Hi everyone. I'm new here, but have owned 3 MB's in the past. I'm about to buy a 2002 CL600, and am looking for some advice. The car is gorgeous, with only 20,000 miles. The problem is that it has less than ideal maintenance over the years. It has been parked in a heated garage, and not used much, but I think the oil changes have come once every 2-3 years, and according to the Carfax I purchased, I don't think the brake fluid or suspension fluid has been done in over 10 years. Obviously, a well maintained car would be better. However, once purchased, I plan to do an oil change before I drive it home 5 hours, and will immediately take it in to get caught up on all fluids. But the question--is it a deal killer to have been under maintained? Would you buy it, or not?

There are always more cars, and I also very much like the CLK500. I could wait for the next thing.

Thanks in advance for any insight offered.

 

Money pit, run.

 

The car has very low mileage, so while it hasn’t had regular maintenance, it hasn’t been driven much. I wouldn’t write it off over the infrequent oil changes, just examine the current condition of everything, test every feature and gizmo, and replace all the fluids and filters (including ABC) immediately after getting the car if you choose to buy it.

These are expensive cars to maintain in general, but if the mileage between oil changes was reasonable, I wouldn’t worry too much about that even though the oil changes were years apart. Check for leaks, check all the gizmos, make sure the ABC is working properly, and if things aren’t working, budget accordingly.

I wouldn’t trust carfax records to include all maintenance. If a brake fluid flush hasn’t been done in a decade, the brake calipers would likely be seized, but more likely some of the maintenance wasn’t reported to carfax. If the calipers aren’t seized, then don’t worry too much about the brake fluid flush history either, but flush as soon as you get the car.

 

The ABC will be a nightmare of never ending expenses. Also budget $2000 plus labor for spark plugs, coil packs and the spark box.

 

Have you driven the car? If it runs well, wouldn’t worry too much about plugs, coil packs, etc. After all, the car only has 20k miles. Would test brakes, ABC, options. Also, if you can, drive the car long enough to check for any oil leaks that might appear. You didn’t mention price but, if its right, you’re getting one hell of a car. Would definitely do fluid changes if car is purchased. Factor in new tires, assuming the current ones have dry rot.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies. I have not driven it yet. It is about 5 hours away from me, and I planned to take a check, and drive/inspect it before completing the deal. I must admit that the more I read about the costs to keep this thing running, the more I'm concerned about buying it--even at $18000 or so. The owner readily admits he has under maintained it. He apparently has a car collection, and is more partial to American muscle cars. The MB is an afterthought for him. He acquired the car over a decade ago from a friend who was experiencing financial trouble. If I proceed, I'll carefully check all the electronics, ABC system, look for leaks, etc. I asked the owner yesterday when the last oil change was, and he gave me the concerning answer of "not sure". The car looks perfect, and is a reasonable distance from me--if not for that, I would drop it from consideration. If I buy it and immediately get it up to date for service, AND nothing has been damaged due to the lack of service history, this could be an amazing amount of fun for the money. I'm also looking at a 2003 CLK500 in NY, but that I'd have to buy sight unseen, and it has been sitting on a used car lot for 13 months--very odd, and a red flag for me, even though the service history and photos look great.

 

I own the same car with 25,000 miles. I purchased it in 2014 with 17,000 miles. Since then I had to change the coil packs and 24 spark plugs at 21,000 miles along with a new starter. The 2001 and 2002 CL600 have the M137 engine which the oil cooler will eventually develop a huge leak. Mine did after 23,000 miles and $5000.00 to replace.(I got off easy).19 days in the shop. My vehicle is well maintained and in mint condition. After owning it for 7 years and driving it only 8,000 miles I am into it for about $12,000.00 in repairs and proper maintenance. I am still awaiting the failure of the Active Body Control system. It is a fine example of over-engineered technology in the year of 2002. Unless you have unlimited resources and a mechanic who has extensive knowledge of this vehicle (2001 and 2002 model year) I would recommend purchasing a 2003-2006 C215 with the twin turbo engine. Keep in mind that all the C215 models have ABC and will eventually fail if not properly maintained.

 

M137 powered CL600s are usually worth under $10k USD, as they’re less desirable than the later (2003-2006) twin-turbo models that are more powerful, slightly more reliable, also have other quality improvements like galvanized bodies. With that said, the $10k USD cars usually have 5x the mileage. If this car’s interior and exterior is pristine to match the mileage, it could make a nice collector car (albeit the least desirable of all the CL600 iterations).

It all comes down to condition. Infrequent engine oil changes would be the least of my concerns. I’d worry more about things like dry rotting hoses and seals from sitting idle too much, possible ABC issues, and possibly seized brake callipers if the fluid has gotten water in it. There may be some issues with the car when you first see it, and more might pop up after giving it a vigorous test drive if it has sat too much. Just go in aware that if you’re going to be paying a shop to get the car in good shape, don’t be surprised if you need to spend $10k in repairs over the first year sorting out a dozen “minor” things on a neglected car that has sat a lot. Once you’ve caught up on deferred maintenance and repairs over the first year, they’re more manageable.

