2007 SL350 High Mileage?

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Simiewimie

New Member
Joined
May 22, 2022
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21
Location
Warwickshire
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Audi Q7
Hi.
I‘ve always quite fancied an SL and one has come up at a garage near me at what seems a reasonable price.
It’s a 2007 350 with 155000 on the clock for £6995. Advert says it has FSH but I can’t confirm that until I speak to them/see it tomorrow.
I’ve read a few posts on here regards what to look out for (water ingress, check engine number re timing chain issue, roof etc) but I must admit the mileage makes me uneasy.
What are thoughts on cars with mileage like this?
Anything extra to look out for, or to make sure has been sorted/resolved on a car of this mileage?

Many thanks.
 
Hi.
I‘ve always quite fancied an SL and one has come up at a garage near me at what seems a reasonable price.
It’s a 2007 350 with 155000 on the clock for £6995. Advert says it has FSH but I can’t confirm that until I speak to them/see it tomorrow.
I’ve read a few posts on here regards what to look out for (water ingress, check engine number re timing chain issue, roof etc) but I must admit the mileage makes me uneasy.
What are thoughts on cars with mileage like this?
Anything extra to look out for, or to make sure has been sorted/resolved on a car of this mileage?

Many thanks.
just had a quick look at Autotrader , for 1.5k more £ this was an example with 45k miles . I haven’t even read about the car but the one you refer to with that mileage seems an expensive risk (to me)
 
Having owned a SL which had modest mileage but developed many faults, I would not touch one with 155K miles with the proverbial barge pole.
 
Noooooooooo........

I'm in the throes of buying a 2007 SL500 with a quarter of that mileage for "just" twice that price. (Long felt want that keeps getting postponed). I'm no expert in the price of SL350's but you'll certainly get a very low mileage "garage queen" SL350 for only one or two grand more than you're contemplating there. (The price of a B service and a couple of tyres)

SL's are enormous bargains because most are second cars belonging to well-off people. If used daily, and usually parked outside, gremlins can start to appear.

So I'd say shop around and work out your options.

Second point: do make sure you like driving them. SL's have enormous presence, look like a million dollars, but their handling is not to everyone's taste. It might be that you want something a bit more modern, a bit sharper, a bit smaller. I like them as long distance (V8) cruisers, but not everyone does.

You do need to drive them and not just rely on reviews of say an SL350 vs BMW 630i. Even an SLK280 or 350 is worth considering as an alternative. It might have been a lot cheaper new, but it's still an interesting and affordable convertible.

Others can comment on the detailed issues when looking for an R230. I've said enough.

.
 
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Cars with this mileage should have all the issues sorted if in good hands otherwise you’ll probably notice on inspection how bad it is…walk away. I wouldn’t be scared of miles, any car should be given a chance. I truly don’t understand the hype of high miles, it’s just stupid. Cars with low mileage, as they being called, can cause maintenance nightmares too.
 
Thanks so much for the replies.
There is another 2007 not far away at a Vauxhall dealer with 80k on the clock for about 2k more, so willl definitely compare the two… and I’m thinking for the extra £2k it may well be worth going with the lower mileage option.
Not ruling out an SLK, but there’s just been something about the SL since driving an old MD’s SL55 AMG about 15 years ago. That particular version is definitely out of the equation though, sadly. =(
 
Borys' comment makes me moderate mine.

It's not that they can't do high mileage, they obviously, absolutely can. It's just a question of the right price for the extra mileage. To me, a £2k discount for high mileage isn't enough.

Another way of thinking about this one is that the lower mileage is more likely to have been main dealer or MB specialist serviced all its life, while a higher mileage car is normally serviced by the local (non-specialist) garage.

Or that the low mileage car has been used for 1500 hours, while the higher mileage car has done 6,000 hours.

And always, always buy on condition. I've seen immaculate, as new SL500's on the same mileage (usually 60k) as horrible, rattly, things with obvious faults.
 
155k isn’t ‘high’ mileage on a 2007 car… that’s only 10.3k/pa……
 
155k isn’t ‘high’ mileage on a 2007 car… that’s only 10.3k/pa……
For sure, it just means that as you click past 50 / 100/ 150k, thé owner should have done all the routine servicing, and changes : engine & gearbox oil , plugs, brakes, tyres, bushes, bearings, suspension, batteries, exhaust. As well as the usual corrosion and bodywork damage issues that need repair as the mileage, in all weathers, increases.

All routine for that taxi on 250k, the question is whether or not they’ve been done on the car as it gets older with a perceived lower value.
 
I have an SL55AMG.. I drove an SL350 too but although it was nice... and wanting an occasional weekend/touring car... it didn't feel exciting enough...I would have a look at the service/repair reciepts and see if the boot seal has been replaced, if not water in the boot can be damaging to many expensive electrical components, PSE Pump (Central locking £1000..) battery control module.. etc it has two batteries the rear one does all the consumer bits like seats roof etc. The roof pump can be expensive to replace too.. make sure it works flawlessly... no creaks or groans.. check if it had the ABC suspension option fitted as opposed to steel springs..... if ABC is on there another very expensive fix if it goes wrong... I hear the SBC pump needs to be changed at high mileage after and its quite expensive (£2kplus) USA cover this for 25years.. but not UK. Like all cars... History is everything... mine had a file of receipts for most of the worrying things already replaced... and at 73k miles it still has a few minor faults I want to look at... Judge the car on its condition and history, although mileage isn't an issue really... most buyers get twitchy over 100k miles... so think about resale values too... Its a fabulous car to drive... the different engines make a huge difference on how it makes you feel.... try an SL 500 as well... the M113 is a superb engine..
 
