W221 vs W222 Reliability – Choosing the Best Mercedes Sedan

If you are looking to buy a good and reliable luxury sedan but want to make the purchase reasonable, you may go for a used model. In this case, you will not only need to choose the preferred brand and model but will also have to choose the generation. Older cars cost less and look like a good purchase, but are they still reliable and worth their money?

If you take the W221 and W222 generations of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class model, it's really hard to choose between them. Their common problems are different but the price may be pretty close, especially for the fresh W221 and the older W222. What should you choose? I decided to compare the reliability of these vehicles.

In this article, I will tell you about the following:

• What are the features of the S-Class in both generations?
• What are the common issues with the W221 S-Class?
• What are the common problems with the W222 S-Class?
• Which generation of the S-Class is more reliable?
• What should you consider when choosing a used S-Class model?

Let's get started!

Quick guide into the features of a used S-Class car

So, we are concentrating today on the W221 (2005-2013) and the W222 (2014-2020) Mercedes S-Class generations. And if you are comparing the 2020 model and the 2006 model, I can tell you right now that it's much better to buy the newer one due to mileage, age of its parts, etc. But what if you have a choice between the 2013 and 2015 models with a big price difference?

Let's start by looking into the features that you will get in both of these cars. Here they are:

• they are both luxury sedans that are worth the money - cool and reliable cars overall;
• the level of comfort in the W222 generation is higher, the newer vehicle will have many more luxury features in its interior;
• also, the design is naturally more interesting in the newer generation, although the W221 one doesn't look bad even today;
• you get a huge variety of engines starting with 3.0L V6 in cheaper models and going up to 6.0L V12 in AMG models;
• you get 5- or 7-speed automatic transmissions in the W221 and 7- or 9-speed automatic transmissions in the W222, all are pretty reliable;
• both cars come with exclusive options, but the eventual list of features depends on the trim and the addons that the initial buyer paid for.

Some S-Class models that are available now on the market are really exclusive and have a lot of premium features that were only available for big money and weren't offered in standard trims. Fortunately, when you are buying this car now, all these addons will just be a good bonus because they barely affect the price.

The new S-Class in the US now starts at $115,000 and it's not affordable for many of us. The good 2018 model with about 40K miles on it, you can buy in the range of $40,000 - $50,000 from dealers and even cheaper than if you choose to buy it from another owner. Also, the 2010 model with about 100,000 miles will cost you between $10,000 and $14,000 depending on the condition.

What are the issues with the W221 generation?

Given the vehicle is pretty old now, we know almost everything about the common problems it can develop. Some of them are fatal and will result in the car going to the scrapyard while some other ones are mild and will only result in your budget feeling the serious loss.

So, here's what you should expect to happen with the W221 Mercedes-Benz S-Class:

1) Air suspension issues

This may seem like an average problem but you will have to spend thousands to repair this suspension or even replace it with the conventional coils suspension. The problem is extremely common with the S-Class models that have more than 100K miles on them.

2) Catalytic converter

Again, this is a common problem for all old cars, but the Mercedes converter is not only expensive to buy, it's also extremely hard to replace. So, the replacement of the cat converter may cost you a fortune.

3) Electronics

This Mercedes-Benz sedan car is going to get on your nerves from time to time. Different glitches in its electronics are just something you will need to put up with. Also, you will need to find a good independent shop because dealers charge insane money for electronics repairs.

4) Driver's seat

You may be surprised to see this as a common problem for a car. But yeah, the driver's seat in the W221 is a pain in your neck. It is packed with technologies and it even has a separate control unit. But the ventilation system may leak leading to serious risks for electronics.

What are the common problems with the W222 S-Class?

1) Wiring harness

There were several recalls regarding the wires and connections in these cars. The recalls only cover something super common, so I suppose the W222 Mercedes-Benz has a lot of things that will surprise you in terms of its electrical units.

2) Air suspension issues

You may think that the W221 had suspension issues but the W222 should be OK because Mercedes did homework and corrected that. But no, the air suspension keeps being faulty and extremely expensive to repair.

3) Oil leaks

This is another problem you don't expect to get in such a car. It appears to be that Mercedes used some incorrect material for oil lines and they start leaking after 50K miles. Some issues were resolved by recalls, some weren't.

4) Electric parts are scary

The S-Class has over 100 electric motors and actuators in it and when the car reaches 100K miles, they may start malfunctioning. One by one. This will make you go mad because it's quite hard to repair those motors and other electrical parts in your car. And this will cost you a fortune, too.

Which generation of the S-Class is more reliable?

It's quite a confusing question because the reliability doesn't only depend on the year or the generation. It depends on the overall condition of the car, its mileage, maintenance records, etc.

If you take a really well-maintained S-Class W221 2010 with 50K miles on it and a 150K-mile W222 Mercedes-Benz that had the last oil change 2 years and 70K miles ago, the choice is obvious - the older car is your best purchase between these two.

But when it comes to the Mercedes S-Class, you need to understand that age is important. Even in a car that was maintained absolutely well, all electric motors, actuators, sensors, and wiring connectors tend to deteriorate and eventually fail. Each failure of this kind in your S-Class may be fatal for your budget.

So, I would make such a small conclusion:

• buying the S-Class used is always a risk, this is why the residual value for these vehicles is not that high compared with the initial price;
• getting a used Mercedes-Benz luxury sedan that has more than 100K miles on it is a huge risk and you should know this before you pay the money;
• this is not the most reliable car in the world, whatever generation you take, so don't be blinded by the shine of its wonderful design and respectful brand;
• you should look at the condition of the vehicle, not at the year or generation first.

The rule "the younger the better" partially works here. But it won't work for an S-Class vehicle that has been driven a lot by company drivers who didn't care about its condition and maintenance.

What should you check when buying the used S-Class?

Well, there are many general things you should check like the condition of the vehicle, rust spots on its body, and general things that a car mechanic may check (error codes, possible minor problems, etc.) But there are also more serious things that you need to pay attention to specifically when you buy the S-Class or another vehicle of this kind.

Here's what exactly you need to learn:

• Maintenance records - has this car been maintained regularly?
• Type of oil - has the owner been using the proper oil in the engine?
• Deep OBD scanning - scan for all the codes that the scanner can get out of the vehicle.
• Several specific tests - take the car to the dealership and pay for a full inspection, ask the mechanic to pay attention to the most expensive units that commonly fail.
• Test-drive - it's vitally important to drive this car before paying for it.

Final thoughts

Well, you should know that luxury cars are good when they are new. After they get some miles and years and the initial owner takes all the best out of the vehicles, they become pretty problematic. And you should be ready that several times a year you will have to take the car to the dealership and kiss your money goodbye which can be annoying.

If we are talking exclusively about the W221 and W222 generations of the S-Class, I would concentrate on finding the low-mileage W222, as fresh as possible. Yes, it will cost you more money, but at least you will not get all those electrical problems that are impossible to locate. But such a purchase will cost you a lot.