kenjraustin

Just a quick note here for anyone thinking about buying one of these.

Don't do it.

We've had ours for 7 years...it's honestly been a great vehicle. With the exception of the notorious DPF filter issue that MB is unwilling to cover under the 10 year mfg emissions warranty - we'd likely be MB customers for life.

Unfortunately, I'm now going to have to sell my 7 year old vehicle with less than 65k miles on it - a MB DIESEL...that should go for hundreds of thousands of miles - at well below blue book value because of this ridiculous Bluetec emissions system that they seemed to want to wash their hands of leaving their customers holding the bill.

Quick backstory....

About a year and a half ago we got a check engine light. Car drove fine - no issues. Take it to our local place that specializes in MB and they check the codes and tell me it's the DPF filter and warn me how expensive it is (~$4,000) and advise me to take to the dealer to see if they'll cover it under the 10 year mfg emission warranty. Well, of course they won't. And what's even more interesting is that their diagnosis wasn't even the same as my local shop - they seemed to indicate that it wasn't the filter itself but some kind of a sensor on the AdBlue tank. They still wanted almost $5,000 for parts and labor to cover the whole thing. I declined and even my service advisor said if it were him he would just leave it as is since it didn't affect the drivability or performance of the car.

Now here we are - last month my wife started telling me the car was driving strange - like a transmission issue. So, I go drive it and realize quickly that it's likely not a transmission issue as the car would shift through the gears - but it had no 'pep'. If you floored it it would perform as if you were doing a usual start from a stop. Interestingly, the paddle shifters wouldn't work anymore either. I figured that the ECM might need to be reset as this is one of those vehicles that 'learns' how you drive. Perhaps that got out of kilter over the years and needed to be reset.

So, we take it back to our local shop who hooks it up and calls me with new error codes. I'll paste what they sent me here for reference in case anyone searches through forum looking for this stuff:

This alone is almost $1k worth of labor and the part is $2,800.

This is another $600 in parts and labor -most likely due to the fact that the DPF is likely full or contaminated and the MAF sensed that and throttled back the performance of the car to protect the engine.

My wife and I are bummed - this car is paid for and we were hoping for at least 3 or 4 more years of service from it before moving on to something else - perhaps even longer if the car was still running well. We love just about everything about this vehicle except that MB seems to want nothing to do with working with Bluetec customers who are dealing with issues that they've know about for some time and then decided that they weren't going to cover them under any kind of extended warranty.

I remember when I bought this car and the salesperson asked me if we'd ever owned a MB before, and I answered No. He said, "Well you'll be one for life now...".

Nope. We're done.

Please do yourself a favor and don't buy one of these used. We decided not to spend the $6k primarily because this is just going to happen again. I'm not a fan of throwing good money after bad. We'll go look elsewhere and MB has lost our business for life.

andreigbs

Sorry that you had a bad experience, but badmouthing the car for the stealership's incompetence isn't fair.

FWIW, you could have saved yourself many a headache if you had searched these forums. There is a wealth of information here, if you take the time to look.

Our Bluetec is sailing past 123K miles and running strong. While the issue(s) you cite are common for modern MB diesels, they are not without solutions using some ingenuity. The stealerships are notorious for throwing expensive parts at them. Most likely your DPF is/was fine, it was just a wonky sensor or two that places the vehicle into "limp mode" if it decides it's not running right. True, some sensors can be a few hundred bucks, but more often than not, it's not the pricey DPF that's the issue.

Hopefully another brand of car will serve you better.

karmikan

I can only echo andreigbs' comments. I'm no fan of MB dealerships (or any other brand for that matter) but to be fair, this is not an MB-only issue. As environmental regulations for diesels became ever more stringent, manufacturers were forced to add increasingly complex equipment to meet the standards. These systems are a nightmare to diagnose and mind-numbingly expensive to fix. All diesel manufacturers have faced similar problems, so much so that a significant cottage industry has grown up around cleaning/replacing/deleting DPF filters.

