CyndiV

Hi

I have been looking at used MB E350 wagons...

We used to own an E320 4matic wagon (2002). LOVED that car. Drove it 265k before replacing it.

I am now widowed (yeah that sucks at 59) and a little concerned about buying a used car without dh to help troubleshoot or deal with issues as they arise. Our old MB wagon was pretty trouble free...

I am reading some reliability issues with MB wagons in the years I am looking in....I was looking for a 2012 to a 2016 (prefer a 2016 because it SOUNDS like I may be able to get it to interface with android car play)...But recently stumbled across the class action law suit about rear frame rust etc. My son is trying to disuade me from buying one because they are less reliable than they used to be.

THOUGHTS?
a) I KNOW I am looking at a used car. Not interested in depreciation of new (and not in budget)..recognize it will likely need work sooner than a new car...but LOVED the feel of my mb wagon, handling, quiet ride etc. and prefer that to a newer car in budget that doesn't ride/feel like an MB.
b) I do have the name of an indy mechanic sort of near to me, who came highly recommended...(so at least there is someone to work on it)
c) I don't want to deal with a series of nightmares...I've literally had enough surprises for one year (sudden loss of Mom to Covid, Dog and Spouse to heart attack all within 3 months of each other).

Any recommendations of years to avoid?
How rampant is the rust issue? Avoid rust belt state history of the car? Is that enough?
ALSO- HOW do I tell a sport apart from a luxury in photos? (Many of the ads are not differentiating!) I am guessing (based on other peoples comments) I would not like the handling of the sport version. I live near the Chesapeake Bay...fairly rural area and lots of potholes and back roads. Hear that the luxury trim suspension is a smoother ride...

How much of a big deal is the carplay thing? I don't have a car with that now, but my son and brother are both telling me I'd be buying a dinasaur without one these days (lol).

THanks for ANY help you can provide.
Cyndi
Central Virginia

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C2 Turbo

Hi Cyndi,

I have always bought used cars and never have had any issues mechanical or rust so if you buy the right car, it should be ok.
Here are few pointers on buying a reliable used car.

Buy the newest you can afford so 2016 be just fine
Purchase one with as few previous owners as possible
As few miles as possible
Avoid the rust belt and only buy it from the south west preferably CA car
FL cars, avoid too
Get a Pre Purchase Inspection done prior to finalizing the deal
Run a Carfax ($6) which tells you the ownerships and to some extent the service history of the car too
The rear subframe should not be an issue if purchased from one of the dry states.

Hope that helps. If you find a car in or around Louisville, I can help you by screening the car for you

Good Luck

up_too_late

I have a 2015 wagon (sport) that I bought in 2018 and it has yet to become a series of nightmares. But it has not been without maintenance and repairs either. I keep my cars longer than most and hope to keep it for another 4-5 years. In my 5 years and 40k miles of ownership, it hasn't been as trouble free as previous Toyotas and Hondas but it hasn't been anywhere as costly as I had been worried it would be. Do I still worry about it? Yes. Do I love to drive the car and look back at it when I walk away? Yes. Do I regret buying it? No.

I wouldn't worry about the subframe as MB has extended the warranty on them. However, it is likely the brake lines will need to be replaced at the same time at additional cost (I'm seeing estimates on here of $1,000 to $2,000 for that).

Apple carplay, while nice, isn't necessary. It depends on how techy you are. My wife has a 2018 GLE with it and I'm not sure she knows how to use it as she's happy to listen to the radio. I primarily use Bluetooth in my car but will use carplay if in her car.

I have a sport edition and find the ride firm but not harsh. I have not driven a luxury so I can't speak for the ride of that version but I can appreciate some wanting a softer ride. I was concerned about the 18" wheels and low profile tires after reading horror stories on here of bent/cracked wheels so I found a couple of used ones to keep as spares but it hasn't been a problem. I downsize to 17" in the winter with my snow tires so that is an option to make the ride softer. I'll comment that I am generally an attentive driver and avoid potholes, while my wife steamrolls everything.

Other options to keep in mind: LED headlights, Distronic, leather. I would consider the LED headlights a must have, they are amazing. Some people have had troubles with the MB Tex seat bottoms ripping, but my leather seats have been trouble free. I do not have Distronic on mine but my wife does on hers. If you're commuting on congested multi-lane highways you may want this feature. It performs well in the middle and left lanes in heavy traffic. I find that in the right lane it wants to follow the white line down the exit ramps, which can be annoying. On open highways it is a toss up as I find adaptive cruise lulls me into following a slower car in front rather than prompting me to pass. The active lane keep assist can reduce fatigue on long highway drives, but my wife had me disable the non-cruise related lane assist as she found it too aggressive. For example if she were to notice a cyclist ahead and want to drift over the center line to give them room, the car will pull the car strongly back into the center of the lane. If you actively steer over the line the car will let you but it does not like a light drift.

Just some thoughts to consider. Good luck on your search! When I was looking there were very few to choose from and I had to go 2 states over to get mine.

CyndiV

@up_too_late I (we) keep cars longer than most as well...
Currently driving a 2013 Chevy Tahoe with 220k miles on it. Need to keep it around as a tow vehicle but am not comfortable taking it on long road trips at this point...especially since I no longer have someone else to come pick me up on the side of the road if it breaks down!

