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Have had my w213 and never had any issues. All of a sudden, my engine light turns on and starts flashing. Drive it home and get it towed to a certified Mercedes shop (that my buddy works at). After diagnostic, he tells me the cylinder 1 misfire is a piston issue and the vehicle may need a new engine. The car has 78,x miles and rand perfect until today. MB towed vehicle to local dealership and now waiting for them to re-diagnosis it and give me an update ... Supper worried right now ...
Just heard back from the Mercedes Dealership. They state that the piston in cylinder 1 is broken/chipped and that's why the compression is so low. Recommend to replace piston (according to them there appears to me no damage to the cylinder walls) or the entire engine. The dealership stated that just the labor would be $9,800 plus the parts to replace the piston. They'll give me a quote on the entire engine later in the day (labor would be extremely less they state). Contacted MBUSA for help. Told they would contact the dealership and reach back to me in 48 business day hours.
Just heard back from the Mercedes Dealership. They state that the piston in cylinder 1 is broken/chipped and that's why the compression is so low. Recommend to replace piston (according to them there appears to me no damage to the cylinder walls) or the entire engine. The dealership stated that just the labor would be $9,800 plus the parts to replace the piston. They'll give me a quote on the entire engine later in the day (labor would be extremely less they state). Contacted MBUSA for help. Told they would contact the dealership and reach back to me in 48 business day hours.
Thanks for the update. Tough diagnosis. Ask the dealer what they would buy your car for, or offer in trade. The M274 has no "all clear" time period where piston cracking can be ruled out, sadly.
A. Ask for MB goodwill - not likely
B. Looking at that quote, used engine, sell car
hi, I’m the person that petitioned the NHTSA to investigate this issue and it was granted and began a couple months ago . The NHTSA has already requested that Mercedes benz put a long list of any communication, repair, goodwill repair , warranty work, technical bulletin , law suit and more that communicates anything at all regarding this issue . The problem is that so many people chose not to fix the problems through the dealer and so I’m not sure if those were ever properly diagnosed (many required a full engine breakdown to confirm the cracked piston)
so rather than sell the car or get an engine from a junked c300 I would recommend you find a mechanic that works on Mercedes Benz and ask that they get you a remanufactured engine from the Mercedes Benz parts department .(inquire with your local Mercedes Benz parts department for a remanufactured engines benefits and it’s price- you will be surprised ) It’s better than a rebuilt engine or one from a salvaged car and it’s only about 2-3k more than a used one and includes a warranty … my mechanic did it all for me for only.$9600 the dealer charges almost double for the same thing. So at the moment we are waiting for NHTSA to review the data they requested from Mercedes benz and hopefully we will get notice of either Mercedes benz voluntarily calling a recall or the NHTSA forcing them to recall .
hi, I’m the person that petitioned the NHTSA to investigate this issue and it was granted and began a couple months ago . The NHTSA has already requested that Mercedes benz put a long list of any communication, repair, goodwill repair , warranty work, technical bulletin , law suit and more that communicates anything at all regarding this issue . The problem is that so many people chose not to fix the problems through the dealer and so I’m not sure if those were ever properly diagnosed (many required a full engine breakdown to confirm the cracked piston)
so rather than sell the car or get an engine from a junked c300 I would recommend you find a mechanic that works on Mercedes Benz and ask that they get you a remanufactured engine from the Mercedes Benz parts department .(inquire with your local Mercedes Benz parts department for a remanufactured engines benefits and it’s price- you will be surprised ) It’s better than a rebuilt engine or one from a salvaged car and it’s only about 2-3k more than a used one and includes a warranty … my mechanic did it all for me for only.$9600 the dealer charges almost double for the same thing. So at the moment we are waiting for NHTSA to review the data they requested from Mercedes benz and hopefully we will get notice of either Mercedes benz voluntarily calling a recall or the NHTSA forcing them to recall .
Great update and good suggestion for an alternative to selling the car or paying the dealer.
Thanks for the update. Tough diagnosis. Ask the dealer what they would buy your car for, or offer in trade. The M274 has no "all clear" time period where piston cracking can be ruled out, sadly.