Up until recently (until VWs dieselgate), about half the cars sold in Europe were diesel. The European aftermarket developed expertise in fixing the emissions systems in these cars economically. Because diesel cars are like hen's teeth in North America, that knowledge has taken a while to come over, but it seems to be here now. My wife's car had a false alarm DPF issue a few months ago and I'm expecting it to come back for real at some point. The number of resources now available to economically deal with problems without shoveling mountains o cash to a dealership gives us some hope that we should be able to hang on to the car for several more years.

GLK Super Fan

The first problem is, you brought a diesel to do city commute and expect the dpf will regen properly? 7 years 65k isn't much, but if you put 130k with lots of highway driving, i bet ur emission bs will still works fine.

Second, owning a 7 years old MB and still relying on the dealership. Come on, find a good indy shop.

Depends on where you live and your local state emission law, dpf is the way to go. I have 2 BlueTEC vehicles, 1 glk and 1 ml, both had dpf delete and my mechanic is awesome to work with. I don't have complaint on glk 250. As long as you willing to learn and research about the glk 250, it not that hard to maintain and address the issues when it comes up.

By the way, my glk currently has 170 000 km and ml has 220 000 km, both vehicles are still going strong.

E55Greasemonkey

Any MB diesel built after 2006 is bad news. There is plenty of info out there about it, and you should have researched that before you purchased it. There may be some good news, however....I would consider keeping it a bit longer. It may be part of the upcoming class action lawsuit to which you may receive around $3k plus free replacement of the systems that have failed and an additional warranty. Time for you to read up on that.

Gazwould

Eco sweat .

karmikan

Sorry, but there's some fuzzy information here.
1) The issues are not MB-specific, they apply to all late model diesel engines with complex emissions systems.
2) The class action is not related to "replacement of systems that have failed" but is because MB manipulated their engine duty cycles specifically to defeat emissions testing. Parts failure is not included but there will be hardware/software modifications to remove the duty cycle manipulation while still meeting emissions standards. MB did extend the warranty on the soot sensor in Canada due to a known failure rate (not in the US at present) but that is an entirely separate issue.

E55Greasemonkey

Please do some research before posting nonsense. There are some 9000 MB passenger cars that will have various diesel emission components REPLACED FOR FREE. Some of these parts HAVE FAILED on these cars already. The fact that other makes have problems is irrelevant, this is a website specific to the Mercedes brand.

speedlaw

Sounds right. I had a DPF crack on a Golf TDI (the infamous and bought back one). $3600, VW paid half, at 76k miles. Diesel, Car, and United States don't go together. Trucks have easy to repair DPF, cars, not so much. I had a BMW 320 Diesel rental in Germany and it was the bomb, and after researching it here, hard pass. Our diesel is lower grade than EU and it's exotic car level repairs.

karmikan

No nonsense Greasemonkey. Please read this article, the lawsuit deals exclusively with emissions cheating NOT fixing failed components. The only components that will be replaced relate specifically to eliminating the cheat software while meeting emissions standards. My wife has had 2 recalls on her GLK, one for the soot sensor the other for an airbag. If you know of another lawsuit or recall expressly to replace failed parts (apart from the Canadian one for the soot sensor) please post details. That would be really interesting.

Other manufacturers having problems is very relevant as the issues are systemic to all late-model a diesels, not just MB as you imply on your original post. This might be helpful to anyone looking for solutions (e.g. you can use a generic DPF cleaning/replacement company and don't have to rely on a $tealership).

https://www.cars.com/articles/merced...o-know-427826/

Silver Shadow

I am so happy I bought a GLK350 and not a 250. Driving around in a ticking time bomb waiting for a $6,000+ explosion is not my idea of fun.
I was at my local garage yesterday and the owner asked me how I liked my Mercedes. I said I loved it but it was a little hard on gas. He said "Oh good, I thought it was one of those terrible 250 diesels. I've done so many expensive emission repairs on those it's not funny."
He did say that it's not just Mercedes that are having problems though.

andreigbs

Diesels are clearly not for everyone, and in the U.S., definitely not for the uninterested and largely oblivious masses who just need an appliance they'll likely neglect and mainly use to get from A to B. This is evidenced by the fact that fewer than 3% of all passenger vehicles sold are diesel-powered.

And that's OK, they end up being more of a niche product for connoisseurs usually, like those of us who enjoy the low-down power, efficiency, and longevity.

