Hey guys, first time posting but I've been browsing around for a couple of days and like most automotive forums I've participated in, there is a TON of great information here - thanks!

I did a bit of searching and looked through the stickies, and didn't see anything specifically related to my question, but I did come across enough information to worry me a bit... Here's the deal:

I'm a middle aged guy (not a kid) and I was planning to buy a gently used car to have as a backup to my brand new Ford double cab truck (something more appropriate for driving to business meetings out of town). My wife drives an Audi wagon and I've been a VW/Audi guy most of my life, but never owned a MBZ...

Anyway, Dad passed away a couple years ago and Mom is planning to trade his old 2006 E500 in on something new for herself because "its too big"for her. I know dealers typically rip people off on trade-ins, so I was thinking about giving her KBB on it - I get a deal on a car I know has been well cared-for, she gets a bit more $ for it and we're all happy. Maybe....

The car is pristine - garage kept, and only has 40,000 miles on it. It has been serviced by the local MBZ dealership its whole life (even the tires - LOL). Other than removing the cheesy clear plastic floor mats, I won't have to do anything but wash and wax it.

But what kind of problem with future repairs and maintenance costs am I looking at? I read ab here about the Airmatic problems, transmission problems, coolant issues, etc. When do those typically kick in? A buddy of mine claims there's a good aftermarket solution to the Airmatic system issues, but I'm not really keen on a car that is going to thump me in the wallet in a year or two (I have two kids in college!) or leave me stranded 150 miles from home.

At 40,000 miles, can I safely put another 40,000 on the odo before the time bomb goes off, or should I just budget an extra $2k right off the bat and set it aside for repairs each year? (in which case I may just let the dealer make her an offer on it!)

Thanks in advance for the advice - if you want to point me to other threads covering this that I may have missed while searching, please post links.

I'm grateful for the help.

 

Low miles won't reverse 10 years old plastic, that likes to deteriorate on those cars.
kbb value sure is good price as kbb usually is 30-40% below market value.
Did not hear about issue with 500 engine, but did not own one, so check the reviews.
Airmatic bags at 10 years mark might give you couple more years, but stash some cash for it. Read SBC count as mileage is not telling how many times brakes have been used.
You will also have some sentimental value in the car, what can be priceless.
Beware not only my experience. Coming from several VW, once I treated my family to MB, they did not want to go back to VW. Son liked red Audi for his school runs, but that small car was bigger guzzler than our MB wagon 4M, so at the end son had to like MB diesel.
BTW the $70,000 Superduty is on my TD list. What is your impression? I hope you've got diesel?

 

Thanks for the info. Plastic is all in very good shape in the interior (its never spent more than a few hours outside at a time). Engine looks similar to my eye (hoses and fittings). My old Dad was meticulous about washing and detailing the car - it was always "the weekend car" that rarely got driven and if it was, it was to town and back to have lunch or something like that. Literally almost as good as the proverbial little old lady from Pasadena...

What is "SBC Count"? (is this something the dealer can view on the computer?)

I used to have an F250 with the 7.3L Powerstroke (that thing was a BEAST). Current truck is a 3.5L ecoboost (F150 SCrew) and is for towing a 10,000 lb boat. It rides like a Caddy and gets 23 to 25 mpg on the highway if I feather the gas and brakes (and don't have a headwind). I wish they offered a diesel in the F150 - I'd have gone that route if they did. Wife doesn't like the ride of the F250 SuperDuty, even in the King Ranch trim.

 

SBC is electric brake system, where pump has limit about 600,000 pushes.
That limit can be lowered by other factors, so when you past 500k, you should start saving.
Dealers hesitate to read it, but will if you kick them.
On Ford note, having heavy camper I am stuck with dually and rear suspension comfort is an issue. One owner replaced springs with air bags.
For those who complain about costly MB fixes - think about spending $70,000 on new truck and then right away $5000 to change the suspension so you don't spend too much money on dentist.

 

2K a year will help but I wouldn't bet on that being enough in repairs if you are going to daily it. One thing i would do is look at what's been done so far.
fella above is talking about high dollar repairs, which is certainly true, which are normal on every 2006 and older E class. sbc, airmatic, engine mounts, spark plugs, ball joints, trans mount, flex disc's, shifter bushings, spring link bushing's, alarm sirens, SAM's, water intrusion.... and the list goes on. Remember youre thinking about hoping in a 11 year old vehicle.... expect things to fail especially if it hasn't been driven regularly which clearly it hasn't at 40k miles. buy at your own risk!

