B250 Owner's reliability experiences

[hyap463]

Glad I found this thread! Looks like the 2017s are not immune to the motor whine problem

I'm looking at this one https://www.mbwestcovina.com/inventory/used-2017-mercedes-benz-b-class-b-250e-fwd-sedan-wddvp9ab5hj015790 - out of warranty but has the right options/colors + higher mileage.

Checking into its battery checks / service/repair history through VMI and potentially buying it as a CPO instead.

 

[JeffRay]

hyap463,

The motor problem was pretty much the 2014-2015 models. The issue with the later models was not a bad motor but a problem with the battery coolant system which caused problems for some. By in large, these cars are good cars. As per my other notes, I would worry about battery performance and availability or lack thereof of parts for a model discontinued in 2017. The asking price on the model you showed is way past what I would buy a used B250e for. I did not buy out my lease and that was at $20K for a 10K mile cherry. $15K was my bid.

 

[andysamertom]

Thank all of you for the information. Got a lot new for me

 

[Rron]

10,000 miles on my car and no noticeable range or battery degradation.

-Annual Battery Certification at the dealer gave me the capacity of the battery @ 28.2 Kwh. This is only 1% degradation in the first year assuming the starting point was 28.5 Kwh.

-My EVSE can measure the amount of energy that a charge takes. I occasionally calculate the Kwh/battery % (Kwh/(end %-start%)) to see if this has changed. It would go lower if the battery had degraded. It varies slightly depending on the charge but has not changed in the time I have had the car. Obviously this number is higher than the actual battery capacity due to the charger losses but it gives an indicator if the battery can store less energy.

I do not charge the car to 100% unless I need it. I try to leave the battery between 40-80%. I do have the range extender and have used 4-5 times in the year I have had the car.

For lithium ion I understand the worst degradation takes place early in the life of the battery and then slows down. If this is the case I am not concerned at all about the battery life on the MB. Looks like it will go 10 years with less than 10% degradation.

Mine is 8 years old with 57 k on it. Only lost about 3% range. Most of the problems I hear about are fluid leaks in the motor

 

[redebord]

Mine is 8 years old with 57 k on it. Only lost about 3% range. Most of the problems I hear about are fluid leaks in the motor

I have the 2014 model and I had the coolant leak in the motor around 35K miles. It's a $13k fix btw. CarMax warranty covered it for me. My range really hasn't dropped much but I live in CT and winters really take a toll on the batteries.

 

[Gl500des]

I have the 2014 model and I had the coolant leak in the motor around 35K miles. It's a $13k fix btw. CarMax warranty covered it for me. My range really hasn't dropped much but I live in CT and winters really take a toll on the batteries.

We also have a 2014. 112,000kms (about 70,000 miles). Purchased it used 4 years ago with 70,000 kms, averaging 11,000 per year.

It is still a great commuting car for my wife.

Last summer fully charged the vehicle showed 160kms range. During the coldest days a few weeks ago - -35 degrees celsius (or -31 Fahrenheit) the range drops to half. Luckily, still sufficient for her due to her short commute.

I am hopeful and optimistic that the car will last another 4 to 5 years. In our four years of ownership I have seen no degradation of range.

Love to hear of any other's still going strong....

Duncan

 

[juanito]

2017 B250e with 59K miles. Bought with 21K in 2019 for $17K right before COVID hit the USA, still under BtoB warranty till Aug 2021. Supposedly still under battery warranty up to 100K miles. Convinced the wife to go EV as she hated to go to the gas station. Garaged any time we are at home. I'm sure it has saved the battery to stay out of the hot Texas sun and the occasional sudden hard freezes when not in use. Great for trips around the DFW area, where there are a surprising number of EV charge stations around DFW, mostly free too. Had one breakdown due to Battery Cooling system that cost USD $800 to fix in a non-MB shop in 2021. Local MB dealer was VERY unhelpful with regards to warranty and support. Took it in for warranty work 2x and they claimed they could find no fault. Refused to do the 1 x yr desiccant replacement under warranty, wanted $800 to do it. Decided to skip as they also didn't seem to recognize the 100K battery warranty anyway. Haven't done it the last 2 yrs. MB sunset remote access to battery charge level using phone app, which was very useful when charging away from home. Once it no longer connected to the car, app was useless. Wish it had a bit more range, as when it gets cold, the range drops 40-50%. But otherwise nice comfortable car for local driving, which is about 80% of our trips. I really wish there was a way to replace the battery once it starts going downhill. For now it is going strong. I don't know how to determine battery degradation, but I noticed the E-cell gauge just barely moved off of 100% late last year. I would estimate 1-2% drop in battery capacity. Oh, I also got rid of the POS "run flat" OEM tires as soon as they wore out. I was having to get them fixed once every other week for punctures. Got standard Toyo tires, and have been back to the tire shop only once in the last year... they even said they missed me!

 

[JeffRay]

former 2014 and 2017 renter here. great to read about your experience. we loved ours as an urban getabout. was able to charge everyweek and top up at work at 120 outlet.

forgetabout new MB EQs, way too expensive.

jeff in nyc

 

[nrkmann]

Exactly why I buy lease returns with a service history and normally about 50¢ on the dollar. I have never purchased a new MB and have avoided several lemons.

 

[redebord]

former 2014 and 2017 renter here. great to read about your experience. we loved ours as an urban getabout. was able to charge everyweek and top up at work at 120 outlet.

forgetabout new MB EQs, way too expensive.

jeff in nyc

My dealership gave me one of the $69k EQS SUVs for a loaner while they worked on my B250E... It's a tank. Way too heavy to be energy efficient. Range was nice and it has all the luxury facets about it, but you are paying for the luxury... Way too expensive.