It's nice being able to drive 600+ miles on a tank of fuel, getting 33+ mpg while passing most V6s and V8s before they even have a chance to downshift. And with a good tune, you're pushing 450 lbs-ft of torque available from 1800 rpms that's so addictive. There's a reason why most of us who have driven diesels keep seeking them out. And whereas most folks get rid of their cars at or well before 100k miles, good diesels are just getting started.

formerjeepguy

I loved my GLK250 for the first year and a half until the emissions systems started breaking.
Yes, diesels are not for everyone, but given the large number of issues experienced with the emissions components these cars should never have been sold as appliances and probably should have had a warning about expensive repairs above and beyond the regular Mercedes surcharge.

Resorting to illegal tunes and modifications just should not be required on any car to maintain normal function. You know full well that your tune and the other modifications required to defeat the emissions systems break federal emissions laws. By encouraging others to follow your path you are encouraging that they too break the law. I'm not judging, just stating the facts.

The vast majority of buyers have neither the means nor the inclination to wrench on these relatively new cars just to keep them going and end up paying the ill equipped dealers for guesswork repairs. This is wrong and just should not happen.

The GLK250 is not the luxury appliance that it was advertised to be and I completely agree with the original poster that they should be avoided at all costs.

speedlaw

I had two classic rabbit diesels, each went over 150k easily, and the promise of a modern one was irresistible. Clean AND 40 mpg at 80 mph ?. Till the DPF cracked at 73k and VW said 'past Fed Pollution Warranty, sorry' I was a believer and quite happy with the TDI. We will note there was a TSB for that exact defect prior to my incident. An almost 4k bill to replace a part literally no one in the US other than the dealer could do. All that fuel $ saved gone in an instant.

The BMW 320d in Germany was the car I always hoped for on the autobahn. OK around town and 140 mph past the End of Restriction sign. I could see why the police used them for pursuit cars. BMW diesel here is also a sorry story, I lusted for 335d for a while, but after seeing forums and EGR issues, hard pass. Alas.

Recently (in the before-times) in Scotland, a Toyota Avenza, diesel and manual. OK, although the combination of right hand drive and narrow roadways mean we didn't push it.....but 40 mpg with four passengers.

I considered a Tesla before the C43, but decided to go "normal" again......it's just easier, Tesla has the same lock-in for repairs that DPF had with VW, and my Jetta with a 1.4 does 35 mpg all day on regular. No need for Diesel in the US, financially the savings only work with much higher fuel prices and a subsidy so diesel matches regular.

karmikan

Informative conversation guys.

If you bought a Ferrari or Corvette for the sporty drive and "image" (whatever that is), that's fine because you got what you wanted and you made an informed decision. To then complain about the lack of cargo space would be incomprehensible because the trade-offs are obvious. The same would go for buying an Escalade then complaining about the gas mileage. When my wife was considering a GLK250 we loved the drive, the torque, the projected longevity and the gas mileage. At no point did the salesman mention a single diesel caveat so the upside-downside equation was not obvious. John Cadogan has mentioned this many times on his videos and points to a pathetic lack of concern for the welfare of the customer.

Luckily. I had a cursory knowledge of the basic requirements of running a modern diesel:
1) Regular highway trips - we live in a rural village so almost every trip is a highway trip (check)
2) Extreme maintenance - I have some knowledge, enough interest and most of the tools to DIY (check)

This was the only way we could establish some sort of upside-downside equation. It was far from complete and was completely devoid of any input from the dealership and MB beyond the usual gratuitous stroking. After almost 6 yrs my wife still loves her little truck, it runs like a champ and I think we might have enough informational safety nets that we won't hit a figurative brick wall. Do I regret buying a Bluetec? No. In the future might I regret buying a Bluetec? Possibly, but no more than I might any other car.

bugelrex

For those who have a problem-free (relatively), do you think the diesel lawsuit "fix" + extended warranty will make its less of a ticking time bomb(giant diesel related repair costs)?

