I have a Metris with 3800 miles on it. There is a grinding noise when brakes are applied. Has done it since day one. Took it in to the dealer and they agree there is a grinding noise but it is normal. The service rep and I drove another one on the lot and it did it too. They have agreed as a one time courtesy to change out the pads, rotors etc. My concern is they are just going to replace everything with the same components that are on there now and it will do the same thing. It is a very annoying grinding noise. Anyone else have this issue and did MB address it?
Brake Grinding Noise
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I'm not sure what noise you are talking about. I have only ever owned MBs so it's possible the noise is normal and I either don't hear it or ignore it. I do know they use a different braking compound than most manufacturers- the reason the wheels turn black so quickly.
However, I know my dealer and they would never do what you describe. They would either tell me it's normal and do nothing or they would agree to change pads and rotors and actually change them. They would never agree to do something they didn't plan on doing, let alone pretend they actually did it.
Doing slimey things like that is not something a Mercedes dealer would do, because if they got caught doing something like that they'd lose their franchise. Poor customer service is one thing, but cheating or lying to a customer, especially about a system as safety related as brakes, is another thing entirely.
However, I know my dealer and they would never do what you describe. They would either tell me it's normal and do nothing or they would agree to change pads and rotors and actually change them. They would never agree to do something they didn't plan on doing, let alone pretend they actually did it.
Doing slimey things like that is not something a Mercedes dealer would do, because if they got caught doing something like that they'd lose their franchise. Poor customer service is one thing, but cheating or lying to a customer, especially about a system as safety related as brakes, is another thing entirely.
I did not mean that they would not change them out and say they did. What I meant was they will replace the components that are on there with new parts but they will still be the same "style" or "brand" parts that they are taking off, if that makes sense. My concern is if they take part xyz off and get a part xyz from the factory I will have the same problem if part xyz is the issue. I'm to the point where I really don't even like driving it the noise is so annoying. I have actually adjusted how I drive to try and not apply the brakes as hard.
Years ago, I was told that brakes have to be broken in. With some, it requires a series of hard stops. Others can require a different procedure. If they are broken in incorrectly, they sort of "glaze" and will always make noise. Ask the tech if there is a break-in procedure that they recommend.
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If your brakes are working to factory spec, you have nothing to worry about.
Quote from a Daimler exec: "Germans don't care how much noise the brakes make, so long as they work. Americans don't care how well the brakes work so long as they don't make noise!"
Quote from a Daimler exec: "Germans don't care how much noise the brakes make, so long as they work. Americans don't care how well the brakes work so long as they don't make noise!"
Mercedes Metris 2016
I have the exact problem and have been to the dealership 6 times without any resolution other than "it's normal". My grinding noise has become more evident as the miles roll on. I now have 26,500 miles on the Metis and it is getting worse with age. My dealer also stated he drove the others on the lot and they did the same. The noise is very annoying and concerns me for future miles......it may be time to trade her in and say adios to Mercedes.
Q: Has anyone had further issues with the brakes with higher mileage than 26,500? If so what had to be fixed.
Thank you
I have the exact problem and have been to the dealership 6 times without any resolution other than "it's normal". My grinding noise has become more evident as the miles roll on. I now have 26,500 miles on the Metis and it is getting worse with age. My dealer also stated he drove the others on the lot and they did the same. The noise is very annoying and concerns me for future miles......it may be time to trade her in and say adios to Mercedes.
Q: Has anyone had further issues with the brakes with higher mileage than 26,500? If so what had to be fixed.
Thank you
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My rears needed replacement at 30k and my fronts at 45k. (Reminder: I am an aggressive driver, literally YMMV)
Mercedes have never been known for their aural refinement. If it bugs you that much, go car shopping.
Mercedes have never been known for their aural refinement. If it bugs you that much, go car shopping.
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Take it to a MB indie mechanic to get a diagnosis. Maybe he can at least tell you what is causing it. Go back to the dealer with that information if its not normal.
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My brakes don't grind at all. They do squeak, but all my brembos have. They are great, and perform well for me. Maybe a pebble stuck between the pad, and rotor? Parking brakes in the drum dragging? Maybe a brake check would smooth them out? Hope you get it resolved.
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I have a 2016 that started squeeling badly at 23,000 miles
At about 25,000 miles it started grinding with an evil metal on metal sound that is exactly like pads that are totally shot. Inspection has the pads thick and healthy and the rotors smooth.
