High Mileage C Class .. Yay or Nay

[Rory]

The current MOT detailed just 2 advisories. Child seat fitted to rear and a tyre close to the limit. The MOT the year before just 2 advisories both tyres close to legal limit.

See the car has gone now, but just on this point I've seen a couple of W203's recently with pretty well nothing in their MOT histories. Mine gets the most horrendous list every year from the indie who looks after it! It seems like everything underneath is rusty and worn.

Mine is just about the hit 100K miles, I've had it since 5mths old, and it's had everything it's ever needed. No visible rust on the outside (touch wood ). As it's an estate it was built in Germany.

I can't believe my car could be so much worse than others - or, the other way around, that these cars would be much better than mine. MOT testers must work to extremely different standards.

 

[JamRocky]

See the car has gone now, but just on this point I've seen a couple of W203's recently with pretty well nothing in their MOT histories. Mine gets the most horrendous list every year from the indie who looks after it! It seems like everything underneath is rusty and worn.

Mine is just about the hit 100K miles, I've had it since 5mths old, and it's had everything it's ever needed. No visible rust on the outside (touch wood ). As it's an estate it was built in Germany.

I can't believe my car could be so much worse than others - or, the other way around, that these cars would be much better than mine. MOT testers must work to extremely different standards.

Totally understand this and on that point isn’t it very convenient that a lot of dealers selling cars online say “New MOT no advisories” and the year before it had a list of advisories and no work has been carried out! These dealers sure do have the magic touch for getting MOT’s with no advisories!

 

[DrNick]

As you've probably realised by now, high mileage is not necessarily a problem and buy on condition. I bought a 4-5 year old (can't remember now!) E class diesel with 400,000 miles on it and it was in incredibly good condition inside. The MBTex fake leather trim was unmarked and it drove really well, and did so for another 75000 miles before I sold it. The condition of the outside was a different story though. It rusted. More like dissolved. MB replaced all 4 doors and the tailgate under the rust warranty, but the rust then started elsewhere. I replaced it with another (this time low mileage, MB serviced and looked after 6 yr old E class) and that started to rust as well. Take home from this is that both low and high mileage cars can rust if its a feature built into the model.
So 100,000 miles in three years is not unusual, 100,000 in a year is more so but to even get near that mileage it must have been spending most of every day on the motorway so was operating in very benign conditions! Servicing must have been like a pitstop, while the driver had lunch (it was effectively a taxi)

 

[m80]

Assuming you're still looking,
the 646 engine is a solid reliable lump.
Some had a DPF as an option, that would cause me to leave it. To know you either need the VIN to look for a 474 code, crawl under to inspect the exhaust, or be familiar with the co2 rating. By comparison it can be seen that the non DPF's will have lower co2.

Emissions are what's going to see many cars going scrap wise. It might drive loverly but if come MOT it fails on that alone the diagnostics and remedies (or even the attempt) might not be worth the risk. The last MOT emissions result is of value there, and compare that to the what is allowed 'for that particular car'.

I would suggest looking for the 211 E Class. A better car, more goodies as standard, and better made.

Really if it's dirt cheap it 'might' be worth taking a punt on as we never know what we've bought until we've had it for a while.

 

[Blobsta]

172k? I thought you said it was high mileage. My CLK 270 CDI went in the scrappage scheme for a Golf GTE after my friend had owned it for a couple of years (I am talking to him again now ). That had 190+k on it at that time and I ran it from about 100-180k in almost 4 years. It was brilliant, the water pump failed on it and that was the only thing of any real note. To be fair to that water pump, I was in Bristol on a Friday morning and wondered what the noise was, opened the bonnet and could see the bearing failure and slight weep through the middle. I closed the bonnet and pretended I hadn't seen it, filled some bottles with water and decided to see how close I could get to Maidstone before I needed recovery. Checking the temp gauge every few seconds of a very gently drive up the M4 and nursed it all the way home! Great cars, great engines and they will look after you if you treat them right (and in some cases even if you don't).

I currently part own a Volvo V70 with 380k on the clock so mileage isn't something that intimidates me.

 

[JamRocky]

As you've probably realised by now, high mileage is not necessarily a problem and buy on condition. I bought a 4-5 year old (can't remember now!) E class diesel with 400,000 miles on it and it was in incredibly good condition inside. The MBTex fake leather trim was unmarked and it drove really well, and did so for another 75000 miles before I sold it. The condition of the outside was a different story though. It rusted. More like dissolved. MB replaced all 4 doors and the tailgate under the rust warranty, but the rust then started elsewhere. I replaced it with another (this time low mileage, MB serviced and looked after 6 yr old E class) and that started to rust as well. Take home from this is that both low and high mileage cars can rust if its a feature built into the model.
So 100,000 miles in three years is not unusual, 100,000 in a year is more so but to even get near that mileage it must have been spending most of every day on the motorway so was operating in very benign conditions! Servicing must have been like a pitstop, while the driver had lunch (it was effectively a taxi)

Thank you for the info! I will keep looking for another one!

 

[JamRocky]

Assuming you're still looking,
the 646 engine is a solid reliable lump.
Some had a DPF as an option, that would cause me to leave it. To know you either need the VIN to look for a 474 code, crawl under to inspect the exhaust, or be familiar with the co2 rating. By comparison it can be seen that the non DPF's will have lower co2.

Emissions are what's going to see many cars going scrap wise. It might drive loverly but if come MOT it fails on that alone the diagnostics and remedies (or even the attempt) might not be worth the risk. The last MOT emissions result is of value there, and compare that to the what is allowed 'for that particular car'.

