dinnyin

I tried searching and found several posts for e55s, but not the W211 E63s (specifically looking for a wagon if that makes a difference)
If I missed it, appreciate the link vs tons of flames, and hope you'll accept my apology.

That said, I'm trying to find a checklist/buyers guide of things to look for, repairs/TSBs that should have been done, etc. and understand what if any "deal killers" to be on the lookout for.

Thanks for any help!

Strigoi

Brakes are expensive. https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/mer...-w204amg2pfbk1

They have issues with the head bolts, lifters too. https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...olt-issue.html (that's a worst case scenario). New head bolts aren't horribly expensive, it's just a lot of labor.

W211's have an extended warranty on the fuel tank due to them leaking (US only) and they replace the whole tank. There's a sticky thread about that. It's a several thousand dollar fix if it comes out of pocket.

Airmatic shocks go bad (not an if, it's a when). People either replace with Arnott or do a coil over conversion.

Pano roofs can be noisy and are just one more thing to break. They're usually expensive to fix too. I love mine.

If you're a DIY person, you'll want a Star/DAS/Xentry setup for working on the car.

Try searching for M156, there's a ton of info on here about what you're asking. You'll find a lot more info on the engines that way since they were in several models. Those are the big ones that come to mind first.

vincheung

Strigoi pretty much has everything down, you'll hear things from both sides about the head bolts, some say you gotta get them upgraded or else you are doomed and then other will say dont worry about it as failures aren't that common considering the percentage of failures compared to the M156 motors out there but I wont get into that back and forth discussion. There's a ton of more information regarding the head bolts and the M156 motor in the c63 forums. Personally haven't had mine done yet since I have warranty but will most likely have them done as the expiration time nears.

Intake manifold warping has popped up from time to time but nothing too alarming as far as mass failures.

If you are looking to save $$ on the brakes, the c63 one piece rotors are substantially cheaper than the two piece e63 rotors and are a direct fit, pair them with some great pads and you wont notice a thing.

I wouldn't write off the e55 either if the price is right, good luck shopping!

dinnyin

Thanks, for the excellent info and tips. I probably should have thought to search M156 over in the C forums.

Yep, US. I'm in CA also actually.

Sounds like thE buyer on this SoCal car (https://www.ebay.com/itm/2007-Mercedes-Benz-E-Class-E63-AMG-Wagon-Low-Mile-West-Coast-Calif-Car-/112868121535?ul_noapp=true&nma=true&si=HveP8BZ9%25 2Fp2ZdvSqLk%252F4CWdQjV8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc &_trksid=p2047675.l2557) fell through (despite getting OBO accepted below asking). It doesn't have the 3rd row, but in that other thread it sounds like it'd be $5k to put a new one in, less if I can pull one out of a junkyard E wagen.

Strigoi

Just curious as to why you want the 3rd row? I get it if you have small kids that would like to ride around back there, but other than that it's kind of useless. My W210 wagon has the 3rd row seats and the only time I use them is if I want to keep something smaller from sliding around in the back since there is a bit of a foot well.

dinnyin

I do have 2 kids, normally they're in the middle row. She has a 3rd row in the MDX that gets used ~10 times a year, with increasing frequency right now. Carpooling, bringing someone's kids home from practice, consolidating into 1 car for event parking, etc. So not a day to day necessity, but required on occasion.

Yuille36

Also you can find front two piece rotors relatively cheaper buy shopping on eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.T RC0.H0.X2007+mercedes+E63+front+brake+rotors.TRS0& _nkw=2007+mercedes+E63+front+brake+rotors&_sacat=0

Just to add some diversity to the conversation, I've owned three AMG's with the M156 engine, and I'm glad to say that I've not experienced any head bolt issues. And my highest mileage AMG thus far has been my 07 E63 with 77000 miles.
But I've had my fair share of oil leaks, like valve covers, cam adjuster housing covers and the oil cooler return line O-rings. But nothing major.