ProV1

I know 1997 was the first yr for E420.. are 97 E420s known to have a lot more problems and reliability issues? any comments or experience specific to 97 E420s would be great. thx in advance

tbone55

ditto for me. I'm looking at a 97 e420 w/96k on it...it's MB certifird "pre-owned", but would love some info from the board.

Musikmann

1997 was the only year the E420 was produced, 1998-2002 MB used the 430 engine. I don't think they made an E-Class with an 8-cylinder in 1996 and earlier. However, there were some S-Class sedans with that engine, and it was only replaced because the 430 was found to be more fuel efficient. From what I've read on here, there are NO serious design flaws with the 420 powerplant.

In my opionion, 110k and 96k are relatively "low mileage" Mercedes (2007s are out so that is only 10k per year on these two beasts). Just be prepared to spend some more money maintaining them in their due time.

Lastly, a 1997 M-B with 96k is too old to qualify as a fresh CPO from Daimler-Chrysler AG. If the previous owner bought it as such, these are transferable to the new owner.

urHoneyinmy420

i remember when i use to have to take my 420 to mercedes every few months due to check engine light, until i decided to take it to my own mechanic. now it runs perfect. no major issues. if you can get a 430 instead, get it. its newer and looks better imo, due to the better looking front bumper. but the 420 is a great machine.

ProV1

the 97 E420 I'm looking at has had 1 owner, so that's good. but it's got a visible rust hole on the trunk, who knows how much rust is on the car elsewhere. not surprising since this is a Michigan car and is 10 yrs old....

urHoneyinmy420

rust already? ditch it. go find yourself a better car with less mileage. im already having to replace stuff and my baby is at 86 k

gujupimpster89@

my car had alot of problems, and i have put a GREAT amount of money into it, for repairs. But the car is pretty beastly, and i also have a rust spot on my trunk lid, its a common problem, but im getting it fixed this weekend. But i still think that u should go for a 430 if possible

ProV1

what's the fix for the trunk lid rust hole? replace the entire lid? can you tell me how much they're quoting you ??

my E430 rocket

and i know exactly where u can find one lol

telemakhos

Rust is a common problem. See the following I saw on another site.

If your car falls between (96-2002 E-Class) (2000-2002 S-Class) (200-2002 C-Class) I would definitely recommend rustproofing.

There is an inside trade secret which I am about to reveal to you!!

During those years Mercedes decided to do a bit of cost cutting and from what I heard it goes something like this.

Each new cars body shell was dipped into a special solution which would keep the metal from corroding. The solution was very costly and could only be used a few times (hypothetically lets say around 27) before it would become to weak and had to be replaced.

So if 27 cars were dipped the first one would have the maximum protection and the last one would have the minimum standard. So if cost cutting was the issue of the day, they decided to increase the the amount of cars dipped (hypothetically lets say 35) in order to save money.

This made the cars as vulnerable to corrosion as any other cars and with the Mercedes policy of not undercoating cars this left quite a few people with very little protection.

Now the reason you only see some of the cars corroding is because the first 27 have adequate protection but the other 8 do not. (keep in mind I am speaking hypothetically with the numbers).

The new guy in charge of MB is all for quality and has decided to do away with cost savings, so he decreased the number from (hypothetically) 27 to 20 because he wants everyone to have the maximum corrosion protection.

Now that leaves a few people with cars that are unprotected and showing signs of corrosion. These owners should see the Mercedes rep in their area and make sure they fix the car at little to no charge.

Having been in the business I can tell you that Mercedes is fixing an awful lot of cars out of the warranty period right now. They know this is an issue and will usually stand behind the product.

However, I have heard of some people being quoted only partial participation and that is wrong. This is obviously a Mercedes defect and the reason I am breaking this news is to make sure everyone gets a fair crack at having their car properly repaired.

Write you dealer and if that does not work write head office.
Expect to be helped on 98-2002 cars, I think the later ones are OK.

Now everyone please do not panic because not everyones car is affected, it is only those cars that were dipped in a weakened solution that are at risk. The problem is that you do not know if your vehicle falls into that category so I would recommend doing a thorough corrosion inspection about twice a year.