I would suggest looking for the 211 E Class. A better car, more goodies as standard, and better made.

Really if it's dirt cheap it 'might' be worth taking a punt on as we never know what we've bought until we've had it for a while.

There’s quite few very cheaply priced high(ish) mileage E Class knocking about. Most with full MOT’s and good history. I was just skeptical as they seem so much car for the money!

 

[JamRocky]

172k? I thought you said it was high mileage. My CLK 270 CDI went in the scrappage scheme for a Golf GTE after my friend had owned it for a couple of years (I am talking to him again now ). That had 190+k on it at that time and I ran it from about 100-180k in almost 4 years. It was brilliant, the water pump failed on it and that was the only thing of any real note. To be fair to that water pump, I was in Bristol on a Friday morning and wondered what the noise was, opened the bonnet and could see the bearing failure and slight weep through the middle. I closed the bonnet and pretended I hadn't seen it, filled some bottles with water and decided to see how close I could get to Maidstone before I needed recovery. Checking the temp gauge every few seconds of a very gently drive up the M4 and nursed it all the way home! Great cars, great engines and they will look after you if you treat them right (and in some cases even if you don't).

I currently part own a Volvo V70 with 380k on the clock so mileage isn't something that intimidates me.

Wow! Very encouraging!

 

[merc estate]

Happy hunting when you find something stick a picture up and complete the story.

 

[Seanalf]

Thank you! Very handy. Oddly for W203 no visible rust on the arches either. Could possibly be a few scabs inside the lip, but just not a single obvious thing. That is what is puzzling about this car. Even with the interior. If someone told me it was a 100k car I wouldn’t bat an eyelid and I’ve seen a few recently with 50k+ less miles on the clock looking a lot worse. Also, MOT’s with advisories as long as your arm, but not so with this. A risk I’m sure, but how on earth does a car do 108k miles in the first 3 years. A taxi perhaps. Anyway, thank you for your generous reply!

If it was a taxi, the MOT would be every 6 month from new as I remember

 

[ToeKnee]

If it was a taxi, the MOT would be every 6 month from new as I remember

A lot of councils had exemption from DVLA for their licenced taxis/phv to have no not as long as they had a certificate of compliance twice a year, it wasn't registered anywhere except with the council (getting the taxi/phv taxed was a pain in the ass with no mot showing!) My local council has now done away with twice yearly inspections and gone back to a normal yearly mot.

 

[JamRocky]

Happy hunting when you find something stick a picture up and complete the story.

Long time, but I did find another car. A blue CL203 - C200 CDi Sports Coupe. Engine was not my first choice, but I bought this car with a 124k on the clock from a Mercedes Benz specialist. In blue with two tone leather interior and loaded with the goodies from the era on a 56 plate.
I bought it because it had 19 service stamps, a fresh service from the MB specialist. All new tyres. New MOT and all of the suspension components had been done in the last 24 months. It also had a hugely expensive gearbox recondition done by MB main dealer with warranty 3 years ago. It was such amazing value and the specialist could not have been more sympathetic and helpful. Even delivered it to my door.
It’s in really very good condition and it drives so very well. I replaced the battery and glow plugs on it and it has driven the past 8 months brilliantly. I love driving it. I’ve taken it on a few longer trips and while performance won’t blow you away it just eats up miles and you feel fine when you get there. Everything works on it. Air con, heated seats, electric mirrors, every function just works. So much car for so little money and just over £220 a year to insure fully comp with business miles and 3 license points. What can I say. It worked out well and hopefully it has a good bit of life left in it

 

[JamRocky]

Long time, but I did find another car. A blue CL203 - C200 CDi Sports Coupe. Engine was not my first choice, but I bought this car with a 124k on the clock from a Mercedes Benz specialist. In blue with two tone leather interior and loaded with the goodies from the era on a 56 plate.
I bought it because it had 19 service stamps, a fresh service from the MB specialist. All new tyres. New MOT and all of the suspension components had been done in the last 24 months. It also had a hugely expensive gearbox recondition done by MB main dealer with warranty 3 years ago. It was such amazing value and the specialist could not have been more sympathetic and helpful. Even delivered it to my door.
It’s in really very good condition and it drives so very well. I replaced the battery and glow plugs on it and it has driven the past 8 months brilliantly. I love driving it. I’ve taken it on a few longer trips and while performance won’t blow you away it just eats up miles and you feel fine when you get there. Everything works on it. Air con, heated seats, electric mirrors, every function just works. So much car for so little money and just over £220 a year to insure fully comp with business miles and 3 license points. What can I say. It worked out well and hopefully it has a good bit of life left in it

Here’s a couple of photos so you can see the old girl

 

[m80]

Nice,
if you want more performance a quality remap would make a significant difference.

 

[JamRocky]

Nice,
if you want more performance a quality remap would make a significant difference.

It’s not my first concern otherwise I wouldn’t have bought it, but having said that, if it didn’t damage the engine a bit more oomph would be nice!

 

[m80]

There are loads of generic maps available, and cheap.
Spending more for rolling road, and bespoke, is preferable for many.

What I would say is read and follow recommendations, reading between the lines of the recommendation so as not to get drawn in by a boy racer type satisfaction.

Where you are might make a difference as to who would be favourite to remap.
There is plenty of info here to read up on the subject as those threads seem to build rapidly.

I will remap mine when I've time.