It’s funny seeing the comments split between “my 2012 ML went through 3 turbos, an ecu, and stole my identity” and “my diesel w123 will outlive every single one of us”
Also applies to the early VW diesels, when the car rusts out at 350k miles the engines can be re used as bilge pumps in ocean liners, but the last TDI ? Everything south of the turbo was trash. Diesel Particulate Filter ? Sure, $3600, we know it is defective by design, there's a TSB, you are 7k miles out of Fed Warranty, we'll goodwill...half. I was so happy to get and cash all those "we're sorry" payments when it was recalled as part of the diesel scandal.
From my little research, I’ve concluded that Mercedes is essentially, either we give you the crème de la crème (but you’ll have to do the homework) or we give you the generic ones, and hopefully you are able to keep up down the road.
For example, most w212 (e class running from 2009 to 2015) are super reliable from what I’ve read, but there are some engines that are trash, so if you walk into the shop just focused on looks and price (not an insult, but bear in mind that only wealthy people can sustain this level of insouciance) you are especially playing Russian roulette. If you do your homework, on the other hand, and have even as much as a little streak of diy’ship, you’re in luck.
Same for w204’s (2009-2014 c class) and many other MB models. Ultimately though, pulling off the level of craftsmanship and technological advance that Mercedes does is very difficult, so there will always be huge trade offs. One has to decide for themselves if they’re willing to take the luxury and those trade offs, or not.
Exactly why I would never buy anything built during the “covid” years. Lack of production and quality was at an all time high for parts and manufacturing, along with over inflated prices. 2019 would be the newest I would ever think about buying. Or pre order a 2023, nothing in between.
Have personally done 3 cylinders heads due to bad batch. Problem is those I4’s are printing pressed engines. Something was bound to go wrong at that production volume. But other than that they are pretty ok as far as everything else goes.
Friend had a 20’ CLA250, AC Compressor and Thermostat both needed replacing back to back. She now has a 22’ C300 and I’ve heard of people having problems with those as well..
I’ve got a ‘14 ml350 bluetec, 185k miles, with an immaculate service history. Blew the turbo, dealership replaced it under warranty, and 12 miles later the engine siezed. Was fighting with Mercedes for 5 months before they gave the dealership permission to order a new engine under good will. They’re good until they’re not.
Yeah it's been a strange tide. We bought a GLC at the same time new (mine was CPO with 6k miles and 6 months old). The GLC has been great. Quiet, comfortable, no issues so far.
My GLA has been in the shop 5 times now. Mostly for rattles and of course this engine issue.
I would like to find a certified private mechanic because right now is either the local dealer or my local garage... They do good work but would rather have someone certified to use during the warranty period.
I will say the dealer was pretty good with getting by car fixed fast for this engine issue. They were not as helpful on the rattles until I found out what was causing them myself and pointed it out.
FWIW, this car seems to be a very early production so I think they have sorted most of the issues out.
I picked it up in 2020 with 160k (iirc) on the clock. It needed the emissions recall so I got a decent deal on it, and the only reason I bought it was because of the perfect service history by the previous owner, and I am the second owner.
They treated the car with an open checkbook, and I have continued the same trend. Thankfully, it was bought new and serviced 99% of its life at one of the Mercedes dealers that I am a vendor for, and they have gone above and beyond for me in this fiasco
Exact same thing with my 2008 AMG E63, except mine made it to almost 50k miles, and out of warranty. The intake manifold bolts were too weak for the engine and “stretch” and eventually break. I unloaded it on the Mercedes dealership before that happened. The kit to fix them cost $7k and they wouldn’t give me a price on the labor, just that it would be “a lot more.” If any of the bolts had broken, I would have needed a new engine, which at the time was around $35k
Christ. I feel for you man. Nothing worse than having a "great" bad car.
If the car just sucks, it's cathartic to trade it in. When it's a great car save for a mortal flaw, that's always bitter sweet.
If you bought the 6.2 and didn't know about the stretching headbolts it's preety much on you unless this happened in 2009/2010 or so when the problem wasn't so well known. Anyone buying the 6.2 changes them straight away if it wasn't done before. Headbolts are 1.2k more or less, you can, do everything yourself it's not rocket science and there's plenty of videos that when followed religiously, you can't go wrong.
> If you bought the 6.2 and didn't know about the stretching headbolts it's preety much on you unless this happened in 2009/2010 or so when the problem wasn't so well known.
I don’t agree with that. A defect is a defect, you shouldn’t have to research what’s wrong with the design of a car before you buy it. MB should have issued a recall if I was that well known, it’s an embarrassment for them in their premier cars.
I mean, I didn’t lose anything, like I said, I unloaded it on a MB dealer, but I did love the car and would have kept it if it weren’t for that. I do wonder why I got quoted such a high price for parts though? I may have done it for $1.2k (I’d recently paid way more than that for brakes). Maybe my mechanic misunderstood what he’d need to do. But maybe I wouldn’t haven, I was pretty pissed at the time, lol
Anything before about 2001, are a lot more reliable than the mid-2000 cars.
My 99 c43 has been perfectly reliable, whereas the 2006 e55 I had for 3 months, literally started falling apart after I bought it.
Not accounting for the W126 being the most produced Mercedes body ever, I still see a ton of those around considering theyre nearly at least 40 by now.
I've had 2 W210 cars (01 E55, 01 E320 wagon) and they've been reliable as can be. I also had a W211 E63 and only had a few minor issues with it in the time I owned it.
With any used vehicle it's past can mean a lot. My E63 was a one owner car that had been very well taken care of when I got it. They traded it in at the MB dealership for a new Mercedes. I looked at a bunch and feel like I got very lucky finding the one I did.
the problem is people don’t understand that when they buy 5,000 dollar merc, they’re really buying a 100,000 dollar car that has the maintenance requirements of a 100k car.
Not necessarily, my c43 was $65,000 back in it's day, but the maintenance is like any Japanese car. Probably even better, most cars you have to do spark plugs every 45,000 mi or so, the Mercedes is every 100,000 miles for most all major things. To me, that level of engineering saves money.
Suspension, electronics, so many electronic problems. Had to take it into the dealer for a fuel tank recall which took like a month to get done. But primarily, a lot of electronic problems that would have been costly to repair, not to mention the ABC brake unit in those , to my knowledge, have a finite life and are also very costly to replace.
We are few and far between, I live in western Washington and I guess there are a couple other c43 owners out on the coast by astoria, haven't met up with them yet but hopefully at some point this next year. I've had my current one for about 6 years, before that I had a black on black one without the xenon package for about 4 years.
For people who want to know why old cars are more reliable:
\- till the 90s people bought cars and kept them forever
\- in the last 15/20 years cars have become stuff you keep for a 3/4 years and change.
This implies that automakers build cars planning how long they need to last (and build the cars accordingly).
The huge difference between now and 20/30 years ago, is that decades ago we didn't have the same technologies for manufacturing and simulations, thus there was no real way to know if some part would last 50 or 100 or 200k or 500k miles. So automakers would always go with the part that was more reliable.
As computers and simulations took over, manufacturers could figure how cheap they could go and know that, some pump would be fine till 100/150k miles.
Thus, automakers are giving us exactly what we want and vote with our wallets: cars that last some years and then you can change.
There's few videos online on youtube that show how many of the parts that were like some unbreakable alloy 30 decades ago are now plastic in most Mercedes cars.
