I don't agree with the service scheduling most if not all main dealers perform. The road wheels are not removed but the discs and pads given a visual inspection and if your lucky a squirt of brake cleaner gets applied and hopefully reaches the appropriate parts. Gone are the days when the wheels were removed, pads removed and calipers given a good clean and check. In addition a good visual inspection of both disc surfaces. Reassembly using a smear of copper grease.

Discs and pads are service items, most likely because the brakes have not been serviced correctly the calipers are sticking and causing the wear you describe.

Regarding the disc warping could be caused by leaving the foot brake applied when stationary after braking to a stop. Heat transfer is different through the pads than fresh air and hence the warping. Advice would be to use the handbrake for longer stops, this also stops dazzling the driver behind with high power brake lights.

I would say the defect with the braking system is that it has not beed serviced properly since new. That would be my lever to them, but they will most likely just say that is MB service schedule.

Good luck, and update on your progress.

Thanks in advance for any replies/advice

At 44,000 mainly motorway miles and responsible driving, I think the rear pads will show little sign of wear and the rear discs will be almost pristine. I would remove a front wheel and have a look for yourself at the front pads. If the pad is still as thick as the back plate you've got oodles of miles left. You wont actually see any disc warping, but they should be good for tens more thousands of miles (our Ford Focus discs lasted nearly 100,000m, MB's should be as least as good). I have an Audi A8 which shudders a bit on fast hard braking (original discs, 64,000m) - unless you are a perfectionist I would put up with it, it's not dangerous. I change pads when the most worn one is down to about 1mm (they never wear precisely equally). If you leave it until you start getting metal to metal, quite apart from the dreadful noise and reduced braking ability, the iron dust knackers alloy wheels and is very difficult to get off.

Service schedules on many makes are little more than oil & filter change+ visual checks - little actually pulled apart & cleaned...

Service schedules on many cars do not include a wheels off, pads out, lubrication......at best they see a squirt of brake cleaner.

The result of "brake neglect" are sticking pistons / uneven pad wear which can lead to brake discs heating & failing to cool result is warping.

I pay my Indie an extra £50+Vat for a brake strip down every 2 years when in for a service - a lot cheaper than new discs.

Hi John

My 66 plate E350, bought new , serviced regularly, garaged with only 11,000 miles on the clock has developed a braking shudder. I presented today to my dealer to sort out under warranty. Not long ago they rang to tell me that the car required new discs and pads on both front wheels at a cost of £476. Like you I refused to accept that it was my driving that caused the problem, and requested that they refer the matter to Mercedes. The result was nothing from Mercedes but the dealer would reduce the labour cost and give me a discount on the parts a new total of £400. Not acceptable. The Company I own runs many Company cars, vans and LGV's and none of these require new discs in my ownership. Admittedly none are Mercedes but they can do 100,0000 + while in our ownership. Service reception at the Mecedes dealershio I use never seem to let owners speak to mechanics every thing seem to be done through a receptionist. In this case I asked what the problem was she went away and came back to say that the discs looked scuffed, what that implies I have no idea. I plan to see if I can get a second opinion and via Which see if I can get some satisfaction. This is my third E350 and it no longer seems to mean anything to the dealership. I could go on about the poor after sales service when almaost all the electronics failed to work when new and I had to spend hours downloading many software updates to get to do what it should have done when I received. There many other faults.