do they CONSTANTLY go wrong?

No they don't, unless they haven't been looked after. I've had mine (53 plate 100k miles) for a couple of years now and not had too many issues. In two years all I've had to do the following:

- Change one of the front calipers (piston kept sticking, seals worn etc, not really a fault, just old age!)
- Fix the steering column adjust (this IS a fairly common fault)
- Have half of it resprayed after being key'd (not the car's fault, but you might want to think about where you park yours! Seems to attract trouble)
- Bushes changed (general wear, not a fault)
- Change a door handle cable after snapping (pretty random, but couldn't get in!)

Touch wood I've had no electical, engine, 'box or air susp problems. Maybe I'm just lucky!
 
Thanks Voguely that’s reassuring to know as yours seems to be the same as mine even down to the colour. I've done over 1,000 miles in it so far in just 9 days and am getting about 24mpg on a run and 17.5 around town. Nothing has gone wrong so far (touch wood) just the few niggles which it had when I bought it. So many things you need to check on these cars it's easy to miss things. I made sure that the main stuff was OK. Only trouble is my petrol habit has cost the best part of £400 this week, ouch!
 
- Change a door handle cable after snapping (pretty random, but couldn't get in!)

!

Door handle cables snapping may be more common than you think, I have 2 mates with L322's, both have had the drivers door handle cable snap:eek:
 
Door handle cables snapping may be more common than you think, I have 2 mates with L322's, both have had the drivers door handle cable snap:eek:

That doesn't massively suprise me having seen the mechanism in the door when it was changed (bloody fiddly!). It goes around a kind of cam which seized and caused the cable to rub against a metal part/stretch. Only a matter of time until it wears through doing that. Plenty of lube on the cam now so hopefully it won't go again, or at least wait another 100k miles!
 

Similar threads