Carsieve

Mercedes-Benz E-Class W210 (1995-2003): known problems and buying guide

Built
1995–1999
Median price
€7,000
Listings
350
Power
136 PS (100 kW)
Reliability
2/5
DIY
2/5

A risky buy unless the body is solid, since rust and the automatic gearbox are the costly faults to check first.

All versions

VariantRunning cost per monthMedian priceListingsFuelEngine codesGearboxProduction years
E 200, 136 PS, 5-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive Research–€8,50050Petrol 111942Automatic (5)1995–1999

At a glance

  • Years: 1995 to 2003, saloon and estate, with a facelift in 1999.
  • Reliability: 2/5. Rust and the automatic gearbox fail often enough to budget for them.
  • DIY: 2/5. Rust repair and gearbox work need a body shop or a gearbox specialist.
  • Prefer: a car with solid sills, arches and front spring tops, and a documented gearbox oil service.
  • Avoid: cars with rust at the front spring tops, or an automatic that slips or jerks.

Engines and gearboxes

  • M111 four-cylinder (E 200, E 200 Kompressor, E 230): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • M104 six-cylinder (E 280, E 320 to 1997): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • M112 V6 (E 240, E 280, E 320): the crank pulley can loosen. See the crank pulley section.
  • M113 V8 (E 55 AMG): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • M119 V8 (E 420, E 50 AMG): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • OM602 five-cylinder diesel (E 290 TD): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • OM604 four-cylinder pre-chamber diesel (E 220 D): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • OM605 five-cylinder pre-chamber diesel (E 250 D, E 250 TD): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • OM606 six-cylinder pre-chamber diesel (E 300 D, E 300 TD): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • OM611 2.2 CDI (E 200 CDI, E 220 CDI): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • OM612 2.7 five-cylinder CDI (E 270 CDI): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • OM613 3.2 six-cylinder CDI (E 320 CDI): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • Five-speed manual: no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • Six-speed manual (from 1999): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • 722.4 four-speed automatic (early four-cylinder): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • 722.5 five-speed automatic (early cars): no fault confirmed in the sources read.
  • 722.6 five-speed automatic (from 1997): see the gearbox section.

Known issues

Issue Affects Typical km Repair cost
Body rust, mainly sills, arches, doors and boot lid All cars Not stated GBP 2,000-3,000 for wings and rust repair (owner forum, UK, 2007)
Front spring mounts and axle carrier rust All cars Not stated No confirmed price
Five-speed automatic gearbox faults 722.6 five-speed automatic, from 1997 Not stated About GBP 3,000 for a new unit (owner forum, UK, 2008)
M112 crank pulley can loosen M112 V6 (E 240, E 280, E 320) Not stated No confirmed price
Front tie-rod ends and ball joints wear All cars About 150,000 km GBP 170-276 for front ball joints (owner forum, UK, 2010)
Instrument cluster display faults All cars Not stated No confirmed price
Central locking faults and older wiring All cars, mostly older cars Not stated No confirmed price

Before you buy

  1. Look at the front spring tops from the engine bay with a torch. Bad result: bubbling paint, cracked welds, or a front corner that sits low.
  2. Look at the front axle carrier under the car with a torch. Bad result: holes or soft metal. A cover may hide part of it, and TÜV may not remove that cover.
  3. Check the sills, jacking points, door bottoms, wheel arches and boot lid with a torch. Bad result: bubbling, holes, or fresh paint over rust.
  4. Ask for the service book and any invoices for rust repairs. Bad result: rust with no proof of repair.
  5. Drive the automatic cold and warm, through every gear. Ask for proof of the gearbox oil and filter change. Bad result: slipping, flaring or jerks.
  6. Start the engine cold and listen for a rattle or knock at the front. Watch the crank pulley at idle. Bad result: a rattle, a knock, or a wobbling pulley.
  7. On a lift, check the front ball joints and tie-rod ends for play (needs a lift). Bad result: play, or a knock over bumps.
  8. Switch the ignition on and look at the whole instrument display. Bad result: dead pixels or missing segments.
  9. Lock and unlock with the key fob, the button in each door and the boot. Bad result: a door or the boot that does not lock.

Running costs

Operational€308
Workshop€110
Fixed costs (tax, insurance)€135
Total per month€553
New-car depreciation (not included)€51

ADAC figures for 15,000 km a year over 60 months

Market

Listings on mobile.de priced up to 50,000 EUR, 29 October 2026.

Find offers on mobile.de

Listings
350
25th percentile
€4,100
Median price
€7,000
75th percentile
€12,900
Median mileage
191,400 km
Median first registration
1996
Dealer share
34.3%
Price at 100,000 km
€10,512

To check a listing's price, open its variant in the table above. Each variant page has a price check.