It's really annoying when you pull over to pick up a passenger and they ask you if you need a brake job as its that loud inside and out.
It's so bad now at 30k that I came here to find this posting hoping someone else had found some non mb pads that make it stop.
Any ideas on after market pads?
At about 25,000 miles it started grinding with an evil metal on metal sound that is exactly like pads that are totally shot. Inspection has the pads thick and healthy and the rotors smooth.
It's really annoying when you pull over to pick up a passenger and they ask you if you need a brake job as its that loud inside and out.
It's so bad now at 30k that I came here to find this posting hoping someone else had found some non mb pads that make it stop.
Any ideas on after market pads?
Not sure if it's the same issue or not, but my brakes frequently squeal. Never owned a car that did that more than occasionally until the pads needed to be replaced. When I had it at the service shop last week the tech told me that's pretty normal for MB. He said something along the lines of "MB uses high performance brakes that are intended for hard braking". He went on to say that lighter braking will cause the brakes to make noise. So is that statement correct?
I've always tried be somewhat light on my brakes (coasting if possible as opposed to braking hard at the last second) as experience has taught me that I save gas and the brakes last a LOT longer. Again, this is for mostly non-European auto brands. My 2016 van has just over 13K miles on it.
My understanding is that most brake pads are designed to squeal at a certain point of wear so you replace them before they start to damage the discs. So if squealing is normal for MB, then how do I know when the pads need replacing other than hoping the service shop tells me in time? A 15K/1yr service interval is a lot of time for brakes to go from OK to bad.
I've always tried be somewhat light on my brakes (coasting if possible as opposed to braking hard at the last second) as experience has taught me that I save gas and the brakes last a LOT longer. Again, this is for mostly non-European auto brands. My 2016 van has just over 13K miles on it.
My understanding is that most brake pads are designed to squeal at a certain point of wear so you replace them before they start to damage the discs. So if squealing is normal for MB, then how do I know when the pads need replacing other than hoping the service shop tells me in time? A 15K/1yr service interval is a lot of time for brakes to go from OK to bad.
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The Metris, to clarify, has a sensor in the brake pad that, upon detecting wear beyond specification, the computer is notified of that wear, and displays a light and/or dash message telling you that the brakes are so worn, and it will keep showing you that message every start up until you replace the pads. The pads are a high performance compound designed to handle repeated rapid braking from high speed, as one would find on the autobahn. This compound heats slower, cools faster, generates superior overall braking performance, and is less likely to catch fire when the brakes get really hot. Those are its plus points. It has three major negatives: 1) it has substantially shorter life than that of most American and Japanese pads, 2) it has a propensity to both squeak in minor brake applications and grunt loudly just at the minimum point of stop pressure being applied, and 3) It vaporizes under use, causing a dark sticky dust to adhere to the front wheels (and eventually the rears, if you let it go long enough) that is a pain in the tuchus to clean off.
For your increased comfort, Mercedes has been using wear sensors for about 40 years now. Its not new technology to them, and it is quite well proven to be very reliable.
In terms of life, my rears seem to last 30k miles and my fronts 45k. I replaced rear pads at 30k and 60k, and front rotors and pads at 45k. I am still on my original rear rotors. I have somtimes noticed grinding; it sounds similar to the noise ASR makes when active. It hasn’t affected braking performance, however.
Dieter Zetsche, the CEO of Daimler, was once heard to remark: “Germans don’t mind if brakes make noise, so long as they work. Americans don’t care if the brakes work so long as they do not make noise.”
I guess I’m more German than American.
For your increased comfort, Mercedes has been using wear sensors for about 40 years now. Its not new technology to them, and it is quite well proven to be very reliable.
In terms of life, my rears seem to last 30k miles and my fronts 45k. I replaced rear pads at 30k and 60k, and front rotors and pads at 45k. I am still on my original rear rotors. I have somtimes noticed grinding; it sounds similar to the noise ASR makes when active. It hasn’t affected braking performance, however.
Dieter Zetsche, the CEO of Daimler, was once heard to remark: “Germans don’t mind if brakes make noise, so long as they work. Americans don’t care if the brakes work so long as they do not make noise.”
I guess I’m more German than American.
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FXD.
Its only on the front. I'd like to work on a fix to get rears sensored as well.
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That I didn’t know. Wonder why? I mean the fronts are the main brakes so...
Interesting. Wonder why there are parts available for the rear.
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