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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Maintenance and Repair

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  • fatcat71fatcat71 Member Posts: 75
    Am thinking about buying a new 11 E 350 4matic or 2010 pre owned. Anyone know what the annual service costs? I'm trying to see if it pays to buy the annual service up front. Can get 3 yrs max on the preowned at 1k or 5yr on the new for 2k.
    One dealer I was haggling with on a preowned stated that she "thought" the service price was around 250 a year, but my wifes mazda costs more than that so I highly doubt it!!
  • kevinc5kevinc5 Member Posts: 204
    Don't trust that dealer. She could have gotten you the exact costs for scheduled maintenance in the time it took to call her service manager. If that was too much trouble for her, find someonme else.
  • fatcat71fatcat71 Member Posts: 75
    I just looked under maintanence on edmonds and for the E class it lists "A" service and "B" service, Edmonds says A service is about $250 and B service is about $350, but I have a hard time believing that. Why would a 5 year service plan cost 2K and the MB website advertise a "30% savings" if the costs for 5 years would only be $1500???
    Anyone own a E350 and get the annual service from MB?? How much does it cost and where do you Live??
  • kevinc5kevinc5 Member Posts: 204
    Try calling a dealer's service department...not the sales guys.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,148
    If you own a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class but thinking about an Audi A6 for your next car, email pr@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information no later than Friday, August 12, 2011 to be interviewed by a reporter on the subject.

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  • ghstudioghstudio Member Posts: 972
    edited September 2011
    2011 E350's built after approx July 1 have comand 4.5 and the new, more colorful dashboard as do all 2012 e350s. Unfortunately, the manuals that are shipped with the cars is still the comand 4.0 command and voice manuals.

    The 2012's have started to arrive at dealers and even though the manuals included with those cars say Edition A 2012, the are still the comand 4.0 manuals. At present, there appears to be no comand 4.5 manual for the e series. Both my dealer and I are frustrated, but there's not much we can do. I notified Mercedes USA HQ of the problem.... No idea what, if anything they will do...but it's in their hands.

    There are some new commands in 4.5 which could be helpful....so a manual would be welcome.
  • carolinabobcarolinabob Member Posts: 576
    The services are actually A, B,C,D,E, etc. as the car ages. However, the A and C are the same. My dealer charges about $200 for the A or C and I think about $350 for the B.
    Best way is to call the service dept. and ask how much for the 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 month services. Car is programed to be serviced at either every 10K miles or 12 months whichever comes first.
    Don't forget the routine services do not consider the wear and tear items such as brakes.
  • eman5eman5 Member Posts: 110
    I have a wonderful 2006 E320 CDI. Had to park it outside yesterday, on a very slight driveway incline, during some prolonged rain. When I opened the trunk today the back of the trunk lid and trunk liner was dripping wet. I can't see where the water's getting in. Anyone have any ideas/fixes?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    In such a case, one is always suspicious of the tail light assembly gaskets. If you have the type with little wheels that tighten and loosen the access panel to the bulbs, you might snug those up.

    You can test these gaskets by drying everything, then spreading newspaper down under the tail lights, and having at them with a garden hose (with the trunk lid closed of course ) :P If the newspaper gets wet, there you go. Be sure you don't squirt the trunk lid, since you could also have a bad trunk lid gasket. That would be the second area to test if the tail light lenses don't seem to leak.

    If it IS the tail light lenses, and tightening up back there doesn't help, you can buy some LATEX sealant (not that gooey silicon stuff which is very messy) and just apply it with a wet finger, and rub off the excess with a sponge.
  • RWCooperRWCooper Member Posts: 6
    Obviously there's a water seal break somewhere in the body. Check the seals in the roof slots for mounting ski (and other) equipment. Check the sponge/rubber seal around the trunk deck lid.
  • johnnpjohnnp Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem. It was very annoying. The dealer initially replaced some felt behind the aluminium grill around the A/C vent. It worked for about a week. I took it back in and they had to replace the A/C vent grill and the wood panel that goes in front of the passenger dash. That fixed the problem. Good luck!
  • hybiscushybiscus Member Posts: 4
    The engine started after a minute or two turning the key periodically yesterday. Today, the key won't even turn, but the headlights and the remote works so it's probably not a battery problem. Any idea? Thank you!
  • pfentonpfenton Member Posts: 16
    I have a 2001 E430 and remember having a similar problem a few years ago. If I remember correctly it was a faulty electronic ignition switch. I also had another problem with the car cranking but failing to start and it ran rough. A bad crankshaft position sensor was the problem. A failed crankshaft position sensor may not properly record the rate of crankshaft rotation, information the engine control unit needs to control fuel injection and ignition. Inspect the crankshaft position sensor for damage or loose connections and make the necessary adjustments or replacements. Good Luck!
  • hybiscushybiscus Member Posts: 4
    May I ask how much you have spent for the repair? Thank you so much.
  • pfentonpfenton Member Posts: 16
    The electronic ignition switch costs about $600.00 and requires two or three
    hours of labor. The crankshaft position sensor costs about $150.00 and also
    requires about three labor hours. I would replace both at the same time as to incur only three total labor hours for both repairs.
  • twiniitwinii Member Posts: 3
    I took my car to the dealer because the car would not start sometimes it started and other times it would not.

