Looking at a 2012 C63 Coupe that has 214k on the clock. However, carfax shows that it was maintained every ~5k-12k miles - so that is reassuring.

What should I be on the lookout for? I know early years had headbolt issues. Do I still need to be concerned about worn cam lobes? Is there a tell tale sign they're worn from how it idles etc or is it really a you need to yank the valve covers and rockers and inspect the cams sort of deal?

 

There are no rockers, and you need to check the camgears if working properly.

 

I think you should check the cam adjuster plate wear and tappet wear.
In the case of the cam adjuster plate, it generates a rattling noise during cold start,
and even if there is no noise, it may be considerably worn.
If the tappet is severely worn, a chopping noise is generated, and if it continues in this state, camshaft wear may also occur.

 

Besides doing a set of cam adjuster plates, camshafts, and lifters... I'd hope the spark plugs, and injectors were changed at least 2 times already.

How does the car look? At 214k I'd guess the seats are worn to hell, the buttons are chipped.

At that mileage, you should see what things have been replaced like fuel pumps, power steering pump, suspension parts, motor/trans mounts, oil coolers, all of those things could be around the corner from failing if they haven't been replaced.

I'd be worried about seals that go bad which will be labor intensive to change I.E. - rear main seal, transmission pan seal, lower oil pan seal, and the dreaded upper oil pan seal which requires an engine out...

 

Nobody’s going to let you take their engine apart to inspect cam adjusters etc. Not on a 200k+ mile 10yr old C class Benz, let’s be serious here.

Listen for strange noises, look for oil leaks. Drive it and see how it shifts and pulls. Look at maintenance and warranty work records. Standard stuff. It’s a 12 so your past most of the awful stuff. Just assume that it will need $5-10k worth of work in the next couple of years and build that into your budget.

Good luck

 

Seats are surprisingly intact

 

you've already asked the same question in the facebook group. i don't think you'll get a different response here.

Mercedes AMG M156/M159 Engine Owners Group

 

I did, but not everyone is in that FB group, so I felt that casting a wider net just to cross my T's and dot my I's

 

You sound scared of this car needing repairs. It's an AMG performance vehicle. Even a honda with 200k needs a few grand in repairs. Either run away or be ready knowing you may need to throw $10k at it in the near future. The real question would be is a lower mileage better condition car for $10k more worth it. The answer is almost always yes.