W221 S class common failures

[traffic0703]

Getting into a mess with my 2006 S Class 3.0cdi W221.

Last few months been hit with some big bills one after the other.

April was new suspension pump, June was new electro plate in the gearbox and now the gearbox selector control unit (ISM).

The car was purchased from main dealer 2 years ago and has a full dealer history.

I am considering parting with it as keeping it repaired is becoming a problem.

I fully realise it is a complicated car and is 10 years old but it is in excellent condition and will be very difficult to replace without spending a lot of money (which I am not in a position to do).

Are there any other common failures when they get older.

Not sure if they are all much the same or if I have got a bad one.

 

[television]

I think that you have been very unlucky with your car, the same as my SL at the start. I had 3 struts back in 2006 and the ECU, then leaks all over the place..

I would keep it when all done, I know thats easy to say for me, I know our financial positions are not the same.

In the main there are loads of 221's floating around that give few problems

 

[Borys]

I had 2 w221's
Well if I would choose again it would be petrol at first.
Two diesels I had were horrible. First one was clocked by 100k, was a private purchase so couldn't really do much and costly repairs followed after first limp mode ( new turbo, manifolds, oil cooler, rear strut, gear changes weren't great too - it was holding to gears for too long) I did let that one go. Second attempt was 50k miles one with one owner. I said I got myself a fine example....I was so wrong. After each 60 miles driven it smoked like locomotive and mpg couldn't get more then 20. New dpf, egr, pressure sensors followed and car still smoked allthou mpg improved. Couldn't live with it, car was gone after couple of months, gave it back to the dealer I bought it from.
From my experiance it seems problems with w221 is always attached to diesel versions.
I ended up with cls500 at the moment and fingers crossed it seems its problems free

 

[Irresistance]

The paradox of this is that unless the car has been poorly maintained and it seems more issues are imminent, you are better off keeping this particular one since you have already fixed the known problems and are unlikely to get more faults. If you buy a different car you are also buying an assorted selection of unknowns... this might be good (lucky) or bad... but in the main I'd say better the devil you know

 

[television]

I had 2 w221's
Well if I would choose again it would be petrol at first.
Two diesels I had were horrible. First one was clocked by 100k, was a private purchase so couldn't really do much and costly repairs followed after first limp mode ( new turbo, manifolds, oil cooler, rear strut, gear changes weren't great too - it was holding to gears for too long) I did let that one go. Second attempt was 50k miles one with one owner. I said I got myself a fine example....I was so wrong. After each 60 miles driven it smoked like locomotive and mpg couldn't get more then 20. New dpf, egr, pressure sensors followed and car still smoked allthou mpg improved. Couldn't live with it, car was gone after couple of months, gave it back to the dealer I bought it from.
From my experiance it seems problems with w221 is always attached to diesel versions.
I ended up with cls500 at the moment and fingers crossed it seems its problems free

Add to that the oil leak problems on the diesels, the top 1 is 2 days work, the bottom one is gearbox out to fix.

 

[traffic0703]

Thanks guys. As no service items are due I probably am best sticking with it just started to loose confidence in it and worried what is coming next!

 

[Craiglxviii]

Thanks guys. As no service items are due I probably am best sticking with it just started to loose confidence in it and worried what is coming next!

My 215 has given the following problems:

I. Many small electrical niggles on purchase = new battery.
ii. Lack of power to engine (still not resolved).
iii. Lack of response to throttle input = new accelerator pedal assembly.
iv. Leaking headlamp washers (not resolved).
v. Niggly sidelight harness issues (identified but not resolved).
vi. Inoperative rear screen heater (not resolved).
vii. Failed overhead control panel (replaced).
viii. Failed LH door indicator (replaced).
ix. Intermittent failure of RH door indicator (not resolved).
x. Grumbling ABC pump = replacement twice over (long story).
xi. Corroded ABC lines = replaced.

Add to that a wheel falling off on the motorway necessitating 8 weeks of repairs (all due to a shockingly bad local garage doing shockingly bad work)...

What it all means though is that I will end up with a car that is completely sorted, when I'm finished. Trigger's Broom perhaps but they're still an amazing car even for the current state of the market.

 

[range rover]

This reinforces my notion that I will go for a 4.7 liter petrol next time, although was 2012 not a step forward with the 7g plus gearbox?

 

[television]

This reinforces my notion that I will go for a 4.7 liter petrol next time, although was 2012 not a step forward with the 7g plus gearbox?

Yes it does have that.

 

[traffic0703]

What about suspension air bags

What life expectancy can you expect for the suspension air struts?

The car is 10 1/2 years old and covered 97K. I am very careful going over speed bumps! I understand they are quite expensive to replace?

 

[television]

There is no ryme nor reason as to when they fail, some do and some do not, going huge mileages. At least we are getting re con struts now.

 

[Botus]

without bothering to say what I think about mercs reliability, if I was spending 20k a car again I think I'd buy a new focus

all these luxobarges just eat money and only make sense in the first 5 years when someone else is paying, they don't do fun and you now get a better toy count in most 10k superminis.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Heretic!!!

All depends what you want from a car. My Golf cost me £1k p.a. In maintenance, every year for 12 years. More than its purchase cost. My A3 the same. My X Trail even more. If you want a runabout then an S- klasse is obviously not going to be a first choice! If you want a big comfy car to do regular long mileage and/ or with lots of stuff, you'd be hard pressed not to find something more comfortable and safe though. And that comes with s cost.

 

[Botus]

I'd say if you want to drive omega/5 series type car budget 2k a year in costs outside of tax, petrol and insurance (to cover 10k miles)

 

[barry jones]

Ha Ha... you want to try and keep a 1977 MK1 Granada on the road... parts are virtually impossible to find new and when they do come up, I have to go two weeks without feeding the kids just to buy them

My 2006 S Class has had a multitude of faults since I bought it when it was 2 1/2 years old and 50,000 on the clock. I has always been main dealer serviced and when I have fitted parts myself I have always bought genuine mercedes parts from my tame Merc parts mate...

car has now done just under 150,000 and has been all over Europe and beyond. It has had some essential items but also many items I have fitted myself because I fancied them such as genuine merc towbar, fridge, TV tuner, 2012 full leather interior, replaced all detachable body panels from a 2012 car (so it says Blue Efficiency" on the wings but smokes like Robert Mitchum.

Essential failures/items: New gearbox elec pack, rear air suspension level sensor, new air suspension pump, new Harmon Kardon amp, 2 new front calipers, inlet port manifold valve (did that myself on the drive... turbo off and half the top of the engine with it!!) drivers door module, countless sensors and other bits, pano roof motors... but I wouldn't drive anything else even though the rear aircon could cook eggs. Sadly it is now worth more as spare parts than it is to sell so when I do get my next one, this one is off to my mates scrapyard where it will be slowly dismantled and sold on ebay bit by bit!

If you have an S Class, get a STAR machine, it will save you loads!

 

[Craiglxviii]

Loving the Mitchum comment