    I went to a privately owned auto shop and was told that it is the ignition switch. I wasn't sure if I should believe the person or not so I took it to the dealer.

    On Tuesday, 5/22 I left it at the dealer. On Wednesday, 5/23 I was told that it was the computer engine and it would cost $1800 to fix. I said are you sure it is not the ignition switch he said, no its the computer engine. I then called the mechanic I previosuly saw and he said, he knows for a fact it is not the computer engine, its the ignition switch. I told the dealership to do the work.

    On Thursday, 5/24 I received a call from the dealership that the computer engine did not start the car something else is wrong with the car still. So I was told to keep the rental for the holiday weekend. On Tuesday, 5/29, I received a phone call from the dealership, the service tech tells me that they replaced the ignition switch and the car started but get this they are not going to charge me for the ignition switch. The ignition switch alone cost $500-600, the computer engine is $1400-$1500.

    I am so upset I can't stop crying. What are your thoughts? How would you handle something like this? Is it fair for me to tell them that I am not paying for the computer engine? I am a young female and I took the car in myself, they probably think I am a spoiled brat and my parents are going to pay for the car. But that is not the case... Why wouldn't they charge me for both parts? Please I really need some help with this.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Talk to the dealer's service manager or the company president. Tell them that you will pay this bill UNDER PROTEST and take them to Small Claims Court if they will not adjust for their incorrect diagnosis (note: never make a threat you do not fully intend to keep).

    If you don't pay the bill, they may lien your car, which is making a situation even uglier.

    This is only my advice and I am not a legal expert. Before doing as I suggest, you may want to consult with the Consumer Fraud division of your local DA's office (city or county as the case may be). They may give you further advice I haven't thought of.

    I think if you took the case to Small Claims AND if you have documentation for what you are saying here (or at least write it all down, with dates, times) and possibly a statement from your local garage, I think you'll win.
  • twiniitwinii Member Posts: 3
    Thank you for your reponse.
  • ghstudioghstudio Member Posts: 972
    You should not have to pay for the first change....you should pay for the ignition switch. If they did a bad diagnosis, that's their problem. When you go forward to anyone on this issue, it is immaterial that you saw another mechanic who said something different. Your issue is with MB....you had a problem, you took them the car, they diagnosed it incorrectly and then found the correct problem. They are responsible for whatever they did that didn't fix the problem....you are responsible for the ignition switch. Be firm....do not mention the other mechanic because it's irrelevant, and write them a check for the ignition switch. Let them go after you for the rest....and you can tell them that if they do come after you for the rest, you will consult a lawyer. Clearly, the dealer is not trained correctly in diagnosing problems.

    What would have happened if they said "it's the engine...we have to replace the engine"....would you have been responsible for the new engine. No!!!

    Good luck...be firm, be clear on what you will pay for and if they won't release the car to you consult a lawyer (who will charge them for his time when he wins the case).
  • kevinc5kevinc5 Member Posts: 204
    You are getting the run around. What is the name of the dealer?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    When you go to court, you have no idea what will happen, so that's a strong card to play, that's true, but you could lose twice what you're out now, or more. It's a great last resort but I was kinda hoping you could motivate them with a Small Claims threat--and Small Claims is much more consumer friendly than court.
  • kvincekkvincek Member Posts: 21
    Hello Sir,

    I had a similar issue with my dealer also. I don't own a MB but a Nissan. They had the wrong diagnosis at first and wanted to charge me $1000. I agreed to pay it after they fix it, but the technician came out and said they couldn't fix the issue and didn't know what was the problem. My car had the 'check engine light' on. I told them to find the problem and they were able to find the issue and wanted to charge me $300 more to fix it. Now the total was $1300. I politely told them I will not be paying for the wrong diagnosis and if they are insisting I will take them to small claims court, as well as contact Nissan's US corporate office.

