but the fuel vapors were escaping into the air, which is a no no. The garage wanted $1800 to replace the entire evap system on a 1996 chevy lumina that may have been worth a$1000 at the most.
I told him since we don't do emissions testing in this state, drive it, just don't park it in your garage.
Don't forget to replace the engine mount, while it's on the floor.lol that job is even worse on the fwd car. Removed an axle and half shaft for EVAP repair. Good good Mercedes
You asked - so, I check my oil almost every other fuel fill up. 42gal tank, I'm already done washing windows and looking at the tires before 15gal has pumped. So, like, every 1k? 1999 GMT400, haven't had to top off for oil, changed every 5k or less.
Engineered to make changing a small part a major job. Avoid German scammers