Hi,
Since you had the repair you are probably a bit late asking if your car is in range
What was your mileage when the fault codes showed up? Was the balance shaft problem known when you purchased your car? If you are the original owner then MB may help out, but I believe you will need to elevate the case to the local or regional rep. If you got it used, not from the dealer, then forget it. Did you read the Judge's decision? (Search for Decision on Balance Shaft class action.) Personally I agree with you that the balance shaft sprocket should have been deemed a latent defect, and MB should have been found liable for repairs. But that opens up liability to a host of out-of-warranty repairs. What is the test of when a part failure is the result of a latent defect vs. simply failing "from natural causes"? I think the term recall is reserved for safety concerns. What MBUSA appears to have done in some cases here is a "goodwill" compensation on case-by-case basis. If you were the original owner then MB will help you because you are in the habit of buying new cars from them. If you bought it used not from a MB dealer, then MB isn't going to be so friendly. This is true for all makes.
Basically what the Judge found is that when you buy a new car you get a 4 year, 50Kmi warranty. (This can be extended up to three more years to beyond 100Kmi with CPO and MBUSA extended warranty.) If you choose to own an older car out of warranty then you are choosing to assume the risk for the cost of any repairs. This is why you can get an older $100,000 MB for 30 cents on the dollar, for example.
I think the record shows that all manufacturers go though cycles of reliability, even Toyota. Since 2008 or 2009 MB is in an upswing, it seems.
Will