THANK YOU in advance for anyone that reads this.

I have a 2011 E350 with 133k miles on it.

I brought it into a local dealership for repair and they hit me with $5.5k repair bill.

Vehicle still needs a new muffler and some type of flush (they quoted +$1700 for muffler and +$650 for the flush)

Should I pay to get this vehicle repaired or cut my losses?

Important info: The car also needs bodywork (probably needs both side panels replaced due to severe dents and scratches) and I still owe $10k on the loan for this car.

My GF has NOT been kind to this car!

The way I see it, I have 3 choices right now:

1. Cut my losses. If I do this, I would probably try to pay off the loan and sign the title over to the dealership if they are willing to do that. They are still considering if they would take the car but they definitely would not give me money for it. I can't try to sell it anymore cuz I'm $5.5k deep in repair bills with them (the dealer kept calling me to approve additional repairs after I approved the previous ones, and they only "found" the bent muffler AFTER I approved the $5k+ in repairs, same with the flush issue but I don't think any of that matters now).

2. I would just pay for the repairs, keep the car and try to get the muffler and flush done at a smaller shop.

3. One other option the dealership has offered is for me to "trade in" my car, which would involve them waiving my repair bill, giving me zero value for my old car, then having me buy a new or used Mercedes/Audi from them and they would in turn buy my $10k loan to add to my new loan with them. I don't really want a Mercedes or Audi right now only because of my finances so I would rather get a cheaper car and I don't really want to be giving away my car to them AND staying a customer with them since they really did me dirty with the repairs (they called me 3 additional times to keep tacking on additional repairs after I approved the previous repairs).

I am out of my depth here, any help and guidance would be BEYOND appreciated. Thank you again!

 

Not sure what king of advice your seeking an a Mercedes forum... sounds like you need financial advice. How much you owe on a car vs. $$ you spend on maintenance/repairs are two different things.

I know someone like that at work... he keeps putting his "debt" from one car to another, high credit card debt and pulled money out of his 401k. He'll learn eventually...

 

Oh nice, so you posted just to compare me to a financially irresponsible coworker without knowing anything about me instead of saying anything helpful... got it. Thanks

And yes, of course the cost of repair and how much I owe are two different things. I thought that this information, along with everything else in my OP, could be factored in to help determine the final calculus of which option is best (or maybe a member has another option I didn't think of).

I was hoping to get any suggestions or recommendations that any members would be kind enough to provide, including any insight into the projected life of a 2011 E350 with 133k miles, how that fits in with repair cost thresholds and any other information they might be willing to share.

 

Keep the car. Trade in the girlfriend.
You're welcome.

Edited to add: Find an indy for the muffler and buy a few tools to do the flush yourself. Whatever fluid they're doing (transmission/brakes/power steering/coolant) isn't hard to do.

Edited to ask: What did they fix for $5500?

 

if the GF dented it, she owes you for the body work

 

Just traded in the GF and they gave me $2k off the repair bill in exchange

Thank you for the advice regarding the muffler and flush (I would probably try to find an indy to do both since my car skills stop at filling up the gas tank). Would it be safe to assume that based on your reply, you feel that keeping the car is a no-brainer and that it is worth investing the money in it?


For $5.5k they fixed:

- Both rear springs/coils - $900
- Replaced oil filter housing with gaskets - $672
- 4-wheel alignment - $199
- Replace side marker lamps - $242
- Replace drive belt tensioner - $634
- Replace engine mounts - $1593
- Replace rear brake pads & rotors - $594
- Replace transmission mount - $510
- Replace oil centrifuge - $271
- Replace right side light socket - $253

- sales tax $480

Before everyone ridicules me for how badly I was fleeced, in my defense I just want to say that this actually all adds up to $6.4k but I complained about them telling me about new repairs 3 different times and they offered me 15% off the bill, bringing it closer to $5.5k

 

I would consider all those repairs normal for a W212... the prices for some are reasonable, others are.... yeah, probably should have shopped around. I agree with rapidoxidation, cut your loses with this shop and pay what you owe. Find a recommended indy in your area who specializes in euros and consider having them perform the flush and estimate for exhaust work.

As far as future maintenance, you nailed most of the big stuff once these cars hit 100k/10yrs. Only thing I can think of besides regular maintenance and unplanned repairs would be the intake manifold (broken linkage for swirl flaps) and airmatic (if optioned) which is inevitable at some point.

