Hey everyone. My parents have always had Mercedes- for decades. They currently have an '84 300SD, 2008 ML, and an '82 300SD. I am into Mustangs- I have a 2007 shelby gt and a '65 coupe- completely modified.. My sister has a 2008 C300- those things are super nice!

I have a question for you C-class owners though- how fast should I run from a 2005 C240 with a salvage title? My neighbor of 9 years is selling EVERYTHING he owns and is moving to China. I have already bought a lot of tools and what not-- and he has a few cars for sale including the 240.

It's silver with 14000 miles and still has the bar code sticker on the driver side rear window, and also the airbag warning sticker on the console ashtray- I am assuming it was a dealer loaner car- I have driven plenty from Escondido MBZ and Fletcher Jones..

I know, I know.. Salvage.. It was hit in the front (don't know the severity..) and the hood, fenders, and bumper have all been repainted- the match is pretty good- about 8/10 (although silver isn't the easiest). Inside the engine bay, the shock towers look untouched- still the factory paint and sealant.. The engine looks good..

The tires are like new, the doors close perfectly, the windshield is factory, one of the front fog lamps is broken, and the interior just needs to be cleaned.. Easy stuff..

But, I have some concerns- when you first start the car, the SRS light comes on and says the car needs to be taken in for service. Also, the Check Engine light stays on. He said he would have those things checked at his mechanic for the new owner. Also, there is a leak- either PS or tranny- he said it was PS.. and that he would also have that fixed.

Regardless, we have an excellent mechanic in HB that can also fix those things..

My dad and I took the car for a spin (went about 70) and it tracked very well- hardly any pull. The tranny shifted perfectly, and everything else functioned as normal (AC, gauges, etc...). We took it home to write down the VIN and when I checked the engine again (while running), I noticed the harmonic balancer puller (the largest, in the center, next to the idler) was "wobbiling".. if that makes any sense. Although what is weird is that the engine runs perfectly smooth- even when revved.. I checked my Mom's ML and the balancer is perfect..

So, there are a few issues.. although he has been through a horrific divorce and hasn't had a chance to have them checked. I am going to talk to our mechanic tomorrow to get his opinion..

Here's the reason why I am asking- he wants $13000 for it.. and I am pretty sure I can get it for less.

Right now, I have 2 more years for my BA, and then law school- I need a commuter because law school will be about 24000 miles/year and I am certainly not driving the Shelby that much.. And, I will NEVER own an Asian car-- (Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Scion, NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)..

It's Ford or MBZ for me.. always! Plus, the little Benz is safe and gets good mileage.. Should I run from this one? Or drive it to Orange County (from Temecula) and have our mechanic check it out??

I would love to hear from all of you!

 

if is your neighbor then you should able to get a good deal out of him and you can trust

 

That's what I am thinking.. I just don't know how cheap I can get it.

I have already gotten a delta miter saw (new), workforce tile saw, ridgid finish nailer, and Magnum XR9 paint gun, all for $200.

The guy is honest- he just needs to get rid of everything, except for his 17 year old cat, to move to China..


I was totally going for the car until I checked the engine again and saw the balancer.

 

Run
Salvage voids warranty.

 

Pulley was prob bent in the wreck. Engine might be fine, or the bottom end casting is cracked. Leak might be engine oil from such a crack. Value for salvage title usually reduces value 60%, more or less. Figure worth at 7 to 9 K. I'd run the other way on an alternate transportation car with salvage title. Who needs that problem?

 

If it was salvage due to an accident, I wouldnt run right away. Ask to see pics so you can judge it for yourself....

However, it sounds like it has a lot of problems. If your getting leaks and the check engine light, I'd be concerned. That kind of thing should be fixed before being offered for sale. I would never buy a car that needed work. Tell him to have it working 100% then you'll buy it.

And if salvage title voids the warranty, I'd make him warranty the car for you for at least a few months. Draft up a document saying he'll pay for any repairs that come about in the next 90 days. That, or find a third party warranty company and purchase through them.

 

A salvage title means the insurance company has declared the car a total loss. This happens when the cost to repair a car exceeds a certain percentage of the car's value (often about 75%).

On an older car, that may not be too much damage. On a newer car, that could mean very substantial damage. Let us say the car was worth $24k at the time of the collision. It would have sustained over $18k worth of damage to be declared a total loss.

A couple other side issues. As mentioned previously, a salvage title pretty much voids any warranty. It also voids any insurability (except liability). The quality of the repair work is a key issue here. If the paint doesn't match, I would have doubts about the rest of the work. If a body shop is to make money on a salvage vehicle, it must do it for less than the insurance estimate. This means they must cut corners. Insurance claim settlements are usually not generous.

I would tread very carefully.

 

What is the VIN? Maybe I can pull up some pictures of it wrecked.

 

It's a Mercedes so it's not going to be anywhere near as realiable as your Mustang, even under the best circumstances. Combine that with known problems, then add in the salvage title, it's a going to be a great asset to your mechanic. Generally they are fairly reliable, the C240 motor is a detuned, destroked C320 motor and has been around for a long time. Doesn't sound like he's driven it much. Salvage just means the insurance company didn't want to deal with it so the value salavaged combined with the repair bills made it a better deal for the insurance company. Doesn't really have to be a total wreck. For example, say the car wholesales for $14K and the repair bill was $6K because it needed airbags, grill, bumper, hood, fenders, but not that badly damaged, maybe only a 20mph collision. Keep in mind, the insurance company in CA is bound to replace like for like and can't substitute parts. Then the insurance company can dump it at a salvage auction for $10K. So it's easier for the insurance company to give your neighbor a check and not have to pay rental car, possibly find more damage once into the work and have an annoyed customer if something goes wrong. To me, the biggest downside is they repaired the car cheaply to make it worthwhile. For example, they probably used chinese/korean made body panels, salvage yard bits to get visually OK.