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Just bought a W212 and ran into some issues, considering returning
I recently purchased a 2016 W212 wagon with ~70k miles, and while it appeared to be in great condition, I’m seriously considering returning it. I paid on the higher end, expecting the car to be well-maintained, especially since it came from a Mercedes dealer, where I assumed they would have done a thorough inspection before selling it. However, a couple of issues have already come up in just one day of ownership, making me question the purchase.
This morning, I went to release the e-brake, and it wouldn’t release. After some troubleshooting, the release handle popped off, and I had to spend about an hour diagnosing and fixing it. Additionally, I noticed during the purchase that the headrest felt a little loose but didn’t think much of it. Once I got the car home, I realized the headrest is actually broken. It’s a special NeckPro headrest that doesn’t appear to be repairable, and I haven’t been able to find a replacement in my color anywhere online.
These issues might seem minor on their own, but encountering them within the first day has me concerned about how well the car was actually maintained. I can’t help but feel like these could be signs of larger problems down the line, and I’m leaning toward returning it while I still have the option.
Am I making too big a deal out of this, or would you return it?
I recently purchased a 2016 W212 wagon with ~70k miles, and while it appeared to be in great condition, I’m seriously considering returning it. I paid on the higher end, expecting the car to be well-maintained, especially since it came from a Mercedes dealer, where I assumed they would have done a thorough inspection before selling it. However, a couple of issues have already come up in just one day of ownership, making me question the purchase.
This morning, I went to release the e-brake, and it wouldn’t release. After some troubleshooting, the release handle popped off, and I had to spend about an hour diagnosing and fixing it. Additionally, I noticed during the purchase that the headrest felt a little loose but didn’t think much of it. Once I got the car home, I realized the headrest is actually broken. It’s a special NeckPro headrest that doesn’t appear to be repairable, and I haven’t been able to find a replacement in my color anywhere online.
These issues might seem minor on their own, but encountering them within the first day has me concerned about how well the car was actually maintained. I can’t help but feel like these could be signs of larger problems down the line, and I’m leaning toward returning it while I still have the option.
Am I making too big a deal out of this, or would you return it?
Let them fix this $1k repair!
Speak with the used car dealer and the service manager.
What your missing is a comprehensive pre-purchade inspection and a CPO warranty.
These engines come built-in with the leaky CPS sensors ready for the $10,000k repair. There's also the classic startup rattle that good for a bundle.
At this point they will gladly cover you next oil and car wash, an $800 service.
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Nov 30, 2024 at 02:04 AM.
If you are nervous and thinking of returning, then return car and get your $$ back. Nothing wrong with that and more people should do it so dealers do a better job checking out their auction buys.
Otherwise, you will never love the car as you will always be nervous of something failing and costing you a pallet full of gold to repair.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Gotta agree with @ygmn . If you are able to return it, I would. Then, get smarter about Mercedes before purchasing one.
Research the model, year, engine, and options for known issues.
Get the maintenance history, especially if buying from a Mercedes dealer.
Get an INDEPENDENT Pre-Purchase Inspection or a 30-day, 1000-mile no-questions-asked return guarantee (then get it fully inspected).
Consider a Vehicle Service Contract (VSC) (a.k.a., extended warranty).
A Mercedes-specific, bi-directional scanner is a must. You need to be able to do your own diagnosis before taking the car to a shop or dealer. The LAUNCH Creader Elite 2.0 BENZ is an excellent portable scanner. Ultimately, you will want to get a Star Diagnosis System (SDS) comprising a Windows laptop, C4 Multiplexer, and XENTRY software.
It is important to understand what you are buying. Mercedes are great cars, but they are not a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. If neglected and abused, they are not forgiving. Also, unless you are a good DIYer, they are going to be very expensive to own, regardless of any "good deal" you got when purchasing.
Thanks for the advice. In my defense, I didn't go into this completely blind. I had read the W212 with the V6 was fairly reliable without too many issues. I know there are potential issues that can be expensive, like the airmatic system, but I was willing to gamble on that. The dealer also shared the carfax which showed a lot of service history, but I honestly should have been more thorough going through it.
