Pre-purchase inspection · 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The 48V integrated starter-generator unit had early warranty replacements. Check for any EQ Boost warning lights.
Confirm no 48V or EQ Boost system warning lights on MBUX display.
Est. cost: $1,500–$3,000 ISG replacement
Source: Mercedes W206 48V pattern
W206 MBUX is generally reliable but complex. Test all functions.
Test full MBUX including ambient lighting, wireless CarPlay, and all settings zones.
Est. cost: $0 OTA update
Source: Mercedes MBUX standard
W206 is a very expensive platform to maintain without records.
Request ALL Mercedes dealer records. No records = walk.
Est. cost: $1,000–$2,000 per service interval
Source: AutoVetting editorial
MB CPO recommended on any W206.
Verify CPO status and run VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Est. cost: n/a
Source: AutoVetting editorial
The W206 is the unusual case where the 8th digit will not earn its keep, and knowing that saves you from over-reading it. Mercedes nominally carries an engine character in position 8, but the US-market 2022 C-Class was sold with exactly one powertrain — the 2.0L M254 turbo four with the 48V belt-driven starter-generator — so there is no second engine for that digit to distinguish. The characters that do the work are positions 4–5, which carry the model code: 4G is the rear-drive C300 sedan, 4H is the C300 4MATIC. That is the decode worth running, because all-wheel drive is the one configuration difference on this car that changes what you inspect, what you pay, and what the rear axle and transfer case will cost you later. Note also what the VIN rules out: the US did not get a plug-in C-Class for 2022, so any listing describing a 2022 C300 as a PHEV has confused the 48V mild hybrid for a plug-in — this car has no charge port and cannot be driven on electricity alone. Treat the 48V system as an inspection item rather than a feature: the ISG unit is integrated between engine and transmission, and a failure there is an engine-out job, not a starter swap, so a rough or hesitant restart from the auto stop-start is worth chasing before purchase.