Man, I need to start offering to do motor/trans mounts as a side job on these W212s... already did three cars, two of which were mine.

 

Thanks. That is somewhat comforting to hear that at least some of the repair prices were reasonable and also that many of these repairs are standard for the current mileage of this vehicle.

I really appreciate the replies thus far. It sounds like so far, the way everyone is talking, paying to repair the vehicle and keeping it is the only sensible option here?

 

Motor mounts book at 5 hours, which means I can get them done in three working on my back on the ground. Thanks OP for the itemized list with cost. Makes me feel like I'm saving a literal small fortune when I look at all items and say to myself "yep, I can definitely do that myself", but then again, my life is so boring, slow and monotonous that I actually look forward to working on my cars.

 

You're asking a question that only you can answer. It's a purely subjective question. It's moot. If you're really asking if we would want to hold onto a piece of **** that we were upside-down on, then I'm pretty sure the general consensus would most likely be no. It sucks and you're stressed, we get it. Wrap it around a telephone pole, call Flo and tell her what you did, and call it a day.

 

Sweet Jesus, what in the hell is a $672 oil filter housing with a gasket? Please tell me they didn’t charge you damn near $700 for an oil filter!

Carmax. Go see what they’ll offer you. If they’ll give you the $10k for the car, then take it and get a used Toyota until your finances are better and you’re single.

Also - knowledge is key for car ownership repairs, especially a MB. You’re here now so grab a seat and start asking questions and reading the popular posts. Websites like these are beyond valuable. Back in 2003 I turned my lease Nissan Ragsmega back in and bought a 1995 Lexus LS400 from the local Lexus dealership for $14,250. I was renting a house for $1,050, and making $35,000 a year. I was 28 and thought I was king of the universe. Right up to that first oil change as I pulled into the Lexus dealership like I was the owner. $195 later, I was eating Roman noodles and signing up to a Lexus forum like this one to figure out how to never pay $195 for an oil change in that car ever again. I had the car repair skills of a 3 year old with daddy’s 9-iron.

In 2007, with 148,000 miles on it - I sold it to the chief mechanic of that same dealership for $11,000. He said it was basically a new car and the nicest version of that year he had ever seen since new. It had all new mounts, all new suspension arms, brakes, every single drop of fluid and gear oil, spotless throttle body, plugs and wires, pulley and belts, timing belt, engine computer, heck - even a shim and clear tint filter in the steering rack that made the steering as light as new, tie rod end, ball joints, clay-bar and spotless. All done by me and only me, expect for the timing belt.

since that car, I’ve never been intimidated by car wrenching. Today I make a good bit more income, haven’t seen Roman noodles, and basically tell whatever mechanic under my hood what and where to do what needs to be fixed. They hate me because I have known the mechanic business ever since..

 

The first mistake was taking a car with 133k to the dealer. I've done some of those repairs. Rear springs and shocks, got the springs from FCPEuro, lifetime warranty. Not too bad to replace, similar setup to the W211, don't need a spring compressor, drop the arm and the spring just comes out. Shocks were Bilstein. Oil filter housing going is common, but the gaskets are cheap, mostly labor to replace them. I get 3 year alignments at Goodyear, about $180, get one or two a year til the 3 years is up. Side market lamp and socket is DIY, socket from MB is in the $10 range and the bulbs are just a few dollars. Tensioner, pulley and belt, you can get for a tad over $100. Thermostat also goes and a pulley has to come off to replace it. Wahler is OEM on the thermostat and around $60-$70 on Amazon. Engine mounts is a bit involved so that $1500 is a common number from a dealer, an indy should be cheaper. I DIYed the rear brakes, did a pad slap, the rotors were still good and Akebono pads were under $100, took me about 1.5 hours to do it with just hand tools. The transmission mount is a crime, the mount is about $51 and it's a 20 minute job to replace. The centrifuge and cover are well known to go, I hope that also included the cover. There's 4 bolts holding the cover on and there's one reverse threaded bolt that does the centrifuge/separator. Basically I think at an indy should have been 1/3 to 1/2 cheaper. My advice is to pay the bill and stop going to the dealer.