    They agreed to take $300 for the correct diagnosis. So, be polite, be firm and insist you will only pay for the correct diagnosis. Tell them you will take them to small claims court as well as contact MB USA. I believe the dealers are more worried about getting a complaint to the head quarters than small claims court!
  • blissfulblissful Member Posts: 84
    Mine had this SOS Tele-Aid malfunction also. Turned out it was a faulty antenna connection, fixed under warranty, not a big deal. They offered to just disconnect the TeleAid, which I also don't subscribe to, but I thought the problem should be corrected, not band aided. No further problem since.

    Mine is '06 cdi
  • blissfulblissful Member Posts: 84
    I have an '06 CDI with 29K miles. I had the oil changed with "A service" at a non-dealer MBZ mechanic last week. He also replaced the main battery, which was weak. I drove the car about 15 miles on surface streets, parked it for two hours, then got on the freeway. Within two miles, the "reduce oil level" message displayed in red. I pulled off, called mechanic who advised they had put oil in at factory specified level. He thought the message might clear after stopping for five minutes, but it did not. He said no harm to drive, bring it in, which I did. He verified actual oil level was mid- range to factory spec. They then reduced the level to just above the low end of the specified range, but this did not correct the problem, thus he believes faulty sensor. Is this common? He noted the original MB part number has been superseded with another.

    I only see one other post addressing this issue, and that was not resolved with replacing the part. Any likelihood the battery change might have initiated this sort of issue?
  • blissfulblissful Member Posts: 84
    Whoa! We're you able to get MBZ to address this in the end?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    this is a known issue and requires modification by your MB dealer:

    Here's the TSB # that references this problem--the content of the TSB is rather large and filled with images, so I can't post it here:

    ENERAL INFORMATION ON OIL LEVEL MESSAGE IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER

    Topic Number LI01.45-P-047548

    Version 1

    Design Group 01.45 Oil Pan

    Date 08-06-2009

    Validity Valid for engines: M111, M112, M113, M166, M266, M271, M272, M273, M275, M285, OM611, OM612, OM613, OM628, OM629, OM640, OM642, OM646, OM647, OM648, OM668

    Reason for change Update model designation/Supercedes SI S-B-01.45/26a and S-B-18.00/36a
    Reason for block

    COMPLAINT:

    The attachment to this document contains detailed information on procedures and possible remedies in the event of implausible display messages concerning the engine oil level in the Instrument Cluster (IC).
  • kevinc5kevinc5 Member Posts: 204
    I don;t know how to access TSBs. Could you post a link? Thanks
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well I was thinking that you could just bring the TSB # to the dealer, since there's nothing you can do yourself and the TSB only references other MB literature.

    My database won't allow you to link to it, so maybe you could get it through NHTSA if you want. They charge a little for that, though.

    http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/problems/trd/#form
  • calvin46calvin46 Member Posts: 1
    I am having major airspring leaks. Any recall notices issued for this problem?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    There's one for error codes:


    "AIRMATIC - SERVICE REQUIRED" IN DISPLAY

    Topic Number LI32.22-P-047927

    Version 2

    Design Group 32.22 Air Suspension

    Date 09-17-2009

    Validity Model series 211 with SA code 489 (Air suspension)
    Model series 211 wagon with steel suspension
    Model series 164 with SA code 489 (Air suspension)
    Model series 251 with SA code 489 (Air suspension)
    Model series 251 with electronic rear axle level control
    Model series 221 with SA code 489 (Air suspension)

    And another for a sinking front strut in cold weather:

    Date: February 2, 2007
    Order No.: P-B-32.22/15a
    Supersedes: P-B-32.22/15 dated March 12, 2003
    Group: 32
    Revision History

    Revision Date Purpose

    a 2/2/07 Applicable Models / Part Numbers and Warranty Information Updated
    - 03/12/03 Initial issue
    SUBJECT:
    Model 211.065/070/076, up to VIN A255298
    Equipped with Airmatic Suspension (sales code 489)

    Vehicle Level Decreases at Front Axle

    If you receive customer reports in the above model vehicles of low ride height at the front axle after the vehicle has been parked at cold (15°F or colder) ambient temperatures, replace only the affected suspension air strut. Reference WIS document AR32.25-P-1017TA.

