sLickfITY

I am currently looking to buy a used W211 and i have been doing some research on this forum to see what kind of things fail or things to watch out for on this car. I am currently looking at a 2003 E500 with 100k miles. KBB values this car $11,400(low) to $13,700(high). I read here that the motor mounts and front lower ball joints are a pretty common problem on this chassis. What are some of the other things i should be aware of when purchasing this vehicle from a mom-n-pops dealer? Thanks in advance

werewolf34

My 2cents
1) 2003 is the 1st year for this version of the e-class. there were a lot of problems in this model yr
2) 2003 have electronic brakes. these are problematic
3) make sure you have budget to fix stuff for the next few years
4) 100K miles. If the car was babied, I would expect 30-60k more miles out of the tranny
5) can you pull service records from the VIN? No service records = real issue

If I was you, I would buy directly from an owner with records. If you get this wrong, it will cost you.

Good luck!

220S

fwiw, I wouldn't buy a 2003 with 100k from a Mom and Pop dealer.

That nice low looking price is just the beginning.

gaazmon

I would never buy a 2003 period. Just do a search and you will see why. I would recommend 05 to 06 if you are on more of a budget. If you have extra cash go for an 07. 04 will also have it's share of problems, but no where near as bad as 03.

lboudreau

+1

I also wouldn't touch the 2003s or the 2004s.

sunnySD

Hmm, $12K for car. Can't get extended warranty. Budget $10K for repairs. How about $20K for a later model year and less miles where you can get something like a Chrysler extended warranty on it for peace of mind?

braizedtofu

yeah everyones got good points, if you think about it, there is a reason why that 60k+ msrp car is only worth 10-13k. chances are the big maintenance items were not done, youll probably be looking at 2-3k in maintenance, right off the bat, if your planning on keeping it for a while. my indy claimed that the SBC pump recall ends at 100k miles im unsure what the exact terms are, but that sbc pump is worth a pretty penny

gaazmon

SBC pump is 10 yrs/unlimited mileage

lkchris

Mercedes are not and have never been maintenance free cars.

Maintenance for a $60K car will be rather high every year right up until it's scrapped.

It's part of the cost of ownership, and realistic owners are prepared for it.

sunnySD

I want parts and labor to be same cost as Toyota dealership.

K-A

Personally, when it comes to an M-B or the like, I'd rather spend some extra $$ and buy from the Dealer, Certified.

There's a reason a high-end car is going for that freakin' cheap. Not to mention it's got really high miles.

On top of that, I personally wouldn't touch an '03-'04 Benz.

I'd push the budget up higher if it's possible for you, and get a W211 that's a bit "smarter" of a purchase. Or I'd get a nice, clean, and well-maintained '00-'02 E55.

Barry45RPM

Yech... old ugly body/interior styling from a past generation. I'd go 06 > model year. The best ones were '07 & '08.

hawk25

Yeah its not even worth it just due to possible problems....but since it has 100k miles i would say the tranny/radiator have been replaced or trouble free of any defects. The w211 is a nice platform but can cost you some money to keep running in shape. I would suggest getting and extended bumper to bumper warranty if possible from where you decide to buy. There are better deals out there to check out.... did some looking at Carmax...this e500 is pretty nice...

http://www.carmax.com/enUS/view-car/...epage:homepage Make&Rp=R&PP=20&sV=List&CD=662+14+240+190+398+9&Q= 87709a4f-df8f-42d4-b847-71f5e1112bf3

If you found new possible run it by us well give it a look over and tell you what we all think about it.

Clinton Horn

I am going to stick up for the older W211 as I own one.
It does not have airmatic so no strut problems
It does not have a V-8 so no radiator problems
The tranny is not the slickest shifting on the planet but I hear plenty of that from the 09 owners as well.
The center console is a work of art compared to the roll top desk on the later models.
The grille / parking lights look well though out and is an elegant design. The later designs strike me as change for change sake.
The SBC certainly sounds scary but mine works every time.
I got 31.6 MPG on a 500 mile trip 4 days ago.
It does not have NAVI- I have a $108 Garmin that does an excellent job.
If I want to watch DVD's while driving, endangering everyone in my path, I have a $400 laptop for that.
I don't spend hours loading music to an ipod or MP3. I listen to the radio or play CD's. I guess I am too old to appreciate bluetooth. When I want to talk, I answer the phone. If I think traffic is an impediment, I let it go to voice
If you need your car to warn you to pay attention, stay in your lane, don't follow too closely, park for you, then perhaps you should consider turning in your driver's license.
I can't think of any commodity that is so closely watched and regulated by the market as are automobile resales.
If your Honda Accord sells for $2000 more than a Kia with similar equipment, it is because the driving public perceives that it has that amount of additional value.

Most of the advice here is sound. Buy the best you can afford and admit that miles/ age = ever increasing maintenance. If that were not so, depreciation would be non- existant.
Many people are terrified by maintenance / repair bills. If you are one of them, better get youself a Camry and yawn all the way to work.

NorseWagon

Slow down there Gramps.

Bluetooth in the W-211 is great: When the phone rings you hit a button on the steering wheel and start talking. No acrobatics to get phone out of pocket, then open it to hit the talk button, etc.

