At least you got it from him that there definitely is something wrong and the winter tires won't fix it ! With all of this I can't see why they haven't issued a recall... I wonder if they have customer care people that go through these forums ..

 

They have customer care people on the Land rover forums, they offer help but without a lot of success. Most of their replies are "consult your dealer", even after posters putting in their posts that they have been to the dealers.

 

Well that's a pretty ineffective way to go about things. I wonder if they still make notes in their databases though, like a list of complaints for head office to go through and try to find patterns and what not to issue recalls.

 

This is a great video which irrefutably demonstrates the clonking/juddering/crabbing is most definitely a fault and not a "characteristic" as MB would have you believe:

Mercedes has now gone against an adjudication by the Motoring Ombudsman to allow a customer to reject the car as "not fit for purpose". If anybody is suffering the same symptoms, the Honest John motoring website has run the full story and offers affected customers the opportunity to register their support for a Class Action to be taken out against MB. You can read about it here:

The GLC Crabbing Issue

 

Hi, I'm sorry to hear about the issues you are having. I am about to purchase a new GLC 350 but stumbled upon the "crabbing " issue and wondered if you felt that on 18" wheels this problem would not be apparent at all and if it is therefore safe to keep moving forward with the purchase. I very much much appreciate any advice you might be bale to offer.

Best wishes.

 

Hello and welcome to the forum. I don't think the definitive criteria as to the cause of the crabbing problem has yet been established. It is certainly true that rim size is one factor, the larger the rims, the lower the height of the tyre sidewall. These lower aspect ratio tyres have less flex in the sidewall to soak up the lateral forces the steering geometry is subjecting the wheels to at full lock. Another factor is the effect temperature has on the rubber of the OEM all-season tyres. The colder the weather, the less elastic the tyre becomes. MB has discovered by recommending the fitting of winter tyres with their more pliable rubber compound, the problem can be masked. Winter tyres a designed to operate best at temperatures below 7 Centigrade. If the vehicle is fitted with run-flat tyres this will also exacerbate the crabbing issue as they need a far stiffer sidewall to be able to run when deflated. And finally, the way the differentials share the torque between the front and rear axles may also be a contributing factor. I believe the 43, 350 and 250d models have a 31:69 front:rear torque split whilst the 220d has a 45:55 split. None of the LHD models sold on the Continent or USA are reporting this issue which indicates the Ackerman geometry used to set up the steering in the RHD conversions is fundamentally flawed.

So will your 350 have the crabbing problem? All I can say is my 220d in Sport trim runs on 18" rims shod with 235/60R18 Hankook Ventus EVO S2 OEM tyres and DOES NOT suffer from crabbing. Owners with 250 models and 18" rims are reporting the problem and I suspect opting for the AMG trim with stiffer suspension and bigger rims only compounds the likelihood of you being afflicted. My advice is to only enter into a purchase contract if the dealer is prepared to acknowledge in writing that the crabbing issue renders the vehicle unfit for purpose and will allow you a penalty-free rejection of the car. Good luck, I can honestly say my GLC is the best car I have ever owned but then again, as it is a "bucket list" purchase, my terms of reference may be far lower than others.

 

Hi I have the the same tryes as toobad with a 250d as yet no problems
Could it be that this tyre has better compound ?

 

Hi Toobad,

Thank you very much for your answer. It is very much appreciated. My dealer has just received a demo model so I'm going to see how that one fares and will report back. Thanks for taking the time .

 

mine is in with merc at the moment, they have used the term, characteristic and now saying " just add winter tyres" shame they dont say that before you buy. the noise is horrid and when pulling off my drive is quite disconcerting and unstable, I wonder why merc feels its acceptable !

 

Hi all,

After discounting several other cars I decided to go for a GLC. Then stumbled across the posts and videos of this juddering issue which I found to be very alarming. I 'was' going to order a 350 Sport but also need the off road pack as we live quite remote in the Brecon Beacons. The OR pack has 18" wheels but probably has a different set of tyres and my chance of finding a demonstrator with this setup seems pretty remote to me. I really don't know what to do right now, I think I might try to find a second hand 220 / 250 in this guise and give it a good testing with full lock in every direction !

