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I am not the original poster, but I found this car and have similar questions.
It is 1994 Mercedes-Benz C-280 Sedan 2.8L, 138,867 miles,4-Speed automatic,Straight 6 Cylinder Engine VIN : WDBHA28EXRF087121 Fuel Type : Gasoline $3,488
Any thoughts at all about the quality, reliablity, maintanence or any pros/cons to this vehicle?
Thanks, Julie
I found a car and have similar questions.
It is 1994 Mercedes-Benz C-280 Sedan 2.8L, 138,867 miles,4-Speed automatic,Straight 6 Cylinder Engine VIN : WDBHA28EXRF087121 Fuel Type : Gasoline $3,488
Any thoughts at all about the quality, reliablity, maintanence or any pros/cons to this vehicle?
Thanks, Julie
So, I will check back in a few months, and post how I make out with it.
If you do not hear from me, you can guess that things went badly and I had to sell my computer to pay for repairs.
Thank you again.
***I've got to say one thing though...It is a nice looking car. I've had it only for a short while, and already people walk up to me in parking lots and comment on it. (I guess they think I got money...Ha! if only they knew...)
The old Mercedes is in great shape, relatively low miles (under 100,000), taken care of always by dealer.
The option is a couple of used US cars with warranties still in place. Lower miles (Under 50,000).
The argument is always the costs of repairs..But on the other hand - a good car is a good car.
There is no comparison to the comfort and the driving (the Mercedes has it all).
It's a tough decision????
The Mercedes is a great car, no doubt. The issue you may run into with that choice is the cost of parts. They are sky high for MB. A single major repair could exceed the value of the vehicle. Make certain the vehicle doesn't have an undisclosed defect since people often unload vehicles when they need a major repair that may cost more that it is worth. Check with car facts if you like. That will tell you if an insurance claim was made, but if no claim was made, it is a waste of time.
Check the entire body for overspray, panel misalignment, rust and water leaks. If it has ever been painted on any part of the vehicle DO NOT BUY IT. If it has new parts on it, find out why, and when you ask questions watch for eye contact that suddenly goes away when the seller answers. Most people will not look you directly in the eyes while lying. Used car sales people are an exception to that rule, so find out what they do for a living when you ask why they are selling the vehicle. Check all four tires but pay special attention to the front tires. If they are brand spanking new tires, DO NOT BUY THE CAR. Sometimes after a collision, the front suspension cannot be repaired to spec and it will eat tires. A rouge seller will put new tires on it before putting it up for sale. Note the age and condition of the tires. If a single tire is newer that the rest, find out why.
Take it for a long test drive starting when the engine is cold. Make sure you have close to half a tank of fuel before you start. If you have to put fuel in it before the drive to have that half tank, do it. The system malfunction indicators should cycle normally, then go out. If the SIR lamp stays lit or lights up then goes out while driving, DO NOT BUY THE CAR. Use every feature on the vehicle. Check the heat at the same time you check the AC. If the vehicle has automatic temperature control, be certain it is on the automatic setting the entire time while driving. Get it out on the freeway and put it through its paces. If a defect exists it may only be noticeable under extreme driving conditions, so rip it a new one with hard accelerations and all out stops over uneven pavement. The seller may not like this, but if you are going to own this vehicle, you may need those brakes one day and you never get advanced warning, so hit 'em hard to be sure they work well.
You want to activate the ABS system more than once, and you want to drive it from a cold start twice. Take the seller on a ride that includes freeway driving, then stop for lunch before returning. Take a good 20 minutes to allow the engine to cool before starting again. On the way back, offer to wash the car at an automated car wash. When you get back open the trunk and lift the carpet at the lowest point in the trunk well. If you have any water present or rust scale built up under the carpet and the weather strip is OK, DO NOT BUY THE CAR. Poke your head up under the dash on both sides and look for water intrusion, sand and/or rusty sheet metal. If water, sand or significant rust are present behind the dash, DO NOT BUY THE CAR.
Your nose is a very useful tool. Healthy cars smell like healthy cars so give it a good whiff as you do your walk around after the second drive cycle. Take a good look at how the vehicle sits on level pavement. We're looking for symmetry and uniform panel gaps. If you don't know enough about cars to do a safety inspection yourself, take it to a MB dealership before you sign the check and have an oil change done. You'll want to do that when you buy the car anyway. Tell your SA to have a senior mechanic (not the lube tech) shake it down and while you're there have it checked for open recalls by the SA. When the vehicle is up in the air, ask to have a look at it. You don't want to see the underside of the vehicle so much as to talk to the mechanic. Ask him what he sees and if any new parts are visible to him. If he's a good mechanic, he'll have something to say one way or another.
Finally, if the vehicle's owner is a different person than the one selling the vehicle, be careful. Never buy from a used car lot either (including the MB dealership). You want to buy from an individual, and you want to know where that person lives. If they are selling the car from their residence, it is unlikely they are trying to hide a known defect.
Check the entire body for overspray, panel misalignment, rust and water leaks. If it has ever been painted on any part of the vehicle DO NOT BUY IT. If it has new parts on it, find out why, and when you ask questions watch for eye contact that suddenly goes away when the seller answers. Most people will not look you directly in the eyes while lying. Used car sales people are an exception to that rule, so find out what they do for a living when you ask why they are selling the vehicle. Check all four tires but pay special attention to the front tires. If they are brand spanking new tires, DO NOT BUY THE CAR. snip.
There's a lot more mechanical issues of substance to deal with on a "used" car than a "do not buy the car" if it's had any paint on any part of the vehicle ....
First of all, it's a USED CAR. (and even at that, brand new never titled cars at dealerships may have had repair/paint work for cosmetic issues while in transit to the dealership, or a parking lot minor cosmetic damage issue repair)
Secondly, I've seen a lot of fastidious MB owners who don't like to have parking lot dings and chips left to display on their car doors ... no more than they want to show off the scratches from when their kids parked a bicycle up against a fender or the trunk lid .... The damage is purely cosmetic and of no consequence to the transportation function of the car. Properly applied repair work will not adversely affect the rust resistance of the car, either .... hardly a issue over which to reject a USED CAR purchase.
New Tires a "do not buy the car" issue? you gotta' be kidding me .... this is a common operating consumable expense. Many owners will look at the $400-600 expense of tires on an MB as something that they don't want to spend if they're not going to get the service life of those tires ... so a car lot will replace them if they're worn out, or an owner/seller will replace them as a maintenance expense that the buyer won't have in the near term. Neither situation is a justification to "do not buy the car" ... if anything, in many cases, it may be an added justification to buy the used car.
If the car has been in a major accident, then there will be enough other mechanical evidence to reveal those issues .... far beyond just seeing new tires on the car. I've seen parking lot concrete stop damage to cars, where a lower control arm was replaced, for example ... properly diagnosed, properly replaced, properly aligned, and able to deliver many miles of excellent service. Just because a part was damaged and replaced correctly isn't a reasonable justification to a "do not buy the car" decision .....
Yes, the Benz will break soon & it will cost $$$$ to fix. American cars seldom break these days, and when they do you can usually find the parts on the cheap.
Do not purchase a second hand American car, you will inherit someone else's problems. I have been down that road before, two times, I purchased American made to be "patriotic," never again will I waste so much of my money.
You take that risk with any used car.
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1994 Mercedes-Benz C-280 Sedan 2.8L