This may sound naive, but I had assumed buying from a dealer would negate the need for an outside PPI. The car wasn't necessarily a "good deal", I was willing to pay the relatively high price they were asking under the assumption that buying from a Mercedes dealer would mean the car would be completely sorted. This is also part of the reason I want to return the car, because now it just feels like I overpaid for a car that actually wasn't inspected that closely. If they are just buying the car private party and not doing a thorough inspection before selling it to me, what am I paying a premium for?
The service contract was too expensive. Not that I'm trying to be cheap, but the price for the car + warranty is within a few thousand of a CPO vehicle a few years newer, although maybe not the wagon. I have always DIY'd all my own repairs on my cars, and I had planned on doing the same with this car.
Thanks for the advice. In my defense, I didn't go into this completely blind. I had read the W212 with the V6 was fairly reliable without too many issues. I know there are potential issues that can be expensive, like the airmatic system, but I was willing to gamble on that. The dealer also shared the carfax which showed a lot of service history, but I honestly should have been more thorough going through it.
This may sound naive, but I had assumed buying from a dealer would negate the need for an outside PPI. The car wasn't necessarily a "good deal", I was willing to pay the relatively high price they were asking under the assumption that buying from a Mercedes dealer would mean the car would be completely sorted. This is also part of the reason I want to return the car, because now it just feels like I overpaid for a car that actually wasn't inspected that closely. If they are just buying the car private party and not doing a thorough inspection before selling it to me, what am I paying a premium for?
The service contract was too expensive. Not that I'm trying to be cheap, but the price for the car + warranty is within a few thousand of a CPO vehicle a few years newer, although maybe not the wagon. I have always DIY'd all my own repairs on my cars, and I had planned on doing the same with this car.
Sadly, CPO nowadays.just means you get a CPO warranty. Rarely do MB dealerships actually go through the CPO process. Not saying there aren't any but rarely.
Thanks for the advice. In my defense, I didn't go into this completely blind. I had read the W212 with the V6 was fairly reliable without too many issues. I know there are potential issues that can be expensive, like the airmatic system, but I was willing to gamble on that. The dealer also shared the carfax which showed a lot of service history, but I honestly should have been more thorough going through it.
This may sound naive, but I had assumed buying from a dealer would negate the need for an outside PPI. The car wasn't necessarily a "good deal", I was willing to pay the relatively high price they were asking under the assumption that buying from a Mercedes dealer would mean the car would be completely sorted. This is also part of the reason I want to return the car, because now it just feels like I overpaid for a car that actually wasn't inspected that closely. If they are just buying the car private party and not doing a thorough inspection before selling it to me, what am I paying a premium for?
The service contract was too expensive. Not that I'm trying to be cheap, but the price for the car + warranty is within a few thousand of a CPO vehicle a few years newer, although maybe not the wagon. I have always DIY'd all my own repairs on my cars, and I had planned on doing the same with this car.
Did you buy the csr "as is"? the brake mechanism might just need lubrication and the Neck Pro headrest is complicated, when you say broken, what exactly do you mean, popped forward and open?
Did you buy the csr "as is"? the brake mechanism might just need lubrication and the Neck Pro headrest is complicated, when you say broken, what exactly do you mean, popped forward and open?
I bought it "as is", but the dealer has a 5 day return policy in the contract, so I can still return it.
The brake mechanism did need lubrication and works better after I lubricated it. Not sure if it's going to break again or if that solved it permanently, from what I've read it seems like some have the issue come back after lubricating and ultimately need to replace it.
The neck pro headrest didn't just pop forward and open, the plastic holding it together inside is broke.
I bought it "as is", but the dealer has a 5 day return policy in the contract, so I can still return it.
The brake mechanism did need lubrication and works better after I lubricated it. Not sure if it's going to break again or if that solved it permanently, from what I've read it seems like some have the issue come back after lubricating and ultimately need to replace it.
