Transmission Rusted & Corroded on an 03' CLK500 w/ 26K MI
1.5 Months ago I purchased an 03' CLK500 with 24K miles from a Private Party Individual, Had a PPI (Pre-Purchase Inspection) from Penkse Mercedes in California when I bought the car. They said the car was in excellent condition and passed all checks with flying colors.
Two days ago and two thousand miles later, I took my new car in to have it checked out for a Transmission Problem. My dealer let me know today that there was Rust & Corrosion inside the gears, transmission case, transmission pan, gear box and valve body. The shifter plate was also busted. He said it looks like the transmission it self had been submerged in water, but from the exterior it didn't look like a flood car, although they haven't been able to check the rest of the car.
He also said it looked like the trans fluid may have been changed to try and mask the problem. I am looking for help or any ideas on how this may have been cause and if I have any recourse against Carfax or Penkse for the Check and PPI. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Yes I do have that guarantee but I just guess I need to find out if it was a flood vehicle or not.
I found out today that MBUSA will ONLY help original owners for the radiator leak problem, which caused my trans to rust. Does anyone else have this same experience?
What exactly does the PPI check ? Obviously, internal rusting is not part of the list.
If the radiator leak problem resulted in a recall, then it should not matter if you are the original owner.
If it is not a recall, I don't think you have much recourse except drive it
until the transmission dies at which point you replace the transmission.
Transmission Rusted & Corroded on an 03' CLK500 w/ 26K MI 
Linear Mode
