E-Class Coupe (C207) & Cabrio (A207) 2010-: E250CDI Coupe, E350 Coupe, E350CDI Coupe, E500 Coupe, E550 Coupe [Coupes & Cabriolets]

Any Chance This Car Was in a Flood?

Old Jul 2, 2023 | 09:48 PM
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2010 E550 Coupe
Any Chance This Car Was in a Flood?

Hi All,

I'm thinking about buying a 2010 E550 coupe to replace my CLK550, and the owner sent me a bunch of pics of the underside. It only has 17K miles on it, but it seems really dirty for that many miles. The first image is of the top of the engine, with the engine cover tilted upward; how would that much dirt get on there other than a flood?

Maybe I'm being a little too critical, but I'm just curious to get some additional opinions on it. Thank you!








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Old Jul 3, 2023 | 04:23 AM
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flooded cars normally have little bits of surface rust everywhere if they sat for a while.
Check the carfax thingy see if a claim was made.
Does he live on dirt road or travel on one?

Is car located or came from an area tht had recent flooding?

Pay a Local MB dealer do an inspection
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Old Jul 3, 2023 | 07:14 AM
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It’s an old car. It looks normal, like an old car does.
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Old Jul 3, 2023 | 09:26 AM
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Agree, it's at least 13 years old right now, so there are other factors that could explain the dirt, e.g., where was it located, what kind of roads did it travel mostly, how often did the owner wash the vehicle? As others have mentioned, there doesn't seem to be any rust in the undercarriage, so that's a good sign.
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Old Jul 3, 2023 | 10:04 AM
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Right on, thanks for the replies!
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Old Jul 21, 2023 | 08:55 AM
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Gotta ask, where is the splash guard for the engine compartment. If missing, that could explain all of the dirt, etc.
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Old Jul 21, 2023 | 09:06 AM
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Mine looks like that after a few weeks.
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Old Jul 21, 2023 | 11:54 AM
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Thanks for the replies. I ended up buying the car and it definitely was not in a flood. I was just being a bit paranoid based on the photos, as I had not yet seen the car.

Regarding the engine compartment "splash guard," I'm not sure what that is exactly, but all pieces appear to be there. The photos were just taken with one or more of the bottom tray pieces removed.

Last edited by nkx1; Jul 21, 2023 at 12:00 PM.
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Old Jul 21, 2023 | 03:44 PM
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I have a 2011 E350 and mine looks like that.. All it takes is some slight red clay with heavy rains and it can look like that.
I have zero issue with mine, Good luck.
Mike
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