Issues with potentially buying a low-mileage 1998 CLK320
01-19-2010, 09:42 PM
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2008 Honda Civic EX, Potentially 1998 CLK320
Issues with potentially buying a low-mileage 1998 CLK320
Hello all,
I was hoping for some advice before I get myself into trouble.
My Dad is looking to get rid of his 1998 CLK320 which he purchased Starmark certified in 2002 with 18k miles. The car now has around 35k miles on it, and looks and drives like new. I have loved the car since he had it, and would love to get my grubby little hands on it.
I'm wondering if the low mileage could potentially be an issue. I would be usng the car as my daily driver averaging about 10k miles a year and need to have something reliable. Would this kind of shift in use have any adverse affects on the car? Are any parts ripe for replacement from lack of use?
The two known problems that exist are (1)a small spot of rust at one of the front wheelwells and (2) the sunroof needs to be realigned, which the dealer said requires use of a tuning device at a pricetag of $600 or so. Is this a legit description and price for this service or is my Dad (or perhaps the dealer) confused?
Finally, I've done a bit of a search, and no glaring issues seem to come up for this particular car. Am I missing something? Anything I should be on the lookout for?
I would have a mechanic look at it before I make the buy. On that note, does anyone have a reference for a good Mercedes guy in Chicago?
I know that this is a typical newbie post, and I apologize if these questions have been answered before. I would appreciate any input you feel like contributing.
Thanks in advance.
I was hoping for some advice before I get myself into trouble.
My Dad is looking to get rid of his 1998 CLK320 which he purchased Starmark certified in 2002 with 18k miles. The car now has around 35k miles on it, and looks and drives like new. I have loved the car since he had it, and would love to get my grubby little hands on it.
I'm wondering if the low mileage could potentially be an issue. I would be usng the car as my daily driver averaging about 10k miles a year and need to have something reliable. Would this kind of shift in use have any adverse affects on the car? Are any parts ripe for replacement from lack of use?
The two known problems that exist are (1)a small spot of rust at one of the front wheelwells and (2) the sunroof needs to be realigned, which the dealer said requires use of a tuning device at a pricetag of $600 or so. Is this a legit description and price for this service or is my Dad (or perhaps the dealer) confused?
Finally, I've done a bit of a search, and no glaring issues seem to come up for this particular car. Am I missing something? Anything I should be on the lookout for?
I would have a mechanic look at it before I make the buy. On that note, does anyone have a reference for a good Mercedes guy in Chicago?
I know that this is a typical newbie post, and I apologize if these questions have been answered before. I would appreciate any input you feel like contributing.
Thanks in advance.
01-19-2010, 10:39 PM
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99CLK320,
low mileage could potentially be an issue
absolutely nothing wrong with it! the early w208s were the simplest. Not a lot of bells and whistles. just the basics. the newer models had more electronic additions that "could" potentially be more troublesome and more difficult to diagnose and repair. I'm sure there are owners more mechanically inclined that would disagree. With only 35K miles on it you would be walking into a car that is barely broke in so to speak. As long as dad took care of the car you shouldn't have anything to worry about. this forum, via the Search function, is an invaluable source to help in diangosing and repairing problems if they shoudl arise. I have a 99/320 and I get a chubby everytime I drive it. I wish I had further to drive to work, only 4 miles round trip. The car sold for around $37K new and the retail on it now is about $5-6K. If you love the car, buy it. You won't regret it.
Last edited by dlbehrns; 01-19-2010 at 10:55 PM.
01-19-2010, 10:55 PM
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2008 Honda Civic EX, Potentially 1998 CLK320
Thanks for the reply. Yeah, pops took it to the dealer for all services, so I know it's been well cared for.
My commute is 5 miles each way, so I completely understand what you mean. It is Chicago traffic though, which means I'm in the car for 35 minutes each time. Good thing that interior is oh so nice.
My commute is 5 miles each way, so I completely understand what you mean. It is Chicago traffic though, which means I'm in the car for 35 minutes each time. Good thing that interior is oh so nice.