The car have been absolutely perfect so far and fun to drive

karmikan

I think that's an open question because the whole focus of the lawsuit is on emissions rather than component durability. Certainly any sort of extended warranty doesn't hurt. The non-committal language used by the EPA and MB "we do not expect....", "drivers shouldn't notice..." offers little in the way of evidence to say whether or not reliability will be affected. However, given the scrutiny (annual inspections etc.) that MB will be under, it seems reasonable to think that they might be sensitive and accommodating to any emissions issues once the program is under way. Blue sky speculation is great isn't it?

andreigbs

Agree with karmikan; we can hope for the best and any extended warranty may cover the worst. For those of us past certain mileage limits, I don’t think a warranty extension beyond 4yr/48k will be available, if that.

The GLK250 will need new hardware installed, including a new copper DPF and other components. MB has to warranty those new items at the very least.

I just hope they don’t make the fixes a condition of receiving the money. I’d prefer to just get the payout and continue trucking as I have been.

Bob338

No regrets here either. Mine has been perfect except for the air bag recall. Had a 2012 BlueTec just before this one. Sold to SIL and it's been running perfect also, his in mostly city traffic. No regrets. I'll just simply amortize any costs for repairs, if any, over the life of the car, which will probably outlast me. Knowing what I know now and with the minimal operating cost, I'd do it all over again just as I did.

Jay072

Most of these issues seem to be with cars only used mainly for shorter commutes or city driving where the engine never has a chance to properly get up to temp. I've driven mine all over North America, across Canada with zero issues. Lots of extended time at sustained highway speeds. Short commutes are hard on any car, but especially for diesels. I do agree with staying away from dealerships (lesson learned from my own recent experience) but that is another story.

Sorry to the OP about having bad luck

formerjeepguy

I drove 30 miles each way to and from work on the highway every weekday and still had a DPF failure at 18k miles.

kenjraustin

Wow - hadn't checked back on this thread since I posted it - good discussions!
I researched the DPF delete and found a shop here in Austin, TX where I live that will do the entire thing - ECU re-programming and they pull the DPF out, gut it and get the gunk out, then replace it so that the vehicle still looks completely stock. I'm going to take it in next Monday and they said they can turn it around in 2 days so, I'm going to see how that goes. Again, we've loved the GLK 250 - my wife was dreading going to look for a new car because she wanted to keep this one...so I researched the DPF delete...found a few good sites and considered doing it myself. However, I don't have a lift in my garage anymore and from what I read it's a bit of PITA to get in and out and I'm not real familiar with the MB engine/sensors, etc... so figured it would be best to find a local shop to do it for me.

Gazwould

Egr ?

speedlaw

I drove my TDI mostly highway miles and the DPF cracked due to heat probably....VW ran it hot to avoid using ad blue...mine was up to temp and spanked every time.

NJView

I owned lots of the 1983-5 300CDs series in the late 90s' to late 2000s. After paying huge sums every time my Audi Allroad (great car too but) went in for service...I was happy to sell the Audi and get a nicely optioned Palladium/Ash '15GLK 250,brand new, Now it has 127K on it. It had a loss of power/ no turbo around 90K, engine light went on.....it turned out there was a torn, intake tube on the driver side, cost under $100 to buy and I replaced it myself, easy. Apart from that this car NEVER had any other issues. I rode it like a racehorse on long haul trips on 95 between NJ and FL its first 75K miles. Always service as required. I love the performance, I am amazed at the 32-33MPG at speeds of 95-100 MPH. Great also on short trips around town and as a hauler of 'stuff.' Still feels luxurious and the standout design holds up & looks fresh, IMO. Love this body style so much I just bought a '14 GLK350 with a couple more options (AMG, Harmon Kardon) than my '15. Put the '15 on the market recently @$13K, thinking I had no use for two so higher milage diesel would get sold. Then I realized I would cannot part with a car this good, these are hard to find for sale in good shape, loaded. I decided to keep the diesel garaged in my FL, where I expect it to continue problem free for next 90K miles...That saves me $4-5K in rental car costs for the 3 months I need a car there. I did a side by side MPG comparison with my glk 350. the 250 gets 28-32 around town consistently. The 350 gets 19-24 (mostly low 20s) around town/hiway. With diesel about $2+ higher per gallon than gas, the efficiency of diesel ends up costing almost identical to gas, but still, its a long gap between fill ups with the diesel.