How important is mileage when buying 10 year old E320CDI

[Stocho]

Hi,

I have heard that E320CDI can go beyond 500k, or even 1m miles and with right maintenance and repairs I suppose it might well be the case.

However I have a practical question. If buying a 10 year old E320CDI with the expectation of doing 40k miles (overall not per year) in the next 5 years is 100k car much more likely to present less problems and expenses than 150k?

Do problems correlate more with age of the car or mileage and is there some sort of threshold (miles wise) around which suddenly lots if things start to go wrong or require major maintenance/service in order to continue enjoying trouble free usage of the car?

 

[DSM10000]

At that age go on condition and the quality of the history.

Make sure gearbox fluid has been regularly changed, check for leaking injectors (search the forum for "Black death") and check the body etc carefully for corrosion.

Also, search the forum for "SBC" as the brake by wire system can require replacement parts after some years, this used to be circa £1800- £2000 fitted from MB but the replacement part (SBC module) is now available from Bosch for a much lower price (around £500 plus fitting I believe)

A well maintained car that has covered 150,000 miles can be in far better condition than one of far lower mileage that has been neglected or abused.

 

[guydewdney]

Mine has 192k miles. In the last year ive replaced two suspension arms (120 quid each plus 40 labour), front discs and pads, serviced it, and just replaced the aux battery. Passed mot today with no advisories.

Full mb and indy service history. All genuine parts except the arms as the genuied ones are 500 per side.

 

[DSM10000]

Some additional information:

My neighbour has a 2004 E320CDi that has now covered over 250,000 miles, at around the 190,000 miles point he had to have the turbocharger replaced with a reconditioned unit and around the same time the rear brake pipes needed replacing due to corrosion.

I know he has also had a couple of the injectors re-seated and the odd suspension component but other than that just routine maintenance by our local Independent.

He keeps thinking of replacing it but he finds it so comfortable and spacious he is loath to change it.

 

[DSB SL AMG]

As above you should always focus on condition and service history of a car...many reports on the forums of low mileage cars with full MBSH turning out be 'lemons'...so low mileage does not guarantee lower bills.
I always think higher mileage cars have had more 'bits' changed generally, so lots of bills and receipts is always good to see when going through the history...also worth a call to the last garage who performed service to get their view...

 

[Paddcomp]

I have heard that E320CDI can go beyond 500k, or even 1m miles and with right maintenance and repairs I suppose it might well be the case.

Isn't that like Trigger's broom.

 

[toolman1954]

Hi, when I bought my E320 CDI last August time it had 220,000 miles on it. I was happy about buying a high miler as it had a wad of service history and documented replacement of some major components, such as SBC pump, air bags and suspension legs. Gearbox oil had been done and an alternator and starter motor in the dim distant past. I know eventually these replacement parts will also wear out, but as long as I can get another 5 or so years out of it I will be happy. When you find a quality car that has been looked after properly, then (in my opinion ) it is a safe bet to assume it is going to last awhile.

 

[Stocho]

It looks like the car does not have a lengthy record of repairs just servicing mostly at MB. So after reading this am I right in assuming this is not sufficient? I will have to assume SBC has not been replaced. Does it mean it is likely that over the course of the next five years it will have to be replaced?

Would MB service cover such things as gearbox oil or is there a need for specific evidence rather than service stamps?

 

[ItalianTuneUp]

I bought a circa 100k S320CDI that was in good condition and I have had to replace quite a few little things, some not so cheap:

- heater blower motor
- engine & gearbox mounts
- airmatic front struts
- fuel lines
- some suspension-related items, bushes, wishbones etc
- alternator
- rear light cluster
- leaking injector
- Gearbox transmission fluid
- the usual discs, pads, tyres etc

 

[Borotew]

You're putting me off the one I'm seeing Saturday.

 

[Stocho]

I bought a circa 100k S320CDI that was in good condition and I have had to replace quite a few little things, some not so cheap:

- heater blower motor
- engine & gearbox mounts
- airmatic front struts
- fuel lines
- some suspension-related items, bushes, wishbones etc
- alternator
- rear light cluster
- leaking injector
- Gearbox transmission fluid
- the usual discs, pads, tyres etc

Would a facelift model be better? I know that facelift does not the dreaded SBC but would it be also much less likely to develop the above faults?

 

[Stocho]

Especially, are facelift W211 less prone to leaking injectors / "black death" than early W211?

 

[markjay]

Would a facelift model be better? I know that facelift does not the dreaded SBC but would it be also much less likely to develop the above faults?

The W203 facelift is much better than the earlier model.

The W204 facelift is much better than the earlier model.

Based on that... it is very likely to be true for the W211 as well

 

[prprandall51]

After ten years on this forum (owning a 2005 S211), here is what I have managed to glean:

Very early (2003) 211s had an issue with the radiator. Unlikely to see a car now without a replacement radiator.

Many early cars had electrical / electronic issues. This was widely reported in the press.

