Mercedes c220d

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JCC

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Sunderland
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Peugeot
Hell all, new member here after a bit of advice.

I've always been interested in owning a Mercedes, and at present I'm finally thinking of taking the plunge and buying one. This is a big thing for me as all I've ever owned are Fords, Renaults and Peugeots. The Peugeots were the only diesels I've owned, the 2 I owned for a total of 14 years, with little bother.

There are two Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport Plus for sale near me. One has 71k on the clock, the other 77k, both are 2012 models. They are priced at £8500.

I am a bit cautious over the mileage as all the other cars I've bought have had a max of 40k on the clock. I was just after some advice whether these cars would be a good buy, or a money pit. I wish I had the finances to buy a newer one, but at the moment it's out of the question.

Cheers in advance for any replies (nice ones). John
 
The cars you are looking at are W204 Facelift C220 CDI (note that the C220d was only introduced in 2014 with the W205) with the OM651 2.1L 4-Cyl engine, and (if automatic) will have the 7G-Tronic+ transmission.

There are no particular issues with these cars, I would however say that:

1. Sadly any modern Diesel (not just MB) is a potential money-pit due to the complexity of the systems, especially things such as AdBlue, NOx sensors, DPF, HP fuel pump, injectors, swirl flaps, etc etc. The key is to ensure that the car is frequently driven long distances, e.g. motorways - because doing only short journeys with a cold engine can prove detrimental.

2. Then, it's a good idea to buy a car with full service history from a main dealer of reputable specialist, and personally, I would take out mechanical breakdown cover annually.

3. More specifically: (a) check that the engine gets to working temperature and stays there (80+ degrees), thermostat replacement can be costly, (b) listen for any rattling form the engine, especially when starting the engine from cold, this could be an indication of a failing timing chain, and (c) listen for knocks form the front suspension at full lock at parking speeds.

4. The car is fitted with Start/Stop technology. If it is not functional, it could mean a failing main or auxiliary battery.

5. Re Service history, a 2012 car should have had the following so far (assuming average annual mileage):

2013 - Service A
2014 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid
2015 - Service A, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)
2016 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid, Air Filer, Fuel Filter
2017 - Service A, ATF and Filter
2018 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)
2019 - Service A
2020 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid, Air Filer, Fuel Filter

Then:
2021 - Service A, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)
2022 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid, ATF and Filter
 
Thanks for the reply. I don't really do that many long journeys, but pre covid I averaged about 13 to 14k per year.

Would the petrol version of this car be a better choice?
 
Thanks for the reply. I don't really do that many long journeys, but pre covid I averaged about 13 to 14k per year.

Would the petrol version of this car be a better choice?

It will be less frugal, obviously, but less likely to suffer from the ill-effects of low annual mileage, and will likely be cheaper (Diesels typically command high prices).

However, in this case, make sure that the car (C180) will have the newer M274 engine, introduced on mid-2012, and not the older M271 engine which has poor reputation for premature timing chain failure.

The only common issue with the M274 engine is failing thermostat, so make sure the car reached 80+ degrees quickly.
 
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The service history for a petrol car will be slightly different:

2013 - Service A
2014 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid
2015 - Service A, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)
2016 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid, Air Filer, Spark Plugs
2017 - Service A, ATF and Filter
2018 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)
2019 - Service A
2020 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid, Air Filer, Spark Plugs

Then:
2021 - Service A, pano roof lubrication (if fitted)
2022 - Service B including pollen filter, Brake Fluid, ATF and Filter
 
When looking at a W204 of this age and mileage you MUST get the rear subframe properly inspected for corrosion/cracks. Do not rely on a recent MOT certificate.

More than a few 'nice and shiny' 204's have been scrapped or expensively repaired due to poor quality rear sub frames.

Unfortunately the problem does not seem to follow a set pattern, some high milers are fine when some with much less mileage fail . Bit of a lottery. But check it for peace of mind.
 
Maybe another option is to look at a slightly older pre facelift 204 like mine (facelift is MY2011 on) and avoid ad-blue and start-stop problems 'cos it has neither! My 2008 S204(estate) C220Cdi had 64k on the clock when I bought it in 2012 and now has 112k done, no major problems in 9 years, just routine servicing, tyres and brakes.
 
Cheers for all the replies and info.

I'll take it on board, my only issue is checking things like the subframe as I'm not mechanical minded.
 

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