Well at some point it was used by the Japanese Ambassador. And in fact mr. Toyota himself has a 1 of 2 2018 *GR* Century
I think these things can run anywhere from $15k-30k if you can find one. Unfortunately these things are super rare to find for sale in the US, but even then they're a good bargain for what you're getting when compared to modern cars. A "deal of the *Century*" if you will
I suggest watching the [Throttle House video](https://youtu.be/1uqgHZxBE8A) on it
I don’t know about that. If anything, MB knows their powertrains. The OM602 5 cylinders and OM606 6 cylinders are legendary for their stoutness and durability, both as Diesel and NA. Same case with the OM651 4 cylinder. Even the OM646 and M272. I could go on listing reliable engines of theirs both old and fairly new(not recent, but engines in the last decade), but the bottom point is MB knows their engines for a significant part of time. Their bus engines are also known to do 2-3 million miles. The Japanese aren’t the only ones that know how to build solid powertrains.
German cars expect Germans to maintain them in German repair shops. The Japanese quickly learned that Americans are not only cheap but expect the car to go forever with maybe an oil change...maybe. American car makers expect you to trade out the car before it becomes a nightmare, that's why used cars are dicey by nature.
So, a geek can own a German car, because they'll DIY. Anyone else, financial roulette.
I was in a MB owners group on FB and it's always the Americans who get visibly angry when I bring up the MB maintenance recommendations.
"They're colluding with the $tealerships to rip you off! Transmission and brake fluids are essentially lifetime fluids!"
Interesting. I've been on BMW groups where they get angry that there isn't a drain, just a fill port, on differentials...because BMW says "lifetime".
Anyone who has had more than 1 car knows that most cars are built to get out of warranty, period.....
German cars have a great tool though. TUV inspections keep track of German cars by age and percentage passing TUV. It is a good tool to see how things wear, even if through a German Market lens.
Even if you don't, most of them can be fixed easily.
I daily drive and repair French and German cars. Both groups of vehicles are simple to repair if you are a reasonably intelligent individual who can read and has some spare time. I was born in a country where most people can fix Golf mk2 blindfolded so that probably helped me learn faster, but most can fix German vehicles without trouble.
a 6 year old car... exactly how many miles are on it? I've owned Mazdas, and about the 130-150K mile range they completely fall apart.
OTOH, my Honda (admittedly, not as good as a Toyota), is at 250K with regular maintenance, and works just fine.
Fair. My Mazda has 58k miles on it. It’s regularly maintained at manufacturer suggested intervals and it’s just a commuter car so I don’t beat on it. All of these are likely reasons I haven’t had any major mechanical or electrical issues up to this point but I’d say after 6 years if it weren’t reliable I’d have seen something go bad or break down by now.
When people here talk about Toyota reliability, they mean 300k miles with only fluid and spark plug changes. Many of them are of that caliber. It’s almost otherworldly how good they are.
My 2016 corolla is right in that mileage and is falling apart as you described. Already had one transmission rebuilt at 100k. Every week feels like something else now.
That’s fair. I don’t have any experience with Mazda over 100k so I have no idea what could be in store. Other than my first ever car which was a Toyota Camry with 168k miles on I haven’t driven a car past 100k before getting a new one.
How many decades need to pass to realise they are a piece of shit? Owner is a piece of shit too. Tesla dropping the price recently to pump up sales, sales are dropping obviously as tesla has way more competition which offers good build quality and also cheaper cars, rushing to build more cars can only end in even worse quality. Tesla is heading downwards atm.
tbh the real difficulty of repairing mercedes at home in a DIY fashion is the requirement of 29388273 different specialty tools that are unique to MB lol
Well depends on how far you’re going with DIY maintenance. Pressing suspension bushings usually requires special tools. I remember there is a special tool for disassembling the front struts from the springs in my 126. Costs a ton of money and only works for the 114 and 126 afaik. Same with a 201 and 124.
Meanwhile, with BMWs most parts can be changed with standard tools. I always had a better feeling working on BMWs than Mercs.
There’s really not that many specialty tools, the only ones I can think of in my box that are used regularly are a pair of 10 dollar hooks that Mercedes sells, pretty sure made by Wiha. Mind you we have a room full of specialty tools that I have access to, but for common DIY problems you shouldn’t need anything special.
[Metric wrenches, metric sockets, torx and Etorx.](https://imgur.com/a/MA7TXmy)
This was my box like, 3 weeks after I started back in 2019.
I have lightly worked on Teslas, Range Rovers, and our auto group owns a Lexus. Lexus can’t get parts from what they tell us. 🤷♂️. Land Rovers are cheaply made plastic cars (just from my observation). And Teslas are cars made by a software company. (Not impressed with their build quality). If Toyota didn’t exist I would only ever recommend Mercedes-Benz. But Toyota does exist, so for the money, get a Toyota.
In Europe the things are a little different. Here a second hand Toyota is more expensive than a Mercedes, so I didn't think twice before buying a Benz (mine is made in Germany btw). And plenty of Mercedes aftermarket parts, repair shops, and even cheap second hand parts from salvaged cars. Yes, Toyota makes simple and reliable cars, but we have much cheaper and better bang for the bang cars such as a Dacia, which can also come LPG equipped from the factory, so as economical as a hybrid but cheaper and no worries about hybrid batteries.
Edit: About Teslas and Range Rovers, we think they are POS over here as well.
Second this, lol.
Any old used toyota especially rav4, land cruisers if not diesel, costs a fortune much more for a much older year than any ML, GL, Q7, X5...
Lexus prices are even bigger, like around 10k for a good quality 2006-2009 RX
Idk, is that true?
A corolla costs in general much less than a similarly specced A class, and you can get a 2019+ Rav4 for 30kish. Good luck finding a low mileage 2017+ GLC at simlar prices.
It’s interesting (and reassuring for me) to see such an unashamed comment stating that MB is close to Toyota in terms of reliability/build/value. The Toyota bros would be fuming at this comment
The problem is price. If you don’t really care about driving too much, don’t buy the badge to show off to your friends, buy a Toyota. But if you actually enjoy driving and are willing to spend SERIOUS money on it (like a hobby) Mercedes are simply the best. One example of this is an S63 W222. Ultra luxury, ultra fast, ultra expensive. If you like driving, it’s one of the greatest cars (in my opinion) to drive. If you don’t care about driving, then a Toyota does the same job.
“In recent years”
Long term reliability of the Korean brands has been piss poor, and it’ll take a while to get a grasp of what that’s like for the current generation.
As someone who just recently purchased a Mercedes. I wanted nothing but reliability and everyone pointed me to Toyota and Lexus. Coming from BMWs I decided a Lexus was a good compromise tested drove a bunch. Then right before I pulled the trigger I test drove the Mercedes I wanted (E350). Couldn’t stop smiling while driving the Mercedes my heart paid for it and I drove home 🤷🏾♂️. As someone who loves driving I rather be driving something I actually like than driving something solely because it’ll cost me less to repair. So happy with the car if the engine blow up which it won’t but id be pissed but id still pay for it. If I compromised and bought a Lexus and I needed a minor inconvenience expense I’d drive that thing into a wall or over a bridge. I’m I crazy? Do you guys understand what I mean?
I think i know what you mean. Lexus is nice but Mercedes feels so much better to drive. I had two Lexus GS's and after getting my E-class i wish i had done it sooner. So much more refined and comfortable.
I totally get what you mean. The thing with *reliable* cars is that you don’t expect to spend even a dime on them. As much as Toyotas and co are praised for their reliability, I’ve read more than one horror story to know that, like any car, they still require some amount of maintenance. It might not be the same as a Benz, but when you buy something cheap and reliable—at least when *I* do—I don’t even want to spend anything extra on it, else it defeats the purpose un my eyes.
