Tracing service history

[markymark1]

Hi recently purchased a 1997 C230 with 56,000m and full history, but the dealer cannot find the service documents or hand book since they moved to new larger premises.
I have no reason to beleive that the mileage is incorrect by the way the seats/pedal wear is like new and was told that it was owned by an old boy.
I found a newspaper in the spare wheel carrier dated june 1999 so would assume he had it from then, as the dealer taxed the car for me and i am still awaiting the documents from the DVLA i cannot check.
Can the service history be checked ie like a Ford as they have a national database and can check all this info even the dealer.
Regards Mark

 

[whitenemesis]

Yes the MB dealer will be able to check via the database

 

[markymark1]

Hi was unsure as i rang a a few dealers and they said that they were not on a national database but MB was updating there systems to enable this and the only way would be to contact the dealer who has been servicing the vehicle.
This kind of defeats the object if you do not know.
Regards Mark

 

[grober]

you can request the MOT history here. This might help. http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/ that should give you the last couple of MOT cert records including mileage reading and the name of testing station which might give the dealers identity also? you need the reg number and a MOT TEST reference number or the V5 DOCUMENT reference number.

edit:-You will probably have to contact the previous owner when you get his name from the DVLA documents-he should be able to tell you where the dealer services were done. They should be able to print out a summary for you----- if such a service history does exist of course?

 

[jeremytaylor]

the only way would be to contact the dealer who has been servicing the vehicle.

Depends on the dealer. I know which dealer did all the servicing on our CLK and wanted more info (copies of invoices) which they wouldn't give because of Data Protection Act b****x.

 

[jaymanek]

ring up any dealer and they will tell you where is been serviced recently.. They wont be able to tell you anything before around 2002 as they had a complete upgrade and old service data is no longer readily available.

 

[neilrr]

Ah, the old "FMBSH but we lost it" routine.

If you can't see it then it doesn't & maybe didn't exist.

Call the old boy who was a long term owner & ask him all about it. It may be that it was serviced properly & you can get / buy copies of the invoices from the servicing place. You can certainly use the lack of history as a bargaining chip to hammer the price, as whoever buys it when you eventually sell will do to you. If you get lucky &, with the help of the previous owner, get the history you'll have a bargain.

 

[Sp!ke]

the guy that I sold my W123 to managed to get the service history of the car going right back to 1982.

He said he rang MB customer services in Holland and was told to put the request in writing, including proof of ownership. Mercedes then sent him a computer printout of everything that they had record of which seemed to include most if not all services going way back, probably before computerisation.