The W211 E-Class spans the switch of two engine families. Its petrol V6 was the M112 (E 240, E 320) before the 2006 facelift, then the M272 (E 230, E 280, E 350, E 350 CGI); its V8 E 500 ran the M113 before the facelift and the M273 after. The four-cylinder M271 supercharged petrol and OM646 diesel, and the OM642 V6 diesel, are the same families modelled on the W212/W204 — their occurrence patterns resolve onto this generation's own configurations. The M112 and M113 patterns are specific to this range and its contemporaries. See the per-configuration breakdown for which patterns apply to which build window. Community orientation only, not a reliability rating or a purchase recommendation.
Known issues
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Engines & reliability
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Pre-purchase checklist
- ☐Listen for chain rattle during a fully cold start