Purchasing a W212 2014 E350 4Matic
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 10
Likes: 1
2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic (Premium Package 2)
Purchasing a W212 2014 E350 4Matic
Hi, I've been lurking here for a bit recently because I am seriously considering purchasing a 2014 E350 4Matic Sport Sedan.
I've done countless hours of searching and reading on all the cars within my price range and I have fallen in love with the 2014 E350.
I know about most the features and add-ons for the car and the main things I need are the 4Matic AWD for the winters, the facelift variant for better reliability,
and the set suspension to save myself potentially thousands of dollars.
The reason I made an account today and am posting on the forums is because of the search bar.
I believe this is the best place for REAL information on Mercs because it is coming straight from people who own or have owned one.
However, the search bar for the forum rejects common words so it is extremely difficult for me to find the information here that I need.
I have done searches on google but there are so many different people saying different things that it's hard to know what's true or not.
So for those who actually have owned the 2014-16 E350:
- What are all of the specific maintenance problems that you've experienced and needed fixed?
- How much did it cost you to fix the problems?
- What are ways I can prevent these problems from happening? (Such as specific models or add-ons for the E350 that will increase the longevity of the car)
- And most importantly, what do I need to look for when purchasing one to know that the car is in immaculate condition?
Any advice, tips, and insights are greatly appreciated.
This is the car I want and I know it is going to be more expensive to own than, say, a Hyundai...
But I would like to cut costs where I can to own such a beautiful car.
I've done countless hours of searching and reading on all the cars within my price range and I have fallen in love with the 2014 E350.
I know about most the features and add-ons for the car and the main things I need are the 4Matic AWD for the winters, the facelift variant for better reliability,
and the set suspension to save myself potentially thousands of dollars.
The reason I made an account today and am posting on the forums is because of the search bar.
I believe this is the best place for REAL information on Mercs because it is coming straight from people who own or have owned one.
However, the search bar for the forum rejects common words so it is extremely difficult for me to find the information here that I need.
I have done searches on google but there are so many different people saying different things that it's hard to know what's true or not.
So for those who actually have owned the 2014-16 E350:
- What are all of the specific maintenance problems that you've experienced and needed fixed?
- How much did it cost you to fix the problems?
- What are ways I can prevent these problems from happening? (Such as specific models or add-ons for the E350 that will increase the longevity of the car)
- And most importantly, what do I need to look for when purchasing one to know that the car is in immaculate condition?
Any advice, tips, and insights are greatly appreciated.
This is the car I want and I know it is going to be more expensive to own than, say, a Hyundai...
But I would like to cut costs where I can to own such a beautiful car.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 545
Likes: 230
From: Toronto & California
2015 ML400 4MATIC, 2016 C300 4MATIC, 2014 E350 4MATIC (Totaled), 2006 E350 (Sold)
Hi, firstly welcome!
I own a 2014 E350 with 131,000km
Personally not much has gone wrong, one of the parking sensors on my car have gone bad and will need replacing, and as well as speakers. A common issue is the right rear passenger door speaker to go, and subwoofer to go, So check that out by setting the balance to the right rear corner.
One other issue i faces was the car would lose power and esp inoperative would go off, after a diagnostics, it showed the car needed the ECU pins to be repined, but after unplugging the module, and plugging it back in, all errors were gone
Cost:
The speakers were replaced with ebay purchases
$250 CAD Subwoofer
$66 CAD Rear Door Speaker
Labour $250 CAD
Sensor (haven’t replaced it yet) $100 roughly
Not much goes wrong other then that, engine wise, you may need to replace the spark plug as they’re suppose to be replaced every 6 years or 60,000miles. So that is probably due and will cost quite a bit, not an easy job.
I own a 2014 E350 with 131,000km
Personally not much has gone wrong, one of the parking sensors on my car have gone bad and will need replacing, and as well as speakers. A common issue is the right rear passenger door speaker to go, and subwoofer to go, So check that out by setting the balance to the right rear corner.