So I am with you on that front...

My hope is hang onto this next vehicle for 6-10 years...I am 59 and work from home. I don't drive a TON of miles per year at this point. Thinking that if I purchase something with 75K miles or less on it now, I can put another 100k on it before feeling like it really needs to be replaced, at which point, I will hopefully be retiring and likely my vehicle needs will change again.

So my goal would be to hang onto this vehicle for ~ 100k miles or 8 years or so...

LOL... I know that sounds crazy I guess, but I am trying to be very thoughtful and careful about how I spend my resources now and cognizant of the fact that I don't have the expertise of my EXTREMELY adept spouse to fix things himself, troubleshoot problems and sniff out a rip off in the repair department lol.

I just LOVED my MB wagon. So much space. Like ridiculously better than the tahoe believe it or not. Tire of climbing in and out of a truck in heels and looking for a smoother more elegant ride.

Thanks for your kind reply and sharing your experience with your MB!

If you don't mind my asking, what repairs did you encounter (other than tires, brake pads/rotors, etc...typical wear items)

Cyndi

juanmor40

Faast

Friend bought a 2014 E63s Wagon 3 years ago and has put on 12,000 miles and the only problem he encountered was cracked windshield water reservoir. Car has been pretty reliable for him and is currently at 48K miles

up_too_late

There are lots of reliability threads on here where people ask the same questions so you may want to check those out.

Aside from maintenance (battery, tires, brakes, annual services):

• Rear air springs (replaced myself in a day for ~$500)
• Front differential seal (was covered by CPO warranty)
• Leaking cam solenoid seals (was covered by CPO warranty)
• Pano roof creak (free to fix myself but a skinned knuckle job)
• AC blower motor (was covered by CPO warranty)
• Driver's side blind spot sensor (replaced with a used one from Ebay for $75)
• Rear hatch struts (~$60/pair) - maintenance item?

I currently have oil leaking from the upper timing covers that I have yet to address. I also anticipate having to do motor and transmission mounts, flex disc and suspension bushings as the car gets older. You might consider this maintenance / normal wear and tear on these cars but maybe never do on a Honda or Toyota.

Left Coast Geek

We bought a 2016 Luxury in 2000 from a out of state dealer (New Mexico) with a CPO and had it shipped. Scary spending that much money on a car you can't see or drive, but white luxury wagons are very rare and after looking for months, this was the *ONLY* one listed on cars.com nationally. The dealer was quite obliging, took an extensive set of undercarriage pictures with the car on a lift to verify it was rust free. Had zero issues to date. Car had about 25000 miles when we bought it, 2+ years later, its at 50,000 miles, we have about 6 months of extended CPO warranty left.


2016 was the last year W212, and a lot of the problems were sorted. AFAIK, 2016 cars don't have the cam seal problems, or many of the others that affected earlier years.

juanmor40

Agree with the first part, but I would not bet my hands on the cam seals if you are referring to the oil leaking through the camshaft sensors or magnets. I think the design itself is prone to defects since it relies on a very strict manufacturing process. Likely, the new part numbers with improved design, and certainly better QA will last longer, but they will fail. The question is when not if. This issue is not only for MB cars as some people think, it happens to other brands --> None of the car manufacturers make them, they outsource those components from the typical suppliers.

up_too_late

Oh and your question about sport vs luxury - you can tell by the grill. The sport has a large 3 pointed star in the grill and the luxury does not but instead has the 3 pointed star hood ornament.

kajtek1

I always say that driving MB in USA is not for just anybody as finding qualify service is very difficult. That even triples with diesels btw.
So why not consider new wagon of cheaper brand, than go this way?
Do you have trusty indy, who will not mortgage your house doing the repairs?

Left Coast Geek

thats only true for post-facelift (2014-2016) cars.

bzcat

I own an early 2000s Mercedes and a 2016 E350 wagon. The early 2000s Mercedes was the nadir of cost cutting and unreliable electronics. If you thought your 2002 wagon was reliable, there should be nothing scary about a 2016. I've owned several Mercedes and in my opinion, S212 is the best built E-class since the legendary S124.

kajtek1

Than I think W124 was a lemon comparing to legendary W123.
None of W124 had AC flaps working once it passed 10 years.
Both of them were big leakers.
The point is that even the best model, when getting in 10 years of age zone will require some parts replacement.

Left Coast Geek

both my 1990 and 1994 W124's had working a/c controls when they were retired a few years ago. the 1994 was my wife's daily driver right up to December 2020 when we got the 212 to replace it. It has 280,000 miles, and we traded it to a friend of our sons for some work around our property.

kajtek1

Lucky you to find a sucker who took it.
My father was trying to sell his W124 DIESEL about 7 years ago and nobody would even come to see it with $2000 offer.
The car was mechanically perfect (beside AC controls), with no drips, good interior and still decent paint.

Left Coast Geek

not sure why, but 124 diesels don't seem nearly as popular as 123 diesels were... probably because they are much more complicated, and the 124 car is just nicer to drive with the 103 or 104 gas motors and 200-240 horses....