ArtyV

Is there a centralized post / thread about this? Or one that’s more active?

chassis

No. it is spread across C-, E- and GLC-Classes.

chassis

Thanks. You have the M274 engine.

ygmn

read this AM:

Ford: US expands probe into 708,000 SUVs for engine failures | AP News

All for a valve made from some new exotic material that when machined gets too hot andmakes it brittle.
SO the valve breaks off and falls onto piston and makes a mess of engine.... and here you have a RECALL happening...

from reading some of these articles not just the AP one; less than a 1000 were reported to NHSTA... yet here they are doing an extensive engineering review and will probably force a recall.

Ford reported like almost 900 customer complaints... and look what they do - start to investigate ... heck they already figured out reason.

My guess is FORD Will make it right or try to before recall is my guess...

For the record I am not a FORD Fan - never have been

NOW what is the BEST OR NOTHING company (MB for those who forget since) doing about their design FLAW that leads to engine failure?
Sad thing is other MB engines have different issues but same result Found On Road Dead, and major damage done.

Camaroguy72

I think the main difference is they knew there was an issue with the material - so need to address it.

In this case, lots of material pointing to LSPI (low speed pre-ignition) being the culprit. All these direct injected turbo cars from any manufacturer can experience, and do experience, a similar phenomenon. Type in any manufacturer making these turbo GDI engines followed by "piston cracking" and you'll get hits.

Some interesting reading out there on the API SP requirements, and mercedes not requiring all their 229.5 oils to be compliant to the latest API SP requirement. Also curious why they changed the spark plug length and resistance in newer models. My 2017 w213 had the old plug from the factory, wifes 2019 GLC has the new plugs from the factory.

ArtyV

Right…, I understand that. I’m not on this forum much so who here would put together something like that regarding the motor? Or is there some sort of compilation of what years and what mileage?

Peter7

Yeah, I know. Will fix it or replaced with another engine, will decide after will open it.

chassis

There is no way to assemble a definitive summary as you appear to describe.

Platforms are known (C, E, GLC).
Build years are known (all M274).
Engine is known (M274).

Mileage when piston failure occurs is unknown. Usually far less than 100k miles from reports on this site.

Region is unknown. Mostly NA reports on this site, but this is not definitive because of the NA-emphasis of the participants on this site. Non-NA failures have been reported on this site.

MB generally does not assist with this issue.

There is no way to avoid or prevent piston cracking. There is no repair other than a new engine.

Peter7

Not expecting MB to assist in this case for a reasonable amount of money. When the car is way out of warranty and its not a safety recall (they did a few recalls for me, like airbag for SLK (R171), sunroof checks 2 times already for E350 (W211) etc.) they will do nothing in most situations when they can avoid expenses.
If you will have a look at YouTube, you can found videos for piston replacement for these engines. Not sure is it allowed to post links here.
Seen a complete rebuild kits including pistons on Ebay. Yes, its Chinese parts, but a lot of owners already have German failed ones.

ArtyV

Of course there is. If people are so concerned about it, just a simple thread with the first post updated each time. The pple that have had failures’ mileage and year.

I’ve been told that 2018 or 19 and up they updated the wrist pin, no?

chassis

Good idea. Please post the link here after you create the thread. It would help current owners and those considering buying cars with the dubious M274 engine.

RiCh_vRS

I asked about that and they couldn't tell me. All they said is that the the rebuilt engine will have a warranty since I am paying out of pocket.

If there were any issues then they would fix it during the warranty period. If it happens after that (which it tends to) then tough luck.

RiCh_vRS

Someone who bought a $55k car expects the engine to last more than 60k miles and should not need to change the pistons themselves.

Whether you are in warranty or out of warranty the pistons in these M274 engines are defective from new and MB should be doing something about it.

This is a safety issue and everyone needs to report it to the NHTSA so it can be investigated.

My guess is that a lot of these cars were leased in the USA and the original owners have returned them and moved on. The people who purchased these cars used with some or no warranty left most likely dumped the car or had it repaired by an independent shop.

RiCh_vRS

Ford seems to be having engine issues across multiple models lately.

I think in this case the reason for the recall is that the majority of the engine failures are occurring early while the vehicle is new and under warranty.

In the case of the M274 pistons, there were probably not many that broke while the vehicles were under warranty. The majority of the cases occurred outside of the warranty period.

MBUSA fixed or replaced the engines on the vehicles that were under warranty and kept quiet about the issue. They knew that when the others broke outside of the warranty period they wouldn't need to do anything about it.

Everyone who has had this issue needs to make a complaint to the NHTSA. The NHTSA can make MBUSA conduct an engineering analysis and then do a recall.

Peter7

Totally agree that this should not happen at first.
But in reality need to fix the car at minimum price tag, so can forget about any dealer in this case, as all interactions with them only pumping the costs without any positive result.
In my case, used engine is about AUD$5k for the part, plus fluids, filter and some minor bits and pieces. Or, if the engine block is not damaged, price will around AUD$2k in parts and materials. Will provide more info/photos when will have chance to take engine out and open it.