One other issue i faces was the car would lose power and esp inoperative would go off, after a diagnostics, it showed the car needed the ECU pins to be repined, but after unplugging the module, and plugging it back in, all errors were gone
Cost:
The speakers were replaced with ebay purchases
$250 CAD Subwoofer
$66 CAD Rear Door Speaker
Labour $250 CAD
Sensor (haven’t replaced it yet) $100 roughly
Not much goes wrong other then that, engine wise, you may need to replace the spark plug as they’re suppose to be replaced every 6 years or 60,000miles. So that is probably due and will cost quite a bit, not an easy job.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 545
Likes: 230
From: Toronto & California
2015 ML400 4MATIC, 2016 C300 4MATIC, 2014 E350 4MATIC (Totaled), 2006 E350 (Sold)
Hi, I've been lurking here for a bit recently because I am seriously considering purchasing a 2014 E350 4Matic Sport Sedan.
I've done countless hours of searching and reading on all the cars within my price range and I have fallen in love with the 2014 E350.
I know about most the features and add-ons for the car and the main things I need are the 4Matic AWD for the winters, the facelift variant for better reliability,
and the set suspension to save myself potentially thousands of dollars.
The reason I made an account today and am posting on the forums is because of the search bar.
I believe this is the best place for REAL information on Mercs because it is coming straight from people who own or have owned one.
However, the search bar for the forum rejects common words so it is extremely difficult for me to find the information here that I need.
I have done searches on google but there are so many different people saying different things that it's hard to know what's true or not.
So for those who actually have owned the 2014-16 E350:
- What are all of the specific maintenance problems that you've experienced and needed fixed?
- How much did it cost you to fix the problems?
- What are ways I can prevent these problems from happening? (Such as specific models or add-ons for the E350 that will increase the longevity of the car)
- And most importantly, what do I need to look for when purchasing one to know that the car is in immaculate condition?
Any advice, tips, and insights are greatly appreciated.
This is the car I want and I know it is going to be more expensive to own than, say, a Hyundai...
But I would like to cut costs where I can to own such a beautiful car.
I've done countless hours of searching and reading on all the cars within my price range and I have fallen in love with the 2014 E350.
I know about most the features and add-ons for the car and the main things I need are the 4Matic AWD for the winters, the facelift variant for better reliability,
and the set suspension to save myself potentially thousands of dollars.
The reason I made an account today and am posting on the forums is because of the search bar.
I believe this is the best place for REAL information on Mercs because it is coming straight from people who own or have owned one.
However, the search bar for the forum rejects common words so it is extremely difficult for me to find the information here that I need.
I have done searches on google but there are so many different people saying different things that it's hard to know what's true or not.
So for those who actually have owned the 2014-16 E350:
- What are all of the specific maintenance problems that you've experienced and needed fixed?
- How much did it cost you to fix the problems?
- What are ways I can prevent these problems from happening? (Such as specific models or add-ons for the E350 that will increase the longevity of the car)
- And most importantly, what do I need to look for when purchasing one to know that the car is in immaculate condition?
Any advice, tips, and insights are greatly appreciated.
This is the car I want and I know it is going to be more expensive to own than, say, a Hyundai...
But I would like to cut costs where I can to own such a beautiful car.
Some common problems that I have noticed is:
Wood fading, try to avoid Burl Walnut Trim all together, it’s hit or miss
MB Tex Seats - you know if it has mb tex if it has two horizontal rectangles in the bottom seat cushion. In this case, you would probably have the seam fail in the future, it is just a given common problem
Worn out buttons - Thw coating applied to the buttons can chip off overtime and expose white plastic, and looks ugly.
Taillights Working? A common issue with this is the taillights going out, haven’t had mine go out yet but it happens so check if all the leds are working and no bugs are in them.
Finally one big gripe of mine is HEADLIGHTS!
Get one with the LED Intelligent Light System, looks and performs way better then the other headlights.
Other then that you are golden
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 795
Likes: 189
From: San Diego, CA
2016 E350 Sport; Mom Wrecked the 2008 E350; sold the 2002 C320
Welcome and congrats on your anticipated purchase.
