M112 vs OM648

Side-by-side reliability comparison

Higher reliability score
OM648 BEST 90/100
+6 points over M112
0 / 100
BUY M112 Mercedes-Benz
0 / 100
BEST OM648 Mercedes-Benz

Specifications

M112
OM648
Brand
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Verdict
BUY
BEST
Reliability
84
90
Years
1997--2006
2002--2006
Displacement
3199 cc
3222 cc
Layout
V6
I6
Type
Petrol Na
Diesel
Power
170--245 hp
204 hp
Known Issues
7
2
Total Risk Cost
€1,280--€3,625
€450--€1,100

Character

M112

"Three-valve V6 from the last simple Mercedes era. Nothing expensive inside; the harmonic balancer rubber and the crank sensor are the two things to check. Runs for ever on synthetic oil."

OM648

"Modern OM606 successor. Excellent highway cruiser. Strong torque."

Issues Comparison

M112 7

▲ HIGH
Harmonic balancer (crank pulley) rubber delaminates €280--€650 N/A--N/A
● MODERATE
Oil leaks — valve-cover gaskets, front crank seal (V6), rear main seal (V8) N/A--N/A N/A--N/A
● MODERATE
Air suspension / Airmatic failure (S/ML models) €600--€2,000 100,000 km--180,000 km
○ MINOR
Oil sludge from conventional oil on long FSS intervals (MY1998-2001) N/A--N/A N/A--N/A
○ MINOR
Crankshaft position sensor fails when hot — stall or hot no-start €50--€125 N/A--N/A
○ MINOR
Spark plugs + ignition coils (V6/V8) €200--€500 80,000 km--150,000 km
○ MINOR
Coolant system: water pump, thermostat, expansion tank €150--€350 100,000 km--180,000 km

OM648 2

● MODERATE
EGR valve fouling (city use) €300--€700 80,000 km--160,000 km
○ MINOR
Glow plugs + injector seals €150--€400 80,000 km--160,000 km

Models

M112 12

E-Class W210 1997--2002 C-Class W203 2001--2005 E-Class W211 2002--2005 E-Class W210 1997--2002 C-Class W202 1997--2000 S-Class W220 1998--2005 E-Class W210 1997--2002 C-Class W203 2001--2005 CLK W209 2002--2005 S-Class W220 1998--2005 ML 320 W163 1997--2005 SUV ML 350 W163 2003--2005 SUV

OM648 6

C-Class W203 2002--2005 E-Class W210 2002--2002 E-Class W210 2002--2002 S-Class W220 2002--2002 S-Class W220 2002--2005 E 320 CDI W211 2002--2009 Sedan
Full M112 Report Full OM648 Report