[nagapow]

Well apparently mb advised all retailers to make sure buyers are aware of the tyre skipping issue

Nah.. dont remember anything like that. Would remember and would cause me to hesitate to buy the car if i was made aware...

 

[Nav]

Yep thats what i said, ive attached what it should have looked like

 

[nagapow]

Yep thats what i said, ive attached what it should have looked like

Thanks for sharing this - definitely not seen this before. Will raise this with the retailer.

 

[Tony Mac]

Oops - well done

A copy of this Letter from MB HQ to all MB Dealers is on this Forum - need to spend some time Searching - should be worth the effort

 

[davedutch]

After over 2 years of wrangling and 2 ombudsmen cases, firstly against Mercedes UK which failed, then against the dealership there was a positive outcome. I'd given up hope to be honest so when a set of the original GLC63 19" wheels and tyres, which were like new, came up on eBay around 3 weeks ago I purchased and had them fitted - crabbing & skipping 95% less and the ride is better too. However, this now negates the need for me to reject the car so the dealership have got off lightly. Here are the findings from the ombudsmen:

Under the code the vehicle must meet the main requirements in the consumer legislation. i.e it must be as
described, of satisfactory quality, and fit for its purpose.

It is worth mentioning that simply because something is designed a certain way, does not provide a legal
defence if that design renders the vehicle in breach of one or more of these principles. When assessing
such a complaint we have to consider whether the vehicle considering its marketing and price point is
acceptable to have this engineering trade off.

In consideration of those facts, I have to conclude that premium vehicle with the marketing as this range
has should not be performing this “characteristic”. It is also noteworthy that other models which have the
same issue have been subject to methods of repair previously to negate the characteristic.

Under the law and the code, the remedies are clear, the consumer may only return the vehicle for rejection
or price reduction if either the issue cannot be fixed or is attempted to be fixed and that repair fails.

If they cannot, then as a price reduction would not be commensurate or easily calculable, I would expect a
rejection subject to deductions for usage in line with law be made.

So, if you've read this far and are not asleep, and if you have a GLC43 or GLC63 and are fighting Mercedes or the dealership for a resolution if you open a 'sales code' case with the ombudsmen against the dealership that sold the car to you then you may well get somewhere (if you are patient).

 

[Tony Mac]

The Ombudsman needs to understand that MB designed Left-hand drive GLC’s that do not have the fault.

When MB launched the Right-hand drive version in the UK, they have admitted they had to modify the steering geometry because there wasn’t room for the right-hand steering column. In doing this - they created a serious Fault that only exists on our cars.

MB should not be selling a Faulty Crabbing car here in the UK - Disgraceful

 

[davedutch]

Agree totally. Mercedes shouldn't be selling cars that do this full stop. And they shouldn't be offering paid for options for larger wheels that make the issue seem worse (plus these larger wheels don't have any all-season tyre options either to help mask the problem).

We've also had appalling tyre wear to the fronts on the optional 20" wheels - 2-3k and they are shot and this is with careful driving...

 

[nagapow]

So i have an appointment with my local dealer this Friday to have a look at the crabbing issue on my GLC 43 (19 reg) with 21 inch alloy wheels.

The lady on the phone was aware of the crabbing issue, and said it might be needing steering knuckles or all season tires. I said these fixes apparently are not applicable to AMG variant with 21 inch wheels, and asked what would be the alternative? She replied she isn't sure but asked me to bring my car in anyway.

I dont live exacty close to my dealer and rather not take time off work.... Can anyone confirm that the only fix for my AMG 43 21 inch alloys is down size alloy wheel to 19/20 inch + all season tires? Because if that is the case - i think i might just cancel the appointment....

Thank you all.

 

[Tony Mac]

It looks like swapping to smaller wheel sizes with All Season / Winter Tyres does reduce the Crabbing and Juddering Fault. You may have to opt for Symmetrical wheels - same width front & rear - C43 / C63 have Asymmetrical - Wider rear wheels.

Forum member - Philamg - C43 owner - did get MB UK to pay for a set of 19" wheels & tyres because they couldn't source 21" AS or Winters. He swapped out of the GLC and was selling the wheels on this Forum - that was a while ago.

Great Car apart from the Crabbing

 

[davedutch]

So i have an appointment with my local dealer this Friday to have a look at the crabbing issue on my GLC 43 (19 reg) with 21 inch alloy wheels.

The lady on the phone was aware of the crabbing issue, and said it might be needing steering knuckles or all season tires. I said these fixes apparently are not applicable to AMG variant with 21 inch wheels, and asked what would be the alternative? She replied she isn't sure but asked me to bring my car in anyway.

I dont live exacty close to my dealer and rather not take time off work.... Can anyone confirm that the only fix for my AMG 43 21 inch alloys is down size alloy wheel to 19/20 inch + all season tires? Because if that is the case - i think i might just cancel the appointment....

Thank you all.

There isn't any fix for the AMG's so this would likely be a wasted trip. I've gone for the standard 19" AMG63 wheels and tyres and the crabbing is gone - not even gone for the all-season tyre options yet and it's pretty much fixed. The 20" wheels were beyond terrible. You could probably get the dealership to pay for a set of wheels and tyres but you'd likely need to go down the ombudsmen route to force them. Very simple to do it just takes a few months of waiting... However, you'd then have the car on smaller wheels and they don't look as good do they?

 

[nagapow]

There isn't any fix for the AMG's so this would likely be a wasted trip. I've gone for the standard 19" AMG63 wheels and tyres and the crabbing is gone - not even gone for the all-season tyre options yet and it's pretty much fixed. The 20" wheels were beyond terrible. You could probably get the dealership to pay for a set of wheels and tyres but you'd likely need to go down the ombudsmen route to force them. Very simple to do it just takes a few months of waiting... However, you'd then have the car on smaller wheels and they don't look as good do they?