Basically it looks like you did the majority of stuff that always goes wrong with the cars. You can skip the muffler, unless it's making too much noise, I wouldn't bother a dent means nothing. The flush just flushes your wallet, I'd shop around to see who else can do a transmission fluid change, doesn't have to be a flush. I think you're using ATF 134 FE which is the blue transmission fluid, only some early 2011 used ATF 134 which was the older red fluid. You could probably just double check with the dealer or post the vin and someone could verify the type of fluid. In any event, you can get a case of the fluid for $60-$70 at a Shell distributor. Just find an indy that will let you bring the fluid. The fluid at the dealer is $20+ per quart vs that $60-$70 for a case of 12 quarts. Usually indy shops quote $200-$300 including the fluid, should be less if you bring transmission fluid/filter.

https://www.shell.us/business-custom...r-locator.html

 

1. Don’t do what the dealer has suggested. If you do you will immediately be what they call “under water” and owe probably $30,000 on a car worth maybe $18,000.

2. Your girlfriend needs to step up and pay for the damage she caused. If she really loves you she will pay or at least attempt to pay to have it fixed if she doesn’t have the money.

3. Don’t take a car out of warranty to the dealer for repairs or maintenance. Car dealers nowadays make negligible money selling cars. Their main source of profit now is the repair shop. I got that straight from the general manager of the dealer I buy from.

I think that your only option is to get it fixed and if your GF (ex) won’t pay for the bodywork save up to have it done. If it’s as bad as you say it will have very little resale value even if it’s in perfect mechanical condition.

I don’t mean to beat you up. I think you’ve had enough problems at the moment.

Good luck and let us now what happens!

 

Well, I have a different take, the car even after the 5k in repairs needs body work and some other things, you will never catch up as they say, I say cut your losses trade it in, get a new or less used car, NOT a Benz so you reduce your repair costs, this way the headache is gone {car not the girlfriend} and you can move forward, you can always pay extra on the new car to get back on the right side of your finances or just make the payment as is if your tight on cash. Putting more money into a nine year old car with 135k make no sense to me and your not done doing that at that milage and age, repairs will be ongoing. I think Senecan had the best idea, LOL. Sorry for your issues, but sometimes it's just best to walk away, get a Lexus, they break less, cost less and hold their value, that way you'll still have a working car when you get through the financial tsunami.

 

Honestly, what you should of done is not important at this point. Too late for that worry. But, if you pay the $5,500 repair bill plus the $10,000 you owe plus the body damage...you will have more than $15,000 in a high mileage older car worth nowhere close to that value. Also a vehicle still needing additional work and at that mileage will sooner rather than later develop more problems.

Factually, it would appear you cannot afford a Mercedes at this point and really need to get out of it anyway you can. That would not include trading it for another used Mercedes. Think seriously about a late model Honda Civic and work your way out of the problem!

 

A quick glance and I thought it was oil fitter housing gasket... a known leaker on earlier W211s which share the same housing as '10-'12 E350 (M272). That or combination with oil cooler gasket... Yeah, their a few dollars each for the gaskets... but you need to drain oil & coolant, plus really the time to do it.

The biggest rip on the that list is trans mount for $600... a $70 part, and at MOST 1hr labor including putting the car on the lift. Motor mounts, yea $1500 seems like the going rate at dealers... assuming his is a 4M, then the job is a bit involved. The springs for $900 I'm guessing because OE parts, the labor isn't bad and OEM springs from lesjofors or similar should be a lot less.

 

It would be that annoying talking lizard and I don't even know if him or Flo would give me enough to make that a feasible option (I would never do this intentionally of course)

That is actually inspiring to hear someone with no skills became a beyond competent mechanic and makes me feel a little less intimidated. My fear is always increasing the cost (time and money) by ****ing things up trying to do them myself.

VIN is WDDHF8HB9BA430523.

I really appreciate all of the replies so far and I am curious what your response would be to those recommending I get the hell away from this car immediately.

Do you feel like this car should last a very long time with minimal repairs given the work that was just done on it? Are others saying to get rid of it because the don't feel this car will have a much longer life and will be a continual repair headache?

I'm just trying to get at the main cause for the difference of opinion if that's even possible.



