Buying older A-class - what to look out for

[Andy663]

I'm thinking about buying a 1999 A-class A160, auto, avantegarde and have a few questions. It's done only 53K and has a full service history + 1 years MOT. The bodywork, interior and engine bay look clean.

1. When does the timing belt need changed?
2. How do I check the auto gearbox?
3. Is there anything else I should look out for?

thanks,
Andy

 

[npuk]

1. Mercedes use timing chains
2. Generally not recommended buying an automatic one, the auto and semi auto boxes are problematic, generally fail at about 50k.
3. Great site for all the info on the W168 and what to look for buying one is:Albert Rowe, Lofty's homepage

Also do a search on here as there have been many past threads on exactly the same topic.

 

[trapperjohn]

Andy, please don't buy an A Class auto. Grief waiting to happen.

Some people have no issues and love the car too many others end up staring into an empty wallet.

Welcome to the forum. Buy a C Class if you like Mercedes.

 

[Andy663]

That's very disappointing coming from a Mercedes, I would have expected excellent standards across the range. Do you know what percentage of auto boxes fail?

 

[trapperjohn]

Sorry to burst your bubble but its better than your wallet.

Sorry I don't have a percentage figure but if you click on "Search" in the tool bar at the top of this page and type in, A Class Gearbox, you will get a feeling what you were heading for.

 

[A210AMG]

Hello


I'm a happy A class owner, we had a faceifted A210 EVO in LWB for over 4 years and was great.

However when I was looking back then at buying one I found out...

1) Don't buy and auto or semi auto, they fail and can be £££
2) The full sunroof although nice can squeak / rattle
3) Starter motor is a pain (££) if it needs changing.
4) Try to get a faclifued (indicators in mirror model)

As I say ours was great the top of the range model and over 4 year cost very little to keep running.

The problem now is the early A class models are probably from £750 to a few grand. If things start going wrong then £400 here and there is a lot in relation to value of car. Quite a few I see now are also starting to look a little run down as they fall into the 'cheap' car area and perhaps not being looked after that well.

 

[removed]

Another happy A-Class owner here.

I actually have two, both auto and both have been problem-free.

The A190 in Nassau I imported myself from Japan, top spec, low mileage (so can still develop the auto gearbox problem in the future); the A160 I have here in the UK, is just a standard UK spec one, with almost 98k on the clock, so hopefully is going to be okay for a while.

 

[Henry D]

You need to look out for underbody corrosion on the oldest ones now,I've seen a couple that when the plastic underbody covers are removed have had quite corroded floors/inner sills.

 

[Andy663]

On average, after how many miles do the gearboxes tend to go?

 

[TheJoker]

I have an auto, which had its gearbox fixed for £2000 last May (around 70k miles), before I bought it. So obviously they do fail, however, there's no official percentages or such statistics. The failures always resound louder than the quiet trouble free owners.

 

[grober]

The A class is a very cleverly "packaged" vehicle. This makes it very safe and spacious for its size. The penalty for squeezing all this technology into a small space however is that repairs, when needed, tend to be expensive because of accessibility problems which increases labour costs. While this is not a problem while the car is under warranty or in the first flush of youth older cars invariably require repairs [ its almost inevitable whatever the make ] and this becomes a more significant factor in choosing what car to buy in that age group.

 

[Satch]

Not every one is going to be a dog, but this is what Honest John has to say:

NOT RECOMMENDED. MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT YOU DO NOT BUY A MK 1 A CLASS

A-Class 1998 | Mercedes-Benz | Car Reviews | Honest John

Can end up with repair costs that exceed the value of the car.

 

[jaymanek]

The auto boxes are simply terrible..

The fully manual cars are fine.. The Mass Air Flow sensors go faulty and cost a LOT but there are many companies repairing them now.

 

[dulayj]

Wife has A210 LWB Auto 52K -have had for 4 years -touch wood nothing major-ride is hard (sports suspension ) but has loads of room inside-also if you have a sunroof make sure it remains well greased and works.The auto is a known weak spot but not sure of the exact percentage that have failed ours again touch wood again is fine for a 2002 car!
Some very minor rust in rear wheel arches front has plastic wings!
Best source of info as others have pointed out is loftys site

 

[Howard]

Honest John is a donkey

Buy a manual , you'll be fine. Buy an auto and you will be bankrupt and stranded.

Not every one is going to be a dog, but this is what Honest John has to say:

NOT RECOMMENDED. MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT YOU DO NOT BUY A MK 1 A CLASS

A-Class 1998 | Mercedes-Benz | Car Reviews | Honest John

Can end up with repair costs that exceed the value of the car.

 

[Rory]

The OP was 3 weeks and he hasn't been back since.

 

[Howard]

Probably broken down in an auto A class !

 

[c55]

Hi Andy we have W168 ACS 170 Avantgarde, Great little car, extremely practical, massive load carrying capacity(all the seats out) and economical. Only issue is they ride very firm but that’s the price of MBs safety tweaks. If you are maintaining it yourself it’s not expensive.

Lots of miss-information around concerning the gearboxes so heres the facts

The w168 A class only ever came with Two Gearboxes Manual or Automatic - Nothing else! There is No Semi Automatic Gearbox W168.

Everyone knows the issues with the Automatic boxes but the Semi Automatic or (ACS/AKS) is not what is seems;

The ACS (AKS) - Automatic Clutch System commonly and mistakenly referred to as “Semi Automatic or Clutch Less” is neither.

It is 99.9% identical to the Manual W168. It has the same Manual gearbox, same Clutch Pressure Plate & the same Clutch Hydraulics. What it does NOT have is a Clutch Pedal in the interior.

Instead it has an extra box in the NS wing called an ACS module which is just an electric motor that operates a push rod connected to the clutch hydraulics – Disengaging & Engaging the clutch, when you move the manual gear stick.

It also has some electronic programming in the instrument panel telling you which manual gear has been selected N,1,2,3,4,5,R & (F for Failure)

You drive it just like a manual but you don't use your left foot.

ACS cars got a bad rap when the ACS module failed and the car wouldn’t go into gear. At the time MB quoted a £1000+ to replace the whole module. However you can replace the electric bushes yourself for less than the price of changing the bushes in your Bosch washing machine i.e. £35.00.

Apart from the above all other ACS related failures are identical to the Manual car. If the gear box won’t change form 4th to 5th chances are its the 20p MB plastic gearbox linkage that’s popped off.

In addition ACS cars can and have been converted to full manual.
Can't comment on the autos as never had one but would I buy another ACS car - absolutely!

Lots of Manuals & ACS cars around so take your time and choose the best

Hope this helps.

 

[c55]

 

[grober]

Your post makes very interesting reading and I congratulate you on how you manage to maintain your A class yourself. HOWEVER implicit in your post details are a willingness to don a boiler suit and get "down and dirty" with your A class plus an ability to strip and repair a complex vehicle electrical component. I would put it to you these are not necessarily abilities possessed by many A CLASS owners and many would rely on taking their car to their local garage or dare I mention it their local MB dealer. Now if they are lucky they will have a resourceful and knowledgeable mechanic who will be able to do as you suggest--- at a price --- but they may well have the experience of--- the fault 25= replace modules X through Y approach so prevalent now. Indeed at present labour rates plus VAT module replacement [ with a warranty] may be the cheaper option to strip and repair? I think the warnings about the high cost of running an old A class are based more on the more common scenario I have outlined rather than your very resourceful and knowledgeable approach.