Hello my friends at MBWorld,

I'm looking to buy a 2014 E350 (https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/656656336530740/?mibextid=T6ff65) from FB Marketplace, it drives very well but still, I really want to make sure it is problem-free. What should I look at before buying and what questions should I ask and in general what should I do so I don't find myself in a bad situation? What are the common problems with these 2014 E350s and around what miles do they occur?

Thank you

 

find a good independent Mercedes shop and bring the car to them for a full PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection). Mercedes has a whole list of things to inspect, but dealers tend to take shortcuts while charging for the full ride, so an Indie shop should do a better job. "West Coast" is a pretty big area, if you're anywheres near Santa Cruz, make an appointment at Circle Star Motors for this, Max will treat you right,

 

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Ah apologies, I live near the central valley, this E350 is in Fresno.

 

k, Fresno isn't exactly Mercedes country. and I have no idea if there's any decent indies there, I'm afraid its a place I've only ever driven through, and not stopped.

I suppose you could poke around social media and such and see what sort of reputation the Fresno Mercedes dealer shop has, and if they aren't too bad, take it to them for a full PPI. Oh, and of course, being able to take a car-for-sale to a PPI would require the cooperation of the car's current owner. Is this a private party sale, or a rando used car dealer, or a proper new car dealer selling this car? If its being sold by a Mercedes dealer, they may have already done this, and a /good/ dealer wouldn't even sell a car that didn't pass, they' flip it at auction.

 

I found 5 shops that specialize in MB or German cars, I'm going to give them a call tomorrow, maybe the dealer as a last effort. But yeah this place ain't known for MB cars or mechanics for sure.

 

yeah, we have a bunch here, but the one I mentioned is the only one I'd bring a newer MB to, there's another who's awesome with older stuff like W123, W124, R129 but runs too chaotic of a shop to trust a newer car to.

 

Ask them for the copy of punch list.
Per my experience, nobody is actually doing PPI for outside customers.
Most of shops will do "safety inspection" or roadworthy inspection.
That usually means that they will tell you brakes and tires status, but will not check for fluid leaks.
Here is topic on the subject I made years ago. Treat it as your dream, that never is going to happen.
(1) PPI (prepurchase inspection) | Mercedes-Benz Forum (benzworld.org)

 

Thanks for the insight! Incredibly helpful!

 

I just paid $2k for my mounts at a non-dealer shop. I would l have loved to do the job but it wasn't an option at the time. Definitely would have taken it to the stealership for $1400!

 

I bought a high mileage 2014 E63S sedan (107,000 miles) 3 months ago and, unfortunately, it was not as clean as it looked on the dealer's website (I bought out of state, sight unseen). I daily drive this car on the highway, about 70 miles round trip. Things I have replaced/fixed so far in no specific order:

1. Transmission mount - very easy DIY
2. Water pump - was leaking through the pulley shaft (make sure to replace all three turbo coolant lines and thermostat when completing this job). Also check your charge pipes and turbo inlets for oil (mentioned below).
3. Thermostat - Easy work
4. Turbo coolant lines - not a fun DIY
5. Lower coolant hose - after disconnecting it from the thermostat, I noticed corrosion, ignored it, and the hose was popping off under harsh acceleration leaving coolant everywhere and me stranded on the side of the road. Replace this hose when doing the water pump job
6. All camshaft sensors - all covered in oil, oil wicked all the way up to my ECU - luckily did not enter the electrical connectors as I caught it in time
7. Wheels - 3 out of 4 originals were bent
8. Oil Cap - mine was leaking from the gasket and made a mess down the engine (It is like the old owner never popped their hood and cared to look)
9. Gas cap - lanyard was broken
10. PCV Valve - it is called the oil separator or centrifuge cover - valve not working properly allowing oil to get into the intake and I was experiencing oil loss (burning about 1 quart every 600 miles) and it was evident when looking at my turbo inlets (oil all around the inlets). This fixed my oil consumption.
11. Spark plugs - just a preventative action after purchasing the car
12. Cabin air filter
13. Engine air filters
14. Engine intake hoses - these rip easy and are basically made of paper/cloth
15. All lug bolts - corroded
16. Driver side tweeter speaker - blew on me as I was driving (started smoking), plugged new one on and not working - still diagnosing this issue


Things I still need to do:
1. All rotors and brake pads - my rotors have the famous Mercedes groove pattern - going to be upgrading to 390mm two-piece Brembos up font
2. Transmission fluid replacement
3. ECU and TCU update if dealer will do it
4. Lower control arms - one side's bushing has migrated out - pretty common issue with these cars
5. Motor mounts eventually - mine still seem to be good, no leaks and engine does not rock in bay when in drive, holding brake, and pressing the accelerator

Overall, this car has been a blast to drive! As others have said, you NEED to put money aside for repairs.

 

There are companies that specialize in PPIs. One that I saw referenced on YouTube is www.lemonsquad.com. They claim to be the largest nationwide. So, if you are buying "sight unseen" or don't have a shop local to where you are buying the car, you should look into them or any other PPI service company.

I have lucked out with both my current Mercedes but knowing as much as I do now, I would not buy another without getting a PPI. In the past, I did buy a lemon of a car (used private-sale 2005 Audi A4 quattro) after owning several VWs and Audis and thought I knew what to look for. That car was the only lemon that was truly a lemon. I learned all about cracked heads and replacing them.