Thank you so much for making this information known - I feel much better informed now and will be very cautious about placing any order until I feel fully satisfied with the car - I am retired now and if I buy a car I will be keeping it for 5+ years at least so cannot 'afford' to get this purchase wrong. Will let you know how I get on.....

 

Another disappointed GLC driver

Hello. I have been following this thread and similar in other forums and am actually quite shocked at the response from Mercedes to this problem.


I picked up my GLC on 1st Sept 2016 and experienced the clonking, judder within a week (Winter tyres??). I only notice it when turning very slowly into my drive on full lock. It happens most of the time but not always and I have only been able to reproduce it occasionally in a car park. I did notify the dealer but on discussion I decided to wait until I could find circumstances where I could demonstrate it to the service people. Unfortunately I have been otherwise occupied for the last few months and have not got round to it yet. But I will do especially after reading, seeing and hearing the more serious problems experienced on this forum.


My car is a standard Sport model with the Off Road Pack with the slightly raised suspension (not air suspension) on 18 inch wheels and Hankook tyres.


I know there has been discussion on the 4matic torque split and so you all might be interested in this section of the GLC part of the Mercedes UK website under Driving Dynamics


"The GLC handles with all the precision and composure you expect from a Mercedes-Benz. Even in challenging driving conditions, 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive is on hand to optimise traction and ensure superb response. The system has even been specially tuned for right-hand drive vehicles, with a 39:61 torque distribution between front and rear axles to enhance driving enjoyment and control."

 

Hello, I'm considering purchasing the AMG version of the GLC here in Canada. I am very alarmed to find this issue with the GLC but appears this is isolated to right-hand drive models, as I've haven't been able to find similar complaints here in Canada/U.S. Would anyone know if this issue is indeed isolated to right-hand drive models?

 

Hi Henry
I have the same spec as you with no problems as yet I have to put the car on full lock to get on land off the drive
This is the full spec of my car to see if there is anythink different if pepole with problems put there full spec of there car on we might find a common diffrance.

glc sport 250d Dec 2016 ( 2017 model) 18 wheels with hancoock tryes, premium pack, off road pack, factory fitted tow bar,

Hope this helps

 

Hi David and welcome to the forum. I'm pretty sure this issue only affects RHD conversions. I suspect it has something to do with locating the steering box on the other side of the front differential. Due to space constraints in this area it is quite possible the Ackerman geometry used to set the correct steering angles is not quite the same as on LHD models and this is what is contributing to the crabbing issue. There is a thread running on MB World also discussing the crabbing problem. As it is more of a USA/Canada biased forum, I would suggest you also check there for reports pertaining to LHD cars:

The MB World tyre scrubbing thread

 

Hi David and welcome to the forum. I'm pretty sure this issue only affects RHD conversions. I suspect it has something to do with locating the steering box on the other side of the front differential. Due to space constraints in this area it is quite possible the Ackerman geometry used to set the correct steering angles is not quite the same as on LHD models and this is what is contributing to the crabbing issue. There is a thread running on MB World also discussing the crabbing problem. As it is more of a USA/Canada biased forum, I would suggest you also check there for reports pertaining to LHD cars:

The MB World tyre scrubbing thread

Negative ... it is NOT just a RHD problem. The exact same thing happens on my left hand drive GLC 43 and I live in Sacramento, CA. I have walked along the car with my wife turning the wheel at slow speeds. It is not a tyire (tire?) issue, it's in the turning suspension (Ackerman geometry?). It's a heavy mechanical clunk and not the tyre scuddering.
I havent done anything about it yet, but I intend to. The car drives fine and is not a safety issue, Mercedes is correct on that one. But it is definitely an engineering problem.

 

This has now escalated at Mercedes.Having just spoken to Mercedes ,they confirmed that the problem is now being investigated as a fault by their engineers at HO in Stuggart ie no longer a "characteristic". They are aware that it only affects LHD cars. Everyone who hasn't yet done so needs to register a complaint to Mercedes. The more " noise" created ,the more seriously they will take the problem and the quicker it will be resolved .Mercedes contact number 08081 565635

 

Hey Mark T, is their a Mercedes website to register a complaint or just the phone number??

​

 

Sorry .Typo .It only affects RHD cars.

