On the hunt - finding lots of lemons & 3-4 owner cars...?
 

Hey gents,

I'm on the hunt for a GTS, probably a 2016, in the 100k range.

There's a ton of selection on the used market, but something that worries me is that nearly every second car I come across has either some some serious carfax history/activity, an outright lemon branding, or 3-4 owners in what is a ~10k mile car.

This is my first and only Mercedes, let alone an AMG, so I'm pretty excited to pull the trigger - yet, wary.

Can anyone explain why these cars seem to be switching owners so rapidly? I feel strange considering a car with 3 previous owners that only has 10k miles on the clock. How did these 3 owners treat the car?.. Why did all 3 get rid of such a phenomenal car within only 3-4k miles of driving them..? Why are so many titles lemons (at least 3 cars on the first page of cargurus/autotrader), and those that aren't lemons have carfax service histories such as "replaced steering wheel, replaced seat, replaced XXX". Is there a reliability issue to be concern of or look out for?

Thanks for your insights and sorry for the essay. I want to make sure I make the right decision with my first benz and not have a sour taste in my mouth due to poor buyer diligence.

PS: I am coming from a Nissan GTR and Audi R8, if one wishes to make a meaningful comparison from their experience. I have not encountered similar concerns shopping for those cars previously.

Sent you a PM

I think the first owners of a lot of these cars were upset with the ride quality. They expected an SL instead of a real sports car.

Mine has had six or seven warranty repairs. I'd be scared of a GTs without 10k miles, as the car may not be sorted yet.

Getting one with a nice CPO would be best unless you want to roll the dice.

I have always been wary of buying used, even CPO. (My last used car was a 5,000 mile 1971 BMW Bavaria -- in 1971. My first Mercedes was a 1972 280SL bought in March 1972 from WI Simonson in Santa Monica.)

These are complicated cars and for me buying new, and in California with a strong lemon law, is a form of protection I want. In 55 years of car ownership and dozens of cars, I have lemoned a 1990 500SL, a 2006 BMW 650i convertible and my ex wife's 2010 BMW 535iGT. The newer they are the more complicated and prone to breaking.

As with any brand new model, there are invariably teething issues within the first year.

There were complaints about the rough ride quality of the 2016 models which appears to have been sorted with 2018 models. I find my 2018 very supple in comfort mode perfectly suitable for daily driving.

Some owners complained about the long front hood and impaired visibility at the top of the windshield, by the side mirrors and with the thick C-pillars. These issues take some getting used to.

A lof of times in life you get what you pay for. If I were in your shoes, I would get the newest model with the most OEM warranty I can afford. I'm always wary buying used, even with a one owner car. Get a low mileage one owner car and get a PPI for peace of mind.

What does mercedes CPO offer that the 4 year warranty does not?

I was under the impression that buying a 2016 would be relatively "safe" given its still under its original bumper to bumper warranty for, what is likely to be 2 years, on 2016 model cars.

My 2016 was sold in August 2015, so the warranty is up in 13 months.

We are talking about risk tolerance here. I've never purchased a new car. Unless I'm getting a Black Series, I probably never will. But I have a higher risk tolerance than most. I'm not paying 15% of the cost of the vehicle for lemon law protection.

Let me reiterate that Mercedes has fixed every single issue I've brought to them and things I didn't know about. In a neighborhood crawling with Land Rovers, Cayenne's and 911s, I'm enjoyed having something a little more unique.

Now if we could just get Mercedes to match the 911's 10 year powertrain warranty.

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Agree with you that ownership of the AMG offers an experience that is special because of it's relative rarity. Couple strangers complimented my ride and then asked what kind of car is that?

However, I would be bothered with 7 different warranty repair items within less than 3 years of ownership. I find it a hassle to take my car in to the dealership and get a loaner or take the complimentary shuttle to and from work. Even for the annual scheduled service. Last couple times at BMW, I waited around for 45 minutes in the morning which was a little stressful as I had to be at work before 8 AM. Obviously, this doesn't bother others as much. Porsche doesn't even have loaners on site, I had to walk a city block to the Enterprise dealership and fill out 15 minutes of paperwork on a weekday morning. Took the complimentary shuttle the next time.

So far with the AMG, I've only had the seat belt tensioner issue in 9 months of ownership knock on wood.

I have found that most sports cars are not daily drivers guys get sick of them and want to move on to another car thus u could wind up with multi owner cars still under 10k miles. Also some states count dealers as another owner thus a one owner car that was traded in could be listed as 2 owners.
Like some others have stated find a car that is still under MB warranty(CPO) for piece of mind. For me I would def buy a used car from a MB dealer for the warranty protection. I don't know if warranties transfer to non MB dealers or not.

Thanks for the insights gents.

I looked at 17 GT versus a 16 GTS, but the power difference, and especially the more aggressive factory tune which results in more pops and exhaust porn (race setting i believe) is definitely a swaying factor.

Or you can just get a GT and then tune it :).

I am looking for one right now as well. I am not worried about by backs, (then again I never care much about warranties), I agree that these cars were not made to be an SL with a fixed roof. I know what this car is (I already have a 430, 4C Evora 400 & a one of a kind 650hp 911), and I have heard a few stories about people who just bought the wrong car and made so much noise the MB did a buyback.

I was in the same boat and after looking at over 20 cars in three months I just purchase a new one. many of the 16 show a lot of wear in the interior due to the fact that this is a hard vehicle to get in and out of. I saw CPO cars that started at $120K for a 16 that was ok but not what i would expect for that kind of money. So take your time. I also think that two factors that cause the multi owner thing are related to the ergos of the car, getting in and out is, lets face it a PIA, case in point at the dealer I purchase my GTS they had just taken in a Green GTR that had 800 plus miles on it on trade. The owner a 60 year old gentlemen could not deal with the in and out of the car, he trade for a AMG S class ... the second I think has to do money. Some folks pulled the trigger and then realized **** I have to pay more for this car than my home... LOL

Only one owner and 5k miles def looks like a good solid cpo car

I am looking at 3 different cars right now, a 17. and to 2016's, one of the 16's is a CPO car. I am close to a deal on the 2017 (I like the color combo and equipment) and I should know hopefully by the end of the day today.