Hello, I am a new member and this is my first post

My car has 75,294 miles on it - 2019-2020,put 3,527 miles on, 2020-2021, put 2,367 miles on, 2021-2022, put 3,703 miles on: using July inspections data.
I really like my car, but perhaps a have a lemon - I purchase this car new in May 2012.

Just came back from the annual dealer oil change. Stated the following:
Replace rear brakes lines due to rusting and corrosion- Labor $3,942 and Parts $488
Replace engine motor mounts due to collapse - Labor $1,205 and Parts $500
Replace transmission mounts due to collapse - Labor $329 and Parts $274

To add to the story: Yesterday (Sunday, 8/14), stuck in Vt traffic jam and car went from “D” to “P” twice when car was not moving. This never happened before - probably a ignition switch issue according to this forum. Don’t know how much that will cost.

I put a lot of money into the car in late December 2019.
New front springs as dealer stated that one was starting to crack and that was a major safety issue.
The dealer story keeps getting longer - when the springs were being replaced, the dealer also stated that I had an oil leak.
First the lower oil pan and then when they got into the job: it was also an upper oil pan leak and then it was a front differential leak, and finally the front differential was “shot.” When I questioned the dealer about the front differential asI told them I never heard any grinding noise or encountered any steering issue before, the dealer owner stated the sometimes the change in viscosity of the differential fluid causes the front differential to malfunction and hence a new front differential is required. I no longer have faith in them, am I wrong.


Thank you in advance.

 

Dealers of all makes are having a tough time obtaining and selling new cars. The dealership overhead has to be met somehow, and that’s where you come in. Take it to an independent shop with that laundry list and see how much of it really needs attention. The fact that an MB dealership is giving you second thoughts of ownership pisses me off.

 

Do you like the car and are you willing to put money into it to keep it going?

Install new batteries: main battery and aux battery or voltage converter. This could be the cause of the shifting problem.

All of the other stuff you listed has no relevance to lemons.

You have an old Mercedes that isn’t driven much. The inevitable effect of time is taking its toll on your car, as it does with all cars. The dealer is being too eager to spend your money, as always. But the items need to be addressed eventually.

With cars over 6-8 years or over 100k miles, my policy is to throw parts at it and proactively/preemptively replace things. I recommend you take a similar approach if you want to keep driving this car.

 

The rear brake lines are a common occurrence on cars in northern climates. You will likely suffer from rear subframe corrosion at some point as well.

 

rusting brakelines can quickly degenerate into a major safety issue. But $3200 labor sounds outrageous for that. If you can find an indy who will use copper-nickel brake line, it will last for the life of the car.

ditto an indy should be able to swap out those motor + trans mounts for less than half that labor. I would personally prefer if they used real Mercedes parts as the aftermarket stuff is all over the place quality wise.

 

To complement @Left Coast Geek and @chassis suggestions you can get a rough 2nd estimate using RepairPal and ask for suggestions of reputable MB indies in your area

For example, here is Tampa a quick estimate using RepairPal for the mounts:


I bet you can get an Indy that will replace the engine and transmission mounts for less than $1500 in MA. The brake lines may be a different story since that may be work intensive (I did it once, replacing all lines, in a Toyota and it was not fun)

For the engine mounts
https://www.autohausaz.com/catalog/c...unt?s=d&page=1
For the transmission mount (4matic)
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/mer...400518#fitment

 

The ignition switch isn't going to be cheap to fix if you have the dealer take care of it. However, I ran into the same issue a couple years ago and resolved it for free by removing the ignition module, disassembling it, and giving it a thorough cleaning with rubbing alcohol and compressed air. It was a pain to get out but disassembly was easy. If you're not the DIY type, maybe you can talk an independent into doing it for you.

 

With your 212 E out of warranty, search your area for the best local Indy MB Shop.
You should be able to locate a good mechanic with a web search (Yelp reviews can help).

if you’re going to buy another MB, purchase a CPO E from a MB Dealer & buy the extended warranty.
ALWAYS review the CARFAX report to know where the vehicle you’re considering has resided.
Personally, I avoid the Snow & Rust Belt pre-owned Benz.
I only buy Sunbelt Benz, & therefore avoid the
common corrosion issues.
Just wanted to share my experience in California,
with purchases here, as well as several Benz in Texas before the recent floods there.
Good luck!
Jack / SF

 

I do not believe an ignition switch would quietly through the tranny in P without anything else being impacted. It could shut off all power all right but not to tranny alone.
Instead of guessing invest in a OBD scanner of your liking. It will give you basic visibility on your car developing faults.

The driver door ajar switch can through your car in "Park" below a certain speed. It's all driven by software signaling through a handfull of different network buses.
Once a while operations can get upset by unchecked voltage. Keep your battery topped off to serve you well.

 

Can and will I’m afraid. It’s quite jarring to say the least.

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ng-stop-2.html

 

THANK YOU @atraudes for this terrific eye opener!!

OMG this is seriously pushing quality well within VW standards👎


MY'14 EIS module 🤪

The updated EIS one is not much better with vulnerabilities to dust (opto-couplers) and solderless pins all over the place.

The way EIS is built that's a serious hazard waiting to happen. Tead threads: ppl get stuck in "P" across intersection with broad side exposed to incoming traffic, kids in rear seat

I am still surprised the MB logic is able to lock the tranny while the car is moving due to EIS acting up - The steering column is also a prime candidate for shifter bugs

From what I have seen the substandard quality is only used for peripheral modules, not for VIPs that can cause crashes. That why I am surprised the software is on par with the hardware wickness.

++++ Edit++++
Failure analysis:
Let me re-read the thread (TSB) to try better understand how this piece of **** fails.

HERE is the full description:
This happens during long ROAD TRIPS then becomes ok again after a RESTART! Short trips are no problems ✅

...Small world !!
-- That sounds exactly like what triggers the battery drain yo-yo below 12VDC
-- Add to that the MISFIRES on long trips

many chassis are impacted

The revised TSB (version 3) above instructs to replace EIS/EZS because of "transition resistance"... solderless pins??

The condition that causes the EIS to crash are still present but the revised EIS is more fault tolerant to disruptions.

Under the radar: No known faults are loged.

That is a step in the right direction: now EIS can poop quietly without banging the tranny. CAN still gets disrupted but the resilience is increased by one fold.
The fact designers left the loose pins alone on this VIP module may be a sign they found a different primary cause.
Why leave wicknesses in this module? Is a working main switch secondary because F-SAM is doing the switching?

 

It's definitely a good preventative maintenance item for everyone!

 

On finding a MB indy in the MA area, @Blkvip just mentioned one

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...ml#post8616952