I bet your bored of giving advice about a W210

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amb4rsil

New Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
Messages
2
Hi,

Looking to get a E320 2002 (so face lift model) Estate Diesel. I have just spent the last hour or so reading the forums and truly terrified about this rust issue. ALTHOUGH, there are glimmers of hope and people not having any problems with seemingly getting luck with the right car.

Is the rust a concern on the facelift?

So far I have made the following conclusions before I buy (courtesy of your wonderful forum) Thought it Maybe good to make like a point checklist as a thread for other fools being tempted by this model..

1) Don't touch it without FULL MERC History which is bang up to date. (Obvious, but will prob have consequences should you decide to claim on warranty)

2) Go over the car like an absolute hawk for rust. Search forum for trouble spots..too many to list (yes, that is a worry).

3) Now go back and go over the car and check for more signs of rust.

4) Now go back and go over the car and check for any touch ups or panel alignment issues which shows the car has seen ...rust.

3) Don't stretch yourself to buy it. Save at least 1k back and hold onto until it gets through it's next MOT at least. It WILL cost you money on the first year of owning. Hey, if it doesn't then go have a beer and pat yourself on the back for getting lucky.

4) Avoid buying one with a tow bar. If it has towed a caravan for most of it's life the suspension has had a hard life and problems will come, worse its back end has been used to dump a boat in the water..Not good for a car with rust issues already.

5) Make sure you check every single electrical item. This includes all interior lights (things like the one in the glove box etc.).

6) Don't freak out with higher mileage vehicles. Mechanically if serviced correctly they are really quite good for 1000's of miles. There are lots of posts about this. Just do a search for "my daddy's merc has done more miles than your daddy's merc" or something.

7) Thinking that it is a bad car and then going to research a BMW 5 Touring is a waste of time (as I found out personally). They have even MORE problems.

8) Lot's of people recommend going for the old school W124 with reasons that they were the last "Proper Merc" and "Karl Benz himself approves each one spiritually". Assuming you can handle the less modern look, go for it, but I reckon you will spend just as long looking for a perfect W124 as a W210. Good examples of both versions exist, if you look hard.

9) Make sure you get two keys with it.

10) Join this forum, search your socks off for W210 and share your experiences so that more people can still buy this car against their better judgement but for the love of Mercedes Benz.

Would be great if anyone would like to add to the list or disagree with me!!

Thanks,

Andrew
 
Last edited:
Sounds like quite a conclusive list.

Oh, and point 10 - look for more rust :D :p

Will

Welcome to the forums btw :)
 
Hi,

Looking to get a E320 2002 (so face lift model) Estate Diesel. I have just spent the last hour or so reading the forums and truly terrified about this rust issue. ALTHOUGH, there are glimmers of hope and people not having any problems with seemingly getting luck with the right car.

Is the rust a concern on the facelift?

So far I have made the following conclusions before I buy (courtesy of your wonderful forum) Thought it Maybe good to make like a point checklist as a thread for other fools being tempted by this model..

1) Don't touch it without FULL MERC History which is bang up to date. (Obvious, but will prob have consequences should you decide to claim on warranty)

2) Go over the car like an absolute hawk for rust. Search forum for trouble spots..too many to list (yes, that is a worry).

3) Now go back and go over the car and check for more signs of rust.

4) Now go back and go over the car and check for any touch ups or panel alignment issues which shows the car has seen ...rust.

3) Don't stretch yourself to buy it. Save at least 1k back and hold onto until it gets through it's next MOT at least. It WILL cost you money on the first year of owning. Hey, if it doesn't then go have a beer and pat yourself on the back for getting lucky.

4) Avoid buying one with a tow bar. If it has towed a caravan for most of it's life the suspension has had a hard life and problems will come, worse its back end has been used to dump a boat in the water..Not good for a car with rust issues already.

5) Make sure you check every single electrical item. This includes all interior lights (things like the one in the glove box etc.).

6) Don't freak out with higher mileage vehicles. Mechanically if serviced correctly they are really quite good for 1000's of miles. There are lots of posts about this. Just do a search for "my daddy's merc has done more miles than your daddy's merc" or something.

7) Thinking that it is a bad car and then going to research a BMW 5 Touring is a waste of time (as I found out personally). They have even MORE problems.