 

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Read it here....:smile2:

​

 

Thank you Toobad and Mark. I hope this issue doesn't take much longer to resolve.

 

Mark, I'm sure you mean RHD not LHD, surely. UK Cars.

 

Mark corrected post to RHD in post below original one.

 

I'm told by the customer service team that MB in the UK are aware of this and are looking at it. However, the more people that phone them up to register a complaint, the more likely the fix will happen.

MB Dealers are being told by MB that winter tires are the solution, however they don't have any available in the UK and it could take months to get them. This would also not solve the problem of slippy conditions (water on concrete car park) in the spring.

 

Hi, I have the same problem with my Glc but latest from my local dealer Listers is quoted below

As there is growing numbers of complaints from other customers all over the UK I have been informed that Mercedes are looking into a more technical resolution, however there is no given timeframe by Mercedes at the moment regarding how long we will have to wait.

Keep up the pressure

 

I've ordered a 220 for March delivery and I'm fully behind those who are experiencing problems. I'm extremely worried that in March I will be collecting a very expensive motor that exhibits a 'characteristic' that essentially renders it unfit for purpose. I had three separate test-drives on cold days in December and January and ensured, much to the annoyance of sales staff, that I made repeated full-lock manoeuvres. What I can't understand is that I never experienced any negative 'characteristics'. Many drivers suggest that problems develop after several weeks or months. So what changes? Is it tyre wear? Why are there no reports of test cars being affected? (Sorry if I have overlooked them) There also seems to be some lucky owners who don't experience problems. Apologies, I'm just trying to make sense of it all having paid a deposit!

 

It's definitely something you want to make sense of for sure! But it seems this problem is hitting people right from new or not too far long after. But they're really going to have to get something done about it considering the sizable amount of complaints that just keeps increasing. As @Carjunky said.. keep up the pressure.

 

It's cheaper for them to just give you a new set of tires than replace the car. I think the consumer and lemon laws should provide them with enough incentive to suddenly have a fix for your problem. Best to check when the laws apply because I think the lemon law can be sued only if they've had a chance to fix the same thing a few times.

 

So Mercedes are prepared to placate customers on a one-to-one basis by offering to replace their tyres. Surely the very least they should be offering is 4 extra rims fitted with winter tyres. It will be a total faff if they expect you to swop tyres on to the original rims when temperatures fall below 7C. Just think of the increase in potential rim damage during the repeated changeover process. I don't think it is a workable solution myself but I guess it may appease some customers enough not to reject their cars.

For anybody not yet up to speed, this is the official statement Mercedes release on Tuesday 24th January:

"We're sorry to hear that a small number of customers have experienced an issue with certain models, generally at cold ambient temperatures while manoeuvring at low speed with steering lock applied. The experience is of the front tyres apparently 'skipping'. This is a comfort issue, and does not affect the safety or performance of the vehicle.

This characteristic comes from flexibility within the tyre sidewall, the grip between the front tyres and the type of road surface being driven over. It is something which can be felt only at very low speeds, and when a certain percentage of wheel lock is engaged for turning. This is demonstratively more evident in colder temperatures due to the changes in the tyre rubber elasticity.

Winter tyres and all-season tyres on 18- or 19-inch wheels improve this characteristic and we would always recommend their use in temperatures which fall below approximately +7 degrees Celsius. The use of 18-inch wheels with summer tyres also improves the issue.

We do, however, appreciate that is not always possible or practical for customers to fit alternative tyres or wheels, and our technical experts in the UK are investigating alternative ways to help minimise this characteristic."

 

Personally, I think there is a much wider issue. I think the crabbing problem affects all Mercedes RHD models in their range that are fitted with the 4MATIC drive system. I suspect having to mount the steering gear on the other side of the front differential may have introduced a space constraint which has let to a compromise in the Ackerman geometry used to set the steering behaviour. Yes, the additional sipes in the tread blocks of winter tyres will certainly go a long way to improve the lateral flexibility as will the additional polymer content in the rubber used to mould winter tyres. And as Mercedes note, smaller rim diameters mean taller sidewalls again allowing for extra flexibility to absorb the lateral skating forces being generated at or near full lock. But these are all solutions to mask the effect without addressing the underlying problem. Just my £0.02 worth.