Keith66

Dude, I'm very sorry to see this (again). Sorry this happened to you and I hope for the best possible outcome. No MB owner should have to suffer this financial plight when these failures are a broadly known issue.

I assume a very small percentage of MB owners are members of any online automotive forums, or post/publish their experiences, so I can only imagine of the actual numbers of this particular defect of the M274.

A moment of silence for you. (lol)

Not to come across douchey or anything and I know this doesn't help you, but it was my paranoia of this EXACT issue that forced me to bail on my C300 at 52K miles even though I loved the car and didn't want to sell it. It's a sucky thing against an otherwise great car.

DYC300

Since this engine is used in C300, GLC300, and E300s, I would imagine that a high percentage of these are leased and are thus returned to the dealer before 50k. So relatively a small portion of owners are taking this vehicle past 50k and are thus falling victim to the defect.

It's an absolutely great daily driver, but once my CPO warranty is up Sep 2024, I would likely need to trade it in. Or I can hope that my engine blows up and I get it all fixed under warranty

RiCh_vRS

That's true. This forum is much "quieter" compared to others that I use for other automotive brands.

I don't think MBUSA has the actual numbers either as a lot of people will be the second/third owners, out of warranty, and probably used an independent shop to have the engine replaced.

You made the right decision on selling it. You might miss the car, but at least you won't need to worry about shelling out for a new engine once the piston broke.

I was thinking about selling my car, but since I did not put a lot of miles on it, kept on top of all maintenance, had oil changes done regularly, and kept it in mint condition inside and out I didn't want to get rid of it.

crackedpiston15

hi, so the NHtSA has been investigating this issue since a bit over a year ago. I’m the guy who filed a petition for them to investigate this after my car needed a new engine about 2 years ago at only 50 something thousand miles . My car suddenly lost power on the freeway and rattled/shook very violently . Mercedes did absolutely nothing to help (they can’t without it showing any liability on their part ) they accepted my petition a bit over a year ago and I’m expecting them to finish it up soon . I’ve contacted the Biden administration and my senator to try and help push it along but there’s really been no update since last year .

to those who are being left with needing their engine replaced I recommend having your mechanic replace it with one straight from Mercedes Benz . For about 2k more than a used one you can purchase on from Mercedes Benz parts department where it will come with a warranty from Mercedes … my total came to just a bit over 9k which was a lot better for me than the almost 20k the dealer was quoting me .

Oh and thank you for letting people know to file a complaint with the nhtsa regarding this (I just wish more people would actually take the time and actually do it lol)

Peter7

I believe that used engine will survive 2+ years (Mercedes warranty period for a new engine) anyway and not much economical sense to pay a dealer for an engine of the same quality as we all already have.

Cosworth2000

Sorry to hear this... I feel lucky to have the 6v engines which has been around for over 15 years and only in 2015 to add turbos. I feel for all that purchased a new or used C300 and had these issues as it does not seem to exist in v6 engines.
I'm not sure why Mercedes is not held to these matters like Ford and Hyundai has been expected to replace the engines at no cost. I am sure that after all this, those that paid to have their engines replaced, the will need to be a Class Action to be placed and back dated for all there were impacted.
Just my thought. Is this the same engines in the B-Class?

Peter7

For US cars class action maybe is an option. And not only C300 variants are affected.
As for me, I will not consider of buying any newer Mercs with 4 cyl engine and more likely will just switch to different brands (already purchased a new Cupra Born).

crackedpiston15

hi, I had the same exact issue at around 50k miles about 2 yrs ago. I’m also the guy who sent the NHTSA administrator a petition to have this thing investigated . They accepted my petition in the fall of 2022 and should be wrapping things up and deciding what to do within the next couple of months or I will contact my senator for some help (the NHTSA probably thinks I’m really annoying - you have no idea how much I have emailed them asking for updates or clarification regarding this ) the only thing I’m worried about is how often the NHTSA changes its leadership 😭 I’ve already emailed the Biden administration about this investigation but only received a generic response

“Thank you for contacting the Biden-Harris Administration.

PresidentBiden and Vice President Harris value every opportunity to engage with the American people, and the Administration is grateful for your outreach. Our country faces many challenges, and messages like yours help us better understand how the Biden-Harris Administration can serve American families.

We take careful note of the suggestions, thoughts, questions, and stories we receive, and we’re working hard to ensure you receive an appropriate response. “ 🤦🏻‍♂️

. regarding the engine replacement … Mercedes Benz does offer remanufactured engines (which are as good as new ) and you can get one for the c300 model for around 5-6k plus tax …. Dealership wanted close to 19k and I got it all done with the engine straight from Mercedes Benz parts department and a limited warranty for about $9600. I was happy with that but would be nice to get that money back as I shouldn’t have had to deal with that at all.

also, for those who didn’t know … the engines in most of these vehicles (the USA versions ) were manufactured in the same plant as Infiniti in Tennessee … one of the infiniti models shares the same engine as the c300 . Daimler designed the engine and infiniti made it .
Pay attention during the next couple of months for an update on the results of the investigation . 👍

ArtyV

I’m not surprised that you’re hardly getting anywhere… saying things like you’re happy paying nearly 10k for something you shouldn’t have to pay for lol? Smh