1987 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 300E review from North America
"Will look great sitting in your driveway, since that's where it'll spend most of it's time"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
What had NOT gone wrong?
By the time I purchased the car with 107k miles, the following was already in need of repair or broke while in my possession...
- The stereo stopped working.
- The driver-side rear power window didn't work.
- The cruise control didn't work.
- Far too many of the interior switches didn't work, or worked intermittently.
- A transmission mount failed.
- The motor mounts failed.
- The pull tab for the hood release broke.
- The seatbelt warning lights flashed non-stop while the car was on.
- The bulb failure warning light illuminated many times even though all exterior lights worked properly.
- Oil pressure gauge stopped working.
- Oil warning light illuminated randomly for no reason. Checked oil each time and it was fine.
- A/C never worked while in my possession.
- Front passenger power headrest didn't work.
- Transmission started slipping badly and needed a rebuilt at 108k miles.
General comments?
I bought this car thinking it would be a solid, reliable car that I could put at least another 100k miles on if properly maintained. This car was very well maintained and looked brand new inside and out when I bought it. The paint was glossy and looked excellent. The interior was spotless. The leather looked like new and the carpets were spotless.
I was decieved by the implied reputation of Mercedes. I come from a family of very satisfied Volvo owners. I bought this car thinking it would be just as good of a car. Boy was I wrong! You saw the list of things that went bad with the car within 108k miles. It's pretty pathetic for any car to have a list of problems like that within this kind of mileage. But for a car of the world like Mercedes, I was horrendously disgusted with this car. I paid a premium for it because of the great condition and the fact that you have to pay more for the name.
Never again will I pay for the name. It's a joke! I've had more reliable American cars! This Mercedes was very high maintenance and very temperamental.
It was good looking, roomy, well built, and had a smooth powertrain. That's about all the good I can say about this car though. It rode very harshly. The seats were pretty hard and stiff. The steering was too vague for my liking.
The car had NO guts to speak of, even though it had the larger, premium gas guzzling 3.0L 177hp V6. The transmission, as mentioned above, only lasted 108k miles. That's pretty pathetic for such a high-end car.
The electrical systems seem to be complete crap on these cars. Volvos have their own fair share of electrical bugs, but this Mercedes was far worse, affecting cruise control, stereo, MANY interior switches, and warning lights on the dash.
It's a beautiful, fun to sit in, lawn ornament and that's about it. Maybe other Mercedes models aren't such crap, but this one definitely was.
Recommended reviews
| Really nice ride that gets you respect even from the valets |
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| What a beauty it must have been when it was new! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1987 |
| Year of manufacture | 1987 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0L V6 177hp Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 107000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 108000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 10th November, 2006 |