Merc E200?

turnsoutIwas

I've been looking at these on carzone etc and I love em. Is there any reason not to buy a 97 one with over a year NCT for around 4k? What would it be worth next year. Was thinking the 2l auto in silver with around 100k on the clock. Any advice would be really helpful. Thanks.

mike65

I'll start with the manditory "only if you are not in a hurry" quip, followed by the always required, "you know the w210 model is the worst Mercedes ever made?" warning.

Mike.

mickdw

These have a rust problem. Your model from 96 on was the worst for this. However if you were to check out the body sections thoroughly it should be a good car. Why not a diesel one though? In relation to the rust, there is a structurally important cross member under the car close to the engine oil sump which rots away and is not visible with engine cover on which needs to be checked. Cars will pass NCT with this fault as its not visible.

Gary ITR

My father bought on about a year ago and hasn't looked back. It's a 00 and looks brand new. All he's had to buy for it is tyres and a few valets after the feckin dog was in it:p There isn't one spec of rust anywhere on the car

a diesel would be the preferred option but these are being whipped by taxi drivers before they even hit the likes of carzone (well any decent one is)

Marcus.Aurelius

They were kind of ugly when they first came out, but I think they've improved with age. Nice car, but like others say, watch for rust under the arches and particularly look for worn/perished rubber hoses everywhere!

If its an auto, check that the ATF has been changed every 10-20 thousand miles, the auto gearbox was supposedly very sensitive to dirty oil.

Honest John has a good review of the model.
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=243&

Quote:
What to Watch Out For
Cancelled Far East export orders found their way back to the UK at mammoth discounts. Make sure any car you buy from a non-Mercedes dealer is properly certificated with either an EU Certificate of Conformity or UK SVA.

Reports of cylinder head stretch bolts failing on four-cylinder engines, with replacement a 'head-off' job. Oil leaks from cylinder head a sign of the stretch bolt problem on 200s.

1995 to 2000 cars have had paint and rust problems, particularly around the numberplate area on the bootlid in the bottoms of doors and now developing in the front wings. This is well known in Germany. Daimler Chrysler has now admitted to another rust problem on all W210 E Class up to June 2001 build - apparently due to using stretched steel construction. Affects areas around door window seals and suspension mounting points.

Inspect the paint very carefully for signs of 'filoform' corrosion (corrosion starting in the metal under the paint). Also inspect for corrosion in the seams, behind the seals at the tops of the doors, and in the underbonnet seams.

Mobilo 30 year warranty against perforated bodywork states "From the 5th year onwards the car should have been serviced by an authorised Mercedes Benz workshop within the last 2 years prior to the damage being repaired".

Check for serious rust in front suspension coil spring perches. After about 8 years front these can break up leading to collapse of front suspension MB will usually fix FOC if the car has a proper service history. Lower pressed steel suspension arms also rust though from the inside out.

Reports of failure of MOT for corroded brake pipes at just 5 years old.

May be a problem with the engine mounts of the E320CDI.

Complaints of water ingress leading to corrosion damage of ventlilation system blower motor.

One reader's W210 E320CDI estate failed first MOT with failed cat converter, failed intercooler (both replaced under 3 year warranty) and failed steering ball joints (replaced at cost of £155).

Beware of cancelled export order 1995-1997 W210 E-Class sold in UK as new when they were up to 3 years old. An 'R' reg could be a 1995 car.

With heavier V8 engines and diesels, the front suspension rubber bushes go soggy after about 60-80,000 miles giving serious toe-out, which wrecks tyres. Engine mounting failure is also common, so once the car is more than 5 years old these need to be checked regularly.

The transmission oil cooler of automatics is sited in the radiator matrix, so failure can lead to coolant entering the transmission and destroying it, leaving the owner with a bill of £4k +. Apparently this fault occurred in cars manufactured between 2000 - 2003 and only when a Valeo radiator is fitted. Two other well known faults which might cause expensive damage are failure of the oil seals to the wiring looms from the top of the cam cover and to the autobox which is electrically operated.

VITAL TO CHECK GLOW PLUGS OF DIESELS. These have a habit of failing, then break when the garage tries to remove them and rectification can cost £4,500.

LCD dashboard readouts for mileage, outside temperature and other information fade. Replacement cost £450.

The transmission oil cooler of automatics is sited in the radiator matrix, so failure can lead to coolant entering the transmission and destroying it, leaving the owner with a bill of £4k +. Apparently this fault occurred in cars manufactured between 2000 - 2003 and only when a Valeo radiator is fitted. Two other well known faults which might cause expensive damage are failure of the oil seals to the wiring looms from the top of the cam cover and to the autobox which is electrically operated.

Reversing light cable passes through trunking in the boot lid hinges which over time develops stress cracks as the boot lid is raised and lowered exposing bare
wire which then shorts on the metal of the boot lid. Symptom is failing or flickering reversing lights, or a battery drain.

Failure of the brake light switch can stop autos from starting, because that is how the system senses you have your foot on the brake for safety when you try to start the engine.

Esel

^ Bit of a waste including a long section of text from that same link tbh.

L-M

I wouldn't go petrol, from personal experience they are very very hard to sell. I'd go diesel if possible. E220 etc. IMHO they are a smashing car and +1 for the rust thing on the older models. Talking to a fella today with a 96 and there's a nice wee bit of rust after popping out on the drivers side wing.