Wagonsimp

It's about time to move on from the V6 Camry I've had the last fifteen years and I really want to get into a wagon with a legit cargo box and normal passenger car ground clearance. Tough, because everything is stubby/sloped down to nothing, and/or unnecessarily high off the ground with plastic fender flares.

I'll be looking in that $20k-ish range and early 2010s E350s fit the bill really well. So how much of a maintenance/repair nightmare would one be if I step into it at something like 50-60k miles and try to put another hundred on it over the course of a decade +?

Any model year changes, specs to seek/avoid? I just don't want the "I knew better than to buy a German car outside of warranty" regret, coming from Toyota reliability.

Aktash

I was in your shoes almost 4 years ago. Drove subarus for 15 years but wanted to switch to a 7 passenger that isnt an SUV/crossover or a van. So only one option e350 wagon.
From what I have figured out for myself. I knew I wanted real leather seats due to longevity. I wanted anything but brown burl trim that seems to fade for quite a few folks here. I also wanted the last revision of original body 09-13 because of the looks. But I wanted to get the latest motor and tranny so 2012+. Things that I didnt and still don't care for are pano roof which i didnt get. And distronic also didnt get. I did get the sport styling with 17" wheels due to potholes here in NYC.
My advice find a couple of them locally and go take a look/drive. The first and closest one i looked at was the cheapest one back then around 19k with 90000miles, it was enough to convince me that I liked the model just not that one, it was in horrific shape cosmetically and mechanically didnt sound to well either. So I kept on looking. Once I found mine in SC it was a bit of a gamble but I took the bus on Friday night NYC-Columbia. Sealed the deal and drove it home.
It had 86k on it now I have 140k. Things outside of regular maintenance that I had to replace are thermostat $150, and rear bags from Arnott got them cheap for about 550 and another 200 to install as I didnt want to mess with them on the sidewalk last winter. One thing that I still havent gotten to is PCV diaphragm as that is a bit time consuming.

Wagonsimp

Thanks! So I take it engine and transmission were new/revised for the 2012 model year? Do these all have air suspension? The car I sold when I bought the Camry was one of the 32v Intech Lincoln Continentals and the primary reason I sold it was the air suspension started to give some early hints of trouble, so I guess I might be coming full circle, lol. I notice an awful lot of what's for sale seem to be AWD -- was 2WD a consistent option throughout the run? Any merit in avoiding either drive system?

cetialpha5

Well there's lots of material out there to do your basic research. There's brochures out there:

https://www.auto-brochures.com/mercedes-benz.html

There's also websites that will tell you the basic configuration and options that the car comes with. I like Motor Trend's site, just change the digits for the year. I think the wagon only came in a 4matic so there's no choice in the matter. Also the wagon was the one that had the rear airbags for the suspension, the regular sedan just had the normal coil springs on an E350.

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/merc...z/e-class/2012

Then there are vin decoder sites to figure out exactly what options a car has, never trust the dealer to have accurate information, the vin decoder would be the definitive guide on what it has and doesn't have.

https://www.lastvin.com/

Wagonsimp

Thanks! I find it's sometimes tricky to sort out model year changes, etc, particularly when it comes to things like revised parts/assemblies. Are there any known issues/big ticket services to be aware of? Failure-prone options, etc?

cetialpha5

In general all the options are somewhat more reliable than the car. I have most of them in my 2011 and most of them are still good. The major annoyance would be the pano roof, makes a cracking noise over ramps at an angle as the bolts can get loose, but there's a video on how to drop the rear headliner and tighten up the 6 bolts with loctite and it hasn't come back since. Common failure items would be stuff like your rear airmatic and the front springs/struts, but you might consider those wear items. Motor mounts also tends to go. My parktronic, bixenons, keyless go, power trunk closer, massage seat all still work. Common problems include faded wood and ripped MB-tex seat. The control knob also breaks easily if you apply too much pressure. For 2016, you might be able to enable Apple Carplay/Android auto, otherwise previous years requires a bit of work to upgrade. You should also pick up a scanner that can mb specific codes like Thinkcar Pro, Autel AP200, iCarsoft, Foxwell etc. Some error codes like the bad footwell temperature sensor only shows up with the scanner. The cabin filter is in the footwell close to one of the temperature sensors and it's common for that to be damaged when the cabin filter is changed. Usually the wiring or connector gets damaged.

