Best Mercedes-Benz Engines

3.0L NA Diesel I6

300D, E 300D

Legendary. 500k+ miles documented. Tunable to 500hp. One of most reliable engines ever.

V6/V8 NA

E-Class, C-Class, S-Class, CLK, SL, G-Class, ML 320, ML 350

Last simple MB V6/V8. Over-engineered. Cheap to maintain. 250k+ km.

3.2L CDI Diesel I6

E-Class, C-Class, S-Class, E 320 CDI

Modern OM606 successor. Excellent highway cruiser. Strong torque.

2.0L Diesel I4

B-Class, A-Class, GLA, C-Class, GLC, E-Class, GLE, CLA, S-Class, G-Class, C 220d Wagon, E 220d Wagon, GLC 220d Coupe

Best modern MB diesel. Aluminium block, low friction. Long-distance champion.

M104 2.8/3.2 I6

W124/R129/W140 inline-6. One of Mercedes' most reliable engines. Bulletproof bottom end. Wiring harn...

3.0L Diesel I6

E 400d, GLE 350d, S 350d

Flagship modern MB diesel. Inline-6 smoothness returns. MHEV. GLE/GLS/S-Class. Excellent highway. Ea...

3.0L V6 Diesel

E-Class, S-Class, GLE, C-Class, CLK, G-Class, ML 350 CDI

Legendary V6 diesel. 250k+ km. Fix swirl flaps and enjoy.

3.0L Turbo 48V I6

E-Class, GLE, AMG GT, S-Class, G-Class, GLE 450, S 450

MB returns to I6. EQ Boost. Smooth, powerful. Still proving itself.

2.0L Turbo 48V I4

E-Class, C-Class, GLC, A 250, E 200 Wagon

M274 evolution with 48V mild hybrid. More refined, fewer known issues.

V6 3.0/3.5L

G-Class, SL, S-Class, SLK, GLE, GLC, C-Class, E-Class, GLK

Refined M272 successor. Direct injection. 200k+ km with care.

M111 1.8/2.0/2.3 I4

W202/W210 4-cyl. Supercharged Kompressor versions. Simple, reliable. Head gasket is the main concern...

OM608 1.5 Diesel

A-Class, B-Class

W177 A-Class, W247 B-Class. Renault K9K sourced and rebadged. Same proven diesel. DPF standard. Timi...

M119 5.0 V8

W124 500E/E500, R129 SL500, W140 S500 V8. DOHC 32V. Wiring harness issue (biodegradable). Ignition s...

OM611 2.2 CDI I4

W203/W210 C/E 200/220 CDI. Common rail diesel. Injector seal leak ('black death') if neglected. Turb...

2.1L Diesel I4

A 180d, B 180d, C 200d, C 220d, C 220d Wagon, E 200d, E 220d, GLA 200d, GLC 220d, GLC 250d Coupe

Post-2014: updated injectors + pump. Much improved. Highway excellent.

2.0L Turbo I4

C-Class, E-Class, GLK, GLC, C 200 Wagon, GLC 200 Coupe

Improved over M271. Dual-row chain. Thermostat main issue. Reliable with care.

OM612 2.7 CDI I5

E-Class

W210/W211 E270 CDI. 5-cylinder diesel. Smooth, torquey. Injector seal 'black death' concern. Turbo r...

1.6/2.0L Turbo I4

GLC, C-Class, CLA, A-Class, GLA, B-Class

Transverse M274. Solid compact MB. Chain lifespan ~130k km.

1.3L Turbo I4

A 180, A 200, B 180, B 200, CLA 180, CLA 200, GLA 180, GLA 200

Renault HR13 in a Mercedes suit. Adequate city power, surprisingly refined. Reliable so far.

OM613 3.2 CDI I6

W210/W211 E320 CDI. Inline-6 diesel. Same 'black death' injector seal concern as OM611/612. Expensiv...

4.0L TT V8

GLA, CLA, A-Class, SL, GLC, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLE, G-Class, AMG GT

Handcrafted AMG V8. Massive power. AMG-level care needed. Expensive when wrong.

M278 4.7 V8 Biturbo

SL, S-Class

W222 S500, W166 GLE500, W212 E550. Hot-V twin-turbo. Timing chain guides. Turbo oil line leaks. Expe...

M266 1.7/2.0 (W245 B-Class)

A-Class

W245 B-Class. Inclined engine (at 57°). Unusual design. Balance shaft chain can break. Oil leaks. CV...

M156 6.2 V8 AMG

CLK, E-Class, C-Class

C63/E63/S63 W204/W212/W221. Head bolt failure on early units (2007-2008). Intake manifold swirl flap...

OM668 1.7 Diesel

A-Class

W168 A-Class. Same era as M166 petrol. Injector issues. Head gasket concerns. Turbo failure on highe...

M279 6.0 V12 Biturbo

S-Class

S65/SL65/G65 AMG. Twin-turbo V12. Turbo failure. ABC suspension fluid leaks contaminate engine bay. ...

M166 A-Class 1.4/1.6

A-Class

W168 A-Class. Infamous moose test rollover era. Engine itself is adequate but head gasket failures c...

V6 NA 2.5-3.5L

C-Class, E-Class, SLK, CLK, S-Class, SL, CLK 350, E 350, ML 350

Smooth V6. Early models: balance shaft defect (class-action). Post-2008: better.

V8 NA 4.7-5.5L

S-Class

Same sprocket problem as M272. Powerful but risky early models.

2.1L Diesel I4

E-Class, C-Class, A-Class, CLK, GLA, CLA, GLK, GLC, B-Class, GLE

Pre-2014: injectors, timing chain, DPF. Hard to work on.

1.8L SC I4

C-Class, E-Class, SLK, CLK, CLK 200 Kompressor

Single-row timing chain stretches causing catastrophic failure. Avoid.