W211 E500 reliability

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cjmarka

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Hi all

Owned a W211 E55 this year, sold it (huge mistake), and since I can't get another one with my budget I've been looking at E500s.

I found what seems like a nice 2004 with 56k miles, full service history, looks well enough.

One thing about my E55 is that it never gave me a minute of problems. Best car I've ever owned.

No car is perfect and it's unreasonable to expect no issues with a 17 yr old car but are E500s known to be very reliable?

Thanks for any info and advice
 
Hi all

Owned a W211 E55 this year, sold it (huge mistake), and since I can't get another one with my budget I've been looking at E500s.

I found what seems like a nice 2004 with 56k miles, full service history, looks well enough.

One thing about my E55 is that it never gave me a minute of problems. Best car I've ever owned.

No car is perfect and it's unreasonable to expect no issues with a 17 yr old car but are E500s known to be very reliable?

Thanks for any info and advice

I guess it's a matter of timing in the life cycle of any car, as they all have their issues at some point. I've had my 2004 E500 estate for nearly nine years now, and it is still a smooth, silent and powerful cruiser at 139k miles - a lovely car to drive. Mine has full airmatic, and I replaced the rear airbags and rear subframe bushes about three and a half years/15k miles ago, so I kept it for longer than planned to get some value out of the work done. That, and a new radiator with replacing discs whist having a B service have been my biggest expenses, along with another B service, including spark plugs, but otherwise just regular servicing.

I bought an R class three years ago, which took over most of the duties of the E, which I then planned to sell. However, it has been such a reliable and rewarding car to drive, I haven't brought myself around to doing it yet, but the time is now imminent.

I'd check the underside for rust, especially around the exhaust mounts, and if or when the SBC pump has been replaced. I think the 55 and 500 both have M113 engines, so the reliability should be the same, but without the additional expense of AMG bits and pieces.

Go for it, they are lovely, rare cars.
 
MD5

Thank you. I guess a lot of that makes sense. I loved my E55. The E500 has full service history and 56k miles, so hopefully it won't cause me too much trouble.
 
Airmatic and SBC, if they go wrong, can be expensive to fix, and like all big, heavy, fast cars they tend to wear the front suspension ball joints.

Brake wear is down to how you drive it, but prices for parts are reasonable. The rigid brake pipes to the rear wheels should be checked for rust; they do rust, often out of sight, and a STAR is needed to bleed the SBC system.

Engine mountings are shot at 100K miles or so, so you should be OK there.

The M113 is pretty well bombproof, and the seven-speed gearbox both suits it, and has no expensive common faults.

The E500 never had the problematic Valeo radiator, so you needn't worry about that.

Check the service history for a transmission fluid change, and if it's never had one, get it done. Ditto the coolant at that age.

Check for how long since the spark plugs were last changed; the OE Iridium plugs last for 50K miles or more, so it's quite possible the car still has the original plugs unless they've been changed, as they should have been, on time (every four years ISTR) rather than mileage.

I've had seven (I think; I've lost track a bit...) S211s, two S212s and one s210, including three diesels (one 211 E320 IL6, one ditto V6 and one 212 E350 V6), a 350 petrol, four AMGs (210 E55, two 211 55Ks and a 212 5.5 biturbo), and I'm on my second E500. Of them all, I think the E500 is the best-balanced and nicest to drive of the lot. (I just don't like the way diesels deliver their power). It's very 'Mercedes' both inside and externally; it's a nice place to be.
 
The E500 never had the problematic Valeo radiator, so you needn't worry about that.

This is what I believed, but at a service, it was reported that the rad had a slight weep at the top. It turned out it was a Valeo rad, as was its replacement.
 
Sorry I can't comment on the E500. But my 6.2 E class is so docile when In D mode it's a great place to be just wafting around town and just pottering along. But at the switch of button the car can become a beast. I don't drive mine silly hard. I imagine the 500 to drive just the same as no turbos or supercharges to kick in with the N/A power on offer.

The naturally aspirated unit suits my style perfectly. I too had the E55k and it was a pleasure and a joy to own and drive. But for every day use I prefer my 6.2 lump it just glides along at ease. But if you want to get on it it comes to life with a bang. My car is a every day car and I am of the mind set an every day car is a happier car than a occasionally driven car. It's thirsty for sure but it repays the gesture with its amazing driving feel.

Happy hunting, nothing like driving a V8 in my opinion.
 
Yes the M113 is mostly reliable but the technology on the W211 perishes with age and needs replacing. The cost is commensurate to your fastidiousness. Running costs are apparently no different to the AMG, but the cost of entry is far lower. For me, the level of power is perfect for UK and European roads.

I had an issue with an oil leak from a rear crankshaft seal that I inherited. It wasn't addressed and the oil seeped into the wiring loom at the entry point of the crimp attached to the lambda sensors and ended up in the ECU! That cost a lot to replace. Also the 7G-Tronic failed and as mine was an early one, I had to replace the entire unit rather than the failed chip board ££££.

Airmatic will fail with age as will the SBC (with usage rather than age).

My car punishes my wallet but I love it more with every mile (after three years and 45k).
 
I tool my 211 E500 from around 95k to 145k.