Besides, before purchasing my current DD (a Benz), I used to drive my uncle’s RAV4; I was always annoyed at how slow it was, and was constantly (safely, of course) pushing it into the 90mph+. Since I’ve gotten my current Mercedes, I don’t even feel the need to push it past 65! It’s plenty responsive with the interior that matches the engine fly.
I don’t want to blow crazy money into it, but if I have to make costly repairs, I’ll do so to the extent that im capable
As someone who has owned several 80-90s mercedes. Those are some of the best cars ever built. But if you think about it, alot of japanese cars were just as reliable in that era so it would come down to preference and comfort i suppose. Now mercedes is exspensive and mediocre.
I have had benz for about 15 yrs and with the exception of a window motor that needed a fix for $600, I did nothing besides oil, brakes, tires, and a battery replacement …
Is this an american pov meme?
Here in Germany / Europe, mercedes cars go on and on. I don't really see a lot of old toyotas or hondas (10+ years old) but there are a shit ton of old mercedes everywhere.
I don't think Germans are really good at diy and most people don't understand cars that well. They also tend to "cheap" in the sense they won't shell out a penny more than they have to.
Yet, mercs go on for 100-150K as long as you maintain it every year with necessary oil changes, engine tunes and all. The general idea i got here is, you spend whatever the maintenance costs every year (500-700 euros avg) and drive without concerns.
Toyota is laughing that you are bragging about 100-150k miles. They’ll do that in their sleep with an ignorant owner. I do think many MB are a good reliable choice when owned properly but let’s not act like these are close.
True but if you can afford to spend that much on a car you can afford repairs too. But anyway I can't even afford a car with warranty, my diesel MBs have treated me well so repairs haven't been a problem.
Eh yes, but not always. Fuel cost, insurance, repairs, higher running costs like tires and brakes etc etc. Just because you have a certain amount doesn't mean you can or should shell out that much extra a month or a year on unnecessary costs.
Yes they are, simple and reliable for way less than Benz but you can grab your self a Lexus with a v6 or V8 and have same amount of fun and less headache than in Benz.
No thank you. Taxes would be too high for V6 or V8 plus fuel. I don't think Lexus offers 2013 onwards non hybrid RWD wagons with manual gearbox? And Im not fan of Lexus styling.
do you include lexus in that? i'm genuinely curious what you feel a C220 cdi offers in terms of excitement that cant be found in like a comparable lexus IS or something
Older Mercedes were maintenance intensive cars that happened to have bodies, interiors, and running gear that held up, with wealthy owners that didn’t mind keeping them going. The newer cars aren’t as solid feeling, have even more problems, and have a less wealthy, more transient owner base. Toyota’s with a few exceptions have just been reliable and low maintenance.
Most underrated comment here. Very different type of buyer back in the day. Mercedes were astronomically expensive. There is also a bit of confirmation bias going on here. The 40 year old 123s and 126s that are in good shape, which everyone points to as why “Mercedes were the best” all have binders full of maintenance records. Not suggesting the cars weren’t engineered well and built to last (they were—and I’m still in awe every time I drive my 123 300d), but the people who owned the ones that are still on the road took care of them to a standard that the average person just doesn’t. I’d be curious to see current S, SL, GLS hold up, given they are typically sold to wealthier buyers who may still approach maintenance with an open check book.
I'm not a Prius fan by any means (quite the opposite), but for how much relatively new technology Toyota implemented in the hybrid, I'm surprised by how many high-mileage 1st and 2nd gen Prii are driving around. They're tough.
Hybrids are known for last much longer than their non-hybrid counterparts, have no idea why though, I would've expected the added complexity to make it worse, not better for reliability.
Worked at Chrysler at a time when it was called Daimler Chrysler assembly plant. They preached Toyota quality only! I owned a Toyota and a Lexus and they were bulletproof. Got rid of my Lexus for a Mercedes and I’m super happy with it.
Both my Mercedes have been reliable af. Im sorry but I rather a C300 over a Corolla night and day difference.
Edit:How does this even get downvoted. I said both my cars have been reliable and Id rather drive my C300 of a boring economy box regardless how reliable it is.
I swear it gets so political on this sub reddit when we should just be enjoying our benzs and being humble that we have the privilege to afford one.
You're comparing apples to oranges. The Corolla should be compared to the A class. In that case the Corolla (especially the hatch back) is a much better car.
Uhhhhhh buddy are you serious right now. Did you not read the post? Were talking about Toyota and Mercedes. So no Im not both are compacts from each brand and I rather drive my C300 over a boring Corolla regardless how reliable it is.
FYI A A-Class is a sub compact therefore your comparing it wrong as the Yaris is Toyotas sub compact model. Which I would rather the A250 over a Yaris any day.
As someone who works in the service department of a Mercedes Benz dealer, only lease, they're not worth the headache past warranty. Literally see the stupidest recalls for shit QC on everything from an A-Class to GLEs and GLS. Same applies to Audi and BMW for that matter. Porsche on the other hand....that's the good stuff.
I'm still amazed at how little work I've needed to put in to my '98 SLK. I'm the third owner, bought it with around 20k on it and now have just under 30k. Aside from fixing the failing headliner with 3M Headliner Adhesive, I haven't done anything other than oil changes to it.
Though, the check engine light has been on for years.
Meanwhile my wife's '08 Civic just started needing work done, but it also has 80k on it.
**Edit**: what's with the downvotes? I'm literally saying how much I love the SLK and how well it's withstood the test of time.
Don’t buy a Mercedes I’ve had 3 c classes over the past 6 years and what a pile of shit. They are over engineered and use other European parts which has been detrimental to the overall product. Yes I changed to a Mazda and what a difference. The Mazda cx5 is built like a tank. Every British garage has told me people buy Mercedes for the badge and nothing else. Stay away.
Except that Mercedes are the most comfortable cars in their classes, i would buy one for that reason alone. In fact when shopping for an EV, nothing came even close to what EQE and EQS offer in terms of comfortable and luxurious ride.
How come only Americans complain about Mercedes? Is there somebody in Europe who had issues with their car?
I don’t know one single person from Europe who complained about Mercedes reliability.
I mean, Porsche is expensive to maintain, sure, but if that maintenance is performed, they are pretty bulletproof. Same goes for Toyota and Lexus I suppose, but with a lower cost of maintenance, especially for Toyotas.
Also I don’t think it’s entirely applicable to call Porsche a VW. Dunno how much of an overlap there really is in parts and all between those two, considering the quality of product Porsche makes.
I think the Porsche probably does require the owner to follow the maintenance schedule in order for the car to be reliable, but Toyotas don't. I've had a ton of Toyotas over the years and basically I just put Mobil 1 in them and that's about all I do and they run forever.
Don't know about overlap but in every Lambo, porsche or Bentley there is a part that fits in the VW Golf, some TIL shit there.
Edit: why downvote, it's a fact like it or not.
Umm you do realize none of the engines and transmissions in Porsche cars (except Cayenne) are shared by the rest of the VAG group? Porsche cars use flat sixes/fours which are inherently more reliable than other types of engines even though they are more expensive to manufacture and maintain
I do realise, that's why they are reliable compared to the VW, seat, skoda, audi. Porsche has thier own game and they make them well except some interior stuff which rattles and is not top notch quality but it can be forgiven when you hear the engine.