In late 2004, MB re-engineered the assembly of the 211 completely, moving from robotic assembly back to hand-fitting of key assemblies - especially the wiring loom. The production line was closed for two weeks (very unusual for a manufacturer to do this). This was also reported in the press. There were a number of small improvements undertaken at the same time, and a number of feature-reductions, too. You have to know what to look for to spot the difference between the two cars (before and after the changeover). This was NOT the facelift. This was the watershed in terms of reliability - but even the pre-fix cars are not noticeably unreliable (I think most issues were sorted under warranty).

*I think*: Prior to the facelift, the car swapped from an I6 to a V6 engine.

The facelift came in for the 2007 MY. Noticeable changes to the look of the car and yet more feature reductions (both being normal for a facelift). I have never seen anything reported on this forum to substantiate the widely-held belief that the facelift is a more reliable car.

The I6 was more reliable than the early V6s.

The 5-speed box was more reliable than early 7-speed boxes.

 

[prprandall51]

Would a facelift model be better? I know that facelift does not the dreaded SBC but would it be also much less likely to develop the above faults?

SBC is the most brilliant braking system ever fitted to a car and is still unique in functionality compared to most braking systems. It even provides torque vectoring, which you will only see on high-end sports cars.

SBC is completely reliable until the day you hit the pump's operational limit, at which point you just get an announcement on the dashboard that MB would like to dip into your wallet. Then you just get the pump replaced and off you go again, driving a car with awesome brakes.

There is no reason to have a downer on an SBC-fitted car.

 

[gIzzE]

The W211 facelift sorted hundreds of niggles out.

If you can afford the facelift go for it.

The problem with older cars is the little things, always something getting older and brittle and breaking.

With some of the contract hire deals on a new E Class, you have to seriously weigh up buying these older cars now.
If you had to lay down £35,000 to be in a new E220cdi then obviously a 9 year old facelift e320cdi at £7000 makes sense.
But when you can be in a new E220cdi, which is nearly as quick and will return 30% better mpg, no warranty worries, no expensive maintenance blah blah blah. It starts to become a pretty small difference.

Not an insignificant difference, but small none the less.

One of my best mates I talked into contract hiring a new E Class last year, he got the E250cdi AMG Sport Estate and paid £244 inc vat a month with £1470 deposit.
He was looking at a 2007 E320cdi estate for £8000.

It is costing him £11400 over the 4 years.

In 4 years time that 8 year old 110k miles E320cdi would have had 160k miles on it and be 12 years old, and worth £2-3k? (remember W212 models will then be nearly 10 years old and £7k).
So it will loose him £5000.
£6500 is still a big difference.

However, rather than 33mpg average he is getting 45mpg average.


£200 a month on the older car.
£145 a month on the new car.

He had budgeted £750 a year for the upkeep of the 8 year old 110k mile E320, which is £60 a month.
Plus he had little things like tax at £250 a year vs £50.

It worked out the 8 year old e320cdi was going to cost him around £375 a month over the 4 years for everything vs £437 a month over the 4 years for the new car.
That is depreciation, repairs, fuel, road tax blah blah blah.

He was happy with that, and he is now nearly a year in and said it was the best thing he did car wise. He also said it is so nice not always having a little something to sort out, whether it be a clunk on the suspension, radio not taking anything other than CDs, blah, blah.

Not saying it is for everyone, but sometimes considering something that bit newer might actually be a lot less hassle and not cost hardly anything more.

 

[prprandall51]

The W211 facelift sorted hundreds of niggles out.

Hi Gizze, not being confrontational, but can you actually tell me anything that was fixed in the facelift? Sure, there were loads of changes - but what actually got fixed that was broken or duff before?

 

[gIzzE]

All I ever heard when looking was the guys who have indy garages saying go for the facelift, so many improvements made.
The pre facelift was known to have lots of niggles, I know my old man had one and it was always in at Merc having something or other done. It was an early 52 plate E270 though, maybe the later ones at 2005 etc. were fine?

There is post after post on W211 pre vs post facelift on the various forums.

I spent ages reading up and decided to go facelift when I bought.

But maybe it isn't worth paying the extra, now you can buy the SBC units direct from Bosch for €600 and any valeo radiators would surely have been replaced by now, it may not be the big deal it once was.




Facelift W211 Mercedes E-Class "Most Reliable European Used Car" | | Honest John

 

[After Shock]

Isn't that like Trigger's broom.

Actually that hits the nail on the head surely?

Anything "can" go on for this many miles. Maybe you get lucky and never do a thing or get a thing go wrong but wear and tear is inevitable surely?

So how much work and expensive will be incurred getting a car to go this far?

 

[ItalianTuneUp]

Would a facelift model be better? I know that facelift does not the dreaded SBC but would it be also much less likely to develop the above faults?

I'm not familiar with the specific model you mention, but my point was a general one, in that things wear out and need replacing...and this costs. So you either spend more getting a newer car or less with an older car, but spend more on replacing parts. I took the latter path.