NHTSA Complaint #10276462 — 2003 MERCEDES BENZ C230

C230K COUPE AT 73,000 MILES WITH SUDDEN VALVE GUIDES WORN BAD CYLINDER,COMPRESSION LOSS RECENTLY IN APRIL I WAS CALLED INTO MBZ FOR A RECALL ON A VACUUM HOSE, HERE I AM A FEW MONTHS LATER AND I'M DRIVING AND MY CAR STARTS SHAKING ,IDLING STRANGE AND THEN I TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE FIGURED IT AT FIRST GLANCE IT MAY BE WORN VALVE GASKET SEALS AND I SAID OK LET'S CHANGE THEM AND PUT IN NEW PLUGS TOO...THEN HE CHECKS THE COMPRESSION AND DISCOVERS THAT IT IS HALF OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE, WHAT? WHY SHOULD THE CYLINDER HEADS BE WORN AND NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR NEARLY $3000, ...THIS SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TOO MANY OWNERS OF THIS MODEL ON HERE AND MBZFORUMS FOR THIS 2003-2005 YEARS. LOSS OF COMPRESSION IN ONE OR MORE CYLINDERS. THIS SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED BY MBZ AS A DEFECT AND SINCE WHEN DO THESE ENGINES FAIL AT 50,000OR EVEN 80,000? I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY THEM, THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT THIS MILEAGE!! DEFECT,FLAW IN DESIGN...THEY NEED TO STEP UP AND ADMIT IT AT MERCEDES HEADQUARTERS. PLEASE HELP US OWNERS , THEY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH THIS, MENTIONING VACUUM HOSE RECALLS ON THIS 2003 YEAR BUT SOME DEALERS HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT THESE ENGINES ARE DEFECTIVE AND A RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THESE VALVE GUIDES/CYLINDER HEADS. WHY IS IT THAT THERE IS AN INCONSISTENCY ON HOW THIS PROBLEM IS RECOGNIZED BY THE DEALER AND HANDLED. SOME ON THE FORUMS HAVE SAID THAT THE DEALER SCREWED THEM IF THE 50,000 WARRANTY IS OVER AND OTHERS HAVE HAD THE PARTS ONLY PAID FOR BY THE DEALER AND OTHERS HAVE HAD THE WHOLE THING PAID!! TOO MANY OF THESE C230K ENGINE CYLINDERS/VALVE GUIDES ARE GOING BAD, THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AND MBZ SHOULD BE CORRECTING THIS. I SHOULD NOT PAY $3000 TO REBUILD ENGINE THAT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ON SCHEDULE AND FOR A CAR THAT IS AT ONLY 73,000 MILES THANKS *TR