Just got off the phone with MBUSA. They say they won't cover the complete cost of the engine repair but will contact the dealership may vehicles at to see if they can negotiate anything (informed should receive a call back wothing 48 hours).
Also, seems the lawsuit against Mercedes and the m274 engine is going forward. I contacted the law office and added myself as a complainant. If anyone else is interested, here's the website. Call the office and tell them your issues. They stated they already have 8 people that have added to the lawsuit and it just got filed.
Just got off the phone with MBUSA. They say they won't cover the complete cost of the engine repair but will contact the dealership may vehicles at to see if they can negotiate anything (informed should receive a call back wothing 48 hours).
Also, seems the lawsuit against Mercedes and the m274 engine is going forward. I contacted the law office and added myself as a complainant. If anyone else is interested, here's the website. Call the office and tell them your issues. They stated they already have 8 people that have added to the lawsuit and it just got filed.
I am a specialist independent mechanic in Kansas City (Royal Autowerks) and just bought one of these cars from a client with the loss of compression on cylinder #1. I am a former Ford engineer and MIT Mechanical Engineering grad (Masters and Bachelors). I will likely be the tech consultant (engineering and mechanical) on this class action lawsuit after discussions with the law firm moving forward with the class-action suit. I recommend you reach out to the firm (California-based) and get registered for the suit prior to selling or repairing any vehicle associated with this failure mode.
I operate a specialty shop in Kansas City (Royal Autowerks) and just bought a 2016 C300 with 68K on it from a client with the loss of compression on cylinder #1 and will perform the detailed teardown (and rebuild ultimately). My client has registered for this class action lawsuit. I recommend that anyone that has had the same concern, reach out to the CA law firm that is pursuing the class-action suit.
I am a former Ford engineer and MIT mechanical engineering graduate (Masters and Bachelors). I have also been a mechanic for 39 years. I have engaged the law firm and will likely end up being the engineering and mechanical expert on this case.
I encourage you to get registered for the suit if you have suffered a loss. Do this before you dispose of the vehicle.
better test the gas. As an engineer you know the old adage:
“Garbage in Garbage out”
detonation/pre ignition is probably a contributing factor in many of these failures.
Interesting list. Have causation and correlation been properly accounted for?
Glancing through the the comments in the linked article, the claimed defects are all over the map and not all of them are directly related to the nature of four cylinders or turbocharged induction.
The M274, however, is indeed a dud. And the (short-lived) M264 and M254 which are genetically descended from the M274. MB 4-bangers carry a strong do-not-buy rating.
better test the gas. As an engineer you know the old adage:
“Garbage in Garbage out”
detonation/pre ignition is probably a contributing factor in many of these failures.
Though you might be on track to something, those Top-10 XXX articles are meant to attract readers. Once you get into the technical details of the study, they become soft not to say "garbage in -> garbage out".
When comparing technical evaluations I want to see the parameters being used for comparison listed, which brands were included in the list explicitly and where do they rank; therefore, I can always make my own conclusions and also evaluate the writer.
Missing ones do not mean they are good, they could not have been included in the evaluation either.
Just got off the phone with MBUSA. They say they won't cover the complete cost of the engine repair but will contact the dealership may vehicles at to see if they can negotiate anything (informed should receive a call back wothing 48 hours).
Also, seems the lawsuit against Mercedes and the m274 engine is going forward. I contacted the law office and added myself as a complainant. If anyone else is interested, here's the website. Call the office and tell them your issues. They stated they already have 8 people that have added to the lawsuit and it just got filed.
Hi, did you get any resolution on this? Had the same issue with my sister’s GLC, MBUSA and local dealer (Fletcher Jones) offered no help whatsoever. Very, very firm no. Curious if anyone else has received help since the lawsuit.
Hi, did you get any resolution on this? Had the same issue with my sister’s GLC, MBUSA and local dealer (Fletcher Jones) offered no help whatsoever. Very, very firm no. Curious if anyone else has received help since the lawsuit.
