How is the reliability and maintenance cost of a 2015 C300? My son is looking at purchasing one. I own an E & S class but have know nothing about the C or CLA class.

 

Its really good if he does a few things himself else dealer tabs adds up nicely starting with $800 oil change.

4-Cyl. Diesel are cheaper than twin-turbo V8... don't buy a C55 and discover it's expensive because of course it is a standing car.

G genuine German parts cost peanuts, cheaper than Toyota!

• FCP Euro
• Pelican parts
• mbusa

are all great providers of quality supplies!

 

I have a 2015 C300 that I got in 2018 and it's been decent overall.

That being said, I would not pick up a 2015 C300 in 2023. This gen of Mercedes C300 has been plagued with a "wrist pin" issue on these early 2015 models and I thankfully got mine fixed while it still was under warranty.

Poke around and see what other users say about their years but I would say getting a 2018 plus might be good if you want to keep the car around for a while.

Car is super fun to drive though! quite zippy and smooth for what it is and hope to keep it for as long as I can!

 

Don't touch any MB four banger from the past 10 years. The 2015 C300 in question has a long and well known list of engine problems. Piston cracking, wrist pin and others. Don’t do it.

 

avoid these. Get an E400 if you have the money. the pistons are made of paper, they consume a bit of oil, and overall it's not a great MB experience. considering the E350's before it' it's a bit mean to make people drive a 4cyl.

If you guys aren't DIY mechanics there is nothing to look forward to when it comes to servicing these. Nobody wants to touch them, I don't even trust normal mechanics to know how to change the o-rings properly on the filter housing/dipstick every time or do a transmission service or know how to clear service reminders.

Reliability is a hard 7. If you change your fluids filters plugs and fix general oil leaks that are completely unrelated to it being a Mercedes specifically it's a fantastic experience. If you are young and don't care it can rack up and give you a real hard time. The water pump, alternator, starter, radiator, are PRETTY expensive to replace despite not being any more difficult just because thats what we get paid to do it over normal cars. The brakes also kind of wear down fast since its semi metallic. Toyotas can go like 100k on the original rear pads sometimes.

Audi 2 liters are much better although yeah the timing guide and carbon buildup issues aren't great.

BMW is ok, the valve cover and oil cooler housing gaskets will hit you up for 2k together at around the 80k mark, and the oil pan gasket has financially totalled many a BMW. Also plastic water pump..

 

^agree^

Late model 3 Series BMW with the B48 2.0 four cylinder and ZF8HP is a solid car in the class.