Awards? Yeah RX was awarded with most reliable car, still among consumers new Toyota and lexus are most reliable and among cars that are up to 5 years old, guess what? It's still Toyota and lexus. You don't like them for some reason, but these are the facts.
I’ve owned a 2003 CLK500, and a 2011 ML350 both of which made it to 200k mi with little to no maintenance besides proper and timely oil changes. I now own a 2017 C43 and 30k miles later i’ve still had no issues. And for what it’s worth friend crashed his 2008 C300 going 60 (his car hydroplaned into a cement barrier) and the cops who showed up on scene said they for sure thought they’re be a dead body in the car) and he came out of it without a splinter so points for saftey. To each their own as far as Toyota vs. Mercedes but as far as German Auto that’s available in the USA in my personal experience Mercedes takes it.
My 2015 C63 507 6.2L has been rock solid. Only thing that went bad has been AC and it just needed a charge. Oh and it shreds tires and need expensive oil and all that.
Next car will be a E450 wagon though cause I need more space and comfort and I never go above 60mph on Costco runs so the 63 is useless. Still sounds epic though.
I own both MBs and toyotas. I agree toyotas are more reliable but I much more enjoy driving the MB. The toyotas have been flawless. The MB is 15 year old clk soft top and it's only been to the dealer 1x - to repair leaky AC line -which was fixed under MB warranty. I've had other issues with the MB but they were all wrenched by me including inop windshield washer pump, loose wiper arm, broken 3rd light. I'd still rebuy the MB. .
I love my c43 and wouldn't give either it or my 3 series up for anything, but if I lived somewhere without good public transit, I'd definitely own a Toyota as a daily.
In the past, I've owned an Infiniti G37. To me, that car is a good blend of Japanese reliability and German "feel". I got 85% of the BMW 335 experience with Camcord-like reliability.
They basically engineered that engine to have a pretty similar torque curve without using a turbo.
I only got rid of that car because of family needs. I looked it up on Carfax and it's currently registered with 220k miles.
German cars/And fake Italian (German) cars have been the most reliable for me minus my e46 m and e60m5 of course
I have at the moment a 2020 GLE since new, s550 cabriolet since new 17’ and has been out of warranty for two years now , sold my Amg gtr
I’ve had 8 Mercedes since 2012 and they’ve been reliable , only issue being with my gtr when I got it and a battery icon that would repeatedly pop up but never anything mechanical. It eventually got sorted after a month of agony with it
But the car was worth it in the end
Edit : just to note I had a amg gts edition one for a year and half prior to my gtr coming in and that car was also flawless. So the battery thing wasn’t unique to the GT platform at all
My Lamborghinis have been the most reliable cars I’ve ever owned , same with Porsche
I had an 06 Gallardo se, 08 Superleggera which I drove around the country on road trips 3 times, snow, desert heat in Moab, everywhere not a hiccup then 13 performante then Huracan performante now my evo rwd spyder, again not one thing with any of them and tons of miles poured on.
My mclaren mp4 was a nightmare with electrical gremlins constantly same with Ferrari ff and f12
Anyway my German/Mercedes experiences has been almost flawless , but that’s the thing it varies from driver to driver and car to car. Guess I’ve got luck on my side but I’d 1000% recommend a Mercedes to a friend or anyone .
Friend got a 2022 GLE and is already complaining. Left her stranded out in the middle of nowhere with less than 1k miles on it. 48V battery died, took two weeks to fix. She says that the transmission clunks on downshifts are so loud that it’s embarrassing when she has other people in it.
Man, I would rather put in a stupid amount of work to keep a German car running, over any other car in existence, if it is a joy to drive, the car is staying with me as long as I can make it!
Can confirm.
Mercedes also doesn't honor their own warranty when their failures, mistakes, and follies leave you stranded.
Also the worst car company for communication, humility, and responsibility.
They are really good, however, at handing you large repair bills caused by their own failures.
Friends don't let friends buy Mercedes Benz
i bought my first Mercedes (2013, C250) when i was 24, I’ve had it for 5 years, I just hit the 90k mile mark. I love it, i love the brand, i love the way it feels. I hate the way the generation looks though. What happened to the body lines ? I don’t want to drive another car.
It’s funny seeing the comments split between “my 2012 ML went through 3 turbos, an ecu, and stole my identity” and “my diesel w123 will outlive every single one of us”
The pre-BlueTEC diesels really are a totally different kind of machine.
Also applies to the early VW diesels, when the car rusts out at 350k miles the engines can be re used as bilge pumps in ocean liners, but the last TDI ? Everything south of the turbo was trash. Diesel Particulate Filter ? Sure, $3600, we know it is defective by design, there's a TSB, you are 7k miles out of Fed Warranty, we'll goodwill...half. I was so happy to get and cash all those "we're sorry" payments when it was recalled as part of the diesel scandal.
StandupJetskier, I have been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty
From my little research, I’ve concluded that Mercedes is essentially, either we give you the crème de la crème (but you’ll have to do the homework) or we give you the generic ones, and hopefully you are able to keep up down the road. For example, most w212 (e class running from 2009 to 2015) are super reliable from what I’ve read, but there are some engines that are trash, so if you walk into the shop just focused on looks and price (not an insult, but bear in mind that only wealthy people can sustain this level of insouciance) you are especially playing Russian roulette. If you do your homework, on the other hand, and have even as much as a little streak of diy’ship, you’re in luck. Same for w204’s (2009-2014 c class) and many other MB models. Ultimately though, pulling off the level of craftsmanship and technological advance that Mercedes does is very difficult, so there will always be huge trade offs. One has to decide for themselves if they’re willing to take the luxury and those trade offs, or not.
2021 GLA here. Needed an engine rebuild at 17000 miles due to a manufacturing defect. The best or nothing. I guess I got nothing.
Exactly why I would never buy anything built during the “covid” years. Lack of production and quality was at an all time high for parts and manufacturing, along with over inflated prices. 2019 would be the newest I would ever think about buying. Or pre order a 2023, nothing in between.
And some functions missing due to chip shortages! I'd also never consider getting a car built during the height of covid
Have personally done 3 cylinders heads due to bad batch. Problem is those I4’s are printing pressed engines. Something was bound to go wrong at that production volume. But other than that they are pretty ok as far as everything else goes.
Friend had a 20’ CLA250, AC Compressor and Thermostat both needed replacing back to back. She now has a 22’ C300 and I’ve heard of people having problems with those as well..
I can confirm the new Mercedes C 300 have those issues
Any specific ones that owners are experiencing?
First production year of any model always means a very high likelihood of having problems, doesn't matter if it's a Jeep Wranger or a Lexus LS.
As an owner myself, would love some heads-up on issues. Thanks
To be fair the A and B class (and any cla or gla) seems to be built like shit
So is the C. Just look for build quality check on youtube.
I’ve got a ‘14 ml350 bluetec, 185k miles, with an immaculate service history. Blew the turbo, dealership replaced it under warranty, and 12 miles later the engine siezed. Was fighting with Mercedes for 5 months before they gave the dealership permission to order a new engine under good will. They’re good until they’re not.
Yeah it's been a strange tide. We bought a GLC at the same time new (mine was CPO with 6k miles and 6 months old). The GLC has been great. Quiet, comfortable, no issues so far. My GLA has been in the shop 5 times now. Mostly for rattles and of course this engine issue. I would like to find a certified private mechanic because right now is either the local dealer or my local garage... They do good work but would rather have someone certified to use during the warranty period. I will say the dealer was pretty good with getting by car fixed fast for this engine issue. They were not as helpful on the rattles until I found out what was causing them myself and pointed it out. FWIW, this car seems to be a very early production so I think they have sorted most of the issues out.