Haven't received any help at all from corporate besides they aren't paying a penny. I ended up having my local repair shop (owner used to work at my local Mercedes dealership and is a master guild Mercedes tech) replace my engine. Ordered a brand new long block from Mercedes and when it came in last week, they realized the new (updated m274) engine was slightly different than the old m274. They ended up having to purchase 2 additional things (about $300 worth) to put it in my car. Just waiting on a hose (ended up replacing the thermostat as well since engine was already out) and I should have .y car back by this Friday. Total cost came out to $11,540 for the new engine, parts, and labor. Engine comes with a 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty and all new parts (spark plugs, etc) so shouldn't have to do any major work on the car for about 75,000 miles (besides oil changes).
I'm hopeful that I can recoup so of the money I purchased the engine with ...
Just got my car back yesterday. On top of the engine cost, the updated engine required parts that the original engine didn't have. $11,454 later and the new upgraded engine is in my vehicle which included a 3yr, 36k mile warranty. Here's to hoping I can get some of my money back in the lawsuit! Attached are photos for those curious on what's replaced (did the thermostat since the engine was out which was required but made sense to do).
Anyone having an issue with the W213 E300 engine piston?
Currently, I have a 2017 E300 RWD around 57K miles and have a piston #1 failure.
Engine oil goes directly into piston #1 due to piston issue. I did not take this car to the dealership and just went to a local shop because of the cost.
I heard that the M274 engine has an issue with its piston.
Does anyone know why this is causing it and any lawsuit regarding the M274 engine?
I don't think I can even afford to fix this one.
The local auto shop mentioned that there was a C300 around 27K that had the same issue and the dealership quote her 25K for an engine swap.
I will keep updating this post when I get quotes from a local shop. They are doing a detailed inspection of my car right now.
2021 Mojave Silver E450, 2024 Black on Black Jaguar F-pace P400, 2011 335d (RIP), 2010 E350 (sold)
Originally Posted by a_radtke
Haven't received any help at all from corporate besides they aren't paying a penny. I ended up having my local repair shop (owner used to work at my local Mercedes dealership and is a master guild Mercedes tech) replace my engine. Ordered a brand new long block from Mercedes and when it came in last week, they realized the new (updated m274) engine was slightly different than the old m274. They ended up having to purchase 2 additional things (about $300 worth) to put it in my car. Just waiting on a hose (ended up replacing the thermostat as well since engine was already out) and I should have .y car back by this Friday. Total cost came out to $11,540 for the new engine, parts, and labor. Engine comes with a 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty and all new parts (spark plugs, etc) so shouldn't have to do any major work on the car for about 75,000 miles (besides oil changes).
I'm hopeful that I can recoup so of the money I purchased the engine with ...
To be honest, that sounds like a damn good price. Used engines are going for similar numbers.
I took a quick look but couldn't find a 274 new (I didn't try that hard) - I did find the v6 and the on line price was $22k and change from MBonlineparts.
Just got my car back yesterday. On top of the engine cost, the updated engine required parts that the original engine didn't have. $11,454 later and the new upgraded engine is in my vehicle which included a 3yr, 36k mile warranty. Here's to hoping I can get some of my money back in the lawsuit! Attached are photos for those curious on what's replaced (did the thermostat since the engine was out which was required but made sense to do).
I like how you spend $11400+ but they still have to hit you with the $5.99 hazmat fee. I wonder what they would have said if you asked them to remove it. Probably would have kept it in there. Or maybe charge you more because there's lots of hazmat in removing an engine.
Hazmat fees are like sales taxes or tire disposal fees that are required by governments.
I haven't really heard of any law that requires a shop to charge a particular fee. Usually the laws are just that the shops have to comply with various procedures and those costs are passed to consumers via the fee, but it's up to the shop to charge the fee and determine the amount. Which also means they can waive it.
These kinds of fees vary by state. For example Iowa requires that a tire fee be charged, but the amount is up to the shop. In Florida the law says "A $1.00 fee is due whether a new tire is sold separately or as a component part of a vehicle. The fee must be separately stated on the sales invoice and included in the total amount subject to sales tax." There are many such fees on things including lead-acid batteries, rental car sharing, ... It seems that governments invent many ways to extract revenue from consumers without calling it a tax.
My opinion is that itemizing these shop fees are a sign of a good business which believes in transparency. As a customer, I want to know what I am paying for. Just because you do not see the fees on an invoice, it does not mean you were not charged for it, you just do not know the cost of the fee added.
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