spectre

Hi folks,

I'm looking at buying a new sedan and am seriously considering the new E series (W211). I know it's going to be different than the W210 but was wondering what your experiences have been with the maintenance.

Have you had serious breakdowns?
Oil leaks?
Computer failures?
Small, but annoying things like random beeping, flashing lights, loose trim, fading leather, etc?

And, if so, what was your experience like when dealing with MB Service.

Any input from E55 owners would be helpful as that is the car I'm currently considering.


Thanks for you help.

pocholin

My biggest complain is the obscene acceleration the car has!

MBDriver

Definatley get it!!!!! Real pimp ride, you'll be like this when cruzin. Playing with all the gadgets is like half the fun. Anyone who rides in my car flips when they see what the computer can do. And the cup holder, that thing is so cool. Always play with it at stop lights when Im bored.

pocholin

Seriously, I've only had the car with me for just over 2 months and almost 6k miles my car has 44k miles by now.
Left motor mount was deffective, it broke, replaced under warranty.
Evaporator unit (for AC) failed from time to time, replaced under warranty.
Rear window regulator broke, replaced under warranty.
Repairs were done very quick, excellent service. No rattles, or anoying sounds (except the freeway tire noise from the Potenzas RE730, they could be quieter)
Yes I know three broken items in two months doesn't sound good, but this could happen to any 1999 car with 40k + miles.

I love my car and the acceleration, and the looks, and the AMG badge, that makes it stand out from the MB crowd (no offense intended to anybody )

thegeneraltso

abs, esp and bas lights came on one day...traced to a faulty switch.

temp sensor needed replacing..always showing 10 deg higher

no loose trims/no fading leather or wood/no rattles/no leak ...have car over 2.5 years now

a definite buy !!

oresama99

no serious breakdowns and surprisingly enough no small annoying things either. so far it has been 100% fault free! as far as MB service goes i think it has a lot do with your respective dealer. but i think most places will try to keep an E55 owner happy and accomodate where possible.

MikeyE430

Only problems thus far with 2000 E430:

A/C quit at about 17K miles

Motorola StarTac phone is dead, on waiting list to get new one under warranty.

It appears there is very little maintenance to the newer models.

hpilot

I have a 2000 E320, and the car has NEVER been in the shop. By the way, make sure you get Command.

KWiK

I had a 2001 E320 and MBUSA bought it back under the lemon law.

From my bad experience, the car isn't worth the $$$.

Rdigglerino

The only problem I have had is the body shop cracked my bumper and this is from a 1996 e320 w210 just rolled 90000 and still strong.

Buy it

JohnAMG

I had 1996 E320, 1998 E430 Sport and currently own 2002 E55. All three cars are almost flawless except for the defective seat frames for the 1996 and 1998 which were repaired under warranty. The E55 is an awsome car and I can't imagine the new E55( W211) with increased engine output. Get the E55 if you can but the E500 is also adequate. Finding a dealer with a superb service department is just as important as the car you buy. Not all service departments are created equal therefore do your research. In Boston I would recommend Herb Chamber and in western New York I would recomend Mercedes Benz of Buffalo. Good luck.

John

phungpho

My 2000 E430 currently has 7k miles. Yep, just 7k miles. There's only 1 minor problem: the differential block was leaking. Of course, Mercedes fixed it free for me and also they changed the defective seat frames (I didn't notice that there are defective!).

My sister has an 2001 E320. The evaporator unit for AC didn't work.

My niece has a 2001 Lexus RX300. At the traffic ligth, the engine just died, can not restart... Tow the car to dealer... change the computer unit....

So, no big deal, that's why we have the warranty


I really like my Benz and I am sure this one won't be my last Benz.

spectre

Thanks so much for your input!

JohnAMG:
For the E55 is oil consumption an issue?
When is the first service for the car?
Is this your daily driver or a garage queen?

I've never owned a car of this caliber and so am a little concerned about maintenance issues. Not so much the cost but the time. Am I going to find myself babying a car like this (E55) to keep it out of the service center?

For those of you who had problems (minor or major) how would you rate your experience with MB? I know it's different from dealership to dealership but certain manufacturers have a culture of "customer is king" and its reflected in the service center. Lexus, I think is a good example. As opposed to BMW.


Thanks.

pocholin

Just checked my odometro, i've already put 7k miles on my car, I've driven it hard most of the time, http://home.earthlink.net/~cherriie/E55.wmv but clean it almost everyday, that is about the only babying i'm doing to the car, I'll probably wax it again next week with Mothers pure wax.

Oil level remains at exactly the same level as when i got it, this is my first MB, it is an E55 and I'm extremelly satisfied with the car and the service department at the dealer, I've never received such a good service here in the U.S. Oil changes are schedule to about 10k miles, computer will let you know when its time, as you can see by the milage mine is a daily driver, only thing I have about my car is the dust from the brake pads, I clean the wheels and 20 miles after they already have considerable amount of brake dust. Next mod is a set of kevlar brake pads!

MBDriver

Man I hate the brake dust. I got the stock crappy rims right now and they got the little slits around it. If it was the AMG 5 spokes it would be easy to clean, just wipe. With mine you gotta do each individually.

JohnAMG

My E55 has about 6K miles and the oil consumption is roughly the same and the it is more fuel efficient than I expected from a V8. I take my E55 as often as I can but not frequently during the winter. This is because I live south of Buffalo NY and it REALLY SNOW! Therefore I use my ML during the winter. My wife drives the CLK. You will definately baby the car but you also drive it any chance you get. It is very addicting. My experience with MB is extremely positive and it helps when my dealer caters to my needs. Now I just need to stop them trying to sell me the SL500!

John

EddieGTP

It is a great car - It is here now and is not a 2003 [USA] 'vapor car'.

Anyway: TeleAid was saying that the alarm was going off. It wasn't. Bad sensor.

A real issue: The steering was way off alignment. The pointed star should be at 80mph and the car should go straight.
It didn't. With the steering wheel straight, my Benz would would veer to the right, ever so slightly. UGH.

All covered under warranty.