A160 2002 Is it a good buy?

[MBLover]

Thinking of purchasing A160 manual 2002 model which has done 100 000Kms and going for a good price.

Is this a 1.6L engine?

It still has to go for its 100 000km service which I will negotiate with the owner to take off the price. The car is in good nic.

What should I look out for on this very electronic car? Is it a good idea to take the car to a mercedes dealer and put it on the computer, or should everything be fine.

Typically what goes wrong with these cars and what mileage can I expect before problems arise?

Thank you for your help and advice.

Does anyone know what the 100 000km service entails and what the service intervals are for these cars?

 

[Justin1600]

1) The steering column knocking is common, shake it side to side.
2) Rear coil springs sometimes break
3) Front flexi brake hoses crack

 

[Sonny Burnett]

hi mate, its a nice car. but w202s are cheaper and built better and most probably cheaper.
A class's can have the MAF fail and as it is part of the ECU the whole unit has to be replaced and costs just over £1000.. you can get them repaired a few members on here hve had the work done... tbh i also think the AUTOs are a lot better..

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

Is a 2002 a facelifted model or with the indicators in the mirrors as they got a few issues sorted with that model.

Yes the mad / ecu can be pricey but you can send it away to get fixed much cheaper if need be.

Auto's although normally a Mercedes strong point are not good in the a class and can be expensive if problems.

If it has a full sunroof these can squeak.


Just check everything works as it should, we owned a a class for over 4 years a A210 eve Lwb. It was a great car loads of room, more leg room than in my old ml and current e class. In our ownership it only needed front brake discs and pads, tyres and a rear back exhaust.


Be warry as most people knock the a class as they have heared things off someone else, most however have not owned one.


Let us know how you get on

 

[Howard]

Agreed with the above. If someone is knocking it , ask if they have actually owned one.

I used to slate them until we actually bought one , and now i love it.

Be wary of the semi autos and the autos , the gearboxes generally are time bombs.

MAS is fixable for £220 ish and is guaranteed for 2 years which is a whole year longer than a brand new ( £1500 ) part from MB.

Steering racks / pumps can be noisy , but never actually fail.

Central locking pumps can fail because the rear screen wash hose pops off and fills the boot up with water ( where the pump lives )

Fuel leaks round the tank neck are fairly common but most will have been done under warranty. Other fuel leaks can occur at the two flexi hoses at the back of the engine , but this is a 10 minute fix with two jubilee clips.

Buy a manual at all costs , and look for a nice fat folder full of history , doesn't necessarily have to be main dealer , just evidence to show it has been looked after.

 

[npuk]

Bert Rowe's-mercedes-Benz 'A'-class information. Purchasing a used 'A' Class

 

[Sonny Burnett]

Agreed with the above. If someone is knocking it , ask if they have actually owned one.

I used to slate them until we actually bought one , and now i love it.

Be wary of the semi autos and the autos , the gearboxes generally are time bombs.

MAS is fixable for £220 ish and is guaranteed for 2 years which is a whole year longer than a brand new ( £1500 ) part from MB.

Steering racks / pumps can be noisy , but never actually fail.

Central locking pumps can fail because the rear screen wash hose pops off and fills the boot up with water ( where the pump lives )

Fuel leaks round the tank neck are fairly common but most will have been done under warranty. Other fuel leaks can occur at the two flexi hoses at the back of the engine , but this is a 10 minute fix with two jubilee clips.

Buy a manual at all costs , and look for a nice fat folder full of history , doesn't necessarily have to be main dealer , just evidence to show it has been looked after.

sorry howard mate i wasent knocking it i cant its a mercedes, i did state it was a good car i have driven one.. a190! feels quicker than a c180 lol.

 

[A210AMG]

^ and our old A210 was quite nippy also.... 2.1 litre in an a class suprisingly good fun.

 

[219]

They are certainly very pleasant to drive - I remember test driving one wa-ay back at the original launch , but have no experience of actually owning one .

Where they score strongly over other models is the load space : with the back seats folded you effectively have a small van - this will be a big plus point for some people .

I too have heard the tales of mechanical unreliablilty , especially automatics , which is a shame as that puts me off getting one as a daily driver .

I'm also not so sure that DIY maintenance would be at all easy , due to the engine layout and that it apparently has to come out for a lot of jobs , again this puts me off as I like to do most of my own work .

 

[A210AMG]

^ true about DIY rom memory items like the starter motor is very awkard even the battery was under the drivers front mat.

Makes for a completely flat floor inside though and lots and lots of leg room (not kidding probably the same or not more than your SEL.....

You can also take the seats out in any combination to create almost a van,

As demonstrated in my Sister inlaws A170Cdi when our daughter was a little younger..