W204 C220 Cdi/C180 buyers guide

[AndyBW204]

Hi Guys,

I am new to the forum and I am hoping to buy my first MB soon. I am Looking at a w204 around 2010/2011 and it will either be a C 220 CDI or C180 with around 100K on the clock. Can anyone give me an idea what to look out for and what the common faults and problems are with the W204. I have my heart set on getting for but I have heard that they can be a troublesome car? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Andy.

 

[4life211]

every car has its problems or defect .it vary on how you care about it.you can take new car with few km but you don't know how the last owner has treat it, so you don't know the history of a car.

 

[grober]

The W204 marked a seed change in Mercedes quality for the better. Mercedes actually pulled out the stops on the W204 in the knowledge their reputation have taken a bit of a dive. Main problems seem to centre round the powerplants. The bulk of cars will be diesels and while th earlier OM 646 cars were good the newer OM 651 had problems with injectors and possibly timing gear. Petrol engine wise the M271 suffers from timing gear wear and changed from kompressor to turbo during the w204 production run. there are also v6 petrols and diesels but they are somewhat rare on the ground. As a general rule of thumb modern diesel engine problems at high mileage tend to be more expensive than petrol engine problems. Corrosion wise they seem pretty good. Avoid cars with red paintwork as they can suffer problems. The interior and dash underwent a marked improvement at the time of the mid life facelift . All in all a pretty sound buy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_C-Class_(W204)

 

[Yugguy]

Make sure it has had the ATF change. If no record of it, check the dipstick cap, if there is a red clip in it, it has likely been changed.

 

[190]

I've run a C180K for almost 2 years now and after an initial problem that required replacement of a front damper, I've had no further issues, not even a single fault code. No sign of the cam chain problem yet but I'm relatively low miles at 54,000.

I don't know what to make of this cam chain issue, it's certainly a common enough problem but if it affected every car wouldn't we hear more about it. At the next oil change I'm thinking of either sending the oil away for analysis or dismembering the oil filter to look for any sign of wear particles. I'm also changing the oil more frequently than normal as it's such a cheap measure.

Over the 2 years I've averaged a remarkable 44.7 MPG but that's mostly open road and motorway miles. In traffic fuel economy takes a dive into the 30's.

 

[AndyBW204]

Thanks guys, I am prob going to go for a diesel, however I won't be doing a whole lot of milage as I work quite close to work. Is there a possibility of the DPF filter giving me trouble with low milage or would a long trip one a month keep it at bay for me? Also what is the ATF change?

 

[grober]

According to the handbook a twenty minute trip every 500 kilometers [ 300 miles] should be sufficient. The important thing is to get everything up to operating temperature and keep it there for twenty minutes to burn off the accumulated particulates.

 

[KeithJG]

I am surprised so far that posts are from seasoned members and dont mention the dreaded steering lock failures that only these models seem to suffer with from as early as 2007 onwards?
Water in Ecu's under the front wing?

Middle of nowhere and the lock fails to undo can't even move the car!!!!!!!!........the main reason i simply will not upgrade, at least i know what i have without getting one of these unreliable money pit Mercedes, and MB will not even recognise the failures?

 

[Yugguy]

Because these failures really aren't that common. If you relied on internet forums you'd never buy any car.

 

[artyman]

I bought my 2008 W204 at 2years old have had it for six and half years with the only problem occurring last week when the alternator failed, It has the OM646 engine paired to the five speed auto box and has proved comfortable and reliable.

 

[AndyBW204]

Thanks for all your input guys, it's great to get some info from people who actually know about the car! Most cars seem to have around 100K or plus on the clock. Is the W204 good for that millage?

 

[KeithJG]

Because these failures really aren't that common. If you relied on internet forums you'd never buy any car.

I don't rely on anything just read as you do but read other forums and the results are there.

I would still never buy a later MB I will buy an other.

Just because you have a model don't side with it do the research as I have done as I do really want to move on after 2yrs but not with MB.

 

[KeithJG]

Read how many EXTRA drivers in this thread have the same problem....and that is just on here.

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/135963-w204-steering-lock-mechanical-fault-diagnosed.html


and another....

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=104236&highlight=steering+lock+204&page=4

 

[Auto-mobile]

Steering locks fail (£450+)
Rear lights suffer from burnt out wiring (£60+ a side)
W204s eat brakes for breakfast (£70-£200
Door locks fail (£300 each door)
Interior door handles fail, this means a complete door panel unless you know a repair ��
Seen one or two diffs fail but considered rare
C250 cdis suffer water leaks
Petrols suffer from timing chain related faults

Tbh though they are generally pretty good cars.

 

[Chrishazle]

I bought my 08 S204 C220 at 3 1/2 years old, 50k miles, 1 owner, full MB service history at supplying dealer I was buying from, they even gave it the 4 year B service before I bought it. Had it 4 1/2 years, now approaching 90k miles, sweet as a nut! Changed the original mElegance spec 16" with contisport Contact 2's for 17" AMG rims and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics, transformed the handling, grip and it's now so quiet!! OK, we've got full leather, heated seats, Comand, telephone prewire, electric tailgate and a few other nice bits, I reckon the car was ~£37k new so I got a bargain at £15500. Have no intention of selling it for many a long year!!

 

[Yugguy]

Feck me. You can trot out whatever but even Lexus look dodgy if all you rely on is t'internet.

 

[Auto-mobile]

Feck me. You can trot out whatever but even Lexus look dodgy if all you rely on is t'internet.

???

 

[pembssurf]

C180CGI estate here, 2011 reg at 64k (newer turbo unit engine but pre face lift). Fast enough and economy into the 40's. owned for 3 years and ZERO faults. Extremely comfortable and despite what some people say it's very VERY well made. If you are doing short trips I would seriously consider petrol especially with government considering banning diesels from city centres soon!

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

Selling mine in the new year! White, saloon, full MB history, sat nav, 2010, facelift alloys, C200 diesel. MOT due Feb (I think) might have it done early

P.s there's some right trollop in here

Most of what's mentioned can be caught very early on. Never had any problems with mine. The only most common problem is the red painted cars. The steering issue was part of a recall with Mercedes themselves

 

[kam05]

Owned my C220 CDI Sport since 3 1/2 years old - now just turned 9 years old - its done on 97k. Mine was a MB approved used purchase and its an early W204 with the OM646 EVO engine and 5 speed auto box.

On the whole its been a reliable car (not as reliable as my old Lexus IS200 though). Over the years its had a few oxygen sensors replaced, however recently the heating system in the car has packed up so it needs looking at - upon until this point its only cost me servicing/wear n tear.