Oshkoshbigjosh

I completely agree with this. I won't bother with his because of the risk. Purchasing yours also would have been an issue for me time wise as well and because you are almost across the country it would have been a hassle to go see the car and make a deal then purchase then wait for the car then register it etc. I thank you for offering it because man it would have been awesome to drive it knowing it was purchased from a knowledgable owner. Did you sell it locally?

Dasauto

Yes, sold locally which is cool as I'll get to see it on the road once in a while.

Morphh

It took me 6 months to find the c32 for me, I test drove 5 of them, and settle for low km, it has now 90,000km, but I have had a few electrcal issues I fixed myself which this forum is awesome for, turn signal fix for 20.00, seat battery drain fix for 1.00 yes one dollar, crank wobble fix for 400.00,
Then put pulley tune and intake and went 12.67 @ 110.89

ghenry

Yesterday-found power steering fluid leak. What a mess. The pump casing is leaking-- not the o-ring or shaft seal. Cleaned it up and took a 90 mile trip to find drips all over the bottom of the pump again.
Today- ordered parts which consists of the pump, tank o-ring, c-clip(spare) , new tank( new internal filter), high pressure banjo fitting seal rings.
I still like my R.

kramykram

You can buy mine. 65,xxx miles. Tv, subs, navigation, intake, bigger HE, 65mm pulley, new tires, just need to get them rims powdercoated black because the plastic dip sucked

ez53436

just one note on reliability of the c32: the reliability of these cars seems to depend more heavily on the care and preventative maintenance done as compared to other cars.

i have a c32 and a c320. the c320 is in okay condition for its age and mileage (2003, 180k). i have had five or six issues that i have had to fix myself since i bought it in june. if you know how to tackle these problems, it really isn't a big deal and i don't expect to see very many other problems in the future. these problems were a bad MAF sensor, a bad throttle position sensor, a bad secondary air pump check valve, and a couple of others i can't remember.

my c32 on the other hand was babied by both of its previous owners. the owner we bought it from, for example, only drove it on sundays and would wash it every sunday evening, even if it hadn't been driven that week. all parts and services were done by reputable mercedes indies, and cosmetically it was (and still is) in fantastic condition. i have had essentially zero problems with this car, and it still drives and looks brand new, inside and out (2002, 109k)

my point is - it seems that the owners who have really cared for their cars have been much "luckier" in their experiences than those who have not performed recommended maintenance on time, etc. so i think with performance cars of this age, the most important thing to look for is that the seller has kept the car pristine, inside and out. luckily, you generally don't have to pay THAT much of a premium for cars that are in MUCH better condition, you just have to either be patient or be in the market at the right time and in the right place. and it looks like dasauto's offer fits this description.

best of luck!

C230 Sport Coup

Is the C32 really all that much worse than other W203's?
Or is that people are not using the forum and DIY'ing the
PIA little problems, that if done yourself cost almost nothing to fix vs.
a dealer or MB indy mechanic taking you to the cleaners?

If you DIY or have a mechanic that's willing to install customer provided parts,
many parts can be had inexpensively used in good shape.
Yes, new is better, but for example I fixed a nagging ESP error (Which btw, I took it to the dealer under warranty multiple times, and it kept coming back so I don't think they ever fixed it) by replacing the yaw sensor for $40 off ebay, when new would cost $700.
I only knew that was the problem since I'd had the car in for something else with my Indy, and it showed on the DAS print out where the issue was. HE was the one that suggested I just buy the sensor and install myself. No coding required. Plug and play.
It was like 2 screws and one connector. No more error.
Got a used brake booster too for 50 bucks. Mine was hissing (leaking) like mad not able to pass smog, too lean.
New? Fuggetaboutit. I did pay to have it installed though on that one.

I fixed a non op steering wheels switch for the MFD (wouldn't have been able to reset the maint,. period if i hadn't) for NOTHING ZERO by resoldering a cold solder joint,
same with the IR sensors in the doors for the summer feature where you can open and close all the windows. Yes, all from the forums, here and benzworld.

So is it that the AMG crowd is afraid to get their hands dirty? Or something else?
I see one person here saying they did the $1 seat module fix. Kudos!
So what exactly are all these issues that are sooooooo frequent and make this the most unreliable car ever? And did you use a mechanic to fix them, or DIY?

I remember back in the day someone paid $2500 to have an alternator replaced on a c230. And didn't question it.
Will this person complain how unreliable there car is?
When the problem is with them to be so stupid as to pay this much for a simple repair and not pitch a fit with the mechanic!?
I pulled mine (takes 1/2 hour,) took it to an autoelectrics shop, had it completely rebuilt for $150 and reinstalled.

So whats the deal? What are all these issues with W203 AMG that one wouldn't encounter with it's non AMG brethren that make it so unreliable? Because if I see a nice C32 for a good price, I might buy it and I really want to know! I mean is it the air pump for the intercooler?
Valeo radiators? (this effected ALL models of that time period)
the optional features? What?

ez53436

^ very good point. i very much agree.

many repairs and even maintenance procedures i have had to do could have cost me thousands of dollars on both the c32 and the c320 if i had taken them to mercedes indies or even just regular shops. if you are resourceful and have some working knowledge of cars, electronics, tools, etc you should be able to tackle most problems on your own without breaking the bank or doing a janky job.

C230 Sport Coup

THe M112 engine is a very strong relaible engine, (no balance shaft issues like the M272! And I'd imagine the AMG version even better, stronger hand built and all) as is the 722.6 trans. and if he has all the maint. records, and the car has been maintained, including trans flushes and all the right fluids being used (VERY important) you could have a very nice car for cheap especially if it's not your daily driver.
I'd love to find something like this for driving on weekend.
Sounds like a motivated seller! Just have it checked out by a good mechanic.
The low price shouldn't automatically discourage you.
You gotta check those records. Is this car still around? Post a link please