Thanks for confirming this.. just as I suspected. I'll go ahead and cancel the appointment. I live in London and my dealer is up in York - I really can't be asked to spend anymore time on this issue.... I did find this youtuber reporting changing the tyres to Michelin Pilot Sport 4 resolved his crabbing problem (

).

So my plan now is just wear out my current summer tyres, try the Michelins tyres and hope it reduces crabbing during the winter. If it still doesn't, i will probably go down your route and souce my own set of 19 inch wheels with all season tyres.

 

[nagapow]

It looks like swapping to smaller wheel sizes with All Season / Winter Tyres does reduce the Crabbing and Juddering Fault. You may have to opt for Symmetrical wheels - same width front & rear - C43 / C63 have Asymmetrical - Wider rear wheels.

Forum member - Philamg - C43 owner - did get MB UK to pay for a set of 19" wheels & tyres because they couldn't source 21" AS or Winters. He swapped out of the GLC and was selling the wheels on this Forum - that was a while ago.

Great Car apart from the Crabbing

Thanks - wasn't aware of the diffferent wheel size rear vs. front... good to know if it comes to swapping out the wheels.

 

[Tony Mac]

Not wishing to be negative - Over the years other owners have tried these tyres and other variants, and found they appeared to resolve the problem. Only to find the Crabbing returns. It stops temporarily due to the new and flexible tyre rubber absorbing / masking the Juddering. But it returns quite quickly + the ridiculously Rapid Tyre wear is linked to the Faulty steering geometry

 

[davedutch]

Think you are probably right to some degree Tony. Although the optional 20" wheels with the Continental SportContact 6 tyres were appalling for the crabbing even when brand new - a truly shocking driving experience. The Michelins on the 19" wheels mask the issue very well - no crabbing even on full lock when driving yesterday but it wasn't super cold. I'm not sure how they will perform once they are worn down though...that won't take long so I'll have an answer before long. Plan was to replace them with all-season tyres once the Michelins wear out but will see how it goes and if the crabbing returns (all-season now an option with the 19"'s). My A45 used to crab on full lock but not to the point it bothered me much - and the GLC now crabs less than the A45 did.

 

[nagapow]

I managed to resolve my crabbing issue... by selling my GLC AMG 43. The recent cold weather really has exacerbated the crabbing and juddering. Happens at every corner I take and I understeer as a result, finding my self in the middle of the road... I hated it. I hate it even more knowing there is no fix for the AMG version. I considered trading in for a GLE - but some reported crabbing in the GLE as well. Epic fail.

Interestingly, when I called MB to cancel my service plan for my GLC, the MB representative I spoke to said she knew about the crabbing issue and agrees with me it's probably better to sell the car.

I sold my GLC AMG 43 with only 2600 miles on the clock, lost about £2k over the short 8 months of owning it. I replaced it with a 2019 BMW X5 - not as sexy to look at as the AMG GLC, but at least I know I can turn with confidence. Ride is less firm.

First time MB owner, and probably never again. Shame.

 

[Tony Mac]

It's shocking that MB continue to sell the C43 / C63 AMG GLC here in the UK, when these cars have suffered from the Crabbing FAULT since the GLC was launched 6 years ago. MB UK are fully aware of the Fault but have simply ignored the issue - Disgraceful

They re-engineered new steering geometry for the 'other' non-AMG GLC models, but expect customers who purchased the Top of the Range models to live with it - just a Comfort Characteristic on a Premium Mercedes Benz - Really is BONKERS

Interestingly, when I called MB to cancel my service plan for my GLC, the MB representative I spoke to said she knew about the crabbing issue and agrees with me it's probably better to sell the car.

 

[GLekter]

Who knows which car model is most suitable for buying for a family of 4 people. I do not know much about cars and here I ask for your help, I looked closely at two models: 250 mercedes benz and A 160b. Really like how they look and I tried to understand their technical specifications, looking for features on the website cararac and like it but I just don't know which model will suit us the most. It is best to choose a more economical model in terms of costs after the purchase, but if the difference is small, then it is better to take a more powerful one. I can't decide which one to buy for myself and my family.

 

[Paul Levine]

This may be something called 'Crabbing' and is a known issue on all GLC and other MB AWD models. MB need to come up with a fix for it, but my dealer tells me it's not a safety problem. It is more noticeable in in wet conditions and the AWD tries to get grip. I have told MB customer service about the issue, so they do know about it.

I don't know if this helps, but I have just been advised to fit front wheel spacers. Any thoughts?

 

[ShaneCanada]

I live in Canada and have the same problem.
I own a GLC 43 2021 LHD.

*my GLC 300 2018 never had this problem.

When I got the car in Dec 2020 it came with winters 19" w/MB winter kit. The problem never existed till 2 days ago when I put the 21" run flat summers on.

I've noticed that when the tiers get over 6 degrees Celsius ( about 10 mins of driving ) the problem doesn't happen doing sharp left or right turns. As soon as they cool down the problem is consistent and loud as hell until the temp is backup.

Today I have parked the car in my garage to see if the problem will happen in the morning with warm tiers.

 

[Mikkoman1]

The Ombudsman needs to understand that MB designed Left-hand drive GLC’s that do not have the fault.

When MB launched the Right-hand drive version in the UK, they have admitted they had to modify the steering geometry because there wasn’t room for the right-hand steering column. In doing this - they created a serious Fault that only exists on our cars.

MB should not be selling a Faulty Crabbing car here in the UK - Disgraceful

My car is left hand drive and I have the crabbing problem, fitted with original 20 inch wheels, with Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres.