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It's not so much the diesel engines that are troublesome, it is EVERYTHING else about the Mercedes Benz cars from 2000- 2009.
Bluntly, you have a better than 50% chance of buying a TOTAL piece of garbage if you go for one.
Their overall build quality, durability, reliability and longevity are NOT what they once were - to about 1993 or so...
They are now being built to a price point, the Walmart mentality of "Build 'em cheap and pile 'em high" and marketed as "For $299 a month, you TOO can drive a (leased) Mercedes Benz."
They are now squandering brand equity for more unit sales, the engineers who held sway have been pushed aside by the marketing department....
In the old days, price was NEVER mentioned, just the founder's motto:
Die beste oder nicht (The best, or nothing at all)
The actual technicians in the Service Departments at the dealers in Southern California have, confirmed it, they say they would never even have bought a new one in 2009. The 2000 - 2007 one are the worst of the worst ones.
Think sensors, computers, over complexity.
They are still safe, and still have some prestige left for now.
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 1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...
1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)
2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp
1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k
2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive  (sold)
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