That one on Autotrader that W1ghty has identified looks much better value, but the recent MoT history doesn't impress, and the first thing that meets your eye when you open the driver's door is the damaged seat bolster, which also doesn't impress.

R230s have many potential problems, and running costs are still those of an expensive car, even if the car itself is now cheap.
 
That one on Autotrader that W1ghty has identified looks much better value, but the recent MoT history doesn't impress, and the first thing that meets your eye when you open the driver's door is the damaged seat bolster, which also doesn't impress.

R230s have many potential problems, and running costs are still those of an expensive car, even if the car itself is now cheap.
First line of the description may also be the clincher:
Roof Not Working Hence Price
 
Sorry to start this back up…
Going to look at the lower mileage 2007 (with the later, safer engine number👍🏼) tomorrow.
I’ve just heard back re servicing and they said “This particular car has most years services, but of course it has miss three services but we will service here before it goes.”

Not sure why the “of course” but here we are.
He sent me the attached, and it certainly looks like the last owner spent some money recently.

Had a gearbox service in 09/2020 what are the intervals on that?
 

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There's no 'of course' about it. Five years and thirty thousand miles without a service (2012-2017) is quite a long interval, and if there's no evidence of that 'unverified' service, it could be seven years and fifty thousand miles :eek:. Unlikely, but not impossible

On the other hand, it could be that between those years it was owned by someone who did his own servicing. What HPI-style check have you done? Pay for a TotalCarCheck, and you will get among other things a record of plate changes and ownership changes, which might give you some indication.

On the good side, the previous owner has obviously spent some money in the last couple of years, and it is reasonable to assume he/she had everything done that needed to be. There's one little thing that might not add up, though; if it had new wiper blades in July 2020, why did it need them again in October 2021 a few thousand miles later?

The tyres should all be good, ditto the front brakes at least. The PSE pump is a good thing to have had done; the vacuum system on the R230 is often irritatingly troublesome, and if it plays up it can wear out the pump seals.

The gearbox should be fine.
 
There's no 'of course' about it. Five years and thirty thousand miles without a service (2012-2017) is quite a long interval, and if there's no evidence of that 'unverified' service, it could be seven years and fifty thousand miles :eek:. Unlikely, but not impossible

On the other hand, it could be that between those years it was owned by someone who did his own servicing. What HPI-style check have you done? Pay for a TotalCarCheck, and you will get among other things a record of plate changes and ownership changes, which might give you some indication.

On the good side, the previous owner has obviously spent some money in the last couple of years, and it is reasonable to assume he/she had everything done that needed to be. There's one little thing that might not add up, though; if it had new wiper blades in July 2020, why did it need them again in October 2021 a few thousand miles later?

The tyres should all be good, ditto the front brakes at least. The PSE pump is a good thing to have had done; the vacuum system on the R230 is often irritatingly troublesome, and if it plays up it can wear out the pump seals.

The gearbox should be fine.

Thanks so much for taking the time to put together that reply. Great spot with the wipers!
I’m kind of hoping the same as you that after around £3k over the last 2 years I may have a few months of trouble free enjoyment, if I go for this one. =)
I did a CarVertical and a MyCarCheck, and it does show a private plate on it from 2012-2015 then back to the normal from 2015-2020. I will go and take a good look around it tomorrow and check the usual things that I’ve seen pointed out on here.

Would you say it’s ok to plug in one’s own OBD tool to check for error codes?
 
If the seller will let you. Thinking of the 'unverified' service, what are the dealer's reviews like? If there's evidence of it, in what way is it unverified?
 
If the seller will let you. Thinking of the 'unverified' service, what are the dealer's reviews like? If there's evidence of it, in what way is it unverified?
It’s at a Vauxhall dealership, so I guess it’s been taken in on a p/x. Reviews are good for them.
 
Thanks to the CarVertical search this is a screen shot of a photo from the sale listing in May 2020 with service history info. So it actually looks like the service was done at the same place for both of those 2017 & 2019
ABF1556C-019A-4AE2-BA8C-3CD5D489D82C.jpeg
 
Can you read what it says? It doesn't look like BG Griffiths to me...

I'd want to see the invoices, or the entries in the service book, with the servicing dealer's or specialist's stamps; a manuscript list proves nothing whatever - you could knock that up yourself in two minutes...

The name is against the 'unverified' service, so why is it unverified? Can you Google the garage to check it actually exists?
 
Can you read what it says? It doesn't look like BG Griffiths to me...

I'd want to see the invoices, or the entries in the service book, with the servicing dealer's or specialist's stamps; a manuscript list proves nothing whatever - you could knock that up yourself in two minutes...

The name is against the 'unverified' service, so why is it unverified? Can you Google the garage to check it actually exists?
Yes. They’re an MBZ specialist in Bristol. I’m going to call them in the morning and check against their records.
I will see what actual service records/books the dealer has. I have a feeling there isn’t one. Perhaps a good bargaining chip if I can verify the services have been done?
 

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