Hi all. New to the forum.

I'm looking for input from some MB owners. I'm currently on the hunt for a used E550 Cabrio. I'm looking at 2011 - 2015. I've done a good bit of research and can't find a lot of major issues with those years. I know they went from a V8 NA to the twin turbo V8 in 2012. I found a really well kept 2014 E550, 1 owner, clean Carfax (attached it so you all can see it), and well equipped with almost everything (only missing the Driver's and Parking assist packages). The catch is it has 112,000 miles on it. The engine purrs and it drives smoothly. Paint and body is great. They are asking $21,500. Surprisingly there are not a lot of there for sale.
I'm going to get a PPI on Monday but still wanted to pick everyone's brains here 😉.

My 3 questions are:
1) Let's address the elephant in the room first... Are 112K miles too many?
2) Anything I should be looking out for specifically?
3) How is the boosted V8 vs the NA V8 in real world. Any oil consumption/burning issues?

Thanks in advance to you all!

 

Must you have a Cabriolet? Or would a coupe do the job?

 

In the market for a convertible. Wanted something cheaper to get my feet wet in the Cabrio game. If we really like it, we’ll get a new or CPO later on down the road.
Having said that, I still want something with some quality and reliability. I figured this would be the perfect place to get answers to my questions and some honest owner feedback.

 

Hey there.


Make sure that the multi contour seat feature is functioning properly. And I don't feel that CARFAX is entirely accurate on many of its reports.

Carry on,

Mark

 

Thanks. Will definitely check on that. Figured the report is not 100% perfect, but it's a start. That's why I'm also getting the PPI.

 

Caveat emptor. The M278 V8 in this vehicle is not aging well. Lots written on this site. Go to the W212, W213, W222 and W166 sections.

"Well-kept" and "smooth engine" are no guarantee of a long and happy relationship with this car.

1. Possibly. Pay for a borescope at the dealer or independent shop to check for cylinder scoring. Scoring is in practical terms unrepairable and fatal in mid-late stages. The "repair" is a rebuilt or replacement engine which is $$$.

2. See below:
- cylinder scoring. Symptoms are CEL and oil consumption.
- oil in the engine wiring harness at cam position sensor, cam magnet and ECU connectors
- leaking turbo coolant lines
- valve issues, I think exhaust valve guide. I don't have the details on this but you can read about it on this site.

3. see above

 

I did like you and bought a 2012 E550 two years ago and did a good amount of work to get it to be full caliber. Here’s what I will share from my experience over the last two years. I enjoyed it but maybe won’t be same for you since I knew going in that I would be buying parts and replacing them. I treated this as a project car to learn and be better acquainted with all the vehicle subsystems.

1. Water pump, Thermostat, Serpentine Belt, Engine to Turbos coolant lines, Shut-Off Valve. Water pump, thermostat, and serpentine belt are normal wear and tear items to replace. The M278 engine coolant lines are made of plastic instead of rubber and will become brittle and break. There are three of them in the front of the motor and shut-off valve plastic part that’s part of the coolant system in the back of the motor. They are not expensive parts but labor will be. Expect $2K or so to get the coolant system sorted. Once one plastic part breaks, chances are they all will.

2. Suspension. A car with over 100K will need new control arms, sway bar links, shocks/struts. They sell kits for $400 from AutohausAZ with control arms and sway bar links (6 parts + 4 screws in total) and the 4 shocks/struts if they are electronic controlled by the sport mode button in the vehicle will be around $1.5K. These don’t need a German mechanic but definitely want a shop who is used to doing suspension parts.

3. Brake pads, rotors, and brake sensors (2 needed). These likely may be due for a new ones. Normal brake shop can do just get quality parts. Recommend checking AutohausAZ as well as GermanAutoParts, Pelican Parts, or FCPEuro. I got mine with genuine OEM parts from AutohausAZ for $700.

4. AC System. Likely will need a recharge and for me at least my air blower motor was rubbing too much making a noise so had the blower replaced. Part is $175.

5. Battery. This will likely need replacing if it hasn’t been in a while. $250-300 for a quality OEM battery.

6. Seatbelt Presenter. I learned the hard way the motor doesn’t go out, the control circuit does. It’s a part you just have to order used one on eBay for $40 vs new one for $300+. Not a required part to change but worth it to have it work properly.

7. A transmission fluid and filter change will need to be done at some point. I plan to do that later this season or start of next season. I’ve heard the transmission can give problems but so far no issues on my end. You may also want to do spark plugs and brake fluid but chances are those are in good shape unless you start to notice any abnormal performance issues.

8. M278 Engine. Make sure to watch videos of all the things that go wrong with the elegant but complicated engine. This can include oil leaking from cam shaft magnets or sensors, oil and coolant mixing due to failed gaskets, engine mounts needing replacement, etc. So find a good mechanic and stay vigilant to check engine every six months or so that no abnormal issues even if it’s driving well.

 

I owned a 2005 MINI Cooper S for nearly 17 years. It was nearly totaled in 2012 ( I had it rebuilt). It was crunched in a parking lot in 2016 (I had it fixed). None of this was on CARFAX report. The report indicated that I had the MINI serviced many times at an Audi dealer in Colorado ( I live in Florida). Oddly, the elderly lady down the street (and her elderly sister) own CARFAX....plus other media and automotive related companies. I was very honest with the man who purchased the MINI...and I did mentioned all of this to the lovely lady down the street. She didn't comment.


yup.


edited...maybe the elderly lady down the street didn't comment...because I was perhaps misinformed about her family owning CARFAX. (*** Media/*** Automotive).