8) Lot's of people recommend going for the old school W124 with reasons that they were the last "Proper Merc" and "Karl Benz himself approves each one spiritually". Assuming you can handle the less modern look, go for it, but I reckon you will spend just as long looking for a perfect W124 as a W210. Good examples of both versions exist, if you look hard.

9) Make sure you get two keys with it.

Hmm, can't think of a point 10 which is annoying, but would be great if anyone would like to add to the list or disagree with me!!

Thanks,

Andrew


Make sure you join MBclub.co.uk - the best forum for help, advice and man bags :crazy:


Nice write up - welcome!
 
Welcome and good luck in your search :)
 
Your list is probably too long.

You can almost forget the mechanical and electrical issues on a W210, just concentrate on the bodywork excepting obvious mechanical faults.

The suspension is rugged but like all things will wear out but is no more expensive than any other car to put right.

As a rule dampers last 100-130k miles and ideally springs not far behind for the perfect Mercedes ride quality.
Most cars never have any work done to the suspension, but to me that shows.
 
You wouldnt buy mine then, 2001, 57k 2 owner car (pre reg) so i've owned it 7 years this year.

It has a towbar , towed a trailer tent all of twice and a caravan less than 4 times. Its not a strain at all to tow with the big diesels , you barely know you have anything on.

I've had rust repaired by MB under warranty

I dont see the sense in buying an ex company car thats been flogged up and down the motorway for tens of thousands of miles by a variety of drivers over a car thats pottered around at 50mph towing for half a dozen days a year

Decent spec 2002 W210's are probably rare as the W211 came out early 2002 .


My number 10 would be dont buy a petrol (unless its an AMG) especially not a E320 , the diesel is better on fuel , quicker to 60 and a better drive.
 
Agree totally with you maddog, may be a bit of a generalisation about tow bars... I guess the key point is to get as much info on the history of the car as possible. If I had a choice of two similar cars with tow bar or without from the trade I know which I would choose. Buying private may be easier.

How much rust work did you have to get done out of interest and what happened?
 
My car has a towbar, which I fitted. I've used it to tow a small trailer.

So much better than getting filth into the car.

The giveaway is a twin electrical hookup.
 
My number 10 would be dont buy a petrol (unless its an AMG) especially not a E320 , the diesel is better on fuel , quicker to 60 and a better drive.

I would not be so quick to discount the petrol if you don't do so many miles (just work out the numbers first) , as they can be picked up a lot cheaper than the diesel, and that V6 is very smooth.
 
Agree totally with you maddog, may be a bit of a generalisation about tow bars... I guess the key point is to get as much info on the history of the car as possible. If I had a choice of two similar cars with tow bar or without from the trade I know which I would choose. Buying private may be easier.

How much rust work did you have to get done out of interest and what happened?

I had both front wings replaced, both rear wheel arches , around the tailgate lock and the drivers door frame repaired. i took the car to my dealer back in September and the work has just been finished, last weekend i noticed new rust forming around the passenger door frame:devil::devil::devil:

If the car has had goodwill repairs it should be listed in the mobilolife book
 
hi mine has a factory fitted removable tow bar and self levelling suspension towed the caravan no probs up hill and down ...full respray and brand new doors bonnet and boot ...all warranty work ..... she drives like a dream and with only 94500 on clock shes a baby yet and shifts abit went you need to ...... great buy .... but with a list like that you could end up putting your self off ....good luck with the search
 
If we are going to ecommend any specific model then in my opinion it will be the 320CDI ;) The Elegance and Avantgarde cost exactly the same so it is all about swings and roundabouts regarding what you like in a vehicle. I preferred the 210 Elegance the Avantgarde has firmer suspension. In estate form both will come with self levelling suspension but I'm not sure if that applies on the cheaper E-class models:eek: :eek:

If you have any queries regarding the 210 estate then I would be amazed if the question could not be answered here.

Good luck and happy hunting....

Nearly forgot;


watch out for any rust ;) :eek: :eek: :eek:

Regards
John
 
Can I put up my hand and say that although there are rust issues with W210's if you search a forum site you will tend to mainly get Bad New Stories....ie my W210 has rusted to bits and is a load of Cr*p etc etc.

Yes there are rust issues, but if its confined to the wheel arch lips its easily treated as it tends to be just surface rust. The door tops are slightly more problimatical, but any decent bodyshop can sort it, by pulling out the door rubbers (easy) and grinding off the offending rust and then doing a smart repair, ie where they just respray the door tops without having to spray the complete door.....I've got a mobile body repair guy who has got this job down to a fine art and the finished job is un-noticeable.

