Used E300 Hybrid - what goes wrong, reliable?
Discussion
Sold my daily driver E63 as I am doing lots of long distance driving and the performance, wonderful noise novelty has worn off.
Polar opposite, thinking of getting a used hybrid E300 as I do lots of stop-start city driving.
What goes wrong as the miles rack up?
Servicing costs?
Battery life, replacement?
Any horrors?
Eyes open stuff, would appreciate your help!
Kind regards,
James
Polar opposite, thinking of getting a used hybrid E300 as I do lots of stop-start city driving.
What goes wrong as the miles rack up?
Servicing costs?
Battery life, replacement?
Any horrors?
Eyes open stuff, would appreciate your help!
Kind regards,
James
I have no first hand experience but when I was looking for an e class last year I did some research and looking on the dedicated Mercedes forums in the UK there are quite a few horror stories.
There are of course horror stories about any car if you look hard enough, but I decided not to go with the hybrid (despite the fact it would have replaced a Mitsubishi hybrid which I liked).
There are of course horror stories about any car if you look hard enough, but I decided not to go with the hybrid (despite the fact it would have replaced a Mitsubishi hybrid which I liked).
In my experience thus far it about not using the criminally inept main dealers for servicing and maintenance. Unbelievably incompetent. And at £120 an hour?
The hybrid E Class just makes sense and it looks like a conventional car.
I see higher mileage, well-maintained cars for sale which seem like bargains and I am sure they are and will provide years of reliable duty well into the several hundreds of thousands of miles.
I just want to factor in things I need to look for.
I have thought about leasing a new car, but I like to chop and change. The residuals plateau out and depreciation becomes minimal.
What year did they become plug-in hybrids?
The hybrid E Class just makes sense and it looks like a conventional car.
I see higher mileage, well-maintained cars for sale which seem like bargains and I am sure they are and will provide years of reliable duty well into the several hundreds of thousands of miles.
I just want to factor in things I need to look for.
I have thought about leasing a new car, but I like to chop and change. The residuals plateau out and depreciation becomes minimal.
What year did they become plug-in hybrids?
The Bluetec Hybrid or 300h are 2.1 diesels with a 27hp electric motor. Electric motor only works up to about 20mph.
The 350e plug in hybrid are 2.0 petrol with a 80hp electric motor. Can run on pure electric up to 70MPH+ with a 8-20 mile pure electric range. These have been around in the C class since 2015 and the current E class.
They are generally reliable. The main problem is they rely on a lot of sensors and inputs to manage the transition between electric and engine and back again. Any problems here any you'll get things like the engine refusing to start or turn off and lots of warnings. There are very few people who understand how the systems work - including within the MB dealer network and generally they seem to forward the data over to Germany who tell them which parts to swap. Some of the sensors are buried inside the gearbox which also houses the electric motor and I suspect the labour bill would be eye watering from a dealer if something went wrong.
I have a C350e on lease but I'm not sure I'd want to own one out of warranty. It makes sense for me because I don't like diesels and a 300bhp petrol car with 45mpg economy and the ability to make local runs on electric suits me.
The 300h really only exists to reduce CO2 emissions and thus company car tax. You get the gruff 4 cylinder diesel engine with a load of complexity bolted on. In my view an E350 would be a much better option for a private buyer.
The 350e plug in hybrid are 2.0 petrol with a 80hp electric motor. Can run on pure electric up to 70MPH+ with a 8-20 mile pure electric range. These have been around in the C class since 2015 and the current E class.
They are generally reliable. The main problem is they rely on a lot of sensors and inputs to manage the transition between electric and engine and back again. Any problems here any you'll get things like the engine refusing to start or turn off and lots of warnings. There are very few people who understand how the systems work - including within the MB dealer network and generally they seem to forward the data over to Germany who tell them which parts to swap. Some of the sensors are buried inside the gearbox which also houses the electric motor and I suspect the labour bill would be eye watering from a dealer if something went wrong.
I have a C350e on lease but I'm not sure I'd want to own one out of warranty. It makes sense for me because I don't like diesels and a 300bhp petrol car with 45mpg economy and the ability to make local runs on electric suits me.
The 300h really only exists to reduce CO2 emissions and thus company car tax. You get the gruff 4 cylinder diesel engine with a load of complexity bolted on. In my view an E350 would be a much better option for a private buyer.
quinny100 said:
They are generally reliable. The main problem is they rely on a lot of sensors and inputs to manage the transition between electric and engine and back again. Any problems here any you'll get things like the engine refusing to start or turn off and lots of warnings. There are very few people who understand how the systems work - including within the MB dealer network and generally they seem to forward the data over to Germany who tell them which parts to swap. Some of the sensors are buried inside the gearbox which also houses the electric motor and I suspect the labour bill would be eye watering from a dealer if something went wrong.
We owned a 13 plate E class Bluetec Hybrid from new (posted a couple of times on here about it). Issues of the type mentioned above were raised directly to MB senior management after dealers failed to fix. To say that their response failed to inspire confidence or show meaningful goodwill would be putting it mildly. Certainly not what we expected as early adopters (and repeat customers) so, as soon as it was fixed, ended up taking a rather egregious trade in offer from another marque’s dealer to get rid.
If it’s an early one you’re looking at, then I personally wouldn’t chance it unless cheap.
Does anyone know how similar is the E300 and S400 hybrid models? I was reading this article that explains the S400 battery and its issues (
https://www.youcanic.com/guide/mercedes-benz-hybri... ) but I didn't know if the E300 has the same battery.
https://www.youcanic.com/guide/mercedes-benz-hybri... ) but I didn't know if the E300 has the same battery.
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