Hello, I am new to MB and I am in the market for a C43 wagon. There's a well-optioned one for sale that I really like with 76,000 km.

Thing is, I looked at the service history and the first recorded oil change was at 25,000 km with the next at 40,000 km. There is no recorded service history after that (roughly half of the car's lifespan unrecorded). There is also no recorded brake fluid change.

I have been doing lots of research into the C43 and I know the recommended OCI is roughly 8,000 km, and brake fluid is recommended every other service.

With these facts in mind, would the car I'm looking at be a hard pass, or are there specific things relating to this circumstance that I should check when viewing the car? Also, is there anything else I'm missing that is important to consider?


I appreciate any help or input

 

This is Canada right? If so, unfortunately MB Canada 's interval for this model was 20,000 KMs or every year whichever comes first for earlier model years until later they changed it to 15,000 KMs. So the previous operator was just following guidelines. So the only thing you can do is take the engine oil and send it to a lab to do analysis but obviously that takes time and you need to buy the car first. The least you can do is test drive and ask for a PPI, pre-purchase inspection.

 

Thank you for the quick reply, I should have mentioned that I am looking at a 2020 model year, did the interval recommendation change with the 2019 facelift by any chance?

Also, would you happen to know what the common consequences are for going this long without a brake fluid change? Is long-term damage possible, or is it fine if I just do a flush shortly after purchasing the car?

 

Don't worry about the brake fluid at all. Get it flushed when you can, no damage done. If there is too much moisture the brakes would be affected but that is unlikely. Are you sure that there are no other service records? Maybe service recorded on paper from independent stations? You may be due for plugs and transmission fluid shortly. Get mercedes familiar mechanic to inspect to minimize surprises.

 

Thank you for the advice on the brakes, that brings peace of mind. I have only looked at online service records so far, but I will ask about any potential physical records when I go to view the car. I am also very much considering a PPI, but I am unsure whether I should do that or just get a 3rd party to independently verify the safety certification at the time of purchase.

The things I am planning to check when viewing the car are: pano roof, cam adjuster solenoids and sensors, timing cover, coolant thermostat inlet, engine noise to listen for waste gate actuator valve, and consistency of shifts through all gears.

The reason I say this is because I don't want to spend the money just for them to tell me I need pigtails for the cam adjuster, and an independent safety inspection would catch major issues, like something with the braking system.

I really appreciate this forum's patience with me, as I have never owned a European car up until this point.

 

I am no mechanic but things that come to mind include: brake and tire wear, condition of ball joints, cv boots, bushings, compression check, inspect for leaks, scan codes, battery condition, evidence of body damage, accident. Belt condition. Road test. If there is a problem you can negotiate price downward.

 

This is a very helpful list, thank you

 

If for Canada the change happened around 2019 so 20K to 15K was the change. Sorry for the late reply, I don't go on the forums or if I do go on I won't stick as long as before I did in the past anymore, I just happened to see your thread when I did go on. Looks like other forum members gave you solid advice. Good luck with the purchase.

 

Canada market dealerships can't pull the VMI (vehicle master inquiry) due to them citing confidentiality reasons but if you manage to get a copy, it has all the info you need on service records and recall done at a MB dealership.

 

I did not know about Mercedes VMI until now, I appreciate the information!

 

You're welcome : )