Same comments go for the rust that can form on the tailgate by the number plate lights.

Mechanically they are pretty bomb proof and I've seen many a W210 with well over 200,000 miles and still going strong and driving like they have half the mileage.

The only potentially costly problem I have come across on the E320CDi is they do have a habit of blowing their seals on the diesel injector units which allows exhaust gases to escape......if you stick your head under the bonnet with the engine running and you smell rich diesel exhaust gas then you know the cause of the problem. Just replacing the seal can just be a short term fix....normally you have to replace the offending injector unit which is not cheap, especially if you have to do all 6.

If you are not doing the mileage, ie less than 15,000 then consider a petrol....the V6's are again bomb proof. The 2.0 non Kompressor model is a little gutless but once upto speed its a fine cruiser. The 2.0Kompressor (163bhp) provides a good mix of power and better economy than the V6's but is a little bit of a bland sounding motor...but it does the job.

I rate the W210....just the rust issue on some cars (bad years being 1997-1999 in my opinion. Metallics being the worst whereas the solid paint cars fair much much better) is a pain but factor it into the cost and if its already been sorted then so much the better. Comfort wise they are spot on and practicality is also high up on the list of attributes. Reliability is also good....I ran one for 80,000 miles and other than normal servicing the only thing that I had to get done was front anti roll bar bushes and that was it
 
The giveaway is a twin electrical hookup.

Not any more ... M-B factory towing electrics have a single 13-pin socket, regardless of what you're going to use the towbar for.
 
Not any more ... M-B factory towing electrics have a single 13-pin socket, regardless of what you're going to use the towbar for.

Yes since about 2004 caravans and trailers have been 13 pin single plug so towbars fitted after that should also be.

You can get a conversion lead if you have an older trailer
 
Can I put up my hand and say that although there are rust issues with W210's if you search a forum site you will tend to mainly get Bad New Stories....ie my W210 has rusted to bits and is a load of Cr*p etc etc.

Yes there are rust issues, but if its confined to the wheel arch lips its easily treated as it tends to be just surface rust. The door tops are slightly more problimatical, but any decent bodyshop can sort it, by pulling out the door rubbers (easy) and grinding off the offending rust and then doing a smart repair, ie where they just respray the door tops without having to spray the complete door.....I've got a mobile body repair guy who has got this job down to a fine art and the finished job is un-noticeable.

Same comments go for the rust that can form on the tailgate by the number plate lights.

Mechanically they are pretty bomb proof and I've seen many a W210 with well over 200,000 miles and still going strong and driving like they have half the mileage.

The only potentially costly problem I have come across on the E320CDi is they do have a habit of blowing their seals on the diesel injector units which allows exhaust gases to escape......if you stick your head under the bonnet with the engine running and you smell rich diesel exhaust gas then you know the cause of the problem. Just replacing the seal can just be a short term fix....normally you have to replace the offending injector unit which is not cheap, especially if you have to do all 6.

If you are not doing the mileage, ie less than 15,000 then consider a petrol....the V6's are again bomb proof. The 2.0 non Kompressor model is a little gutless but once upto speed its a fine cruiser. The 2.0Kompressor (163bhp) provides a good mix of power and better economy than the V6's but is a little bit of a bland sounding motor...but it does the job.

I rate the W210....just the rust issue on some cars (bad years being 1997-1999 in my opinion. Metallics being the worst whereas the solid paint cars fair much much better) is a pain but factor it into the cost and if its already been sorted then so much the better. Comfort wise they are spot on and practicality is also high up on the list of attributes. Reliability is also good....I ran one for 80,000 miles and other than normal servicing the only thing that I had to get done was front anti roll bar bushes and that was it

Its hard to generalise on these cars though , i first noticed the rust around the headlamps on my car thats really not an easy fix , the only way to do it properly is replace the whole wing , so £1000 - £1500 for the pair
 
Nothing wrong with W210s. Here's a picture of mine...



3620_IronOxideRed_1.jpg
 
Yes since about 2004 caravans and trailers have been 13 pin single plug
That's definitely not true for the UK caravan market. Last I heard some manufacturers were due to start fitting 13-pin (ISO 11446) this year.
 

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