Oil cooler seals (engine valley)
usually 120,000–220,000 km · High risk
Signs: Oil leak at the back of the engine / bellhousing
Fix: Reseal the oil cooler (intake off)
€1,000–2,000
Common faults, service intervals and costs
Mercedes-Benz X-Class
2017–2020
1
engines covered
6
known faults
3,822
roadworthiness tests in the statistics
Enter your VIN and mileage and get a plan built for your exact engine and gearbox.
The Mercedes-Benz X-Class was built from 2017 to 2020.
For this generation we cover 1 engines and 6 known faults, each with the mileage range where it usually appears.
The most expensive known risk is Oil cooler seals (engine valley): it usually appears at 120,000–220,000 km and costs €1,000–2,000 to fix.
In UK roadworthiness tests in 2024, at 50–100 thousand km this model most often failed on: lights, wipers and visibility (7.4 %), brakes (6.7 %), exhaust, emissions and leaks (3.9 %). It fails more often than an average car of the same age and mileage on: brakes, body and corrosion, exhaust, emissions and leaks. It fails less often than average on: suspension, tyres and wheels.
Engines
| Engine | Fuel | Timing drive | Oil |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 CDI V6 (Mercedes OM642) | Diesel | Chain | 5W-30 · MB 229.51 · ~8.0 L · every 15,000 km |
Faults by engine
3.0 CDI V6 (Mercedes OM642)
Intake swirl flaps / actuator
usually 120,000–220,000 km · Medium risk
Signs: Engine light, limp mode
Fix: Replace manifold or actuator
€600–1,500
EGR / DPF
usually 150,000–250,000 km · Medium risk
Signs: Limp mode
Fix: Clean or replace
€400–1,800
Gearboxes
Manual
Clutch wear
usually 120,000–200,000 km · Medium risk
Signs: Slipping, high bite point
Fix: Replace clutch kit
€500–900
Dual-mass flywheel
usually 150,000–220,000 km · Medium risk
Signs: Rattle at idle, vibration pulling away
Fix: Replace with clutch
€700–1,400
5G / 7G / 9G-Tronic
Conductor plate / speed sensor (5G / 7G-Tronic)
usually 100,000–220,000 km · Medium risk
Signs: Stuck in gear, limp mode, harsh shifts
Fix: Replace the conductor plate; fluid every 60–100,000 km
€500–1,500
Scheduled service
Intervals and typical prices for the 3.0 CDI V6 (Mercedes OM642) engine. Other engines differ in oil, timing drive and some filters; the app gives the exact plan.
| Item | Interval | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| DPF health check (soot / ash load)Emissions | every 20,000 km | €0–60 |
| Engine oil + oil filterEngine | every 15,000 km or every 12 months | €70–150 |
| Cabin (pollen) filterClimate | every 15,000 km or every 12 months | €15–40 |
| Brake fluidBrakes | every 24 months | €50–95 |
| A/C service (regas + desiccant)Climate | every 24 months | €70–150 |
| Air filterEngine | every 30,000 km or every 24 months | €15–45 |
| Fuel filterFuel | every 30,000 km or every 24 months | €40–110 |
| Glow plugsEngine | every 100,000 km | €120–300 |
| Auxiliary (serpentine) beltEngine | every 120,000 km | €70–180 |
| Coolant replacementCooling | every 150,000 km or every 96 months | €70–150 |
| Timing chain inspection (listen on cold start)Engine | every 150,000 km | €0–120 |
| Manual gearbox oilTransmission | every 150,000 km | €60–130 |
| Front brake padsBrakes | usually at 30,000–60,000 km | €60–150 |
| Front brake discs + padsBrakes | usually at 60,000–120,000 km | €150–320 |
| Rear brake padsBrakes | usually at 50,000–90,000 km | €50–130 |
| Tyres (set of 4)Wheels | usually at 40,000–60,000 km | €320–700 |
| Wiper bladesBody | checked at service | €20–50 |
| 12V batteryElectrical | checked at service | €100–220 |
Roadworthiness tests by mileage
Share of tests in the United Kingdom (DVSA MOT, 2024) that this model failed because of each system. Bold red means more often and green less often than an average car of the same age and mileage. Sample: 3,822 tests.
| thousand km | 0–50 | 50–100 | 100–150 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 5.4 % | 6.7 % | 6.4 % |
| Suspension | 0.0 % | 0.5 % | 1.2 % |
| Steering | 0.4 % | 0.1 % | 0.0 % |
| Tyres and wheels | 3.5 % | 3.6 % | 4.5 % |
| Lights, wipers and visibility | 6.0 % | 7.4 % | 6.7 % |
| Body and corrosion | 0.6 % | 1.1 % | 2.3 % |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 1.3 % | 3.9 % | 6.2 % |
Common questions
Does the Mercedes-Benz X-Class have a timing chain or a timing belt?
3.0 CDI V6 (Mercedes OM642): chain.
What are the known problems with the Mercedes-Benz X-Class?
The faults with the highest risk: oil cooler seals (engine valley) (120,000–220,000 km, €1,000–2,000); EGR / DPF (150,000–250,000 km, €400–1,800); intake swirl flaps / actuator (120,000–220,000 km, €600–1,500); conductor plate / speed sensor (5G / 7G-Tronic) (100,000–220,000 km, €500–1,500). The full list by engine is on this page.
What does the Mercedes-Benz X-Class most often fail its roadworthiness test on?
In UK roadworthiness tests in 2024, at 50–100 thousand km this model most often failed on: lights, wipers and visibility (7.4 %), brakes (6.7 %), exhaust, emissions and leaks (3.9 %). It fails more often than an average car of the same age and mileage on: brakes, body and corrosion, exhaust, emissions and leaks. It fails less often than average on: suspension, tyres and wheels.
What should you check when buying a used Mercedes-Benz X-Class?
Before you buy, ask an authorised dealer to check by VIN whether the car has any open recalls. On the test drive, watch for these signs: oil leak at the back of the engine / bellhousing; limp mode. The full checklist is in the guide to buying a used car.
Models with the same engines
These models share engines with this car, so they share some of its faults too.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W213) 2016–2023Mercedes-Benz ML / GLE (W166) 2011–2019Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (906) 2006–2018Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (907 / 910) 2018–Mercedes-Benz CLS (C218) 2011–2018Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W222) 2013–2020Mercedes-Benz GL / GLS (X166) 2012–2019Mercedes-Benz G-Class (W463) 1990–
Other Mercedes-Benz models
Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W177) 2018–Mercedes-Benz B-Class (W247) 2018–Mercedes-Benz CLS (C257) 2018–2023Mercedes-Benz CLA (C118) 2019–Mercedes-Benz EQC (N293) 2019–2024Mercedes-Benz GLB (X247) 2019–Mercedes-Benz GLC (X253) 2015–2022Mercedes-Benz GLE (V167) 2019–Mercedes-Benz GLS (X167) 2019–Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W205) 2014–2021
Sources and notes
Faults, intervals and prices are indicative and collected from public sources and owner experience; always rely on the service book and a qualified workshop. Test statistics: DVSA – Anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0. Dutch tests: RDW Open Data (CC0). Engine versions: EEA, monitoring of CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars (CC BY 4.0, DG CLIMA). Owner complaints: NHTSA ODI (public domain). Recalls: DVSA Vehicle Safety Branch Recalls Database, OGL v3.0. Brand and model names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to describe the vehicles.
Updated 08/10/2026