Other than what has already been mentioned, these cars are pretty reliable. The one issue I had was that the parking/emergency brake would not release all the way and cause the "brake on" message and I'd have to get my foot under it to lift it all the way. I had the entire mechanism replaced under warranty.
As to what to check for before purchase, I's strongly advise you to spend a couple bucks and get a pre-purchase inspection done by a reliable shop and that way you'll know exactly what you're getting into. Nothing worse than nasty surprises after purchase.
Other than what has already been mentioned, these cars are pretty reliable. The one issue I had was that the parking/emergency brake would not release all the way and cause the "brake on" message and I'd have to get my foot under it to lift it all the way. I had the entire mechanism replaced under warranty.
As to what to check for before purchase, I's strongly advise you to spend a couple bucks and get a pre-purchase inspection done by a reliable shop and that way you'll know exactly what you're getting into. Nothing worse than nasty surprises after purchase.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 10
Likes: 1
2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic (Premium Package 2)
Thanks for the welcome 
And I'm glad to hear there's nothing that went horribly wrong with your car.
It puts my mind at ease hearing that.
So for the spark plugs, would there be a way to check if they're near due (or due) for a replacement?
And I'm glad to hear there's nothing that went horribly wrong with your car.
It puts my mind at ease hearing that.
So for the spark plugs, would there be a way to check if they're near due (or due) for a replacement?
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 10
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2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic (Premium Package 2)
So what I'm hearing is a handful of interior cosmetic flaws and exterior lighting.
Shouldn't be too hard to check for when doing a test drive.
Thanks for replying man
Shouldn't be too hard to check for when doing a test drive.
Thanks for replying man
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 545
Likes: 230
From: Toronto & California
2015 ML400 4MATIC, 2016 C300 4MATIC, 2014 E350 4MATIC (Totaled), 2006 E350 (Sold)
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Super Member
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 545
Likes: 230
From: Toronto & California
2015 ML400 4MATIC, 2016 C300 4MATIC, 2014 E350 4MATIC (Totaled), 2006 E350 (Sold)
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Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 10
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2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic (Premium Package 2)
Thanks for the welcome!
I'll make sure to check if the e-brake is fully functional when doing the test drive.
Honestly, having a mechanic with me or somehow having them check the car before
I purchased it would ease my mind so much.
Unfortunately, the exact car I have my eyes on is a bit far from me.
I've honestly been really lucky to have a sister who was a pretty heavy gear head
back then so hopefully she will be able to sniff out the potential problems.
Thank you for replying!
I'll make sure to check if the e-brake is fully functional when doing the test drive.
Honestly, having a mechanic with me or somehow having them check the car before
I purchased it would ease my mind so much.
Unfortunately, the exact car I have my eyes on is a bit far from me.
I've honestly been really lucky to have a sister who was a pretty heavy gear head
back then so hopefully she will be able to sniff out the potential problems.
Thank you for replying!
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 10
Likes: 1
2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic (Premium Package 2)
She's ****ing gorgeous...
