Mechanically the 606 is bulletproof. As others have mentioned, it's the electronics that occasionally misbehave- but it's so well documented and understood at the hobbyist level now, that there isn't much you can possibly run into that others haven't already found a solution for. Owning an OBD2 reader is a must. Even better if you have one of the more advanced ones that does MB specific transmission, airbag, etc.

The w210 body is known for weak paint, so rust is a potential issue. Inspect the body thoroughly, and walk away if it looks like the rust has set in. The front spring perches are known to break off resulting in a costly repair, if their mounting points have begun to rust.

I've owned a non-turbo 606 for 10 years, and a turbo 606 for a year, and I really like them. They offer modern creature comforts, and they're not difficult to work on- oodles of DIY info on the web about these models.

PS. in Finland, they swap the electronic 606 IP for a mechanical 603 IP, and tune the crap out of it. They're getting 500+ horsepower from a 606 with bolt-on mods. Amazing stuff, and a testament to the durability of the 606 internals.

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1998 E300 turbodiesel

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