₦airaland Forum

Are you planning on buying used Mercedes-Benz? Knowledge is your best defense against buying a money pit machine. Finding the right Mercedes that will last “forever” takes time and research. Don’t just buy a Mercedes-Benz because the seller is letting it go very cheap. You need to decide if the car has been maintained, check vehicle history report and do a good inspection on the car.

Is it worth buying a 5, 10, 15-year-old Mercedes-Benz?

Luxury vehicles depreciate at a higher rate than economy cars. This fact makes them very appealing in the used car market. That’s why the initial purchase price of a used Mercedes-Benz is not your primary problem.

Mercedes-Benz cars had a reputation of being able to run forever! The truth is that certain Mercedes-Benz engines and transmissions can still run “forever”.

While others models and trims don’t live up to the Mercedes-Benz motto: “The best or nothing” Mercedes-Benz by no means are trouble-free cars like they used to be in the 80s and 90s.

Well, even then they weren’t quite trouble free but they were the cars that set the bar higher. In the recent years, Mercedes-Benz cars have advanced even more with sophisticated and cutting-edge technology.




Before you buy a Mercedes, consider this.
Who will maintain and service your Mercedes?

Mercedes-Benz dealer,
independent auto repair shop,
Yourself. Yes, you can!

If you own even a ten-year-old Mercedes-Benz E-Class or S-Class you will quickly realize that certain car mechanics in your neighborhood don’t want to work on them because they are not familiar with these cars.

Little do they know that working on a Mercedes-Benz is more fun, rewarding and even easier than working on certain Honda and Toyota models.



Don’t let that scare you from buying a used Mercedes-Benz though. If you love tinkering with gadgets and troubleshooting car problems yourself, you may be able to maintain a used Mercedes-Benz yourself.


Just because one of your neighborhood auto mechanics doesn’t know how to work on a Mercedes-Benz, that’s not a reason to Not Buy a Mercedes-Benz.

For example in the video below the mechanic, Scotty Kilmer talks about this Mercedes-Benz CLS and how it has over 20 fault codes stored in the system.

He doesn’t realize that over ten of those error codes are related to under voltage that very well could have been triggered due to a dead battery. These under voltage codes are stored and not CURRENT and can easily be erased. The other few codes point to the same problem. Watch this entertaining video.

Pros and Cons of buying a used Mercedes-Benz
pros of buying a used mercedesPROS
Built Quality & Features
A used Mercedes-Benz even if it is older will most likely have a lot more features and options than the other used cars. The interior quality and materials of a Mercedes-Benz will be much better than that of a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. On a used Mercedes-Benz you will most likely find walnut wood trim, illuminated buttons, leather, sunroof, power windows and seats and more. Other options such as cruise control, traction control, anti-lock-brakes, adjustable seats and steering wheel, and multiple airbags are likely to come standard on your Mercedes-Benz.

Depreciation
This may sound strange but the luxury cars take their biggest hit in the first 5 years. After that the used Mercedes-Benz depreciates at nearly the same rate as Honda, Toyota, Lexus and Hyundai depreciate.

Looks
Older Mercedes-Benz cars still look sharp and get attention even when they are five or ten years old. No other cars can make a statement about your success like a Mercedes-Benz does.

Ride and Comfort
Even older Mercedes-Benz cars provide a comfortable, safe and luxurious ride quality.



Have you ever ridden on a Mercedes-Benz E-Class or S-Class with air suspension? It’s an experience you may never forget. Mercedes-Benz were built to impress and even when they are old they do that task very well.



A used Mercedes-Benz is still more comfortable, provides superb ride quality and is more luxurious than a brand new Toyota, Honda or Hyundai and in our opinion better than BMW, Audi or Lexus.

CONS


Maintenance Cost
The maintenance cost on a used Mercedes-Benz can be much higher than that of a non-luxury brand. Especially if you depend on the dealer to do all your repairs. If you have an older used Mercedes-Benz you should find a local repair shop that specializes on Mercedes-Benz or german cars. Maintenance cost on a Mercedes-Benz don’t have to be ridiculous. If you plan on doing your own troubleshooting, maintenace and repairs, then owning a Mercedes-Benz is as expensive as owning a Toyota or Honda. Just make sure to purchase your parts online. You can use Amazon Parts finder to find almost anything for your Mercedes-Benz. You will even find OEM Mercedes-Benz genuine parts or aftermarket alternatives that cost a lot less.



No warranty
This can be a problem if you are buying a car from a private seller. You will not get any warranty from the private seller, and the manufacturer warranty most likely has expired. If you are buying the car from a used car dealer, you can ask if they sell warranty. Warranty may not be an issue if you are buying the car from an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership. Their certified pre-owned (CPO) Mercedes-Benz cars are thoroughly inspected and come with warranty that you can also extend.


Gadgets
While it is nice that the used Mercedes-Benz has so many features and gadgets, that is also a negative factor you should consider. These sophisticated automobiles loaded with features have more things can go wrong. Not only that but some of them may be obsolete. For example the Navigation on a 10 year old Mercedes-Benz may be useless if the maps aren’t updated. The GPS on your phone is light years ahead compared to the Mercedes-Benz navigation. The Motorola build-in phone system on the Mercedes-Benz was useless until they moved to Bluetooth.



Fuel Economy
This really depends if you live in United States or not. If you live in the States this is a concern for you because Mercedes-Benz cars sold in US were equipped with thirsty engines. Not only that, but they require that you to use premium gasoline. Therefore these cars will cost you more to operate over 5 years than their japanese counterpart. If you live outside US than you may not have to worry about this. Mercedes-Benz sells the gas guzzlers in US only, and sells some extremely fuel efficient engines around the world. If you live in Europe for example, you will find a E220 CDI or C200 CDI and other variations. These diesel cars get excellent gas mileage and can last easily pull over 300,000 thousand miles.

