Have I done the right thing?

[SSBB]

I've put a deposit on a C250TD estate (98 R) at a dealers. He let me drive the car unacompanied and it was lovely, very smooth and everything works. The thing is, its done 131,000 miles and has no history other than a sheet printed from a dealers computer and the last service receipt! The wheel arches are showing signs of rust, as is the key hole for the boot. The engine smells of diesel but appears cleanish. Other than that I couldnt see anything wrong. The car is £6000.
I know nothing about these cars, it will be my first mercedes and its going to france and back this summer with every inch filled with people and their luggage. My guts are churning!! its going to take me four years to pay for it so I dont want to make a mistake.
Can anyone give me any advice....please...good or bad, I'd rather lose my deposit than buy a lemon.
Shane

 

[Brian WH]

I've put a deposit on a C250TD estate (98 R) at a dealers. He let me drive the car unacompanied and it was lovely, very smooth and everything works. The thing is, its done 131,000 miles and has no history other than a sheet printed from a dealers computer and the last service receipt! The wheel arches are showing signs of rust, as is the key hole for the boot. The engine smells of diesel but appears cleanish. Other than that I couldnt see anything wrong. The car is £6000.
I know nothing about these cars, it will be my first mercedes and its going to france and back this summer with every inch filled with people and their luggage. My guts are churning!! its going to take me four years to pay for it so I dont want to make a mistake.
Can anyone give me any advice....please...good or bad, I'd rather lose my deposit than buy a lemon.
Shane

What warrantee are they giving you, if any, should give you something from a Dealer. Are they servicing it for you first?

Mileage should not be a problem if it has been properly maintained by a dealer. What does the record sheet show? Are you able to check with the previous owner about mileage and service?

Lots of question I know but this is what you should be looking at.

 

[Mambo]

...sheet printed from a dealers computer and the last service receipt!

What does this sheet have on it, is it from a Benz Dealer?

 

[SSBB]

The sheet doesnt appear to be from a MB dealer, but at the end it states 'Contract ended' so I guess its been a company car, It just lists things that have been changed, like windscreen wiper blades, bulbs etc.
The dealer is Sales assistance in Mansfield and will only give 30 days warranty, but will sell me two years for £400

 

[Mambo]

The sheet doesnt appear to be from a MB dealer, but at the end it states 'Contract ended' so I guess its been a company car, It just lists things that have been changed, like windscreen wiper blades, bulbs etc.
The dealer is Sales assistance in Mansfield and will only give 30 days warranty, but will sell me two years for £400

Do you know where the car was serviced? If you call up the garage and ask nicely they will provide you with the details of when the car was brought it.....

 

[Brian WH]

The sheet doesnt appear to be from a MB dealer, but at the end it states 'Contract ended' so I guess its been a company car, It just lists things that have been changed, like windscreen wiper blades, bulbs etc.
The dealer is Sales assistance in Mansfield and will only give 30 days warranty, but will sell me two years for £400

If it has been a company lease, then that is good news because it will have at least been regularily maintained in accordance with the schedule. I am surprised the list does not show the services as well. My old lease car showed all records. Is there anything big on the list, like injectors or fuel pump etc.

What has happened to the service book? Unusual for a Lease car not to have one? I would insist that it was serviced before delivery as you can argue the records are incomplete.

 

[SSBB]

I've a friend who owns an engine building business, I'm going to try to bribe him to come and have a look with me tomorrow and I'll ask some more detailed questions.
Thanks to all for helping

 

[jimmy]

I am surprised that a MB dealer would be selling that age of car with no service history, that sort of mileage and that sort of condition. To me it sounds a bit steep for the description.

The mileage should not be a problem but I would want some sort of history. If the engine smells of diesel then there is a cause and a fault. The rusty tailgate is common, lots of people here have had them replaced under warranty, mine cost MB the thick end of £1500 to fix, they also wanted £800 to replace the front wing!!!!

Apart from that, the C250TD is a nice and reliable motor.

 

[willy]

I would not touch a car without service history or something to prove that the mileage is correct. Mercs take their mileage very well and they can be easily clocked. It will also affect the value when you come to sell the car.

 

[grasmere]

but will sell me two years for £400

Ask for written details as to what this £400 covers over two years.

Then make sure you know exactly what it WILL NOT cover.

It may be good but you need to know . . .

 

[mark.t]

I've put a deposit on a C250TD estate (98 R) at a dealers. He let me drive the car unacompanied and it was lovely, very smooth and everything works. The thing is, its done 131,000 miles and has no history other than a sheet printed from a dealers computer and the last service receipt! The wheel arches are showing signs of rust, as is the key hole for the boot. The engine smells of diesel but appears cleanish. Other than that I couldnt see anything wrong. The car is £6000.

