mbflyer

Hi all
this is my first post.
I am struggling to decide if buying a 2016 GLE 350d.
i have tested it and loved it. Thus would be my first MB.
Monday I will take the car to a testing center to Check it out by professionals.
the only thing that Is throwing me off is that I found out that this car was affected by the 2018 software recall forced by EU authorities because of emissions issue (I live in Switzerland).
the car was already “fixed”, according to the MB website.
i am not sure what this means and what to think.
is this affecting the future value of the car?
or is it affecting reliability?
or any other thing bad consequence I should be aware of?

the car has 50000 km (about 30K miles)
any advise, comment, suggestion will be really appreciated
ciao
G

chassis

@mbflyer The W166 chassis is a reliable platform. This means the suspension, drivetrain, electrical, interior, brakes, steering, etc. are generally trouble free. The diesel topic is very different in EU vs the US. It's best if an EU member of the site can comment. In North America, Mercedes diesels from 2008 and newer have a very bad reliability reputation.

mbflyer

thank you very much Chassis.
just in case EU members are so kind to comment on the engine, it’s the OM642

BlownV8

From what I've read, they have the same issues with the OM642 as the US owners.

mbflyer

does this mean OM642 is not good engine? It seems to be one if the most common engines up to few years ago.
shall I stay away from it?

chassis

@mbflyer The problem is when more pollution control equipment was added to the vehicle, approximately 2008. This is almost the same situation as the Volkswagen "Dieselgate" problem. Read about Daimler's situation with diesel complaints and government penalties.

There are people on this site who will say the OM642 is a good engine. That may have been true before 2007-2008. After 2007-2008, additional equipment was added, and ruined the engine. Examples:

- DEF fluid (urea) injection
- EGR exhaust gas recirculation
- DPF diesel particulate filter
- NOx sensors

The hardware (equipment), sensors and software related to the pollution control system is very bad. Do not buy a car if it uses DEF (urea). These are called by Mercedes "Bluetec".

Do not buy a Bluetec vehicle. They have many expensive problems.

Volkswagen and Bosch paid billions of US$ for problems related to their engines and pollution control systems. Bosch is one of Mercedes-Benz's main suppliers, and the technology used by Mercedes is the same technology used by Volkswagen. The problems are the same.

E55Greasemonkey

Don't do it. The adblue system is a nightmare, and the 642 engine isn't great either.

decorily

I'm no expert...but I think part of the problem is the quality of the diesel used in the US.

mbflyer

Hi all, thank you very much.
I did not buy the car. I owe you big time
the dealer was very upset of course. But that is a different story.

E55Greasemonkey

Good choice. Find yourself a gasoline version, you'll be happpy with that.

Roni07

Because is strict emission standards, I wouldn’t do it. “Fixed” doesn’t mean anything and once you buy it, you’ll be stuck with it.

BulldogGLE

Want to correct some of the thinking in this thread. I think anyone can consider the 350d, but also know that the emissions system is sensitive. At the right price, its a great vehicle.

We've had ours since new and have zero issues with the emissions system. If there is an issue, you can replace the parts (yep - big $$$) or just remove them with a straight pipe and tune the DME to ignore the emissions equipment, potentially get some power/fuel efficiency as well.

People are reacting too negatively here. Great opportunity to pick up one of the nicest diesel vehicles for low cost. I would much rather have the '16 model vs. the mid 2000's models.

chassis

@BulldogGLE Good input. My view of what you posted is that someone can either buy a project (replace components or delete+tune) or they can buy a reliable vehicle.

If I was looking at a diesel GLE I would want to know if there was a better than average chance of my vehicle becoming a very expensive project.

Vehicles using the MB OM642 motor have a better than average chance of becoming a very expensive project. That’s a big negative for many prospective buyers.

BlownV8

That is being polite. The OM642's have proven to be extremely unreliable and maintenance needy. Adblue equipped OM642's are ticking time bombs for maintenance/repairs. Yes, you can pull all the emissions off but diesel particulates are very, very, bad for the health of you and your community. If you remove the emissions components, are caught, and live in the US and probably Europe, it is likely the government will throw you under the prison or fine you to the poor house.

decorily

[QUOTE=BlownV8;8160652
......diesel particulates are very, very, bad for the health .....[/QUOTE]

Indeed they appear to be, that's why it's so much better for the environment to store them all up within the exhaust system and pour diesel on them to burn them off occasionally while nobody is watching! (Testing )

BulldogGLE

And hence why the costs of getting into these vehicles have declined significantly due to the "stigma" of diesel. For example, in Western Canada, 2016 GLE350d (often CPO) are trading in the C$30-$40k range with <100,000 kms vs. brand new $80-$100 for fully loaded versions. Someone could probably enter into one of these with 10-20% off the dealer asking price, therefore:

- put less into the vehicle when getting into it (which due to math, and am sure as you know, determines the largest ownership cost)
- put $5-$10k away from said savings into potentially dealing with emissions issues (maintenance, etc)

They can be as reliable as someone wants them to be assuming you don't overpay going into ownership. Would much prefer the 350d vs. the 350 gas version. If people are looking for a GLE gas version, I would push for the 43 or 63 AMG versions and avoid all of the low level trims. Otherwise, the 350d is a great bargain to consider!

BulldogGLE

Please correct your statement. Ticking time bombs is hardly the right description. Are they more prone to maintenance? Probably. Therefore, one should be as pro-active as possible when doing preventive maintenance (yes, comes at a cost) and or/be willing to remove/modify the engine certain engine/emissions components to ensure better reliability.
Save the environmental lecture for someone else..... this is a thread on reliability, not the merits of gas vs. diesel vs. hydrogen vs. electricity vs. fairy dust or unicorn antlers

BlownV8

The number of engine failures on low mileage OM642 engines would cause me to believe otherwise. Repeated oil cooling failures and timing chain failure has become the norm for vehicles under 100k miles. The emissions system is a big mess, don't forget to get your check from the class action. Sorry, these are way beyond maintenance issues. Yes, the OM642 is also prone to needing more maintenance than most.

Roni07

I’ve purchased two brand new Mercedes SUVs -GLE350 and GLC300. My personal experience - I wouldn’t do it again. Super expensive and unreliable vehicle. Extremely expensive to maintain. The MB brand I’ve know from E.U. (also VW) isn’t the same as it used to be.
(The only exception is Audi and Porsche)
I wouldn’t waste my money on a Mercedes and certainly wouldn’t touch a Used CPO either. I’m ok paying heaps of cash 💵 for a trustworthy, quality and reliable vehicle. MB is not one of it.
who needs headaches.
Buy something proven and trustworthy- Toyota , Honda, Subaru. You’ll have a good life and won’t fret when the maintenance light comes on