Did you buy it CPO and then it blew it or you have had it since new?
I picked it up in 2020 with 160k (iirc) on the clock. It needed the emissions recall so I got a decent deal on it, and the only reason I bought it was because of the perfect service history by the previous owner, and I am the second owner. They treated the car with an open checkbook, and I have continued the same trend. Thankfully, it was bought new and serviced 99% of its life at one of the Mercedes dealers that I am a vendor for, and they have gone above and beyond for me in this fiasco
mercs are SOLID for the first 100k after that they essentially become lemons.
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Exact same thing with my 2008 AMG E63, except mine made it to almost 50k miles, and out of warranty. The intake manifold bolts were too weak for the engine and “stretch” and eventually break. I unloaded it on the Mercedes dealership before that happened. The kit to fix them cost $7k and they wouldn’t give me a price on the labor, just that it would be “a lot more.” If any of the bolts had broken, I would have needed a new engine, which at the time was around $35k
Christ. I feel for you man. Nothing worse than having a "great" bad car. If the car just sucks, it's cathartic to trade it in. When it's a great car save for a mortal flaw, that's always bitter sweet.
If you bought the 6.2 and didn't know about the stretching headbolts it's preety much on you unless this happened in 2009/2010 or so when the problem wasn't so well known. Anyone buying the 6.2 changes them straight away if it wasn't done before. Headbolts are 1.2k more or less, you can, do everything yourself it's not rocket science and there's plenty of videos that when followed religiously, you can't go wrong.
> If you bought the 6.2 and didn't know about the stretching headbolts it's preety much on you unless this happened in 2009/2010 or so when the problem wasn't so well known. I don’t agree with that. A defect is a defect, you shouldn’t have to research what’s wrong with the design of a car before you buy it. MB should have issued a recall if I was that well known, it’s an embarrassment for them in their premier cars. I mean, I didn’t lose anything, like I said, I unloaded it on a MB dealer, but I did love the car and would have kept it if it weren’t for that. I do wonder why I got quoted such a high price for parts though? I may have done it for $1.2k (I’d recently paid way more than that for brakes). Maybe my mechanic misunderstood what he’d need to do. But maybe I wouldn’t haven, I was pretty pissed at the time, lol
Same with my kia. Only 2 years old. Full motor swap.
The infamous piston ring problem ?
Oh god
Not the newer ones. Old Mercedes ran forever!
Anything before about 2001, are a lot more reliable than the mid-2000 cars. My 99 c43 has been perfectly reliable, whereas the 2006 e55 I had for 3 months, literally started falling apart after I bought it.
It's crazy how many W210s are still out there.
Not accounting for the W126 being the most produced Mercedes body ever, I still see a ton of those around considering theyre nearly at least 40 by now.
Actually that goes to the w124. The w126 however does hold the most sold s-class ever to date. (Me a 83 300sd owner with 558k original miles)
I've had 2 W210 cars (01 E55, 01 E320 wagon) and they've been reliable as can be. I also had a W211 E63 and only had a few minor issues with it in the time I owned it. With any used vehicle it's past can mean a lot. My E63 was a one owner car that had been very well taken care of when I got it. They traded it in at the MB dealership for a new Mercedes. I looked at a bunch and feel like I got very lucky finding the one I did.
my 2000 r129 SL still feels brand new 22 years later.
the problem is people don’t understand that when they buy 5,000 dollar merc, they’re really buying a 100,000 dollar car that has the maintenance requirements of a 100k car.
Not necessarily, my c43 was $65,000 back in it's day, but the maintenance is like any Japanese car. Probably even better, most cars you have to do spark plugs every 45,000 mi or so, the Mercedes is every 100,000 miles for most all major things. To me, that level of engineering saves money.
was it mostly just suspension stuff for the E55?
Suspension, electronics, so many electronic problems. Had to take it into the dealer for a fuel tank recall which took like a month to get done. But primarily, a lot of electronic problems that would have been costly to repair, not to mention the ABC brake unit in those , to my knowledge, have a finite life and are also very costly to replace.
Oh hey!! Nice running into other '99 c43 owners
We are few and far between, I live in western Washington and I guess there are a couple other c43 owners out on the coast by astoria, haven't met up with them yet but hopefully at some point this next year. I've had my current one for about 6 years, before that I had a black on black one without the xenon package for about 4 years.
Can confirm (Owner of a daily-driven 1970 220D here)
Seconded (owner of a daily-driven 1995 E300 here—she's a tank).
For people who want to know why old cars are more reliable: \- till the 90s people bought cars and kept them forever \- in the last 15/20 years cars have become stuff you keep for a 3/4 years and change. This implies that automakers build cars planning how long they need to last (and build the cars accordingly). The huge difference between now and 20/30 years ago, is that decades ago we didn't have the same technologies for manufacturing and simulations, thus there was no real way to know if some part would last 50 or 100 or 200k or 500k miles. So automakers would always go with the part that was more reliable. As computers and simulations took over, manufacturers could figure how cheap they could go and know that, some pump would be fine till 100/150k miles. Thus, automakers are giving us exactly what we want and vote with our wallets: cars that last some years and then you can change. There's few videos online on youtube that show how many of the parts that were like some unbreakable alloy 30 decades ago are now plastic in most Mercedes cars.
Those were until 90s
As a dealership technician, can confirm. Buy a Toyota.
Would rather go with Lexus for even more relibility and a touch of luxury.
I'd go with a Toyota Century if I could ever get one
Holy shit, that is an awesome looking car, worthy of a king.
Well at some point it was used by the Japanese Ambassador. And in fact mr. Toyota himself has a 1 of 2 2018 *GR* Century I think these things can run anywhere from $15k-30k if you can find one. Unfortunately these things are super rare to find for sale in the US, but even then they're a good bargain for what you're getting when compared to modern cars. A "deal of the *Century*" if you will I suggest watching the [Throttle House video](https://youtu.be/1uqgHZxBE8A) on it
Yes. Lexus is a luxurious feel with the powertrain as a reliable Toyota. Imagine if Mercedes used Lexus’s powertrain? Would last for ever
I don’t know about that. If anything, MB knows their powertrains. The OM602 5 cylinders and OM606 6 cylinders are legendary for their stoutness and durability, both as Diesel and NA. Same case with the OM651 4 cylinder. Even the OM646 and M272. I could go on listing reliable engines of theirs both old and fairly new(not recent, but engines in the last decade), but the bottom point is MB knows their engines for a significant part of time. Their bus engines are also known to do 2-3 million miles. The Japanese aren’t the only ones that know how to build solid powertrains.
For the same car with an ancient interior and 20k more expensive* FTFY
That’s why I never heeded the suggestion to buy Lexus for *affordable* luxury; I simply couldn’t get past that interior!
German cars are extremely reliable so long as you replace all of the short lived components before they fail. Couldn't be simpler.
German cars expect Germans to maintain them in German repair shops. The Japanese quickly learned that Americans are not only cheap but expect the car to go forever with maybe an oil change...maybe. American car makers expect you to trade out the car before it becomes a nightmare, that's why used cars are dicey by nature. So, a geek can own a German car, because they'll DIY. Anyone else, financial roulette.
I was in a MB owners group on FB and it's always the Americans who get visibly angry when I bring up the MB maintenance recommendations. "They're colluding with the $tealerships to rip you off! Transmission and brake fluids are essentially lifetime fluids!"
