Second Hand Mercedes-Benz GLC Cylinder Head

The GLC (X253) ran from 2015 to 2023, with a facelift in 2019, so a 2016 and a 2019 car sit either side of that facelift boundary. The cylinder head fitment is driven by engine code above all else, so if both cars share the same engine code the internal architecture may well be the same, but ancillary and mounting changes can occur around a facelift year without any badge change. Always confirm with the breaker against your exact registration before buying.

These are different engines with different engine codes — the 220d typically uses a four-cylinder diesel while the 250d uses a different state of tune or in some markets an entirely different unit, so the cylinder heads are not the same part. Engine code is the single most reliable guide here, and you can find yours on your V5C or via a VIN check. Supply your engine code to the breaker and ask them to match it directly.

No — trim levels like SE, Sport, AMG Line, and AMG Line Premium are cosmetic and equipment packages; they do not change the engine. The cylinder head you need is determined entirely by your engine code, fuel type, and gearbox type, not by which trim your car is badged as. You may find ancillary brackets or sensors differ slightly between cars due to equipment differences, so confirm those details with the breaker, but the core head itself follows the engine code.

The most important detail is your engine code, which you can find on your V5C logbook or by running a VIN check — for the 220d this is a four-cylinder diesel and the code will narrow down exactly which head you need. Also note whether your car has a manual or automatic gearbox, as this can influence which ancillaries came fitted to the engine. Give your engine code and registration to the breaker and let them cross-reference their stock against it.

The GLC X253 generation ran from 2015, with the facelift arriving in 2019 and the model continuing to 2023. Whether a pre-facelift head physically fits a post-facelift engine comes down to whether the engine code changed at that point, which it did not always do, but mounting and ancillary details can change mid-production. Name the boundary to the breaker, give them your engine code and registration, and ask them to confirm compatibility for your specific car before purchasing.

Yes, this matters enormously — petrol and diesel cylinder heads are fundamentally different in design, combustion chamber shape, injector positioning, and compression ratio, and they are not interchangeable under any circumstances. Always make sure the head you are buying matches your fuel type as well as your engine code. If you supply your engine code and fuel type to the breaker they will be able to pull the correct part from the outset.