Ok guys, never posted here - but I am seriously thinking about joining the MB family by purchasing a 2001 E430 with about 105k on the ticker. The pictures aren't doing the car justice - saw the car today and its IMMACULATE. Here is the link...
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...=25&cardist=24


What should I look for? What are common problems? I am trying not to get excited but its HARD not too! Let me know guys and gals!

 

Search this forum for thread titled "List of Common W210 Problems" That should give you some reading material.

 

A few thoughts:

First -- do you have all the service records?

2d -- have you had an independent pre-purchase inspection?

3d -- have you done a TMV calculation using Edmunds.com to determine if that price is the right price?

 

Look for rust, rust, rust, rust, rust, ...

 

a used car dealer.
Run

Find a private party maintained model.
Look into the v6
Read the diy section on www.benzworld.org w210 section
Be prepared to do your own maintenance if you don't think you can learn or don't want to learn
Take a pass on owning a Mercedes. They are easy to maintain but not cheap if you have to take them into a shop and get work done.
Just trying to keep your eyes open before you jump off the cliff and really fall in love
inspect,inspect,inspect.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I do my own maintenance on the vehicles I have owned, so I am not afraid to learn or get dirty... I pulled the carfax on it, and it was serviced every 10K miles or more - all annotated on the carfax report by the same dealer (less then 15 minutes from where the car is currently being sold). I plan on taking the MB over to the dealer this afternoon and seeing if they can print off the service history. Right now after my trade and downpayment I will be looking at financing a little over 5k... to me it seems like a great deal - and if the maintenance checks out like I think it will - I will be joining the ranks as a proud owner of a 2001 E430... Cant help but get excited about the possibilities...

 

Being able to do your own routine maintenance and minor repairs is a big plus in controlling the cost of ownership. Plenty of sources for MB recommended fluids, filters, and parts at discount compared to dealership.

You might also ask them for a Master Vehicle Inquiry to see what warranty issues there were when car was under one.

Good luck.

 

prospectivEclas -- I guess you'll have to change your moniker, huh?!!

Congratulations on the purchase. Do you mind sharing how much you paid for the car?

 

Price seems high unless it needs absolutely nothing. At 100K it's due for spark plugs and 02 sensors. Have these been done? If not budget $500 for DIY or 3x that at an indie or 4x that at the dealer. If you know what dealer serviced the car, they should be able to pull up the service records, which will tell you a lot. Make sure they or you pull codes on the A/C system as this can be expensive to fix. Don't get let you emotions drive your decision. These are wonderful cars but it pays to wait for the right one to come along if this isn't it.
Fred

 

I just noticed that the pixels seem to be out on the outside temp reading. This can maybe be fixed DIY but call the dealer and ask what a new instrument cluster costs (be sitting down!) as this may be what it takes to fix it. Use the number to get the price down. Also, there's a defective bulb code showing in the display. Make sure that it's only just a bad blub and not something in the system that constantly throws the code.
Fred

 

The pics were taken when he brought the car back from the auction. I test drove the car last night and it didn't throw any codes. I don't remember which one is the temperature gage but the gage underneath the tachometer is missing a few pixels. I honestly am not that concerned about it, which is why I don't remember what it is supposed to be. Also I already planned on getting the service history - its what I am doing today after I get off work in five minutes. Thanks for all the advice guys I greatly appreciate it!

 

The display under the fuel and temp guages looks to be completely dead. This is the display for outside air temp. Dead display pixels don't seem like a big deal now but they will bother you after the novelty of the new car wears off. A completely dead display may not respond to the DIY proceedure and repair might involve replacing the entire instrument cluster. Everything in there is one unit. Sounds like the dealer cleared the defective lamp warning by just replacing a bad bulb so that's ok.

Make sure you get the car inspected. It'll cost you a few hundred $$ but it's good insurance. At least hook up an OBDII reader to the port under the dash on the driver's side and see if there's any pending codes. Search the forum (or Benzworld) for how to pull up fault codes on the climate control display and do that. I'm not trying to talk you out of the car I just don't want to see you talk yourself into it. It's easy to talk youself into overlooking significant issues in the heat of passion.
Fred

 

Well, I don't think you'll be buying a new instrument cluster! But you'll have occasion to have lots of fix-it-up fun.

 

Yea I test drove the car the past two days, and the only problem with the pixels is the temperature gage underneath the tachometer. The center and left display both function properly. I took it to the MB dealer last night and the service manager had a tech check it out - came back with a clean bill of health. I am going this evening to pick her up and bring her home.

Thanks for all the helpful advice!