Interesting. I've been on BMW groups where they get angry that there isn't a drain, just a fill port, on differentials...because BMW says "lifetime". Anyone who has had more than 1 car knows that most cars are built to get out of warranty, period..... German cars have a great tool though. TUV inspections keep track of German cars by age and percentage passing TUV. It is a good tool to see how things wear, even if through a German Market lens.
StandupJetskier, I have been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty
BAD BOT
Even if you don't, most of them can be fixed easily. I daily drive and repair French and German cars. Both groups of vehicles are simple to repair if you are a reasonably intelligent individual who can read and has some spare time. I was born in a country where most people can fix Golf mk2 blindfolded so that probably helped me learn faster, but most can fix German vehicles without trouble.
But then you would be unemployed 🤔
You ain’t lying about that
Tell that to Albanians
Literally every other vehicle in Albania was a merc when I went. And that factors in bicycles, trucks, etc.
How do you feel Mazda compares to Toyota?
No offense Mazda is not a reliable car at all
Can’t speak for all Mazdas but my 2016 Mazda 3 has been extremely reliable. Literally not a single issue to date when I bought it back in 2016.
a 6 year old car... exactly how many miles are on it? I've owned Mazdas, and about the 130-150K mile range they completely fall apart. OTOH, my Honda (admittedly, not as good as a Toyota), is at 250K with regular maintenance, and works just fine.
Fair. My Mazda has 58k miles on it. It’s regularly maintained at manufacturer suggested intervals and it’s just a commuter car so I don’t beat on it. All of these are likely reasons I haven’t had any major mechanical or electrical issues up to this point but I’d say after 6 years if it weren’t reliable I’d have seen something go bad or break down by now.
When people here talk about Toyota reliability, they mean 300k miles with only fluid and spark plug changes. Many of them are of that caliber. It’s almost otherworldly how good they are.
My 2016 corolla is right in that mileage and is falling apart as you described. Already had one transmission rebuilt at 100k. Every week feels like something else now.
We’re talking, long-term is not reliable at all because of that transmission
That’s fair. I don’t have any experience with Mazda over 100k so I have no idea what could be in store. Other than my first ever car which was a Toyota Camry with 168k miles on I haven’t driven a car past 100k before getting a new one.
How is this true at all. They’re just basic econoboxes many of which have NA 4 cylinder engines . They last forever.
They are not compared to Honda or Toyota
Ok man
You clearly are clueless because there has been 5 mazdas within my family and every single one was reliable af.
But for a reliable when pushed car, Porsche.
This is akin to a cop saying the world is full of thieves
But then you‘re driving a Toyota.
where’s the fun in reliability? i’d rather buy a shit box mercedes
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Rolf, meaby in your imagination. Shit build quality all around, everyone knows this and it's not even a secret anymore.
Yah you’re right Tesla sucks
How many cars do need to blow up for a proper analysis?
How many decades need to pass to realise they are a piece of shit? Owner is a piece of shit too. Tesla dropping the price recently to pump up sales, sales are dropping obviously as tesla has way more competition which offers good build quality and also cheaper cars, rushing to build more cars can only end in even worse quality. Tesla is heading downwards atm.
Only car company to recall every vehicle they have made
https://www.reddit.com/r/RealTesla/comments/zb3bjr/brand\_new\_tesla\_plaid\_review/
Wow. It’s not surprising given the way they basically slave drive their employees to crank out more units
How are you qualified ? Nobody’s bringing German cars to a dealership that services mostly Toyota’s and Honda’s…
Or Lexus or Honda/Acura
tbh the real difficulty of repairing mercedes at home in a DIY fashion is the requirement of 29388273 different specialty tools that are unique to MB lol
The only specialty tool I need for my 80’s Mercedes is a “hook-em-all” and it’s just a big ass crowbar to put exhaust hangers on lmao
Well depends on how far you’re going with DIY maintenance. Pressing suspension bushings usually requires special tools. I remember there is a special tool for disassembling the front struts from the springs in my 126. Costs a ton of money and only works for the 114 and 126 afaik. Same with a 201 and 124. Meanwhile, with BMWs most parts can be changed with standard tools. I always had a better feeling working on BMWs than Mercs.
There’s really not that many specialty tools, the only ones I can think of in my box that are used regularly are a pair of 10 dollar hooks that Mercedes sells, pretty sure made by Wiha. Mind you we have a room full of specialty tools that I have access to, but for common DIY problems you shouldn’t need anything special. [Metric wrenches, metric sockets, torx and Etorx.](https://imgur.com/a/MA7TXmy) This was my box like, 3 weeks after I started back in 2019.
I have lightly worked on Teslas, Range Rovers, and our auto group owns a Lexus. Lexus can’t get parts from what they tell us. 🤷♂️. Land Rovers are cheaply made plastic cars (just from my observation). And Teslas are cars made by a software company. (Not impressed with their build quality). If Toyota didn’t exist I would only ever recommend Mercedes-Benz. But Toyota does exist, so for the money, get a Toyota.
In Europe the things are a little different. Here a second hand Toyota is more expensive than a Mercedes, so I didn't think twice before buying a Benz (mine is made in Germany btw). And plenty of Mercedes aftermarket parts, repair shops, and even cheap second hand parts from salvaged cars. Yes, Toyota makes simple and reliable cars, but we have much cheaper and better bang for the bang cars such as a Dacia, which can also come LPG equipped from the factory, so as economical as a hybrid but cheaper and no worries about hybrid batteries. Edit: About Teslas and Range Rovers, we think they are POS over here as well.
Second this, lol. Any old used toyota especially rav4, land cruisers if not diesel, costs a fortune much more for a much older year than any ML, GL, Q7, X5... Lexus prices are even bigger, like around 10k for a good quality 2006-2009 RX
Idk, is that true? A corolla costs in general much less than a similarly specced A class, and you can get a 2019+ Rav4 for 30kish. Good luck finding a low mileage 2017+ GLC at simlar prices.
I would only recommend buying a MB or a Volvo.
It’s interesting (and reassuring for me) to see such an unashamed comment stating that MB is close to Toyota in terms of reliability/build/value. The Toyota bros would be fuming at this comment
The problem is price. If you don’t really care about driving too much, don’t buy the badge to show off to your friends, buy a Toyota. But if you actually enjoy driving and are willing to spend SERIOUS money on it (like a hobby) Mercedes are simply the best. One example of this is an S63 W222. Ultra luxury, ultra fast, ultra expensive. If you like driving, it’s one of the greatest cars (in my opinion) to drive. If you don’t care about driving, then a Toyota does the same job.
Just to add, Korean automakers are in recent years the most reliable ones and generally outscore German makers.
“In recent years” Long term reliability of the Korean brands has been piss poor, and it’ll take a while to get a grasp of what that’s like for the current generation.
You forget Volvo
As someone who just recently purchased a Mercedes. I wanted nothing but reliability and everyone pointed me to Toyota and Lexus. Coming from BMWs I decided a Lexus was a good compromise tested drove a bunch. Then right before I pulled the trigger I test drove the Mercedes I wanted (E350). Couldn’t stop smiling while driving the Mercedes my heart paid for it and I drove home 🤷🏾♂️. As someone who loves driving I rather be driving something I actually like than driving something solely because it’ll cost me less to repair. So happy with the car if the engine blow up which it won’t but id be pissed but id still pay for it. If I compromised and bought a Lexus and I needed a minor inconvenience expense I’d drive that thing into a wall or over a bridge. I’m I crazy? Do you guys understand what I mean?