I had to replace the Airmatic pump at one point, the harmonic damper/crankshaft pulley broke up and it needed a new electric boot lock assembly.

On 211's the battery doesn't like lots of short trips & standing about - I killed a few. Speedbumps & potholes kill ball joints (not unique to 500's). Doing a whole set of plugs costs a fair bit. Air struts & bellows are increasingly likely to fail with age & miles.

Overall, mine was great and I sold it to a forum member to get a 212 500 to replace it. The interior and exterior still looked great and he stuck another 2yrs/20k+ on it. But he did have to replace some of the suspension - don't know if front or rear. But it was 13 or 14 at the time and well over 150k.
 
I've had both going the otherway from a very high spec E500 to a lovely cls55 (basically an E55) I had the E500 from 60k to 110k and it was faultless and did 90% of what the 55 does most of the time. It was fantastically quiet and smooth but surprisingly quick and I loved it. Reliability wise nothing went wrong at all over 6years apart from silly things like replacing keyless go door handles , which has been even worse with the cls (5 so far) and one set of engine mountings which made so much difference it was worth every penny (only £400 all in anyway). As they are basically the same car and engine (without a supercharger) reliability should theoretically be very similar or better. Actual reliability will be more influenced by mileage, service history and past driving style/habits. I cant recommend the 211 E500 highly enough from my experience. not many about though and the later (07 on I think) , but more expensive 5.5 litre 211s are even rarer but a lot quicker still
 
This is what I believed, but at a service, it was reported that the rad had a slight weep at the top. It turned out it was a Valeo rad, as was its replacement.

That was just a radiator failure with age, and could happen to any Mercedes; the well-known 'Valeo Radiator Problem' relates to failure of the internal sealing that prevents coolant mixing with transmission fluid in the transmission oil cooler. The MB technical bulletin on the subject states that the V8-engined models of the W211 are not affected.
 
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Hold out for another 55. Having owned a 500 then a 55, I'd never go back to a 500.
 
That was just a radiator failure with age, and could happen to any Mercedes; the well-known 'Valeo Radiator Problem' relates to failure of the internal sealing that prevents coolant mixing with transmission fluid in the transmission oil cooler. The MB technical bulletin on the subject states that the V8-engined models of the W211 are not affected.

I agree with all of that. What surprised me, having had the car checked when I bought it, was the fact that the rad was a Valeo, having been told otherwise at the time of purchase. It made me hesitant in replacing it with another, but it had served the car well until then.
 
There was nothing wrong with Valeo rads in general, only with the particular model that suffered from the known problem, and even that one was modified once the problem became apparent. I don't know why the ones fitted to the V8s were different, but I've had four of those, so I'm glad they were. :banana:
 
I've had both going the otherway from a very high spec E500 to a lovely cls55 (basically an E55) I had the E500 from 60k to 110k and it was faultless and did 90% of what the 55 does most of the time. It was fantastically quiet and smooth but surprisingly quick and I loved it. Reliability wise nothing went wrong at all over 6years apart from silly things like replacing keyless go door handles , which has been even worse with the cls (5 so far) and one set of engine mountings which made so much difference it was worth every penny (only £400 all in anyway). As they are basically the same car and engine (without a supercharger) reliability should theoretically be very similar or better. Actual reliability will be more influenced by mileage, service history and past driving style/habits. I cant recommend the 211 E500 highly enough from my experience. not many about though and the later (07 on I think) , but more expensive 5.5 litre 211s are even rarer but a lot quicker still

Oh yeah I also did an engine mount. Forgot about that.

And, yes, the 5.5 is a lot faster. 25% more grunt across the whole range.
 
I've had both going the otherway from a very high spec E500 to a lovely cls55 (basically an E55) I had the E500 from 60k to 110k and it was faultless and did 90% of what the 55 does most of the time.

What does the extra 10% deliver?
 
What does the extra 10% deliver?

A lot more power and torque, and a bit worse (about 10%) fuel consumption.

Much quicker away from the lights, if that's important; which leads on to...

Much more likely to have been mucked about with by yobknobs with money but no taste.

Blue tinted glass, not green.

Better spec as standard, but many E500s have the extra toys anyway.

Higher insurance costs.

Higher parts and servicing costs for some items (the 'AMG Premium').

I've had two E55ks and two E500s; I suspect I've grown up a bit, because though I'd be seriously tempted by a decent, sensible-mileage E55K estate in the right colour combination (dark blue or Brilliant Silver, perhaps dark green or burgundy, all with beige full leather), as an overall package I prefer the E500. It may be an age thing...
 
Im nearly sure I read an E55k owner pre 2004 build, changed his rad to a modified unit or different brand unit.

The car we purchased e320 lL6 with 202,000 miles. The contamination issue never become apparent to 207,000 miles. Never say never if the car has an original Valeo rad. On owning the car it drove amazingly well. No issue with vibration through the drivetrain or wierd gear changes only til the box gave up basically. Which we had a reconditioned gearbox and torque converter installed, along with new rad and pipeing. Drives amazingly well once again. 214,000. Now and counting :banana:

Forgot to mention on our s211 thread, had the old boy up for MOT the other day. The only advisories were rear tyres low on tread just above legal limit :thumb:
 
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