    That's all I could find.
  • large50large50 Member Posts: 1
    Reading some of the complains on the E 500 2003 mercedes I realized that Im not the only one that went crazy with all these problems.
    I cant begin to tell you what mercedes put me thru.And if anybody has this vehicle we should all get together and take action against mercedes .Class action lawsuit.we all know that mercedes was keeping lots of hidden secrets from all of us
  • RWCooperRWCooper Member Posts: 6
    Recently had to repair the tracking mechanism on this MB E500 and wondered if anyone else has such recent experience and how much it cost them. I can't get a dealer to quote me a estimated price based on the work I had done by a certified German car shop (MB and BMW specialists). Thanks.
  • kevinc5kevinc5 Member Posts: 204
    Filing a suit on a 10 year old car may not be a very productive use of your time, even if you can find an attorney to file it for you. My bet is that he'll give you a free 30 minute consultation, explain the statute of limitations and send you on your way. Good luck.
  • dvpriemdvpriem Member Posts: 11
    s you near the repair attempts that trigger a lemon law the factory representative will say that you problem is a "characteristic" of the car. Even if no other car on the lot does what yours does. This happened to me with me 2013 E 350. My car's rear end was replaced twice (three total rear ends counting the original) during the first 2500 miles. They cannot fix the highway whine from the rear end. Factory rep calls it a "characteristic" and informs me there will be mo further repair attempts.

    I think this is dishonest. Any other Californians with this experience? Contact me on this forum. I know Jerry Brown personally and we can get help with a consumer fraud complaint in the AG's office.
  • pfentonpfenton Member Posts: 16
    The auto lemon laws vary from state to state, however, I understand that after a minimum of two repair attempts, the next step is to send a certified letter to the manufacturer documenting the defect and allowing for a final repair opportunity. Remember to keep the certified mail return receipt verifying that you sent the final chance notice. The next step would be to apply for relief under the lemon law. Send the certified letter! Good luck!
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    i understand that lemon laws only apply for drivability problems.
    a noisy/whining pinion/whatever gear doesn't seem like a drivability problem unless the gearing actually fails. so your mission for warranty workis to drive the car such that the whine overheats the rear gear and craters the differential entirely. with all due respect, the laws of physics dictate that gears do make noise, and there are many methods to mitigate/hide the noise/vibes.
    one might expect MBenz to be tops for such things. Having owned one previously I might have different expectations. Yours is a 2WD model, eh? I had issues & replacements & whine from center-differential-thing in a Y2K AWD E320 wagon...
    Perhaps dealership has been throwing rear ends at an issue that has root cause outside rear end, such as frame-alignment or tires worn such that they mismatch - not sized as expected (different size tires on each side will destroy a limited-slip-rear). Best wishes. My solution for my Benz was to drive it for 100k and then trade it for a VW TDI wagon. The Benz did actually hold up well past the intimate shop time for the first ~20k, so if you can get past that, maybe the car will serve you well enough until 100k like mine did.

    Also, I'm a former Californian and current rightwinger, but I think Jerry Brown is awesome and totally rocks. So please don't pester the dude with stuff like this. We here on the Edmunds forum are here for you, man!
  • txscotxsco Member Posts: 4

    A question: I own a 2011 E350; it's been a good car...except when it gets cold, there is an odd squeck that occurs when the steering wheel is turned to pull it out of a parking space, garage, etc. I've had it to the dealer 2X for this, and they can't seem to fix it. If it were one of my older cars, I'd guess it was a frayed belt or loose pulley, but really have no idea. The sound is a cross between a squek and the sound of water being forced through a hose.
    Any ideas? Thanks.

  • tonyg14tonyg14 Member Posts: 1

    Hello, i just bought E320 2003 a week ago with 124000 miles on it. After detailing it , mulfanction pop up on my dash board and it says "Electrical Consumers Switched off " no idea what it means. Please help. I dont want to go Dealer or fix it . Thanks

  • BizzypeteBizzypete Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased this 2001 E320 4matic for $1500.00 ....the car has no turn signals, no horn, no wiper, no brights.....the right rear and right front turn signals, the right, side view mirrors turn signal and the left tail light stay lit when car is turned off. Have to disconnect battery terminal under the back seat every time I park car....
    Has 199,000 miles on it. Looks like a new alternator was installed...The drive shaft for the front wheels (4matic) needs to be replaced. As for the turn signals and the other stuff... I was told it was the body control module......but not sure if that's correct........anyone have any tips as to what the turn signal problem may be? Need to get a Pennsylvania inspection sticker on it......this Car drives itself...Great ride.....awesome whip! As my teenagers call it......lol

    Thanks for any help.....
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    I am contemplating buying a used E350...what are the best years for this car?...also, I have been told that MB engines and transmissions are "sealed" so that only MB dealers can change the oil and tranny fluid, very expensive...if true, this is something I do not want, so, are there any years E350 that still have ordinary filler tubes for engine and transmission fluid? Thanks.
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