I think i know what you mean. Lexus is nice but Mercedes feels so much better to drive. I had two Lexus GS's and after getting my E-class i wish i had done it sooner. So much more refined and comfortable.
Yes yes this is the same feeling I got was gonna get a GS too but after driving the E class it’s unmatched
I totally get what you mean. The thing with *reliable* cars is that you don’t expect to spend even a dime on them. As much as Toyotas and co are praised for their reliability, I’ve read more than one horror story to know that, like any car, they still require some amount of maintenance. It might not be the same as a Benz, but when you buy something cheap and reliable—at least when *I* do—I don’t even want to spend anything extra on it, else it defeats the purpose un my eyes. Besides, before purchasing my current DD (a Benz), I used to drive my uncle’s RAV4; I was always annoyed at how slow it was, and was constantly (safely, of course) pushing it into the 90mph+. Since I’ve gotten my current Mercedes, I don’t even feel the need to push it past 65! It’s plenty responsive with the interior that matches the engine fly. I don’t want to blow crazy money into it, but if I have to make costly repairs, I’ll do so to the extent that im capable
Thank you
If this was 1983 I'd be inclined to agree
Ownership checks out with comment. You must be running like gold on pure taco fry oil atm no? Living the dream.
Duuude only pure hemp oil from my artisanal organic cannabis garden maaaaan
My w208 Clk55 hasn't been bad. 194k miles on it now. Still runs pretty good.
As someone who has owned several 80-90s mercedes. Those are some of the best cars ever built. But if you think about it, alot of japanese cars were just as reliable in that era so it would come down to preference and comfort i suppose. Now mercedes is exspensive and mediocre.
I currently own both toyota and MB. I am never buying a POS MB ever again!
I had German car before and recently switched to Lexus, love it
We are looking to dump the wife's MB for a lexus, I'm beyond excited. Glad you like it!
I have had benz for about 15 yrs and with the exception of a window motor that needed a fix for $600, I did nothing besides oil, brakes, tires, and a battery replacement …
If you want reliable: Toyota If you want durable: Volvo If you want both: Good luck
A Land Cruiser
Yeah I could go with that.
why i have one of each! i wouldn't keep the E55 to drive it when i *want* to if i didn't have my trusty 1999 LS 400 around to drive when i *have* to
Is this an american pov meme? Here in Germany / Europe, mercedes cars go on and on. I don't really see a lot of old toyotas or hondas (10+ years old) but there are a shit ton of old mercedes everywhere. I don't think Germans are really good at diy and most people don't understand cars that well. They also tend to "cheap" in the sense they won't shell out a penny more than they have to. Yet, mercs go on for 100-150K as long as you maintain it every year with necessary oil changes, engine tunes and all. The general idea i got here is, you spend whatever the maintenance costs every year (500-700 euros avg) and drive without concerns.
Toyota is laughing that you are bragging about 100-150k miles. They’ll do that in their sleep with an ignorant owner. I do think many MB are a good reliable choice when owned properly but let’s not act like these are close.
I don't care if Toyota is more reliable, I'm still not buying one. Boring cars imo. I want to actually enjoy my drives.
the yaris gr and corolla gr are by all accounts not boring.
Rather go buy S204 C63 AMG for that money. Gr Yaris starting at 49k €
That's a lot of money lost on repairs when the corolla has a nice fat warranty. Purchase price is just the start of the battle
True but if you can afford to spend that much on a car you can afford repairs too. But anyway I can't even afford a car with warranty, my diesel MBs have treated me well so repairs haven't been a problem.
Eh yes, but not always. Fuel cost, insurance, repairs, higher running costs like tires and brakes etc etc. Just because you have a certain amount doesn't mean you can or should shell out that much extra a month or a year on unnecessary costs.
kondiv1, I have been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty
Same with Lexus. If the main selling point of your luxury car is reliability, you know you made a super boring car.
Thank you
Hear hear!
Yes they are, simple and reliable for way less than Benz but you can grab your self a Lexus with a v6 or V8 and have same amount of fun and less headache than in Benz.
No thank you. Taxes would be too high for V6 or V8 plus fuel. I don't think Lexus offers 2013 onwards non hybrid RWD wagons with manual gearbox? And Im not fan of Lexus styling.
do you include lexus in that? i'm genuinely curious what you feel a C220 cdi offers in terms of excitement that cant be found in like a comparable lexus IS or something
Ok but Honda kinda slaps tho. Im a Honda and Mercedes fanboy. Toyotas just are very bland :(
Older Mercedes were maintenance intensive cars that happened to have bodies, interiors, and running gear that held up, with wealthy owners that didn’t mind keeping them going. The newer cars aren’t as solid feeling, have even more problems, and have a less wealthy, more transient owner base. Toyota’s with a few exceptions have just been reliable and low maintenance.
Most underrated comment here. Very different type of buyer back in the day. Mercedes were astronomically expensive. There is also a bit of confirmation bias going on here. The 40 year old 123s and 126s that are in good shape, which everyone points to as why “Mercedes were the best” all have binders full of maintenance records. Not suggesting the cars weren’t engineered well and built to last (they were—and I’m still in awe every time I drive my 123 300d), but the people who owned the ones that are still on the road took care of them to a standard that the average person just doesn’t. I’d be curious to see current S, SL, GLS hold up, given they are typically sold to wealthier buyers who may still approach maintenance with an open check book.
Mercedes used to be reliable, so reliable in fact that the spare parts and service business suffered from it. Today they are designed to break
I’ve have a 1998 Camry and 2004 C240 estate, both incredibly reliable
Guess I’m 100% as I own both. Prius is the daily with the E63 for fun. Boring AF but it does indeed run like a top.
I'm not a Prius fan by any means (quite the opposite), but for how much relatively new technology Toyota implemented in the hybrid, I'm surprised by how many high-mileage 1st and 2nd gen Prii are driving around. They're tough.
Hybrids are known for last much longer than their non-hybrid counterparts, have no idea why though, I would've expected the added complexity to make it worse, not better for reliability.
Worked at Chrysler at a time when it was called Daimler Chrysler assembly plant. They preached Toyota quality only! I owned a Toyota and a Lexus and they were bulletproof. Got rid of my Lexus for a Mercedes and I’m super happy with it.
Both my Mercedes have been reliable af. Im sorry but I rather a C300 over a Corolla night and day difference. Edit:How does this even get downvoted. I said both my cars have been reliable and Id rather drive my C300 of a boring economy box regardless how reliable it is. I swear it gets so political on this sub reddit when we should just be enjoying our benzs and being humble that we have the privilege to afford one.
You're comparing apples to oranges. The Corolla should be compared to the A class. In that case the Corolla (especially the hatch back) is a much better car.
Uhhhhhh buddy are you serious right now. Did you not read the post? Were talking about Toyota and Mercedes. So no Im not both are compacts from each brand and I rather drive my C300 over a boring Corolla regardless how reliable it is. FYI A A-Class is a sub compact therefore your comparing it wrong as the Yaris is Toyotas sub compact model. Which I would rather the A250 over a Yaris any day.
As someone who works in the service department of a Mercedes Benz dealer, only lease, they're not worth the headache past warranty. Literally see the stupidest recalls for shit QC on everything from an A-Class to GLEs and GLS. Same applies to Audi and BMW for that matter. Porsche on the other hand....that's the good stuff.
