Excellent Prepurchase inspection and a big Lemon

[diselsam]

Good evening

As some of you may know I am after a facelift E220 CDI. I identified one in Berkshire and put a deposit on it. I also asked the nice team of Mercanix who is in this area to run an inspection for me.

Michael and Andrew from Mercanix were the top from the initial booking to the actual inspection which was done today by Andrew.

The outcome was the following: the car I wanted was rated as one of the worst one being inspected recently. We are talking a 8 year old car here. This poor thing has been abused by its single previous owner to the brim: scratched paintwork, worn and torn interior, torn steering wheel stitches, misaligned rear bumper, deformed bottom of the trunk, broken fog light, broken turning indicator, leaking injector and black death, suspicious suspension.... This thing looked abused.

Michael and Andrew from Mercanix were fantastic and I want to give them a high praise and thank you!

I am looking for a Mercedes E220CDI, facelift after 2006. If somebody is selling or knows of a worthy car, please let me know.

Thank you

 

[diselsam]

According to the seller, the car is in an excellent and top condition. I am putting the link to the car so that you know and maybe learn that what you see might not be what it is.

I do not want this to turn into a pointing a finger at somebody exercise, think of it as a lesson. Here is the car:

2007/57 Mercedes-Benz E220 2.1 CDI Elegance Auto 4 Door Blue 156000 Miles | eBay

 

[diselsam]

These pictures from the inspection should give you the general idea of what I am talking about.

 

[diselsam]

And the black death ...

 

[nashy54]

Close shave, money well spent.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

It's listed as a part exchange to clear, it's eight year old and it's got 156,000 miles on the clock.

What exactly were you expecting for four and a half grand?

 

[abecketts]

It's listed as a part exchange to clear, it's eight year old and it's got 156,000 miles on the clock.

What exactly were you expecting for four and a half grand?

what he said

 

[diselsam]

SPX, please take a look at the pictures on ebay. How does it look to you? This was not evident. On top, the dealer was claiming the car being in excellent condition.

The team from Mercanix said this "it was like looking at a different car".

I posted in more than one post here that I am looking for a car up to around £5,500.

 

[carltonfc]

Excellent and top condition?

 

[diselsam]

Yes, they said it was in excellent condition on the telephone and in an email:


Sales <xxxx>
Oct 22 (6 days ago)

to me
Hi,

The vehicle is a one owner car, locally owned and never ever been involved in any accident, I have looked at the vehicle and inspected it for the irregular gaps that you mention and it has none, not sure what you were looking at but I can confirm the vehicle is in very, very good order through out.

Kind Regards.
xxx."

 

[Adrian5405]

Peoples idea of excellent vary so much

 

[diselsam]

As I said initially, take this as a lesson and do not rely on pictures/comments how excellent it is.

 

[Carrsey]

May just be me but I have learnt to take what the majority of sales men say with a very large pinch of salt.

If I was looking at a 8yr old motor with 156k I would be expecting a few bits to need attention..

 

[MWCLS]

Blimey money pit.. as said though for that money I wouldn't expect pristine. That brake rubber lol

 

[diselsam]

The miles are of absolutely no relevance here if the car is taken good care of. This car was abused. I have a ton of pictures taken of this car today and they all scream bad owner. If you see them you will think car is at least 50 years old.

 

[diselsam]

Is this what you have in a 8 year old car? What kind of an owner can you be?

 

[Red C220]

Is this what you have in a 8 year old car? What kind of an owner can you be?

To be quite frank, for a car advertised as "part exchange to clear" with 156,000 miles that's exactly what I'd expect to see.

In fact for an 8 year old car of that mileage it's probably not in bad nick.

I think the issue here is your unrealistic expectations.

I'm glad I'm not a used car dealer.

 

[Carrsey]

Miles = wear.

So yes mileage is very relevant..

 

[diselsam]

Miles are relevant but not so at this age of 8. We are not talking 20 years where you have rubber components deterioration in play. If a car is properly maintained it can go for many miles and Mercedes is famous for this.

 

[E55BOF]

It's a high mileage car, with wear where you would expect. The 'black death' apart, it seems to be reasonable for the mileage. You'll find better, and you'll certainly find worse too. I suggest the brake pedal wear is indicative of braking with the foot not square to the pedal, not of abuse.

That said, no entirely honest person should describe it as 'in very, very good order through out' without adding the rider 'for the mileage', and even then I'd not think it entirely accurate.

A used car dealer not being entirely truthful? Nah, surely not....