1990 Mercedes-Benz W124 200 E from Egypt - Comments

I bought this car in 1993 and until 2002 the car was going fine..needed nothing except the regular maintenance which I perform periodically

then..bad things started to happen monthly since then.

1-the A/C front condenser started leaking and had to be replaced for the second time (my first replacement was in 1996)

2-the engine fan clutch went dead in a hot day so the engine temp went to high for a few second.. this affected the water pump too (leaking)..so both parts had to be replaced with a cost of about 300 u.s.d.

3-the front electrical windows switches had to be replaced because of malfunction.

4-rust started around the wind washer nozzle on hood because of excess water left round then when washing windshield.

5-the sponge lining of the hood from inside wears so fast.

6-the back cover of both front seats separated from the seat itself because of sun heat and needs to be re-adhered.

7-the front seats rails (electric adjusted seats) are noisy and contains small steel balls that wearied and must be changed.

8-the front arm rest of the drivers seat tears fast.

9-horn got rust and had to be changed.

10-plastic coating of the engine upper piece gets cracked from the engine heat.

12-had to change the engine oil cap once and the water cap once.

13-speed indicator not stable at low speeds (goes up and down many times in one second then becomes stable when speed elevates)

14-seat belt covering in both car sides between the 2 side windows seperates from the base connected to the car interior.

15-had to replace the upper oil seal because of oil leaking.

16-had to change fuel pump in a very bad experience in the middle of a desert road..waited for 2 hours untill the pump got cold to restart the engine.

17-the generator was changed once with a German one instead of the original french one.

Good car you can depend on..lovely elegant shape..problems rare, but can happen at any time without a notice.

Middle running coasts compared to my ex BMW 318i.

Cheupe from Kenya. Mercedes 200E sedan, 1990. An elegant looking car, at 18 years of age it looks pretty good... (partly because it is rarely ever parked outside in the sun or in the rain). A good car I agree...

Problems: the power steering leaked, needing a steering repair kit, the engine fan clutch failed, needing a replacement, the air condition has needed a recharge several times, the front tie rod ends, drag link, control arm bushes changed... all the three propeller shaft couplings failed and changed, engine mountings failed and changed, differential mountings failed and changed, cylinder head gasket and engine valves failed and replaced, various bushes replaced... total cost for all the above was about $3,000.

Otherwise, this car is still solid, and considering its age, makes for a very pleasant driving experience. It has left me once stranded on the road though, and that was not die to any fault of the car... I had stubbornly turned a blind eye on a recurrent engine overheating problem at 200,000 Kms, which could have been sorted out by installing a fan clutch... cost me a new cylinder head gasket!!!) :

Advice: This car needs a hawk eyed car owner... do not ignore warnings from any system on the car... prompt service and constant maintenance checks will make for a very happy driver, and a very happy car too (:

For those who say Mercedes is expensive, I would say this particular car is the exception: If I know nothing about Mercedes cars, one thing I know about this car: It is not an expensive car to own... believe you me!

Cheupe, what is the estimated fuel consumption for your 124 and is it a 200? I am planning to purchase a 200T 7 seat estate, auto transmission which I saw somewhere. Your opinion will be of help.

I had a 123, 2.3 carburetor and have never had driving joy since I sold it. All I ever needed was fuel. I totally agree, Mercedes are not as expensive to own as many people assume.

I am sorry for the delay, I hope it is not too late to answer your question: Fuel consumption is somewhere between 12 to 14 KMs per litre on the open country road. It is a 200E (not E200), so it has a jetronic fuel injection system. It can be a fuel guzzler if you want to do speeds above 150KM/HR, doing may be 8KM/Ltr of petrol (gas).

Cheupe.