1. Too late for the $5.5k repair bill but are you referring to the muffler and flush, or just in general, my situation aside?
2. That would be logical and I agree with you but I'm helping support her right now and that is a whole 'nother can of worms
3. I totally believe and I bet the online car sales are crushing them and will only get worse for them. I couldn't find any indy mechanics that specialize in Mercedes within like an hour of me but after this fiasco I will definitely increase my radius to 200mi. I live 2 hours from NYC and I now know there are plenty of indys around there that could have saved me from this nightmare.

In your opinion, this car would probably have a much longer life expectancy and that makes keeping it a better alternative than trying to pay off my loan and stop investing money in it? I think based on your answer that is the assumption but I'm just trying to get an idea where you're coming from.

This is what worries me. I see many knowledgeable people here saying to keep it, that I just paid for most of the larger issues with these types of vehicles while others such as yourself are saying that keeping this will be a continual headache and totally not worth it. I appreciate people even taking the time to reply and help, I'm just still trying to find out why there is such a difference in opinion on the projected life (time-wise and quality-wise) of this vehicle.


Man.. I hear you and these are many of the same thoughts that I have been having as have several of the people replying here. Other people are also saying it makes sense to keep it now since I just had most of the major work done. It's clear what side of the fence your on with this I'm just wondering what your response would be to them? I'm just trying to figure out what exactly is splitting opinions down the middle here.

Given everything I have been hearing about dealer repairs, I'm honestly just relieved to find out that I wasn't completely hosed for every single repair on that list. Maybe that makes me a moron but I'm also happy they at least gave me a 15% discount on the ripoff.

 

If it were me I’d pay the bill and drive it as is (not fix anything else). Then figure out how to get is sold and into a used Honda or Toyota for the least amount possible. Cash would be preferable. This car is no fun for you right now. Work on getting yourself out of debt then save up for an upgrade and you’ll enjoy it a lot more.

 

I've had the same car for about the last 4 years with similar mileage. The W212 has been more reliable than the W211. You just got hit with a whole bunch of stuff at once but you got the majority of the expensive stuff. Your major mistake was going to the dealer. Next time you have recommended work, ask here first. As for indys, you don't need one that specializes in MB, find a place that at least has ASE mechanics. Call around for basic labor rates. The two major items that I can see on that car coming up would be the intake manifold and the front suspension. Getting the oil separator/centrifuge replace might help make your manifold last longer. Basically this car is expensive to maintain at the dealer. Getting out of this car and into another car will also cost a lot of money and you'll have a new set of issues with a new used car. If you couldn't afford it, things like the motor mounts didn't have to be done, people drive around with shot mounts for a long time, you just end up with vibrations. You do need the transmission fluid change, but you could call around to transmission shops and other fluid change places for a quote. You could probably drive this car for a couple more years without running into too many other issues.

 

"This is what worries me. I see many knowledgeable people here saying to keep it, that I just paid for most of the larger issues with these types of vehicles while others such as yourself are saying that keeping this will be a continual headache and totally not worth it. I appreciate people even taking the time to reply and help, I'm just still trying to find out why there is such a difference in opinion on the projected life (time-wise and quality-wise) of this vehicle."


Well, thinking you paid for most of the issues is a thought, People say they can keep a Benz running a long time, all it takes is money! This car is in the northeast, has seen ten winters and 130k in that time, the brake lines are almost done, the rear subframe is close to being done, how about struts, brakes and other engine parts? transmission original? front suspension parts? exhaust system? New York is not Kalifornia. Just saying be aware that you will have ongoing repairs over the next years, you have in fact replaced a lot of parts, but there are more in your horizon with that mileage and age. Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome car, I have two and agree, but maintenance is ongoing. Only you can decide what's best, true that you shouldn't have to fix what you just took care of in the next few years, but there is and always will be more...

 

First of all the eliminate the $10K that you owe on the car from the keep or sell decision process. You owe that money period whether it is on the car or credit card or what have you.

Secondly don't worry about whether you were overcharged for the repairs other than the engaging an indy in the future.

Thirdly this is a common question that a lot of people wrestle with, myself included.

I think it really becomes this simple. Assuming that the dealer would be willing to keep the car for the cost of the repairs, knowing what you know would you buy your car in it's current state for $5500?

So what you are asking is what is the likelihood that you will be met with additional repair / maintenance costs.

As has been said you have addressed a lot of maintenance items a car of this vintage might need and it will probably be in pretty good running condition when you get it back. It is also true that this model is pretty reliable. Consumer Reports even has it as a recommended used car because of it's reliability.

