YOgun27

I am contemplating buying a 2005 C55 AMG with around 64K miles on it, for around $16,000 (good price?), from a private seller. I will be going to take a look at the car in person. What should I be looking for other than obvious nicks in deciding if it's a good car to buy?
I've browsed the forum, and read about leaky gaskets at that mileage, but everything with the car's maintenance is said to be up to date. As a non-mechanic, what should I be looking for, and what questions should I ask? (This is my first real car purchase ever, if you can't tell, haha. Thanks!)

Chedeng88

Given your background, your safest bet is to do a pre-purchase inspection at your local MBZ dealer. They'll spot all current and potential issues with the car. You can also inspect the car yourself when they lift it up, so you can see any suspension/rust problems. They'll also give your a printout of the car's history. ~$100 well worth it.

Project

Price sounds ok ...make a dealer look at it

YOgun27

I just called the local MB dealership where the car is located, and they said that a pre-purchase inspection costs $360. Does that sound about right, or too much? Any other suggestions?

whatthecrunchyo

To me this price seems pretty low. Sounds like you are getting a good deal if the car is in great shape. Just one year ago I bought my 2005 with 38k for $23,000. Now I have about 50k miles and I still think I could get $19,000-20,000 easily. Prices also depend on what area you are in though.

Chedeng88

Wow where's this?! That's about three times what I paid for mine.

YOgun27

Mercedes Benz of Massepequa, NY. I thought that sounded a little unreasonable. Does anyone know of any good Mercedes pre-purchase inspection places in Long Island, NY or even in the city?

YOgun27

A little more specific information on the C55 I'm potentially buying. It has 69xxx miles, and I can get it for around $15,750. It was bought certified pre-owned from MB dealership, and still has a warranty until March 2012. On it's face, does this look like a good deal? I'm still trying to decide on the pre-purchase inspection as well.

loudandheard

If it has a starmarked warranty, I would say go for it. Any problems the car has should be taken care of by warranty. I would inspect the body for any signs of repair and see about checking the carfax for anything unusual. That's a great deal and the warranty is a big plus.

YOgun27

So I am scheduled to look at and purchase the C55 next week. Here are the final specs: 69,xxx miles, $16,000, with a Fidelity Platinum Coverage warranty until Aug. 2012 or 86,754 miles. I scheduled a pre-purchase inspection for ($140/tax) to fully examine the car. Other than wear and tear, what else should I be looking for outside of the inspection? Finally does this look like a good deal? I'm about to purchase and need the forum's help!

AMGnut88

i paid 16,900 for my girl back in july with 83K so its def a good deal if everything ends up being kosher, if i read the posts correctly your a NYer? when you get on the road you gotta join our AMG of the northeast club, we have 4 C55's in it and another one would be phenominal. personally id check how the tranny shifts and that all is good.

Nachtsturm

Price is good. You couldn't get anything near that in Chicago. Last C55 that went up for sale in my area had 55k on it and they were asking 27,900.

In regards to the PPI....

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk55-amg...nspection.html

joeljp

Gee you guys have it good in the land of milk and honey! The same car would cost $60k here in Australia and our dollar is stronger than yours. How does that work?

Mark.D

I would be wary of a Fidelity warranty. Its not factory backed, and in my opinion, not worth too much.

DuaneC63

This is a pretty bullet proof car. If all the maintenance records are available, a pre purchase inspection and carfax should put your mind at ease regarding anything that is not obvious. Then enjoy it. It's one of the most stealth and overlooked AMG's. Mine had 50k on it a few years back when it got totalled. Insurance paid $30k for it. So $16K sounds like a good price.

YOgun27

So I went to the MB dealership for a pre-purchase inspection, which was great advice by the way. The exterior looked pretty good, minus chipping on one rim. Under the hood/car, the dealer found some substantial problems listed here (parts/labor on pricing):
1) Motor Mounts & Tranny Mounts: $1,357.38
2) Rear Diff Reseal: $1,588.47
3) Right Valve Cover Gasket Leaking: $570.74
4) Rear Main Seal: $2,274.87
5) Poly V-Belt: $237.51
6) Brake 50% (Front Rotors Scored): $1,275.69
7) Spark Plugs: $1,570.75
8) Nav Disc Update: $249.99
9) Left/Right Marker Bulbs: $50.36
(Parts Total: $2,701.62 Grand Total: $8,925.77)

The first four listed problems are covered under the Fidelity Warranty. #5, the Poly V-Belt will be covered at the seller's costs. I'm going to try and negotiate part of the brakes and/or spark plugs, in reducing the asking price of $16,000. What price should I ask for in total, given the problems above? Is it still worth it to buy this car?

Chedeng88

Test drive it, feel and listen if something is not right. If there are no weird sounds or vibrations and if all electronics are functioning properly, you can go for it since the warranty will cover items 1-4 anyway. The issues they found really usually show up at that mileage if everything's still original, and it doesn't really mean that the car has been abused or neglected.

Use the inspection findings to your advantage and negotiate the price as low as you can.

If I were in your shoes though, I will just have the warranty covered stuff done at the stealership and the rest at a reputable indy shop (preferably with a MBZ tech) and order the parts online.

The marker bulbs you can easily DIY.

As for the NAV disc, I just got a 2008 version for $23 from Ebay a few weeks ago.

loudandheard

You could easily do the last 5 on your own and save 3k.

Mark.D

So the dealer wants repairs worth 50% of the asking price?

Just a little bit of advice: Its a $60k car. Just because you get it for $16k doesn't mean its going to cost the same amount of money to maintain as a $16k car...........

Oh and make damn sure your aftermarket warranty will transfer between owners, and also cover all of the items listed. Many "comprehensive" warranties only cover certain items. Additionally, there is a good chance the warranty company is going to claim "normal wear and tear" for approx. half of the items listed above....

aussie e55

last week paid aus. $850 to have 2 motor mounts & 1 tran. mount supplied & fitted was told whole exhaust system had to b dropped.

AMGnut88

damn near all of that you can do yourself man,hell if you live on LI i can get some other C55 owners and we can help you knock that stuff out in a weekend.

YOgun27

Thanks for the generous offer! I'm actually located in MD, and went to LI to see/inspect the car. I decided to leave it at the dealership now, to take care of the problems under warranty.

However, do you know of anyone with a recent Navigation update DVD in the LI area? I would be willing to pay to buy or rent it. I'll be in LI next Wednesday to hopefully pick up the car. I'm also looking for clear headers if you know where I can get those. I'm a mod novice. Shoot me a pm!

YOgun27

The aftermarket warranty is transferable. But just to be safe, I didn't buy the car yesterday, and so the seller is taking care of the repairs while the warranty is still in their name. I figured not to risk the hassle, and just have everything done before I buy the car and warranty. So we'll see how it plays out next week.

nladam12

I have a warranty on mine as well, and trust me it has saved me thousands! And now it might save me a few more lol my battery keeps draining over night so I'm bringing it to the dealership.

Adam

C43AMG

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