E-Class ... still considering buying it but is 2003-2006 much more reliable than 90s

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Stocho

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After a number of problems such as rotten wing and much more dangerously a rotten suspension perch ... I am still thinking about Mercedes E Class.

Ideally I am interested in E-Class 320CDI Elegance but these being almost as rare as hens teeth realistically would be getting E320CDI Avantgarde.

Are 2003-2006 E-Class reasonably reliable in terms of:
1. Body panel rust (had loads of it on 1998 E300TD)
2. Structural rust (suspension perch failed on E300TD)
3. Electrical faults (loads and loads of intermittent faults with hotn not working, lights faults signals, heating controls on E300TD, surprisingly some of them cured themselves with time with no work
?

Do these cars have their own major problems, especially potentially lethal problems like the problem with the suspension perch on my E300TD was?

Is it the case that only after a certain manufacturing date E-Class became more reliable? If so from what registration date ( as opposed to manufacture date which is difficult to find out) is reasonably prudent to by E320CDI?

Many thanks for the advice.
 
Main problem from what I've read with these is that earlier models have SBC which is expensive to replace if it needs to be
 
Main problem from what I've read with these is that earlier models have SBC which is expensive to replace if it needs to be

A quick search for SBC revealed that some people have been not only 2k out of pocket but actually experienced brakes failure - potentially fatal...

Has it been solved completely by Mercedes? From what year / plate are they safe (if they are)?

Should I get post 2000 W210 instead?
 
Has it been solved completely by Mercedes? From what year / plate are they safe (if they are)?

From middle of 2006 the facelift W211 had SBC removed. If you look up the facelift on the web you should be able to identify the minor cosmetic differences to the front bumper and fog lights.

The facelift removes the dilemma and the shadow of a potentially expensive replacement bill - but you probably end up with a car that won't stop as well in a real potential accident situation as its predecessor.

Personally I'd prefer to have SBC as long as I didn't have to face that service bill should the dreaded message appear or should the pump fail without warning.
 
From middle of 2006 the facelift W211 had SBC removed. If you look up the facelift on the web you should be able to identify the minor cosmetic differences to the front bumper and fog lights.

The facelift removes the dilemma and the shadow of a potentially expensive replacement bill - but you probably end up with a car that won't stop as well in a real potential accident situation as its predecessor.

Personally I'd prefer to have SBC as long as I didn't have to face that service bill should the dreaded message appear or should the pump fail without warning.

But didn't SBC make car unsafe. The post below implies that SBC cars are actually unsafe as brakes just fail when needed:
Mercedes-Benz Owners' Forums - View Single Post - W211 (06) SBC Brake Problem - Ugrent Advice Needed


What about BMW 530d, any safety problems with that like with Mercedes? Any costly reliability problems? The handling of 530d would suit be better but I used to hate the style... but if it means I have a more reliable and safe car then I suppose taste is a matter of habit....
 
But didn't SBC make car unsafe. The post below implies that SBC cars are actually unsafe as brakes just fail when needed:

There are very few failures - though as the cars get older these wll increase. Most reports are of the warning messages - and there are many owners who ignore these and people get their pumps reset.

Offset that against the the likey much more numerous unreported occasions where SBC saves the day from being ruined.

The real problem is the cost of replacement. An £1800 or £2000 bill for a car that is maybe worth between £3000 and £7000 doesn't seem economic.
 
No modern Mercedes will be as reliable as a W210-300TD, definitely not an early W211.

If you want cheap motoring fix the car you have, the job you need done is a simple one.
 
What Dieselman said - fixing your known problems will be a lot cheaper than buying a car, and that's before you discover all the things that need doing (they're getting on themselves).

NB - I just had a look on Autotrader, may be the time of year, but there was only 1 300td listed, the rest all 320cdi. Quite amazing really.
 
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Better the devil you know than to buy another car with possible unknown problems.
That being said, if you can find a nice post 2006 W211, it ought to be relatively rust free. There's no spring perches on 211s and I don't consider a car with SBC to be inherently unsafe, though it's best avoided if you can.
 
NB - I just had a look on Autotrader, may be the time of year, but there was only 1 300td listed, the rest all 320cdi. Quite amazing really.

I am not surprised at all. Suppose my 1998 E300TD did explode its spring perch off and I was moving / bought a new car. Would I try to sell it?

Well the price I could reasonably expect to get would be at most 1k. And then if I would honestly list the faults then I suspect most people would run away like mad:

1. At least one coil is gone (though the engine starts, now better than 1 year ago - the only explanation I have is that on-board computer "leaned"how to handle the issue.
2. One fog light was throwing faults all the time so had to be ellectrically disconnected.
3. 2 notwithstanding the on-board computer keeps throwing lights faults all the time.
4. Horn works intermittently. Had the problem for years and surprisingly it became better with age but it is still there. When the horn does not work the "fix" is actually to push the ignition key perpendicularly to the biggest surface which produces relay clicking noise and fixes the problem. Not good in emergency.
5. Major body rust fixed but there is minor rust everywhere that in 2-3 years will turn into major one.
6. In the past heating controls were playing up. Tried duo-valve and relay fixes. Nothing helped. Then resolved on its own.
7. Something wrong with on-board computer as when left for more then a couple of days it fogets my lights settings i.e. whether lights should be on or off when the door are open.
8. Middle section of the under shield is missing after Halfords surface (and they did not just forgot to put it on they put it in such a way that it came off). The front section of the under shield is also damaged a bit.
9. Last MOT identified some brake pipe corrosion - possible fail on the next as well as safety issue.
10. Exhaust was replaced about 3-4 years ago but now in a suspicious state.
11. Reversing light works intermittently.
12. May be there are problems I do not remember.

So even if spring perches were not a problem and I no longer needed the car I would just scrap it as selling is quite a headache anyway and if all the faults describes honestly I think chances of finding a buyer would be slim.

So with E300TD it makes sense to use them while they run (even this statement I am not sure about as perch failure could have been catastrophic) and scrap them when they do not run or are no longer needed.
 
The W211 uses a concentric spring+shock strut type front suspension which is an entirely different design to the w210 separate spring and shocker setup. In common with most modern cars they experience spring breakage from time to time but no worse then any other make [ except perhaps the Japanese made vehicles. What people forget about the SBC unit is that it has a programmed life of "X " operations as safety feature meaning it will cease to operate. This can be reset once I believe after that its a new unit.
I would advocate buying a post 2006 facelift car as others have said where many of teething troubles have been ironed out. I would also drive the uprated 220 turbo diesel W211 which despite its apparently small engine pushes out plenty torque. Its spritely enough for many and cheaper to maintain. The W211 in its later guise is a quiet sophisticated way to travel and a more civilised driving experience than the later w204/w212 series with their hard suspensions and loud engines
 
From middle of 2006 the facelift W211 had SBC removed. If you look up the facelift on the web you should be able to identify the minor cosmetic differences to the front bumper and fog lights.

Will alloys for early W211 (currently fitted to my W210 using special Rad bolts) fit post-facelift?


Also what is the difference between E320CDI and E28CDI? The power difference seems small is the difference in some nice features or is E280 CDI just a very slightly less powered version of E320CDI otherwise being just as good?
 

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