i am considering purchasing a 2010 GL 350 diesel from a dealership.

priced at $13,998. 138,831 miles. Premium 2 PKG, Full Leather Seating PKG, Rear Seat Entertainment System, 3 Zone Automatic Climate Control, Parktronic. looks very clean in photos, no accidents per the carfax.

i have zero experience with MB, but i have two young kids and need something reliable. this would be my daily driver (all city miles, no highway) for about a year.



can anyone give me any insight as to whether these engines/this model is reliable past 150k miles? or any specific questions i should ask the dealer prior to buying?

Unless you have interest and capability to DIY, i would RUN from that car. A 140k, 12+ yr old OM642 is going to give you problems. I own one and would never recommend it as your only vehicle for hauling a family. As a interesting, secondary car, sure... that is how I use mine.

Go buy a Honda or Toyota if you want reliable 10+ yr old family transportation.

To add, these cars need long highway cruises for the DPF to regen. All city is not good for the emission systems. Google "OM642 DPF regen" and happy reading!

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2009 E320 Bluetec - 242k miles and a work in progress!

I've been working on Mercedes diesels for the past 30 years. IMO, the 642 is a complete disaster. You have to ask yourself what is the benefit of owning a diesel.

Paul have you torn into one that makes oil diappear to determine exactly what causes it?

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Jim

Price of diesel is just one issue. Finding parts can be a issue. If this is you "daily driver", I would look elsewhere. If you cannot do your own work on the car, you may be hard pressed to find a mechanic you can afford to make any necessary repairs.


How much does diesel cost in NJ?
New Jersey average gas prices
Regular Diesel
Current Avg. $4.776 $6.312
Yesterday Avg. $4.769 $6.330
Week Ago Avg. $4.502 $6.268
Month Ago Avg. $4.079 $5.200

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96 E300d

Aside from replacing the occasional crank case ventilation valve with some success, after giving the customer the choice of buying more oil compared to spending thousands venturing into the unknown, I haven't done much else. I haven't been taking on anymore new customers that own these in an attempt to phase out working on them all together. After customers spend thousands on cooler seals, intake manifolds, timing chains, turbos, etc, it seems that in some way or another you end up being married to the car. I find that life is much better when just working on their gas counter parts.

That's how I see it. Customer that brought a 09 E class diesel to me for severe oil consumption bought a Lexus SUV.

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Jim