Shane

£6000 seams a bit much without a warranty if it is from a M.B dealer then it would be approved used ....might have to be tough on your self they are a very good car try not to be swayed if suspect its a lemon because once you sign it yours good times and bad .....

 

[SSBB]

I now have a double turmoil. I received a phone call from a friend this afternoon, there is a C180 nearby, 82,000m, one owner and full MBSH, with all documents present and correct 1998 S, elegance model, £5495. The engine looks as if it just came off the titanic (white and furry) but I started it up and it sounds perfect, not a rattle. I had set my heart on a diesel estate but now Im confused. The one thing I am sure of, is that I desperately want to own a Mercedes.
Help.....

 

[Will]

I wouldn't rush into anything too quickly - this is where mistakes can be made.

The C250TD is a world apart from a C180, in terms of power, smoothness and what it is worth. Remember that a properly looked after C250TD should outlive its 1800cc petrol counterpart.

The diesel combined with the estate body should be a smart, reliable and economical car, and should also hold its value better than the C180.

If you like the car then perhaps have it inspected. If the inspection reveals serious faults then either ask the vendor to repair the car before the transaction is completed or ask for the deposit back? As a bona fide motor trader the vehicle must be of a certain standard if it is being retailed for sale.

I would personally look at some of the other C250TD estates around to get a broader view of what to expect for your money.

Good luck whatever you choose.

Will

 

[Bernie Cook]

I recommend that before purchasing you should have a HPI check done on this car. For a full search, you'll need the VIN number, number plate index, V5 cert number and the MOT serial number.

With the VIN number visit the MB Russian web-site to get full details of the vehicle as it left the factory.

Get hold of the address/telephone number of the previous owner to discuss your impending purchase.

I did all the above before letting my money go on my recent purchase.

View more than one C250TD before making up your mind.

 

[SSBB]

Will,
Thanks for your welcome advice. I've been looking for one of these for about two months and they seem to be as rare as hens teeth! I've seen a similar car on autotrader, same year, spec and colour etc. for the same money, only when I phoned, it had done 199,000 miles.
The dealer for my car advertised it as 100k and full history. When I reminded him of the advert (Its done 131K and a photocopy of a dealers printout was the history) he went straight into sales mode, and I quote. 'well if you dont get half a million miles out of it.........'
I'll have another look at it tommorow and make my mind up!

Shane

 

[SSBB]

Thanks Bernie,
Do you know the address of the russian website.
shane

 

[grasmere]

russian VIN website

 

[LazyBob]

Get the VIN number and get a car check from carwatchuk.com, the AA and any number of other online sources. If the seller won't give you the VIN walk away WITH your deposit. Check first which ones cover you for dud info if you have the VIN.

The car is unlikely to be a lemon as it's already managed 130K but the V5 will tell you if it's all been with the one owner or with twenty who have all had it for six months and couldn't wait to shift it.

Don't lose your deposit if you decide not to buy. Deposits are a security against the seller selling the car while you are finding out if it is good or bad, it's not a contract (unless you signed one that stipulated that it was part payment). If you don't want the car and the seller won't refund your deposit visit a legal advisor (free ones like trading standards are fine for this stuff).

Traders have legal obligations particularly to tell you the truth if you ask. So make sure you ask if they know it's history, owners, mileage, accidents, repairs, servicing and most importantly defaults - they MUST tell you if they know of any.

As pointed out by Will, don't buy a car with your heart, buy it with your head - there are loads of these cars about.

Good Luck

 

[Will]

Thanks Bernie,
Do you know the address of the russian website.
shane

Hi Shane,

The link to the Russian site is here:

Link

Regarding the trader, it does not sound to me like a 'proper' dealer.

What I mean is, from the sound of it the car was not well presented (ie, paint defects, diesel leaks etc). This does sound as though they have not bothered doing much, if anything, to the car before sale - hence they are just after a fast buck.

If I was buying a car in 'trade' condition, I would wan't to pay pretty much trade money. If he is asking the retail price then it is overpriced IMHO.

Depending on your knowledge/skills, buying cheap cars has it's advantages, but you could well end up with an 'expensive' cheap car in the long run!

Regarding the mileage, another cheeky dodgy traders trick. The tell you it has done '100K mate!', just to get you viewing the car.

They know that they can probably fob you off later - this to me sounds like that they are not bothered about their customers and any problems you encounter would no doubt be difficult to get them to resolve.

I don't know how much you put down as deposit, and the car could very well be ok, but I just have a bit of a bad feeling about it just hearing the few details that you provided.

1-2 months looking for a car is nothing compared to the four years (or more) that you intend to keep it for. Buy the right car first time and reap the rewards in the long run.

Again, good luck!

Will

 

[Will]

Oh, just to add that if it genuinely is a dog, you could probably easily get your deposit back as the advertisement is surely a misdescription of the vehicle (100K miles mate! )

Will