rngrover2

Looking at buying a 2001 or 2002 E430 Benz..Anything in particular that these model years had any problems with? Anything to look for when buying one? Any input would helpful.
Chris

sosh

I had my E320 4M from new in Oct 00 till this past Feb. It was excellent. Only area to look at is the cats, for bad welds on the seam and internal rattles. Other than that a few trivial itms like the brake light switch and the wire harness for the fogs.

johnnydee

I'm also looking for a E430 or E 320 1999 to 2002 vintage.
I'm wondering if anyone switched because of gas mileage to the 320 and is
the 4matic worth the additional price?

Thanks John

Helmut430

I've owned my 2001 E430 since new as well,,, nothing more than a few rattles inside that were easily fixed under warranty by the dealer. oh, and one computer problem that wouldn't allow me to reset the time on the clock, also under warranty. They are GREAT cars!!

RobertG

also check out the harmonic balancer post here ,some 320 & 430 were affected . Some vehicles had window regulator issues .

sosh

4 Matic is well worth the price if you live in an area that gets slippery winter weather or other conditions that could cause loss of traction. I also believe that the 4 Matic cars handle better and have an even more solid feel

sbarsap

Helmut,

Did the rattle come from the rear right of the cabin? Do you know what they did to fixt it?

lexrex

I have the 4Matic and love it. The thing is a tank in snow. You practically have to floor it on snow to get the tires to break loose. I've had no issues whatsoever with the 4Matic system. From what I've read, the current generation 4Matic on the W210 is completely bulletproof. (The old W124 4Matic was an electronic and mechanical nightmare.)

Helmut430

yes, the rattle was in the rear, but in the headliner. a small clip that holds the sunroof wiring had come loose. All fixed by the dealer under warranty and based on what I read here, I have the BEST dealer in the country

livetodrive

1. Moonroof cover. To determine if this is the problem, move its position and check. Dealer added insulation.
2. Missing rear deck hold-down clip. Dealer replaced clip.
3. Headrest squeaked. Moving headrest up and down will cause it.
Best way to find the problem is to sit in the back and have someone drive you over your favorite bumpy road.

Polar Bear

Are you referring to the headrests for the back seats? I have discovered that my 2001 W210 squeaks when they are down. Is there a decent way to fix the moonroof cover? Mine seems to have that one as well. I hate rattles!

livetodrive

Wow, that's an old post, but anyway...
Yes, I was referring to the rear headrests. I suspect the dealer sprayed the mechanism with WD40. The squeak never returned.
The moonroof rattle over bumps was fixed by the dealer by installing foam pads in the headliner. They are not visible, so I don't know exactly what they did. It's been fine ever since.

E430_4MATIC

After 4 rear wheel drive MB's, I bought a 2000 E430 4Matic. I am continually amazed at its performance, which includes rainy days as well, and would not buy another Benz without it. I also test drove the E320 put preferred the power and smoothness of the V8. I get 23 mpg on the highway.

My only major complaint is that MB put low profile 17" wheels on all the 2000-2002 E430 models, not just the sport ones. The E320's and pre-2000 E430's have 16" wheels. I recently put on a set of Pirelli PZero Nero M&S tires which I am pleased to report are quiet and comfortable (finally).

I too had the headliner/sunroof rattles, some steering rack issues, a faulty brake light switch and fuel sending unit, and some a/c work, all covered under warranty.

Polar Bear

My car ran out of 4yr 50k warranty just a month or so ago (a few days before I purchased it). It is a Mercedes-Benz certified car, but I am sure they will not cover rattles, etc. I will probably investigate this on my own.

Search function works great!

slk55lvr

There certainly is no better car in bad weather. You can drive in a pouring rain storm @ 80 mph and the car feels like it's on rails. I've had more than a few sensors go bad ( MAF, ECU,SAS, one for the brakes) and they weren't cheap, but otherwise the cars been great. Get the 430 or 500, you'll notice the difference in performance.

rjm

I had a 2001 E-430 that I bought new and drove for 5 years. I had some of the usual problems reported with that series. Seat rails needed replacing due to movement and clicking when you went around corners, had the radio replaced when the volume control failed, and various suspension parts needed replacing very early (within the 1st 20,000 miles). Many have reported rust problems around bottom of doors and trunk lid, although I never had that problem (mine has always been garaged), and some have reported cracks in the dash panel covering. All of these have been pretty well documented on the various MB forums. At 32,000 miles a transmission seal leaked fluid into the harness feeding the Transmission Control Module causing the transmission to fail (that also is a somewhat common failure and has been documented on this forum). After that episode, I traded the car for a new Lexus LS-430, hoping for better dependibility and reliability and less time in the shop. Overall, I really liked the car...just too much time in the shop driving loaners.