3Things you MUST DO before you buy a used Mercedes

1. Get a Pre-purchase Inspection (Gazzuzz, kingreign, autoelectng and radautoworks come in handy here)
lift car shop inspection jack up car used mercedes inspection

We recommend that you always perform a pre-sale inspection on any Mercedes-Benz that you are serious about purchasing.



It may be money well spent if you get the car inspected at a Mercedes-Benz dealer but you don’t have too.

Ask the auto repair shop that inspects your car to give you quotes on the items that need to be fixed.


A honest seller should not have a problem with you taking the car in for an inspection.

A seller that may be lying or is trying to hide some problems may tell you that they will not let you take the car in for an inspection.

With that said, don’t expect the car to be like new and perfect. The mechanic will find a few issues but use your judgment to decide if those items are critical and need repairing right away.

Or if you could wait and find an independent auto mechanic that will fix them for cheap.

Always select the shop where you take the car, don’t let the seller select the auto repair shop.

If you are not familiar with the area take the car to an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer or find a good independent mechanic that specializes in European cars. You will be paying the inspection fee and not the seller.

Make it clear to the seller that you want to buy the car as long as it gets a reasonable inspection report from your mechanic. Don’t expect a used car to be flawless.

CityNGR:
..

AutoReportNG:
Noted Sir... We are not saying we are 100% right, we are open to corrections, adjustments from the experts like.

These are types of rebuttals that we encourage for more in-depth adequate research

Thanks for calling our attention to this distinguished, we have learned something from you today.

We look forward in working with you in future and it will be an honour

Have a lovely weekend, regards to your family.

When you buy a used Mercedes-Benz car you need to decide not only which model you like but also which trim engine and transmission. For example, a used E-Class W211 comes with a variety of engine sizes and in the U.S., with two transmissions: a 5-speed automatic transmission and 7-speed automatic transmission. Some of these engines were much more reliable than others. For example, the M112 V6 3.2 liter engine (such as E320, C320, CLK320 ML320) is one of the most reliable Mercedes-Benz engines ever produced. The M113 V8 engines found on E500, S500, R500, G500, ML500, CLS500 are also very reliable.

M112 V6 3.2L Engine
Mercedes Model: E320, C320, CLK320, ML320, M272
Pros: Very reliable
M113 V8 4.3 5.0 L Engine
Mercedes Model: R500, S500, SL500, ML500, CLS500,
Pros: Reliable
Cons: Fuel Economy
Transmission 5-Speed Automatic
722.6 5 Speed Transmission – Generally Very Reliable.
Cons: 13-pin connector leaks fluid
Transmission 7-Speed Automatic
722.9 – Reliable after 2008
Early models in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 are prone to problems
Our staff favorites: CLS55 AMG, E500, S500

Avoid 2004-2008 V6 and V8 models equipped with M272 and M273 engines. The first Mercedes-Benz models that had these engines were sold beginning in 2004. The early M272 engines produced around 2004, 2005,2006,2007, 2008 had some serious timing chain problems. Those engines are found on Mercedes-Benz models such as E350, R350, C350, SLK350, ML350. There was even a class action lawsuit that Mercedes-Benz lost. If you need to verify how to avoid these engines prone to catastrophic timing chain failures read this article. If you know the VIN number of the car that you are going to buy, you can follow the instructions on that article to check if the Mercedes-Benz you are interested is affected.

w211We don’t think there are any Mercedes-Benz models that you should avoid but there are certain trims (engines) that you should definitely avoid. For example, if you are shopping for a used E-Class W211 chassis produced between 2003 to 2008, you should avoid the early E350 that had timing chain issues. At the same time the E320 W211 was a very solid car and so was the E500. Do your research not just on the chassis or class of the Mercedes-Benz that you are buying but also on the specific engine and transmission. There usually are at least two or three engine types offered for each model. Not all of them are created equal.

You hear it all the time, that parts for used Mercedes-Benz cars are very expensive. That’s not necessarily true if you purchase parts online. You can find almost any Mercedes part online. There are a few parts that are expensive such as keys, engine control module or electronic ignition lock that will require dealer reprogramming if they do fail. The normal wear and tear parts can be purchased even on Amazon


the only expensive part of owning a Mercedes-Benz is labor.

If you plan on doing maintenance on the Mercedes-Benz yourself, then a used Mercedes-Benz is definitively affordable to own. Many people think that Mercedes-Benz are very expensive, and they could be if all the repairs are done at the dealer.

Independent auto repair shops that specialize in European cars typically have lower labor rates than the dealer.

What tools do you need to maintain a used Mercedes-Benz?
used mercedes easy diyYou will be saving thousands of dollars if you learn how to perform diagnostic on your Mercedes-Benz yourself. It’s not very as difficult as it sounds. There are a few specialty tools that you should consider adding to your toolbox if you plan on owning a used Mercedes-Benz.

SomoriiN:
Nope. The material posted is from http://www.mercedesmedic.com/buying-used-mercedes-benz/

SomoriiN:
Which used Mercedes-Benz models to avoid?

Plentie:
Good Job guyz,
Please I need help! My Benz A160 is giving the following issues;
1. Car will move for 10mind and refuse to drive again while in gear
2. The gear becomes sticky at times and I have to force it out.
3. It doesn't move after many try except the system is cool and most often go on reverse when this problem comes up.

Engine is sound except the above

Help because its quite frustrating

FLAKARIBE:
Op you just made my day.
Very cerebral stuff.
Nice lecture.
cityNG, chop better knuckle.