The interior lighting is a feature I really wanted but couldn't find near me for a reasonable price
Car pics during rainy days are the best lmao
The interior lighting is a feature I really wanted but couldn't find near me for a reasonable price
Car pics during rainy days are the best lmao
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 545
Likes: 230
From: Toronto & California
2015 ML400 4MATIC, 2016 C300 4MATIC, 2014 E350 4MATIC (Totaled), 2006 E350 (Sold)
haha thanks, i believe the lightning feature is standard. and yes I also had the parking brake issue, but you just need to spray wd40 into it. Check out the thread that i made, there’s nothing “broken” in the mechanism. it just needs to be lubricated. it’s a common issue.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 518
Likes: 76
From: Mountaintop, PA
'14 W212 Sport, '52 MG TD, '21 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon
CHECK THE ENGINE NUMBER!!!! My '14 got its' engine rebuilt under warranty at 50K. There is a TSB out there that mentions a small window of engine numbers that had the wrist pins machined incorrectly, leading to piston slap and an eventual engine rebuild. It seems to be a very small number of 2014 engines but mine was one. Had the car not been under warranty the bill would have been almost $20K. Odd thing is, no one on this forum seems to have heard about it (I started a thread on it a few years ago if you search for it under my name) however when I had the work done, the dealer said it had been their third one in a month.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 795
Likes: 189
From: San Diego, CA
2016 E350 Sport; Mom Wrecked the 2008 E350; sold the 2002 C320
Another reason to get it professionally inspected is because the early W212s suffered from an oil leak that would seep into the engine wiring harness and in many cases ended up frying the ECU. From what I remember, there was a recall that covered a certain VIN range and although the issue was fixed by 2014, I have read a couple of stories from 2014 owners that suffered from this but their VIN numbers were not within the recall range and they were left to pound sand.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,306
Likes: 40
E 350
Well, I have the perfect exact car which you are looking for. I hope you have seen this thread in this same sub forum
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...4-e-350-a.html
I've also advertised it in the marketplace. Please look through the thread and let me know. Depending on how far away are you, you can personally check it out. The interior and exterior are mint, no mechanical problems so far, still under warranty and maintenance from Mercedes included for two more years.
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...4-e-350-a.html
I've also advertised it in the marketplace. Please look through the thread and let me know. Depending on how far away are you, you can personally check it out. The interior and exterior are mint, no mechanical problems so far, still under warranty and maintenance from Mercedes included for two more years.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 10
Likes: 1
2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic (Premium Package 2)
Thank you for the warning!
An extra $20k is not something I could afford..
I'll be sure to check the engine number.
Is there a way to check this on the physical car or would I have to see papers/vins?
An extra $20k is not something I could afford..
I'll be sure to check the engine number.
Is there a way to check this on the physical car or would I have to see papers/vins?
Thread Starter
Newbie
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Posts: 10
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2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 4Matic (Premium Package 2)
Hey, I am fairly close (DMV area) but unfortunately, I am fairly picky and was looking for one that was black.
It sucks too because that is a pretty good deal for the miles that are on it..
It sucks too because that is a pretty good deal for the miles that are on it..
Out Of Control!!
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Posts: 15,901
Likes: 4,630
From: North Scottsdale, AZ
'71 Pinto
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,306
Likes: 40
E 350
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,273
Likes: 129
From: Orlando, FL
2015 GL550 4matic
If you get a 350 run the VIN through online tools to list all the options it has. The original price can vary greatly depending on option boxes checked, I'm sure all the options would double the price off the lot. I would not compromise on a luxury car with fake leather (aka MB Tex). The LED lighting package looks great, but if you ever have a problem or a crash they are wayyyyy more expensive to repair / replace. You are right to avoid airmatic suspension. From there, just determine which options you really want, like the distronic cruise control? Lane keeping? Keyless? Pano roof? I've noticed that MB is very a-la-carte with the options, especially on the base models. I'm looking for a GL(S) 550 soon, I may compromise on a newer / lower mileage 450, but I really have to inspect every option on the 450, where the 550 seems to just come fully loaded all the time. The 550s all have real leather interior. The Designo interiors are just beautiful!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 6,190
Likes: 1,550
From: MA
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
If you get a 350 run the VIN through online tools to list all the options it has. The original price can vary greatly depending on option boxes checked, I'm sure all the options would double the price off the lot. I would not compromise on a luxury car with fake leather (aka MB Tex). The LED lighting package looks great, but if you ever have a problem or a crash they are wayyyyy more expensive to repair / replace. You are right to avoid airmatic suspension. From there, just determine which options you really want, like the distronic cruise control? Lane keeping? Keyless? Pano roof? I've noticed that MB is very a-la-carte with the options, especially on the base models. I'm looking for a GL(S) 550 soon, I may compromise on a newer / lower mileage 450, but I really have to inspect every option on the 450, where the 550 seems to just come fully loaded all the time. The 550s all have real leather interior. The Designo interiors are just beautiful!
