I am considering getting one of these or a 2011. Are there any major issues that are like a write of passage with these cars. I previously had a cls500 and had to change the cps, a driveshaft bearing and the sbc unit and the gas tank. The gas tank fortunately was under warranty... the sbc was a year out and of course mercedes did nothing although it was showing signs years before when I took it to them. I also changed the airshocks but I consider that wear and tear on these cars and I believe this car has spring shocks so would be easier on my pockets in that respect. I test drove two the other day and one was a 2011, showroom condition, with the amg sport package fully loaded with everything. It also had some of the tightest turning suspension I've seen (even compared to a newer cls) not sure if that is normal for the coupe or if it is an issue, I also noticed some black fluid leak on one of the left control arm components on my quick test drive. Other then that it seemed to be in flawless condition with around 85k mi. The second one I drove had turning i'm more accustomed to but also did not have the amg sport package like the first one (not sure if that makes a difference in handling), it also had significantly more miles around 111k but the price was also a lot less. Both seemed to drive and shift fine but not really sure what I should be looking for in the particular car. I also noticed that all of these cars in the similar year have an open recall for an airbag malfunction that states "may result in serious injury or death", the airbag is said to deploy and explode causing metal shards to hit both driver and passenger. None of the owners or dealers selling these cars have gotten this issue fixed. Is anyone aware of this and/or why people would not address an issue that seems to be this big of a deal?

 

that is the takata airbag recall. the replacement parts have still not arrived. none of the affected c207's have gotten replacements yet. the older and southern units to get replacements first. hopefully by the end of the year according to benz.
mechanically the e550c is am amazingly sound vehicle. no real big issues im aware of. there were some issues with the early 2014 (revised drivetrain) but these older ones are quite solid as the drivetrain has been around since before the bodystyle came out.

 

Thanks, I've been reading on the takata airbag issue on here a bit and it just seems ridiculous that it isn't being addressed urgently. I guess because mercedes doesn't make the part they have no urgency and the company that made it filed bankruptcy. It seems like most people have accepted that this is not a serious issue and continue to drive. When I read the carfax it indicates that the airbag may explode and cause shrapnel to fly towards the driver and/or passenger so it was somewhat of a flag in my mind until I saw just how many cars have this issue and it appears to be just damn near every car on the road.
As far as the car itself the two I test drove both drove and shifted well but the one that was newer with less miles had extremely stiff suspension when turning. I will get PPI done before purchasing but just wanted to go in with some insight. I didn't hear any noises and was wondering if this is normal for this car or if there's possibly a power steering or front end suspension issue. This is my first benz coupe I've had many sedans so I don't have much experience as to how they drive/handle. The older model had significantly easier turning (that I'm more accustomed to) but maybe it was due to the mileage and wear. I'm going to test drive another just for reference but these seem to be very rare cars, it is hard to find an e550 coupe in my general area which I assume is a good sign.