Lets us know what comes of the call, Im not suprised previous problems or niggles wheren't brought to your attention after all they are looking to get your money, they are a car sales business but after care is also a big part of their business too sadly some dealers do the second bit better than others.

You could have bought a £30k second hand Merc and had the same problems, also Id (personally) take the 200 spot check with a pinch of salt, if it starts, stops, isnt sitting in a puddle of something, isnt rattling like a old tin can and hasnt got any trim hanging off Id be suprised if some cars are checked any further.

Out of interest, is it worth people (including myself) asking the next time your car is in for a service/inspection etc to ask if the casing of the gearbox is dry?

Good idea to ask, its an easy check, the NS wheel needs to come off and its easy to spot.

Just wanted to update the status here.
I finally got the chance to take the car back to Meridien this afternoon. They inspected it (and showed me too), they found that both leaks had been fixed, presumably before they got the car. It is clear that the gearbox has been resealed with fresh sealant and there is no sign of any leaking oil over the fresh sealant. The site of the original coolant leak was quite obvious, it had been fixed with a new clip and there is no sign of any crust around the clip.

I also reported to them that the rear brakes had been squealing in reverse. They inspected the pads and found they had uneven wear, leaving them wedge shaped front to back. They replaced the pads for free. No explanation as to what may have caused the uneven wear. Anyone here got any idea?

Anyway, I cannot fault Meridien's service so far.

Luke