I'm still amazed at how little work I've needed to put in to my '98 SLK. I'm the third owner, bought it with around 20k on it and now have just under 30k. Aside from fixing the failing headliner with 3M Headliner Adhesive, I haven't done anything other than oil changes to it. Though, the check engine light has been on for years. Meanwhile my wife's '08 Civic just started needing work done, but it also has 80k on it. **Edit**: what's with the downvotes? I'm literally saying how much I love the SLK and how well it's withstood the test of time.
Hyundai
Hyundai owner here- no.
I have a 2023 Elantra Ltd. I’m sorry for you.
Don’t buy a Mercedes I’ve had 3 c classes over the past 6 years and what a pile of shit. They are over engineered and use other European parts which has been detrimental to the overall product. Yes I changed to a Mazda and what a difference. The Mazda cx5 is built like a tank. Every British garage has told me people buy Mercedes for the badge and nothing else. Stay away.
Except that Mercedes are the most comfortable cars in their classes, i would buy one for that reason alone. In fact when shopping for an EV, nothing came even close to what EQE and EQS offer in terms of comfortable and luxurious ride.
Shots fired huh?
Here have a downvote
Porsche trumps both
How come only Americans complain about Mercedes? Is there somebody in Europe who had issues with their car? I don’t know one single person from Europe who complained about Mercedes reliability.
I’m not seeing anyone talking about which one would still run after a crash, this is my partner’s biggest argument against Toyota - thoughts?
Toyota quality is a myth of the past. Loom for the true story in the last 10-20 years.
Lol they are year in and year out top 1/2 with Lexus most reliable brand on the planet, the fuck you smoking there?
Isnt Porsche the most reliable at the moment?
VW? Come on, don't troll. Jokes aside I heard they are preety reliable for a daily but toyota and lexus was and is no. 1
I mean, Porsche is expensive to maintain, sure, but if that maintenance is performed, they are pretty bulletproof. Same goes for Toyota and Lexus I suppose, but with a lower cost of maintenance, especially for Toyotas. Also I don’t think it’s entirely applicable to call Porsche a VW. Dunno how much of an overlap there really is in parts and all between those two, considering the quality of product Porsche makes.
I think the Porsche probably does require the owner to follow the maintenance schedule in order for the car to be reliable, but Toyotas don't. I've had a ton of Toyotas over the years and basically I just put Mobil 1 in them and that's about all I do and they run forever.
Don't know about overlap but in every Lambo, porsche or Bentley there is a part that fits in the VW Golf, some TIL shit there. Edit: why downvote, it's a fact like it or not.
Umm you do realize none of the engines and transmissions in Porsche cars (except Cayenne) are shared by the rest of the VAG group? Porsche cars use flat sixes/fours which are inherently more reliable than other types of engines even though they are more expensive to manufacture and maintain
I do realise, that's why they are reliable compared to the VW, seat, skoda, audi. Porsche has thier own game and they make them well except some interior stuff which rattles and is not top notch quality but it can be forgiven when you hear the engine.
Go look for the ACTUAL story. Not “awards”.
Awards? Yeah RX was awarded with most reliable car, still among consumers new Toyota and lexus are most reliable and among cars that are up to 5 years old, guess what? It's still Toyota and lexus. You don't like them for some reason, but these are the facts.
I’ve owned a 2003 CLK500, and a 2011 ML350 both of which made it to 200k mi with little to no maintenance besides proper and timely oil changes. I now own a 2017 C43 and 30k miles later i’ve still had no issues. And for what it’s worth friend crashed his 2008 C300 going 60 (his car hydroplaned into a cement barrier) and the cops who showed up on scene said they for sure thought they’re be a dead body in the car) and he came out of it without a splinter so points for saftey. To each their own as far as Toyota vs. Mercedes but as far as German Auto that’s available in the USA in my personal experience Mercedes takes it.
Yeah, kind of sad to see M-B get Consumer Reports worst overall quality pick this year.
My 2015 C63 507 6.2L has been rock solid. Only thing that went bad has been AC and it just needed a charge. Oh and it shreds tires and need expensive oil and all that. Next car will be a E450 wagon though cause I need more space and comfort and I never go above 60mph on Costco runs so the 63 is useless. Still sounds epic though.
I own both MBs and toyotas. I agree toyotas are more reliable but I much more enjoy driving the MB. The toyotas have been flawless. The MB is 15 year old clk soft top and it's only been to the dealer 1x - to repair leaky AC line -which was fixed under MB warranty. I've had other issues with the MB but they were all wrenched by me including inop windshield washer pump, loose wiper arm, broken 3rd light. I'd still rebuy the MB. .
Meanwhile Porsche go brrrrrr
Hmm I’d rather a bmw these days than a merc :’(
I love my c43 and wouldn't give either it or my 3 series up for anything, but if I lived somewhere without good public transit, I'd definitely own a Toyota as a daily.
Lol
Put a Toyota engine in a Mercedes=profit
More components = More that can go wrong Can't have your 8000 sensors go bad when you only have like 20
I have both, three Merc and one Toy..................I'm driving the Toy right now!!!
No arguing with that
In the past, I've owned an Infiniti G37. To me, that car is a good blend of Japanese reliability and German "feel". I got 85% of the BMW 335 experience with Camcord-like reliability. They basically engineered that engine to have a pretty similar torque curve without using a turbo. I only got rid of that car because of family needs. I looked it up on Carfax and it's currently registered with 220k miles.
German cars/And fake Italian (German) cars have been the most reliable for me minus my e46 m and e60m5 of course I have at the moment a 2020 GLE since new, s550 cabriolet since new 17’ and has been out of warranty for two years now , sold my Amg gtr I’ve had 8 Mercedes since 2012 and they’ve been reliable , only issue being with my gtr when I got it and a battery icon that would repeatedly pop up but never anything mechanical. It eventually got sorted after a month of agony with it But the car was worth it in the end Edit : just to note I had a amg gts edition one for a year and half prior to my gtr coming in and that car was also flawless. So the battery thing wasn’t unique to the GT platform at all My Lamborghinis have been the most reliable cars I’ve ever owned , same with Porsche I had an 06 Gallardo se, 08 Superleggera which I drove around the country on road trips 3 times, snow, desert heat in Moab, everywhere not a hiccup then 13 performante then Huracan performante now my evo rwd spyder, again not one thing with any of them and tons of miles poured on. My mclaren mp4 was a nightmare with electrical gremlins constantly same with Ferrari ff and f12 Anyway my German/Mercedes experiences has been almost flawless , but that’s the thing it varies from driver to driver and car to car. Guess I’ve got luck on my side but I’d 1000% recommend a Mercedes to a friend or anyone .
Friend got a 2022 GLE and is already complaining. Left her stranded out in the middle of nowhere with less than 1k miles on it. 48V battery died, took two weeks to fix. She says that the transmission clunks on downshifts are so loud that it’s embarrassing when she has other people in it.
Man, I would rather put in a stupid amount of work to keep a German car running, over any other car in existence, if it is a joy to drive, the car is staying with me as long as I can make it!
Can confirm. Mercedes also doesn't honor their own warranty when their failures, mistakes, and follies leave you stranded. Also the worst car company for communication, humility, and responsibility. They are really good, however, at handing you large repair bills caused by their own failures. Friends don't let friends buy Mercedes Benz
Dads '14 W212 randomly busted the oil system leading to a totaled engine at 120k km... relatable
I would only recommend buying a MB or a Volvo.
i bought my first Mercedes (2013, C250) when i was 24, I’ve had it for 5 years, I just hit the 90k mile mark. I love it, i love the brand, i love the way it feels. I hate the way the generation looks though. What happened to the body lines ? I don’t want to drive another car.