W211 Mercedes Problems And Longevity. What Issues Should You Expect?

Many Mercedes fans will say that the W211 still looks good if you can get this car in really good condition. But we think that this vehicle is already old-fashioned. Although this is a business-class car, it's old and problematic and you have to be ready for some investments. Everything that has to come with an old car, comes with your Mercedes W211.

This is the Mercedes E-Class. The W211 index describes the generation. The vehicle was pretty popular in Europe and it was selling well in the US. But in the United States, it was mainly bought by companies, lawyers, government bodies, etc. This was a pretty expensive car. In 5-7 years after the vehicle was first introduced, it started selling as a used car and many people bought one for themselves.

So, today we'll be speaking about the following:

1. What's the W211 Mercedes like?
2. What problems should you expect if you own one?
3. Is it expensive to repair the W211 in the US?
4. Longevity questions for Mercedes vehicles.

Let's get started!

Some facts about the W211 you should know

Mercedes W211 was introduced in 2002 and started selling in the US in 2003. By this time, the previous model of the E-Class, W210, was too old and not stylish at all. The newer model was much better in terms of design. In 2006, Mercedes came up with the restyling version of the W211. It was in production up until 2009.

The E-Class of these years was pretty popular all over Europe. In the US it wasn't selling that well for private buyers but it was a great corporate fleet car for business-level needs. Then it started selling in auctions and in car dealer shops so people could afford these vehicles in pretty good condition.

Here are some things you should know about the car:

1. Mercedes offered a huge range of engines. The smallest was 1.8 liters and the biggest was 6.2 liters (for AMG version). There were both petrol and diesel engines in the car, but the American market only saw a set of gasoline units.
2. 3 types of transmissions were really good. Again, manual transmission was pretty rare in the US. The majority of W211 cars were equipped with 5-speed or 7-speed automatic transmissions (G-Tronic).
3. In Europe, the company was selling both sedans and station wagons, but in the US only sedans were sold.
4. Among the most important perks in the car were the luxurious interior, wonderful safety equipment, great set of comfort options, and also elite materials in the car interior.
5. The suspension was pretty reliable and very comfortable. Especially, the Airmatic DC suspension (air suspension) in more expensive trims.
6. The most powerful versions had engines with 514 horsepower (6.2 V8 engine in E63 AMG) while the more affordable vehicles had up to 200 horsepower.

Of course, the AMG versions are still the cars you will want to hunt for. These vehicles were absolutely astonishing. Powerful V8 engines, great transmissions, the most up-to-date technologies, and the most expensive features were there for a buyer. Not many cars of that trim were sold in the US, so now they are still very expensive and desirable.

The average price of the E63 AMG in a good condition will be around $20,000, even though this is a car of almost 20 years of age. Of course, the simple trims with smaller engines will cost much less. But still, for a car without damage history and with relatively low mileage, you will have to pay around $8,000. And this is a vehicle that is 15-17 years old.

Problems and popular mishaps with the W211

The American market didn't buy too many of the W211 cars, so we needed to go to British forums to find more information. But actually, cars in Britain and in the US were identical (but the side of the steering wheel location, of course) except for some engines.

So, by investigating forums and speaking to the owners of the Mercedes E-Class W211 we managed to form a list of the most common problems that you should expect if you have the W211 in your possession.

Here are the problems:

1. Airmatic Dual Control suspension. Air suspension modules are just great for your comfort. You can set them to work just like you want - make it stiff or soft, sporty or adaptable. But the air suspension system is extremely expensive to repair and it will kill your budget with your Mercedes W211.
2. Wiring. The cars are pretty old and wiring problems are natural for them. But if you have an old Chevy Cobalt, for example, the problems with wiring will be easy and cheap to fix. But with a Mercedes, problems with wiring will become one of the most expensive issues with your vehicle.
3. Valeo radiators leaking. Well, this is not a very expensive problem. But it can lead to severe damage if not fixed when needed. Pay attention to the Valeo radiator at every regular maintenance.
4. Timing chain failures in some V6 engines. The chain will not change its position, but it will start making noise and it will need proper service. Changing the chain, tensioner, bearings, and pump will cost you a fortune.
5. 7G-Tronic transmissions were much worse in terms of reliability than 5G-Tronic. Some of them had failures and problems at 100 000 miles or something. If you are looking for a used Mercedes-Benz car, better go for the 5-speed transmission.
6. Engine oil cooling system. In earlier models (before the restyling in 2006) nearly all gasoline engines had problems with engine oil cooling. The radiator cracked and the coolant was leaking into the oil. This may lead to engine failure and to a very expensive repair.

Also, many owners report power loss because of the clogged catalytic converters. Sometimes, people say that the front suspension is not very long-lasting. Especially, the front suspension arms cause problems.

All these problems have one thing in common - repairing them is absolutely expensive. Once your car gets broken, you will have to save up some money to go to the car repair shop. Even aftermarket parts are insanely expensive and the labor is not cheap, too. This is Mercedes!

How many miles can a W211 go?

The longevity of a Mercedes is a very tricky question. The engines are in most cases pretty good and reliable. They can go up to 300 000 miles if you maintain them in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements.

The 5G-Tronic transmissions are also very reliable and can easily go 200 000 or even 250 000 miles without the need to repair them. But the 7G-Tronic transmissions are unpredictable. Some of them can go 200 000 miles while some others will break at 100 000 miles.

The body of the Mercedes W211 is fully protected from rust. The paint is also pretty good. But if a car has been hit on the road or repainted because of some other issues, the body will not survive as long as you wish. It will start getting rust.

The main concerns when we talk about the longevity of the Mercedes W211 are the air suspension and also braking system in the most expensive versions. These systems are pretty good in terms of comfort but if they get broken, you will have to pay thousands of dollars for repair. The average mileage of the air suspension is 200 000 miles.

So, we can predict that the rational mileage of this car is 200 000 miles. After that, the vehicle will start showing a lot of different problems that may be extremely hard to repair. If you have a Mercedes W211 that has already been driven for 200 000 miles, just think about changing your car.

But the base versions that don't have any air suspension and technological braking system can easily go up to 300 000 miles. If you are lucky enough, they will not even need very expensive repairs on the way to this mileage.

What should I do to prolong the life of my Mercedes W211?

1. Regular maintenance. Not only oil change but the full maintenance according to requirements.
2. Original parts. Only good parts are needed, otherwise, the reliability will be very poor.
3. Paying attention to all breakdowns. Any problems should be solved immediately.
4. Driving responsibly. This is not a racing car, so make sure you drive it in accordance with the initial tasks of this vehicle.

Final words

We know that many people really love Mercedes cars. But buying a used Mercedes W211 is a big responsibility. You should be careful when choosing a vehicle because it may already have a lot of problems that are very expensive to repair. This is especially true for the most expensive versions of the vehicle.

Please bear in mind that Mercedes W211s are quite old cars and most of them will have a lot of individual issues that depend much on the way the owner has driven the vehicle.