Car Model Guide/ Mercedes-Benz/ E-Class/ S211/ E 200 Kompressor

E 200 Kompressor M271-KOMP

Supercharged pre-facelift petrol. Simple and quiet, and carrying one catastrophic fault. The balance-shaft gear wears and fixing it means the engine comes out.

Overview

The E 200 Kompressor is the M271-KOMP petrol version of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon (S211), sold 2003–2009 with 184 PS and manual or automatic. High risk at level 4. The balance-shaft gear wears on this engine and the repair means taking the engine out, which is worth more than many of these cars. 12 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, 2 of which are walk-away items without documented proof. Prices on this page are illustrative placeholders rather than a sourced market sample. See the methodology for how the bands are derived.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon (S211) · photo Mercedes-Benz E 220 CDI T-Modell (S211, 2008) (53046907823) by Charles from Port Chester, New York · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Power184 PS

Torque250 Nm

Years2003–2009

Fuelpetrol

DriveRWD

EnginesM271-KOMP

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 12 recorded in total.

17High risk

Balance shaft gear wear€2,500–€4,500partly checkablewalk away
Sensotronic brake unit failure (pre-facelift)€1,200–€2,500partly checkablewalk away
Corrosion at the arches, boot and tailgate€300–€2,500checkable

Risk level −33 · Walk-away failures −24 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →

System by system9 systems reviewed · 3 with no recurring fault reported

Engine⚠ attentionBalance shaft gear wear, €2,500–€4,500. Walk away without proof.

Fuel system✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Intake & air✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

CoolingwatchCoolant expansion tank cracking, €120–€250.

Emissions✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

TransmissionwatchxDrive transfer case actuator failure, €600–€1,200.

ElectricswatchFootwell module (FRM) failure, €150–€700.+2 more in this system

Suspension & brakes⚠ attentionSensotronic brake unit failure (pre-facelift), €1,200–€2,500. Walk away without proof.+3 more in this system

Body & interior⚠ attentionCorrosion at the arches, boot and tailgate, €300–€2,500.+1 more in this system

Pre-facelift or facelift, this engine spans both

The same badge either side of the changeover. Bands are split at the facelift year from the generation record.

Phase	Years	Low	Average	High	Good buy	What differs
pre Pre-facelift	2003–2005	€1,950	€3,150	€5,100	€2,550	The specification the car launched with.
LCI Facelift (LCI)	2006–2009	€2,150	€3,400	€5,550	€2,800	Sensotronic brake-by-wire dropped; Revised lights and interior; OM642 replaced the OM648 in the E 280 and E 320 CDI

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Faults recorded against this engine, its components and its chassis, ranked by likelihood × repair cost. Costs are indicative ranges with a stated labour basis.

Balance shaft gear wearM271 1.8 Kompressor€2,500–€4,500

Check-engine light with camshaft/crankshaft correlation codes, rough running, and eventually a car that won't start. The balance-shaft gear was manufactured too soft on a range of early engines and wears against the crank gear until timing is lost. Mercedes revised the part.

Check: Scan for correlation codes before anything else. A clear scan today doesn't clear the car, but codes present are decisive. Ask for a balance-shaft repair receipt with the revised part number; engine number ranges are published and a specialist can check yours.

Later parts: Revised gear; not present on the M271 EVO from the 2011 facelift

EnginecommonPartly detectablewalk away without proofevidence: documented100–200k km

Sensotronic brake unit failure (pre-facelift)E-Class platform€1,200–€2,500

A red brake warning, a message telling you to stop, a much harder pedal, and in some cases the car limiting itself. The electro-hydraulic Sensotronic unit has a pump and accumulator with a counted service life, and once the counter expires the system demands replacement. Mercedes dropped the system at the 2006 facelift, so later cars aren't affected.

Check: Establish the build date first, since facelift cars don't have it. On an earlier car, have the SBC counter read on a diagnostic and treat a high count as a bill you're about to inherit.

Later parts: Conventional hydraulic brakes from the 2006 facelift

BrakescommonPartly detectablewalk away without proofevidence: manufacturer100–200k km

Corrosion at the arches, boot and tailgateE-Class platform€300–€2,500

Bubbling paint at the rear arches and around the boot lid or tailgate, and rust in the spare wheel well. This generation was built during Mercedes' worst period for corrosion protection, and cars in salted climates suffer. Later cars are better than early ones, but the body is worth more attention here than on a W212.

Check: Look along the rear arches and the boot or tailgate seams in good light, lift the boot floor, and check underneath for previous repair.

Body & corrosioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Front control arm bushing wearE9x chassis€300–€700

Knocking over bad surfaces, vague or wandering steering, uneven front tyre wear, steering shimmy under braking. The front lower arm bushings are a known wear item on this chassis and go well before the ball joints.

Check: Drive over a rough road at low speed with the windows down and listen. Check the inside edges of the front tyres for feathering.

SuspensionuniversalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented80–150k km

Run-flat tyres and kerbed or cracked wheelsE9x chassis€150–€900

Harsh ride, vibration at speed, slow punctures. Stiff-sidewall run-flats transmit impacts straight into the rim, and these alloys crack rather than bend.

Check: Inspect the inner rim edge of every wheel for cracks and hairline splits, not just the face for kerbing. Budget for a set of conventional tyres; most owners switch and the ride improves markedly.

SuspensioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Corrosion at the rear subframe and arch seamsE9x chassis€300–€2,000

Bubbling at the rear arch lip, scaling on subframe mounting points and rear suspension components. Age plus road salt. This generation isn't a notorious rotter, but nothing from 2005–2013 is immune in a salted market.

Check: Put it on a lift and look at the rear subframe mounting points and the arch lips from behind. Largely a non-issue on cars from southern Europe, a real one on northern and Baltic cars.

Body & corrosionoccasionalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Footwell module (FRM) failureE9x chassis€150–€700

Headlights, indicators, windows, wipers and central locking stop working at once, usually right after a battery change or a jump start. The module's memory corrupts when supply voltage dips. It is the single most common electrical failure on this generation.

Check: Test every window, both mirrors, the wipers, all exterior lights and the central locking before you drive. If any cluster of these is dead, this is why.

ElectricalcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Rear shock mount wearE9x chassis€250–€500

Knock from the rear over speed bumps, a hollow thump from the boot area. The rubber mounts perish. On hard-used cars the mount can crack the surrounding turret metal, which is a far bigger job.

Check: Lift the boot floor and look at the top of the shock towers for cracking or a lifted mount. Listen for a knock over bumps.

SuspensioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented100–180k km

Ranked by probability × repair cost, not by how loudly a failure is discussed. Inherited from the engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, each written once. All 12 issues in full →

Mileage and servicing

What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.

Ignore the odometer and find out what's been done. A car with documented balance-shaft work is worth a substantial premium over one without.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Balance-shaft gear An engine-out repair worth more than many of these cars	check the engine number and the history	€2,500–4,500
Supercharger clutch A wear item that costs real money	as it slips	€500–900
Engine oil Gear wear tracks oil condition	on time, correct spec	€110–160

What to pay

What this engine sells for, against the median of every engine in the chassis. All figures are illustrative placeholders. See the basis chips.

median €3.3k

€1.9k€2.5k€5.5k

Cheapfind the reasonGood buyif it checks outFairnormal moneyOverpricedneeds justifying

Asking price (€)Mileage (km)

Enter an asking price to get a verdict against this variant's band: cheap, fair, good buy or overpriced.

United States vs Europe

1 EUR = 1.08 USD · 2026-07

🇪🇺 Europe · EUR€2,550band €1,950–€5,550

🇺🇸 United StatesNot soldE 200 Kompressor M271-KOMP was never a US-market car

What that meansNo US band exists to compare. Any car you find there's a private import, parts and specialist knowledge are thinner, and the price says more about import cost than about the market.

US figures are the EU band converted at a stated rate. No US market differential is modelled: we hold no sourced US asking prices, and inventing one would be worse than saying so. What the comparison does show for real is availability. Most of this range was never sold in the US.

ModelMercedes-Benz E-Class E 200 Kompressor
ChassisS211
EngineM271-KOMP
Years2003–2009
MarketCentral EU
Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07

Good buy at or under the marker · Median asking price · bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile · dashed line is the s211 median, all 4 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for balance shaft gear wear and sensotronic brake unit failure (pre-facelift) should be priced as if the repair is still owed. Full breakdown by facelift phase →

Buyer notes

Our judgement, kept separate from the records it's built on.

Our read, not a record

The supercharged M271 is a smooth and reasonably brisk engine, and in a W211 it's the cheapest way into a big Mercedes. It also carries the fault that defines it: the balance-shaft gear wears, and putting it right means the engine comes out. On a car worth what these are now, that repair is often more than the value. So the purchase is entirely about evidence. A documented engine, or a later one outside the affected range, is a decent buy. Anything else is a gamble you'll probably lose.

Everything above this line comes from the issue and specification records. This paragraph is our judgement on top of them. See how we reach it.

Full specification

Manufacturer figures for this engine and body, as recorded in the variant and engine data.

Engine code	M271 1.8 Kompressor
Configuration	I4, supercharged · 1796 cc
Fuel / injection	petrol · port
Model years	2003–2009
Facelift phase	Sold either side of the 2006 facelift, 2003–2005 pre, 2006–2009 LCI
Power / torque	184 PS · 250 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · 5-speed automatic (5G-Tronic)
Gearbox families	Mercedes 5G-Tronic five-speed automatic (722.6)
Drivetrain	RWD
Economy (real-world)	8–10 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU

E 200 Kompressor M271-KOMP

Overview

Pre-facelift or facelift, this engine spans both

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Pre-purchase inspection

1Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.

2On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.

3PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.

4OBD scanMandatory. A seller who refuses a scan has answered the question.