Gotgolfmd

I purchased an '11 wagon last year with 65K miles and have already put over 25k miles on it. The purchase price was $20,000 however I budgeted $25 to cover "incidentals". I was buying a 10 year car.

There are several very good threads that cover the "weak" areas of the w212 and s212.

To date I have replaced the transmission mount, replaced some AC parts (it quit in Charleston SC in 90 degree weather), rear brakes discs and pads, 4 new tires. One year after purchase I am still very happy with my car. I expect to run it to 200K with an annual maintenance budget of $3K. Certainly cheaper that a new car and way more interesting.

Good luck with your search.

Wagonsimp

Thanks! In the back of my head is that I've had this Camry since my mid twenties and am about to turn forty. In 16 years and 150k +, I think it's cost me under $1k in repairs, not including brakes and tires. Three ignition coils and a couple alternators is all that's broken. I'm not debating keeping it -- it's gotten cosmetically ratty. And I really want a wagon, or I'd just find a 6-8yo V6 Accord and be done with it.

Kind of stuck in this world where I've been obsessed with cars since I was a toddler, grew up with all sorts of interesting cars in the family, but am nervous buying things I know have money pit potential as an adult. Like, the Camry has been far and away the best car I've ever owned, and it's smooth, reasonably stiff and actually surprisingly quick, but it's a pretty disconnected driving experience, just the same.

Aktash

like i said if you are unsure take one for a drive and see how you like it, it doesnt even have to be a wagon for a test drive as sedan experience will be pretty much the same.
And yes all wagons have rear air bags instead of coil spring.

KEY08

A Mercedes is not a Toyota. I love the brand, but be prepared to spend a lot more on maintenance unless you like to wrench

Wagonsimp

Yeah, turning my own wrench is the only reason my lifetime repair bill on the Toyota is under a grand. But I'd say I'm more willing to turn my own wrench than actually enjoy doing it.

Wagonsimp

Yeah, I suspect I'll have trouble finding a local wagon. I'll probably try to find the highest miles sedan example I can, go check it out and see how loose it feels, how well the interior seems to be wearing, etc. then try to find the lowest miles wagon online, lol.

up_too_late

I have a 2015 wagon that is fairly loaded, except for the Distronic. My wife's GLE has Distronic and it is ok but not necessary for our everyday driving. If you are doing a lot of heavy traffic highway driving I would recommend it, otherwise skip it. I bought mine as a 3 YO CPO with 25k miles on it and have had it 4 years now and it has close to 60k miles. I came from driving an Accord for 10+ years and considered lots of vehicles but settled on the MB wagon due to the passenger room, trunk for a large dog and/or cargo, sedan based for driving dynamics, and low roof height for rooftop loading (mostly bikes). It does all of that well and is a great highway cruiser. I did a lot of reading on this forum before purchasing and that knowledge plus the fact that I prefer to do my own maintenance and repairs made me more comfortable with the purchase. I have not been impressed with the work of my local dealer so just as well.

I have had two warranty repairs and that was for the climate blower motor and oil seeping from the camshaft sensors at the front end of the engine, which is pretty common. In fact, the replaced motor is chirping again and the sensors are seeping again but I'm going to wait until warmer weather before addressing. You do have to watch these and possibly install special wiring pigtails (FCP Euro) to prevent oil from contaminating the wiring harness and ECU. I also have had the creaking pano roof, which I addressed myself. It's not a big deal and will take you a couple of hours max and you'll get some skinned knuckles. I have also replaced the 6 YO main battery (bought from local auto parts store) and most recently put on new front and rear brakes (FCP Euro). In the past 2 weeks I have noted the rear of my car sitting low so I have the dreaded air suspension leak somewhere. I've been monitoring it and so far it is so slow that I doubt I can find it until it gets worse. It is random and will hold for days at a time without moving at all. I've been checking it with a scanner (iCarSoft) and the compressor has only run 1 minute in 2 weeks so it's not in any danger of burning out the compressor at this point. The air suspension isn't rocket science, nor is any one part super expensive, but finding which part to replace is the challenge and likely expensive if you have a dealer throw parts at it.

