Hit

I would like to know if the car is reliable. I have heard that the E class is a bad car after 100,000 miles and the opposite from another people like the E-class is one of the most reliable Mercedes out there. I would like some advise on the topic

cetialpha5

Depends on the year. The 2006 and early 2007 were one of the worst for the E350. The new M272 engine had balance shaft problems which is a 5-7k repair. It happens to a good percentage of them, but maybe not all. I wouldn't gamble on it. The 2006 also had SBC brakes which will cost around 1k to repair. They got rid of that in 2007, but the early 2007 still had the balance shaft problem. The 2008/2009 are the best of the W211.

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...nce-shaft.html

Oh and while some think that after a certain mileage you're ok, there are threads on here with people having the problem at the 130-160k range.

jimbo1763

+1 to what cetialpha5 said. I have a 2006 and a 2007. My 2007 has had a myriad of problems, including the balance shaft, but is now running strong at 188K miles. My 2006 (wife's car) has had almost no problems at 70K miles, although I hold my breath waiting for the balance shaft codes to come on (fingers crossed). If the car needs the repair, the cost is large and would come close to totaling its value.

SBC brakes are another matter, although more of a maintenance matter (as opposed to a defect). I really like the SBC brakes, but I know there will be a need to replace the pump in the not too distant future.

Bahnstormer

Balance shaft issue for ALL 2006 E350s - run away.

Hit

burgca

Hit

Here are some pics of the car

cetialpha5

That was a nice one. Had real leather, bixenons and the pano roof. If you had the vin, we could find out more. Too bad it was a 2006. If you got the VMI from an MB dealer that showed the balance shaft had been done, then I'd feel safer or you could have had it checked out to see how the balance shaft is holding up. There are several videos on youtube that show you how to check it.

Hit

cetialpha5

Not too much else there, also has the folding rear seat, but no keyless go or parktronic.

You just use a vin decoder like this one:

https://www.datamb.com/

Bet that C class doesn't have bixenons, that's not too common an option, not even sure if it was available back in 2002.

Strigoi

Unless that one is super cheap, I'd keep looking. There are much cleaner ones out there.

Andre91

I would also be hesitant to buy a Mercedes (or any car for that matter) from a buy-here-pay-here lot, they aren't usually known for having the best quality inventory. If you're looking for an E-class, I would keep looking for a 2008+ or even a late build 2007 that falls outside the affected range for the balance shaft problem. A significant number of changes were made between 2006 and 2007, and the later cars are going to be on average more reliable. The other big plus is that the 2007+ cars have a regular braking system, avoiding the added cost of servicing the SBC system. The downside is that some options were decontented from the E350, specifically the quad zone climate control and airmatic. I suspect they wanted to further differentiate it from the E550 and removed a few options.

These cars are 9 years old at the newest, the most important thing is the maintenance history. A car that has been serviced on schedule with quality fluids and parts will be far more reliable than one that's been neglected or only had oil changes at the local quick lube. Ideally there should be maintenance records available for you to look at to confirm it's history. You can also get a record of all services and warranty work performed at a Mercedes dealer by requesting a VMI. They probably won't give you a hard copy for a car you don't own because it contains the owner's personal information, but they should read off the service history for you. I would avoid a car that's had numerous warranty claims, especially for the same problem.

What's up with the missing paint on the rear bumper and trunk lid? Makes me suspicious of it being repainted (poorly), possibly because of an accident. Body repair is really hit and miss, simply comes down to the quality of the work. My own car had the trunk lid and a rear quarter refinished in 2012 due to a minor accident and the new paint is indistinguishable from the original.

No matter what the history of the car is, or where you buy it, a pre purchase inspection is a must! Never know what surprises could be hiding.