But and this is a big but, I have the same vintage car and had to have the transfer case rebuilt to the tune of $2500 and had I took it to the dealer that would have been an $8500 repair because they won't repair the transfer case but would replace the entire transmission. I am not mentioning the $1500 replacement of the front differential because I suspect that was a misdiagnosis of the transfer case needing to be rebuilt again (this time free of charge). That doesn't mean yours will go, but you even though the car is basically reliable, you could still be faced with bills on this order of magnitude going forward even if you use an indy.

The other side of the coin is that for the $5500 repair costs you won't be able to buy a car that drives nearly as nice as yours will. Not even close.

When I needed the transfer case repaired the first time, my son who is a skilled wrench turner and a car guy told me to dump it afterward, as did my mechanic brother. Since then my son teases me about my whining about the repair costs and says that I have a a car that drives like a $50k car that I have $20k invested in .

It really comes down to how much you like the car and are prepared to deal with bills of this magnitude emotionally and financially.

In my case I am more than willing to continue to maintain my car but if I encounter another major repair bill between here and 200k miles as nice as the car drives I will give the car and the marque the boot.

I had a guy who had a warehouse of vintage Mercedes parts cars once tell me that "A Mercedes is like a fat wife, you have to love em."

 

^ This advice coming from a guy who has owned several dealerships and has seen more than his share of similar situations in his lifetime is very sound. Good luck to you!

 

When you say brake lines, rear subframe and the many other parts you referenced being close to done, are you basically saying that any and all of these can go any minute? I realize nobody has a crystal ball here but right now you're the only one saying that I should be worried about all of these things in the near future it sounds like. Obviously, just because you're the only one mentioning this doesn't mean you're wrong at all, I'm just trying to get an idea of how imminent these things are.

Are we talking a scenario of, "I'll be lucky to get another 10k miles out of this car without having to fix or replace ALL of those things?" or are we talking, "Over the next 30k miles, some or all of these things might need to be fixed but could also last another 60k"

I get that there are varied opinions on here and every reply is helpful and very much appreciated. But if you're saying it's more like the first scenario, then it's almost a no-brainer to try and sell the car ASAP and GTFO out of this as some others have also suggested. Whereas, if these things could go or could also just as easily last for tens more thousands of miles, then it makes driving this car for another 2-3 years while I pay off my low-interest debt 10k loan less of an awful idea.

If I'm looking at this all wrong please feel free to tell me. And thank you to everyone again for so many helpful, thoughtful replies. You guys have no idea how much I appreciate it

 

I'm saying you replaced some parts, so you're good there, but there are more, over the next 30k miles you will have other things like the ones I mentioned and others. Out of your 12k parts {guess] that make up your car, many have been through 10 northeast winters, put it up on a lift and look underneath, my wife's car is 8 years old and looks brand new in and out, until I put it on a lift and see the rusty brake lines, rear sub-frame full of debris and rust and worn bushings. then I pulled about 5 pounds of rocks and gravel from above the rear bumper mounts and sub-frame that was wet and slimy and covering my sensors, parking and blindspot. I guess what I'm saying is you will have ongoing maintenance costs and some could be big expenses. I'm not saying I have a failure date or milage, just these things are common in a car of this age in your climate, I live in the snow belt east of Cleveland we get 75-100 inches of snow a year and the salt that goes with it, many dry days in the winter the salt clouds are thick going down the roads or highways, thick as fog thick, this dust gets everywhere and inside of all the nooks and crannies, cabin filter and air filter. I purposefully in the spring go drive on the highway in rainstorms and as late as May I get salt residue coming out. they call were we live the rust belt for a reason! LOL.

 

Thank you for taking the time to clarify and yes that is a good point, I did not factor in for the climate difference of the Northeast vs warmer places with no real winters.

As far as the rust, wouldn't the dealership that just took all my money have been eager to tell me about any rusting parts on my car or do they tend to ignore that kind of thing?

Either way, that's a great idea to put it on a lift and have the condition of all of those parts inspected. I'm assuming that, depending on how things look, this should help me get a better idea of how close or far away these more significant repairs will be? Or are many of those things that you mentioned not visible from the exterior (bottom) of the vehicle?

And this might be a stupid question but can a mechanic inspect most of the parts that you mentioned and give me a general idea for how much life each part has left or is that not a thing?