In detail

Body rust, mainly sills, arches, doors and boot lid

Symptoms: bubbling paint, then holed metal at the sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, window frames and boot lid. Rust also shows at the roof and the star on the boot lid.

Cause: weak cavity and underbody protection, poor sheet metal, water-based paint and a dip-coating bath that was not kept clean.

Which cars: all cars. Rust appears a few years after registration.

Fix: the sources do not describe a repair method.

Goodwill: DaimlerChrysler told AUTO BILD in 2004 that service points repaired such cases for free, but some customers disputed it. Mercedes removes rust on goodwill if the car was cared for.

Cost: owner forum, UK, 2007: GBP 2,000 to 3,000 for wings and rust repair.

Sources: auto motor und sport, AUTO BILD, 2010, PistonHeads owner thread, 2007, PistonHeads owner thread, 2010

Front spring mounts and axle carrier rust

Symptoms: the front spring top rusts at its welds and can break away. The front corner then drops, and AUTO BILD says the car can fall onto its belly. The front axle carrier can rust through.

Cause: moisture enters through leaking seams at the spring plate, according to DaimlerChrysler as quoted by AUTO BILD.

Which cars: the reports cover 1995 cars.

Fix: the sources do not describe a repair method.

Cost: no confirmed price. TÜV may not remove the cover over the front carrier, so TÜV can miss rust there.

Sources: AUTO BILD, 2004, Auto Zeitung, Kolesa.ru, 2020

Five-speed automatic gearbox faults

Symptoms: the sources give no symptom list. Kolesa.ru names planetary gear failure. ADAC lists the automatic gearbox among the common faults on 2002 cars.

Cause: Kolesa.ru names a worn bushing between shafts K1 and K2, a weak pressure-regulator spring in the valve body, and problems with the F1 freewheel clutch. On later cars it names a failing lock-up valve and valve-body contamination.

Which cars: the 722.6 from 1997. AUTO BILD found damage piling up on cars built in 1997 and 1998.

Fix: the sources do not describe a fix.

Cost: an owner forum post from the UK (2008) puts a new automatic gearbox at about GBP 3,000.

Sources: ADAC, Gebrauchtwageninfo, AUTO BILD, 2005, Kolesa.ru, 2015, PistonHeads owner thread, 2008

M112 crank pulley can loosen

Symptoms: rattling, knocking or uneven running. A loose crank pulley can cause major engine damage. The timing tensioner often breaks.

Cause: the crank pulley can come loose. The sources do not name the cause.

Which cars: the M112 V6. Both sources describe the same V6 in the W211, so W210 build years are not confirmed.

Fix: the sources do not describe a fix.

Cost: no confirmed price.

Sources: CarWiki, Gebrauchtwagenberater

Front tie-rod ends and ball joints wear

Symptoms: rumbling over bumps, and play in the front joints.

Cause: AUTO BILD says the tie-rod ends are undersized, and the lower control-arm bushings leak and get play.

Which cars: all cars.

Fix: AUTO BILD says the front axle needs an overhaul by about 150,000 km at the latest.

Cost: an owner forum post from the UK (2010) says a main dealer quoted GBP 276 for the front ball joints, and a specialist did the job for about GBP 170.

Sources: AUTO BILD, 2005, AUTO BILD, 2010, Auto Zeitung, PistonHeads owner thread, 2010

Instrument cluster display faults

Symptoms: pixel faults in the instrument cluster display. Parts of the point-matrix display fail now and then.

Cause: the sources do not give one.

Which cars: all cars with this display.

Fix: Auto Zeitung says specialists repair the cluster at a "relatively cheap" price. It gives no amount.

Cost: no confirmed price.

Sources: Auto Zeitung, AUTO BILD, 2005

Central locking faults and older wiring

Symptoms: the central locking does not lock or unlock. Kolesa.ru says the pneumatic system loses pressure, most often on cars from northern regions.

Cause: Kolesa.ru names pneumatic leaks and cheap actuators, and says older under-bonnet wiring may crumble. Auto Zeitung names an infrared sensor fault that affects the central locking. ADAC says older examples have electronics problems.

Which cars: all cars, mostly older ones.

Fix: the sources do not describe a fix.

Cost: no confirmed price.

Sources: Kolesa.ru, 2015, Auto Zeitung, ADAC, Gebrauchtwageninfo

Recalls

No recall is listed on this page. Check open campaigns for your VIN with a Mercedes dealer.

Maintenance

  • Change the automatic gearbox oil and filter. ADAC advises a first change after 60,000 km, then at the latest every 100,000 km, with a flush. AMS says to do it before the chain service at about 200,000 km.
  • Service the timing chain and its slide rails at about 200,000 km. AMS gives this for the chain in general, and Auto Zeitung for the E 420 V8.
  • Repaint stone chips and paint damage at once. Kolesa.ru says a car rots quickly when it is not painted in time.

Sources

English

German

Russian