The neck pro headrest didn't just pop forward and open, the plastic holding it together inside is broke.
Nah, just lubricate it once a year. I've done mine a few times in 12 years. as for the headrest, without seeing which plastic part is broken, it sounds like someone tried resetting it by force, If you want, post a picture, but if its not I can help with the reset procedure.
Nah, just lubricate it once a year. I've done mine a few times in 12 years. as for the headrest, without seeing which plastic part is broken, it sounds like someone tried resetting it by force, If you want, post a picture, but if its not I can help with the reset procedure.https://youtu.be/iDJx60QgfDc?si=B-U5gajiouRcW1FL
Good to hear the brake mechanism is ok. I checked it this morning and it seems to be working fine.
The head rest is pretty busted, I don't see any way to get it to stay together. It's difficult to get a pic of, but see the attached image.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by AstroNomad
The service contract was too expensive. Not that I'm trying to be cheap, but the price for the car + warranty is within a few thousand of a CPO vehicle a few years newer, although maybe not the wagon. I have always DIY'd all my own repairs on my cars, and I had planned on doing the same with this car.
Contact @Highline-Autos.com on this forum for a quote. They are a forum sponsor and broker VSCs through a couple of highly rated companies for very reasonable prices.
WRT DIY, is this your first Mercedes? They are actually quite easy to work on, but you must have the right tools. Get a proper Mercedes scanner!
Oh, yeah. If you paid the premium price for the car, make them fix what's broken or return it. You may be surprised what they will do. I would also ask for a discount to cover the cost for a VSC if you decide to keep it.
Last edited by JettaRed; Nov 30, 2024 at 03:17 PM.
I recently noticed my headrest is broken the same way. Its not activated and popped out, instead the plastic has broken and its not fully attached anymore. I researched into it and if I really wanted to I could fix it for around $30, and by fixing I mean fixing it back to original condition and not just super gluing it together. Or you can buy a used headrest on ebay and replace it. Im finding them around $100-150. But with my headrest the only reason I notice it is broken is if i grab it and move it around, otherwise it stays in place just fine.
I recently noticed my headrest is broken the same way. Its not activated and popped out, instead the plastic has broken and its not fully attached anymore. I researched into it and if I really wanted to I could fix it for around $30, and by fixing I mean fixing it back to original condition and not just super gluing it together. Or you can buy a used headrest on ebay and replace it. Im finding them around $100-150. But with my headrest the only reason I notice it is broken is if i grab it and move it around, otherwise it stays in place just fine.
I am sure mine is going to come due at some point
This feature is a spring board released by a ¢50 solenoid... after a while the undersized plastic splits up.
More important than this broken plastic is what's running sight-unseen under the hood.
Fun... check if your steering column "convenience entry" still does its tilt up/down in/out ??
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Nov 30, 2024 at 07:56 PM.
I think my steering column is manual, I dont remember ever adjusting it.
My W204 is a new England car and I had issues with the parking brakes when I got it. The dust shields were so rusted the parking brake pad springs wouldnt hold. It was a mess and I had to replace the shields and all the parking brake hardware. It was a fairly easy job and parts were under $100 for everything. I did replace the drivers parking brake cable back there which was a major pain to re-install, hardly any room to fit your hand.
Im finding w212 headrests on ebay. I think the drivers and passenger are the same part #'s. Not sure of the exact interior color code.
I have turned off (disabled) the convenience entry feature to ensure the steering column motor doesn't get tired.
me too, its disabled until I have time to clean and epoxy the nur that keeps self-tightening this jammed - How ridiculous is that kludgy tilt column: MB left no stone unturned to ensure it failed sooner rather than later
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Nov 30, 2024 at 08:23 PM.
I need the chestnut brown, which is what I can't find on ebay. If I don't end up returning the car, I may just see if I can buy one in another color and swap the internals. I found one on ebay without the cover, so it seems there must be a way.
Contact @Highline-Autos.com on this forum for a quote. They are a forum sponsor and broker VSCs through a couple of highly rated companies for very reasonable prices.