 

Thanks for the input. This is good too know. Didn't even think about having someone look at the inside of the engine... Can't believe that didn't cross my mind LoL.

 

WOW! That's detailed and i love it!!! This is exactly the stuff I was looking for!

​​​​​​Thank you all for the great info. It's important to know what your getting and be able to make an educated decision based on info gathered!

​​​​​​A Lot to look into, read about, and think about.

Thanks again!

 

You’re welcome. Check your direct messages which show up on differently then a post.

 

I understand all of the previous posts were done with the best intentions. That’s the gamble you take with a used car. I’ve bought many used premium brand vehicles. Only a couple of bad eggs. Yes, you could go buy a new or newer Toyota Camry but what fun is that. Make your decision and do not live in fear. My advice is to get a thorough ppi done, catch up any needed maintenance, and be prepared to drop $1-2k on a repair if needed. And have fun with your new cabrio. I do. Steve

 

Thanks! I always take everything with a grain of salt. Every car is different, but having an idea of what your getting into makes the after purchase care expected and didn't turn evening into buyers remorse. 😉

 

If you're testing the waters with a cabriolet, I'd suggest buying something newer that still has some meat on the warranty. The last thing you want to deal with is buying a nine year old Cab that has holes in it's service history. You should also be concerned about the age of the hydraulic lines for the top. It would suck to buy this cab and shortly afterwards, have to deal with a leaky top or major engine work required...

 

Funny you say that... That's exactly what my wife and I have been talking about all weekend. I have a feeling doing s bit more but having the confidence of a warranty or CPO is going to help cover the initial issues. That's exactly what happened to my wife's last car. It was perfect exterior, interior, and Carfax. It came with a CPO. After 2 1/2 months of driving it we had to take it to the shop and it was almost $2500 worth of work. Luckily that and the rental for the week we're covered by the CPO). The camera and sensors for the active lane keep assist / self drive feature had to be replaced.
I guess this case would be no different. Better be safe than sorry! Especially when you're looking at luxury cars with a much higher dollar price tag FOR EVERYTHING. LoL

 

Second that on the top hyraulic cylinders. Typically go out at 8-12 years old. TopHydraulics.com can source better quality cylinders. You can then get a local shop experienced in A207 top repairs to install them. Budget about $3K for the job and parts.

Also NEVER run the cabriolet thru the car wash, Mercedes specifically says that can damage the fabric of the top.

AS noted above, search on the M278 engine...lots of threads about issues that can and will come up.
Have you looked on the Market place on MBWorld ? I just sold my A207 E350 cabriolet but there may be others.

 

Thanks for the info. Definitely have more homework to do before I do anything else LoL.

 

Hey. I own a 2012 E550 albeit with only 26k miles (which brings its own challenges as cars like being driven). LOVE this car, although the power scares my wife a bit!

I live in the Boston area and have been lucky enough to have it serviced at one of top independent shops in the country. I've had the conversation about M278 engines and just like doctors tell you not to read about your maladies on the internet, they said the same can be said for the M278. Are there issues? Yes, but in most cases they are not as widespread or horrific as the internet makes them out to be.

Best of luck with your decision, let me know if you want to make an offer on mine. ;-)

 

Hey, to buy or not buy an E550 cab is a nice challenge to have! I own a 2012 E550 cab, albeit with only 26k miles (which brings its own challenges as cars like being driven). I LOVE this car, although the power scares my wife a bit!

I live in the Boston area and have been lucky enough to have it serviced at one of top independent shops in the country. I've had the specific conversation with them about M278 engines and just like doctors tell you not to read about your maladies on the internet, they said the same can be said for the M278. Are there issues? Yes, but in most cases they are not as widespread or horrific as the internet makes them out to be.

Best of luck with your decision, let me know if you want to make an offer on mine. ;-)

 

Thanks. That's why I take everything in with a grain of salt.
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet" reminds me of that commercial on TV a while back with that lady saying I'm going on a date with my French model... and it's some random guy that says bonjour in a very American accent 😂.

 

I've always wondered about this, but never bothered to check OM. I've been running mine through the same soft-cloth wash for 5 years, but I'm wondering how that may impact the lifespan of the top. I don't have any other way to wash, as I live in an apartment building now that doesn't have a car-wash area/facility. The other issue for me is the underbody wash that's hard to do at home.

Update: So I just checked the OM and MM. The OM says not to use touchless-car washes for paint and plastic issues with chemicals, but no mention about the top...

 

from my 2012 OM. Specifcally says NO HOT WAX for the cabriolet. That covers almost all car washes near me.

It is preferable to use car washes with
adjustable22 high-pressure precleaning. In
car washes that use high water pressures,
there is a risk that a small amount of water
may leak into the vehicle.
! Cabriolet: do not treat the vehicle with
hot wax under any circumstances.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I think most car washes should have an option for no hot wax. I think the bigger issue is the frequency of washes. As car washes are being gobbled up by VCs, the pricing models have moved towards subscription-based, which means you could wash every day for a fixed monthly or annual fee. My local car wash was bought out and converted to a pricing model that favors the subscription model over the individual wash. If I wash the car at least once a week, I'm actually paying less than I did with the previous model, substantially cheaper.

However, as I have a Cab, I have to make sure I don't overdo it, so I think once a week is probably the limit.

 

I have a 2014 e550 coupe 50,550 miles. Might be selling fully equipped... If interested let me know.

 

2012 E550 Cabrio 12,000 miles, dealer serviced. I-95 corridor about halfway between Philly and Baltimore. Willing to entertain offers.