Bluetooth is truly a safety device as it keeps yer attention on the road.

As for the thread: I bought a 2004 a few months ago..All the warnings on these boards spooked me a bit so I bought an extended warranty 36/36000 for $3,100.00.

Then find out later I can buy a used tranny for $1,700.00 (48K miles) a brand new Airstrut even for the 4Matic for $399.00, etc, and so on.
Had I known that I may not have bought the extended warranty, but what the hell, it is done and I probably sleep better.
Especially since I got the car for $50,300.00 below new sticker price..

The complexity of these cars will require maintenance, just like a helicopter needs tons of it to keep hovering, it does not mean poor quality, just a tad over-engineered.

K-A

Don't get me wrong, I think the W211 is a ton better looking and far more of a refined design, I just love those things, from an enthusiasts and personal level. Then again, I'd love to have the 210 E55 as part of a "stable", as my main/primary car, I'd obviously choose some form of W211 over it.

BTW, can someone tell me how the hell I connect my Phone to my car via Bluetooth? I'm completely non-knowledgeable in Bluetooth, and just use my Phone the old fashioned way. If it's easy, I'd love to use it though.

NorseWagon

On the 2004 I bought a "puck" on the ebay, it is a Bluetooth Product with an MB parts number. ($325) hook it up to the 10 pin connector in the glove box. press a button for "search", when your phone and your car find each other, ya type in a password in the phone and you are in business.

The phone book from yer phone will down-load to the Command screen and you can also dial using the dash key pad. Talk to the 4 hidden mikes in the rear view mirror and listen to the car's speakers.

Did the above 3 weeks ago and pretty impressed, but my puck only works on the 2004..Your model year may be more $$.

Used a Motorola V3 Razr until last week and that worked okay..Now got a brand new Apple iPhone and it works much better.

All in all very happy with the system.

gaazmon

-The E500 he is looking at does have airmatic and I have airmatic and mine is a V6 (appearance package option), but I love the feature and knew what I was getting into
-I have a V6 and had the radiator damage my transmission. My car was CPO so everything was covered. This was the ONLY thing that really caught me by surprise.
-IMO, there is nothing wrong with the trannys on these cars (when you buy them at first that is). The blame should be put on the computers and software engineering for the trannys. The reason the shifts are off and out of wack is because of the way the software was designed. We own an 02 CL500 (5 speed) and the software must have been done right on those cars and it is flawless. I also have a 5 speed in my car and it works great once the throttle is reset and the computer is flushed. Damn you drive by wire!!! I have an 2010 GLK350 loaner from the dealer and the damn thing jerks EVERYTIME when the car shifts from 2 to 1 while braking.
-To the OP, even if you buy an 06 you will still have to deal with SBC, but there was only the ground wires and brackets recall for the 06 E and CLS so something must have have been changed with the SBC system for the 06 cars.
-Agree with the other stuff. The interior is much nicer on the prefacelifted E's and there are some things I don't like with the facelifted E's (exterior wise, too sharp in some ways).

+1 on the assist options. I would never buy that crap if they offered them as options. I don't need a computer to tell my to stay in my lane and apply brakes.

Honestly, to the OP, I have an 04 and love the car. The 2004 models had the best range of options, that's why I bought it. It took me 6 months to find it (and I didn't even have to search for this one, I just showed up at the dealership my family friend works at and the car had just come in an hour before me). With the 05s, the decontenting began but the quality went up a little. With 06, more options came out and the quality really started to improve. The 07-09 do have they're share of problems, but are generally doing better... so far.

The only REAL mishap I had was with the tranny failure. This can be avoided from happening (you can do a search and see how).

K-A

Fortunately since my Valve Body change my Tranny is working pretty good so far, I'm so stoked since that was my biggest problem with my car. I'm hoping it stays that way.

Gaazmon, how is the GLK? I hate those things, yet another new M-B design that is just devaluing the brand IMO. Apparently it's actually literally a C-Class with a taller shell, and slightly better/fancier interior, more wood, etc.

werewolf34

GLKs are uber-popular in SoCal...must be the 4matic

gaazmon

Ya, it's a C class in SUV form. Seats kind of sucked. Felt more uncomfortable than the C classes I've driven. Actually, it didn't even have wood, just aluminum. The car was quick and handled well with the 4matic (took it down sepulvida from the federal building when i got my passport last friday). Gas mileage was avg 15-16 on the city streets. Bet would get at least 1 mpg higher without 4matic. The car had the sport package with the running boards, which actually SUCKED!!! They were so badly designed, horrible. I liked how the pano roof could close with one touch and the cover could close with one touch as well (I have to hold mine to close). All in all, not bad, but prefer our Land Rover LR2 over it, even though the GLK was faster. Only other beef with car was it jerked everytime from gear shifting from 2 to 1 when braking.

MercFiveHundred

Not entirely true. I have 120K and i have glycol contamination.

I suggest that if you do get it, you change the radiator and coolant lines as soon as you get it, if it's a valeo brand. Airmatic will go if it hasnt already. Ball joints and engine mounts are considered maintenance items for this car imho.