WRT DIY, is this your first Mercedes? They are actually quite easy to work on, but you must have the right tools. Get a proper Mercedes scanner!
Oh, yeah. If you paid the premium price for the car, make them fix what's broken or return it. You may be surprised what they will do. I would also ask for a discount to cover the cost for a VSC if you decide to keep it.
This is my first Mercedes, but I've done a lot of repairs on previous cars. I'll definitely have to pick up a Mercedes scanner if I do keep it.
Follow your gut, if you don't like the car nobody here is gonna make you keep it. Theyre very good cars and I adore the W212 and it's facelift. Beyond those odd, rather specific issues, the car wil need more service than that if you have a distaste already. Engine/transmission mounts, goes through sway bar links like halloween candy, transmission services every 2 years, annual filter changes, plugs every 50, it goes and goes and goes and never quite feels done at this vintage. They're lovely cars though and once you become aquainted with its repair procedures it's actually a quite pleasant car to work on.
For those interested, I decided to return the vehicle today for a few reasons:
The small maintenance issues I mentioned earlier weren’t dealbreakers on their own, but they made me question whether the car had been thoroughly inspected. Since I paid on the higher end, I expected better, and it didn’t seem like the car met those expectations.
I underestimated how much I’d miss Android Auto and adaptive cruise. While Android Auto could be added, adaptive cruise couldn’t, and for a family vehicle meant for long drives, these features turned out to be more important than I thought.
I was likely overpaying, and I would lose $6-8k or more (including taxes) as soon as I drove it off the lot. I'm not sure I would keep the vehicle long term, so that was a significant loss.
My original goal was to sell my Jeep and get into something cheaper since I haven't been driving it much lately, and definitely won't be doing any off-roading in the near future. I initially planned to get an older GTI in the $10-15k range but got sidetracked by the E350s, got excited about the wagons, and ended up with this. In hindsight, it just didn't end up aligning with what I wanted to do in the first place.
Ultimately, I got too caught up in the moment and bought something that wasn’t the right fit for me. Luckily, the dealer contract allowed me to return it, so I took it back today.
That said, I really enjoyed the car for what it was, even if it wasn’t the right choice for me. I might still end up with another Mercedes in the future. Thanks for all your help!
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by AstroNomad
For those interested, I decided to return the vehicle today...
Definitely the right move for you (or anyone). You gave enough reasons to predict you would never be totally happy with the car. You are a little better informed now what to look for when buying a Mercedes. But just understand they can be a money pit if you get a lemon, so plan your purchase.
I will say that an E-Class wagon and a GTI are NOT in the same category of cars, even a 4 door GTI. I will also say that VW has had its share of mechanical problems, as well. If you go for another E-Class wagon in the future, I definitely recommend an E400 or E450 with the M276 bi-turbo engine or at least stick with a 2014 E-Class with the M276 (300 hp) engine.
There is a 2019 E450 wagon near me that looks attractive, but it's been on the dealer's lot for over 97 days and they have dropped the price by $7000 to just under $30k! I'm not in the market for a car, but I would love a Mercedes wagon. Still, you gotta ask, "What's wrong with the car?" On paper it looks great. But still, 97 days!
Definitely the right move for you (or anyone). You gave enough reasons to predict you would never be totally happy with the car. You are a little better informed now what to look for when buying a Mercedes. But just understand they can be a money pit if you get a lemon, so plan your purchase.
I will say that an E-Class wagon and a GTI are NOT in the same category of cars, even a 4 door GTI. I will also say that VW has had its share of mechanical problems, as well. If you go for another E-Class wagon in the future, I definitely recommend an E400 or E450 with the M276 bi-turbo engine or at least stick with a 2014 E-Class with the M276 (300 hp) engine.
There is a 2019 E450 wagon near me that looks attractive, but it's been on the dealer's lot for over 97 days and they have dropped the price by $7000 to just under $30k! I'm not in the market for a car, but I would love a Mercedes wagon. Still, you gotta ask, "What's wrong with the car?" On paper it looks great. But still, 97 days!
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