Are you looking for a car to drive/use regularly, or a collector car that looks pristine? If you’re looking for a car to use regularly, and aren’t focused on something cosmetically pristine, then look for a 2003-2006 CL55 or CL600 that has more normal mileage (say 50-150k miles) that has been maintained and regularly driven. Those later cars are much faster, much less prone to rust, a bit more reliable, and more desirable in general. Cars that have been actively used and maintained by an enthusiast are also less likely to have unexpected issues crop up that drain your wallet.

Be especially wary of cars that have ABC suspension issues. I like the ride and handling of ABC equipped cars, and don’t advocate coilover swaps, but I see too many C215 CLs with neglected ABC systems that will cost a fortune to fix. Maintaining an ABC car is manageable if you’re proactive (keep fluid clean, filter fresh, replace accumulators and pulsation damper when needed or proactively, inspect hoses and replace ones that look deteriorated, stop immediately and never let the system run dry if a hose blows). However if you let things slide when it comes to ABC, as many buyers of super depreciated cars do, you’ll end up with a costly chain of cascading failures.

As for CLK500 vs CL600, while they are superficially similar as pillarless Mercedes-Benz coupes of the same era, they’re very different to drive. The CL class feels much heavier, much bigger, and much more solid and substantial, rides a bit smoother, has less road and wind noise, and has less body roll/dive/squat due to ABC. With its dimensions and proportions, the CL also looks a lot more distinctive and imposing in person. The C209 CLK feels like a W203 C class to drive (as you’d expect since it’s based on it); the CLK is similar to a C class in dimensions, handling, and interior feel.

The CLK500 would feel more tossable than any CL due to its smaller size and lighter weight, use less fuel due to less size and weight, and would be much cheaper to maintain due to a conventional suspension and fewer gizmos. However, if you’re seeking the super solid and luxurious feel of a CL, then a CLK doesn’t come close.

Also consider the C216 CL550 and CL600. They’re bigger, more modern, and a bit more reliable. The second generation ABC system on them is also simpler and a bit more reliable. The C215 is sleeker and lighter though (the C215 doesn’t feel any less solid, but the somewhat lower weight helps performance).

 

Thanks to all for your detailed replies. After considering your experiences, I decided to pass on the 02 CL600. I'll keep hunting for a CLK500--so much less to go wrong. It would not be the ultra luxury experience like the CL, but I would probably not have the ultra large bills to keep it running.

 

I owned 2003 CLK500 about 4 years ago. Great car, easily maintained, and handled well. Often thought I was stupid for selling it.

 

depends of how handy you are
CL600 can be ultra low bills, but avoid non bi-turbo you will want the HP

 

The bi-turbo engines are fairly reliable but would never consider an ABC equipped V12 Benz low maintenance. The 600's I've had were less than reliable. My first 600 was a 2003 and it needed five ABC pumps in less than 100k miles and blew pretty much every hose on the ABC at one time or another. The coil packs failed, idler pully failed, and various other parts and pieces failed. The car was the most expensive car I've ever owned as far as a maintenance/repair perspective. My second 600 was a bit more reliable and was a 2005. In 100k miles, it went through three ABC pumps, new coil packs, new keyless go door handles, alarm siren, but did not blow any ABC hoses. There was also coolant tower bridge leak and it needed new engine mounts a little past 100k miles.

Still loved the bi-turbo V12's even with the coil pack failures. It was the ABC failures I could not live with much past 100k miles.

 

Considered buying a 02 600 back in '13. The car had about 92k on her. The seller at that time wanted 12k, and I was only going to pay 8.5k, never the less I did not buy the car! Good for you to move on.
R
2Merks

 

Thanks, yah, probably did the right thing. I find the car so alluring that I'm still thinking about it a little. Like, if I were to get the car for substantially less than the ask of $18,900, and get a PPI at a Mb dealer. But realistically, that's not going to happen. I suspect the seller will just keep the car and take his chances, rather than sell it at such a huge loss. I think he has the resources to absorb whatever comes his way. If I were to get a 2002 CL600 for like 10's or low teens, that would at least build in a good cushion to absorb the substantial back service costs and get the car sorted. In the interim, I have been zeroing in on a couple low mileage CLK500's that will be less painful to maintain. But darn...that CL600 is just so beautiful!

 

Yes, I would agree the body style of the w215 is beautiful and nothing else on the road can touch it. The only issue is the cost of Maintenance as noted before.
R,
2Merks

 

The end of the story...I bought a beautiful 2008 CL550 yesterday, with 50,000 miles. It looks to be near perfect. I bought it sight unseen, but had pretty high confidence in the seller. The service history is the opposite of the original 2002 CL600 I was looking at that started this string...amazing service history, and recent new parts include a new ABC pump, motor mounts, transmission mounts, ball joints, and more. And, every service on schedule at either a MB dealer or a high end European independent shop in Dallas. It arrives on Friday. I'm always hesitant to buy a car sight unseen (done twice, two disasters), but think this one will be okay. Thanks again to all who helped guide my purchase.

 

They’re awesome cars to drive, have fun, and best of luck with it. I’m curious what led to the ABC pump failure; maybe a hose burst at some point, and the system was run dry. Most of the C216 cars I’ve seen are still on their original ABC pump. I love my 2007 CL550.