Other things that are common are the motor and transmission mounts. I've read that the engine mounts on 4Matics are a challenge to change due to clearance issues. When that day comes I will likely find a local independent mechanic to replace those. The spark plugs seem like they may be a challenge as well (at least the one closest to the driver), but doesn't seem as bad as replacing the rear set on a transverse mounted Toyota V6 (which I have done). If you're not able to do your own maintenance that can get unreasonably expensive at dealer prices (spark plugs, transmission service).

If you can do some of your own work the cost isn't that much more than other cars. If you can't then be prepared to spend a lot more than you've been used to.

Wagonsimp

Yeah, honestly the Camry is reaching the age/mileage where I'm getting apprehensive of inevitable stuff, like water pump going. That transverse V6 is really crammed in there. To do alternator, I had to both take the front wheel off and pull the radiator. It was a several hours job and still super fiddly, totally blind fingertips, 1/8 turn at a time stuff. Fortunately, all three coils that failed were front bank, 5 minute jobs, but the rear bank is buried under the intake manifold, wiper motor housings, etc. I've never done spark plugs for that reason. As satisfying as doing your own work can be, it's not fun on modern cars, although I finally have a nice warm garage now. Those alternator jobs were both freezing cold outdoor affairs. I was pissed when I only got 2 years out of the replacement!

Aktash

One thing i did notice is MB hardware bolts/nuts are less prone to rusting unlike japanese makers. Surprisingly most of the stuff is relatively easy to remove and put back on but only if you know of every little component location, like tiny hoses wires etc. But some things that could be simplified are buried in places that almost require engine removal. I do some work myself some at the local indy shop. After reading posts about scanners I also thought i'll buy one, well haven't needed one just yet as everything seems to be working just fine. You will need a new set of torx and star wrenches and socket set, for plumbing you'll need clamp pliers.
Also don't know where you are and how you will use it. These cars excel on highways they are real grand tourers, nothing wrong using them in a city but they are a bit long and parking isn't always the easiest here in NYC. They do decent MPG (at least my experience) especially on long trips, just did 2900 mile trip to Florida averaged 25mpg, most of the highway i was doing 85+. If kept around 70 you could get 28-29, around 55-65 will get you 30mpg.
One thing to remember you are looking at a used car, previous maintenance or lack of it will define your experience with the one you buy. Things to look at are tires, if they are cheap brand and are well used then previous owner could have potentially used non-oem (cheap) parts elsewhere as well. If they are brand new then dealer put them on.
Look in the nooks and crannies, if they are full of dirt and garbage then it was most likely not cared for, most dealers only vacuum the main areas and don't bother will proper detailing. Under the hood if everything is too shiny and bright it was cleaned for the sale. Pull the engine cover it is just snapped in, see how dirty it is under it and in difficult to reach places. Obviously if possible take it to 3rd party mechanic for PPE.

Baltistyle

As an owner of a few past toyota landcruiser 100 from the same time period as well as a few Mercedes’ Amg (‘13 w212 wagon), as a diy er they tend to cost about the same to maintain. The same issues will happen but the parts and labor cost more. As long as you research engine and trans reliability, you will be good for the other repairs.

a major difference in all new cars over the past 15 years is the amount of plastic crap replacing metal in areas of heat. These are a failing point on all new cars as plastic is plastic and can not deal with heat long term.

imo the only true difference for a diy is that when you can fix things on a nicer car you may tend to spend the money where on a less expensive car you might not care or lust for the same repair, this piling more money into the nicer car even when not needed.