The problem is toys.

Mercedes has always prided itself on technical innovation, so they load tons and tons of electronic gadgets on their cars. And when they became a sort of household name in the US for quality, they went ape and started going after market volume, instead of trying to maintain their position of exclusivity.

Higher volume+more new models+more features/electronics+murphy's law=lower quality... something Toyota is starting to find out itself.

BMW is in much the same rut right now, due to all the electronic gizmos and controls on their cars. The old 3-series, though, finally lost the glitches... but only right before the new one came out.

It's sad... for MB in particular... because people still have the mistaken belief (carried over from amazingly durable 50's - 70's MBs) that nothing is better built.

When quantity becomes the bottom line, quality is sure to suffer.