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Hello all,
It's been a while since I was last active on these forums, but I thought I'd check in with the Gurus here before diving into another MB purchase. I own a 09 E350 that I adore, but I think it's time to treat myself to some more power and refinement in the form of a 2014 E63S.
As the title states, I'm hoping to compile a list of known issues with the face lifted W212 E63 so I know what to avoid or address prior to buying one. They seem to be listed for quite a bit, CPO's are starting at around $60K from what I've found, so I want to do a lot of homework and see if going CPO is really worth it.
So far, I've really only seen people talk about the jerky starts from the MCT, and others have said they are resolved with a TCU update. What about the engine? It's a much more complex beast than the 3.5 in my car now, and I chose the 09 because it had all the problems worked out to prove to be a reliable engine. So, for me and any future buyers, I'd like to get an updated list going and input on what people's experiences have been with the car. I've heard the 16 has updated the COMMAND, but my budget will probably keep me in a 14.
2013 SL63, 2014 E63S Estate, 1995 300ZX Twin Turbo (gone but not forgotten), 2015 SQ5
My wife's E63S wagon has been trouble free except for a defective sensor in the driver's seatbelt which triggered a "Presafe inoperable" warning. Fixed under warrantee. Car has 26K miles, has gone through one set of tires, one battery and one set of rear brake pads. It has remained rattle free (unlike my 2015 Audi). I would buy another one.
My biggest issue with our 14 wagon is the LED headlights seem to fog up inside. There is a work around solution from MB with a silica gel bag for the inside of the housing. Unfortunately, there's no service access for the bag. The headlights will have to come off for the initial install. Take off bumper etc. to get the headlights out. After all the work, it fixes the issue temporarily. You have to keep buying the silica gel bags at least once a year.
The other issue we had was the failure of the instrument cluster. Car was in the shop for 3 months because no spare was available. Now they want me to pay for 1/2 of the cost even though we have extended warranty. Case is still pending.
The connectivity to my cell phone works ok but using the dash screen for the internet is like 56k dial up. I tried it 2 times and was very disappointed.
The hand brake, foot brake thingy doesn't hold the heavy wagon on the hill even if you push the pedal as hard as you can. It's too undersized I think.
We have the Harman Kardon sound system. It lacks bass. I installed an active 8" bazooka with 150w in the spare wheel well. Now it sounds ok.
The whole cooling system, meaning the radiators, oil coolers, condenser and intercooler are very flimsy and not sturdy enough to survive rock or pebble impacts from cars in front of you. We had to replace condenser and oil cooler already because they leaked. Tiny hairline cracks on the soft aluminum tubing. Maybe caused by the fast Autobahn driving in Germany who knows. I'll be taking the front bumper off one more time and wrap the front of every cooler with fine aluminum mesh. I hope this will save them in the long run.
Mercedes seems to use low grade steel bolts in the suspension. They're all rusting away. I'll have to wire brush and clean all of them and apply some clear wax coating.
This car keeps me busier than my 20 year old 911. It just drives and drives and never let me down.
Other than that, I like driving it when it drives but I always wonder what will happen next.
Ed
My biggest issue with our 14 wagon is the LED headlights seem to fog up inside. There is a work around solution from MB with a silica gel bag for the inside of the housing. Unfortunately, there's no service access for the bag. The headlights will have to come off for the initial install. Take off bumper etc. to get the headlights out. After all the work, it fixes the issue temporarily. You have to keep buying the silica gel bags at least once a year.
The other issue we had was the failure of the instrument cluster. Car was in the shop for 3 months because no spare was available. Now they want me to pay for 1/2 of the cost even though we have extended warranty. Case is still pending.
The connectivity to my cell phone works ok but using the dash screen for the internet is like 56k dial up. I tried it 2 times and was very disappointed.
The hand brake, foot brake thingy doesn't hold the heavy wagon on the hill even if you push the pedal as hard as you can. It's too undersized I think.
We have the Harman Kardon sound system. It lacks bass. I installed an active 8" bazooka with 150w in the spare wheel well. Now it sounds ok.
The whole cooling system, meaning the radiators, oil coolers, condenser and intercooler are very flimsy and not sturdy enough to survive rock or pebble impacts from cars in front of you. We had to replace condenser and oil cooler already because they leaked. Tiny hairline cracks on the soft aluminum tubing. Maybe caused by the fast Autobahn driving in Germany who knows. I'll be taking the front bumper off one more time and wrap the front of every cooler with fine aluminum mesh. I hope this will save them in the long run.
Mercedes seems to use low grade steel bolts in the suspension. They're all rusting away. I'll have to wire brush and clean all of them and apply some clear wax coating.
This car keeps me busier than my 20 year old 911. It just drives and drives and never let me down.
Other than that, I like driving it when it drives but I always wonder what will happen next.
Ed
the headlights are ventilated ... how would this not clear the fogging? This is the first I'm reading about silica bags installed by Benz ... interesting
01-06-2018, 04:10 PM