As for the truck comments.... real trucks don't have spark plugs, that's just how i feel haha. and dang, the king ranch is super nice, that sucks she wasn't feeling it. Cummins is where my heart is... But i'll gladly drive a 7.3 or even a bulletproof 6.0. Not too keen on the newer diesel's... Maybe because they are so advanced now I wouldn't be able to fix them myself all the time i guess... the older stuff ftw!

 

Hmm... you guys have me re-thinking this whole idea... I have to admit, I've really enjoyed driving the car, the few times Pops would let me drive it, but I sure as Heck don't want another maintenance headache (with my 18 YO daughter's 1995 Volvo 240 and an old house, I've got my hands full already!).

We're selling a 2013 VW TDI back to VW (at a profit!) and I was thinking this would be a great replacement, but not if its gonna cause me heartache...

 

I wonder if newer VW come with air suspension as well?
With more and more technological gadgets and demand for "more and better" the choices are getting limited.
How do you like Fiat 500 ?
Those don't have too many headaches.

 

Depending on where you live, there's likely one or more MB gurus near you who own their independent MB specialty shops ... someone in your vicinity (other than the dealerships) helps MB owners keep their cars reliably maintained and serviced. Find out who is "the best" MB guru and have him give the car a careful examination, with particular emphasis on the suspension, the SBC system, the transmission (there's a 39,000 mile service item that probably hasn't been performed on your Dad's car--get it done), the intake manifold, and other items a knowledgeable MB technician knows to check. You should expect him to use his MB Star Diagnostic System to check for faults set by the car's onboard systems and to give you a considered opinion as to the car's present status, work that needs to be done, and its expected reliability.

Alternatively, in light of the fact that your local MB dealership has maintained your Dad's car, ask the service dep't for a Vehicle Master Inventory [VMI] itemizing the services performed on the car. Or check the records your Dad kept--it sounds like he probably kept a file for all the car's service and maintenance. The dealership will also perform a pre-purchase inspection and give you a report of the car's status.

Then ... you can make an informed decision rather than a guess or a roll of the dice. I'm guessing you'd be happy to keep the car in the family ... it sounds like a keeper. And new floormats are cheap.

Let us know what you decide. Good luck.

 

Due for a trans. service- probably way behind on service, assuming they're sticking to "miles between services" and not replacing fluids at time, as well. Rubber hoses, tires, brakes, bushings ... none of that stuff likes to sit. Low miles may be more of a curse than a blessing in some cases. Have it checked out before you buy it- last thing you want is to feel any resentment towards your mom because of a car.

 

Thanks guys.

I don't mind spending some money on deferred maintenance, so I'll definitely take it to a knowledgeable shop and get it checked out. I just worry about the big "time bomb" types of issues. But I think you've given me some great ideas on what to look for.

Thanks again,

Brent

 

These are becoming fewer and fewer. It used to be $1100-1200 for an air shock, but now you can get remans for $600 w/ a lifetime warranty, turning a $6-7K total overhaul into a $2500 total overhaul. It still sucks, but it's a tolerable suckage.

 

I bought a 2006 E350 with 682 miles (six hundred and eighty two) in May of 2015. I now have about 15,000 miles on it. Went right into daily driver duty. Owner passed within 6 months of purchasing and the car sat in a garage. State inspections kept the fuel fresh. Changed the oil, SBC brake flush, coolant and differential. Differential was a waste of time / money. All the materials, plastics, rubbers, etc. etc. etc. were and are just fine. The drama around a car that sits or low mileage cars is over-blown. I've had zero issues, don't have a concern that I will. Drive the car and enjoy it. 40k on an '06 isn't ultra low and the car has been taken care of way better than most. My '05 C55 is about 16k (has been sitting for 12 months), 08 997 is 19k, 03 360 is 12k.

 

It is not the sitting, but the age.
I did own 44 years old motorhome with Detroit engine. The coach in its life was sitting for few years at the time and still was mostly original. I think I replaced radiator hoses at 40 years mark. But that was commercial chassis where Prevost is comparable to Roll-Royce.
On cars I noticed it TOO OFTEN that at about 10 years mark you have to replace several things if they have rubber used in them. On our 2004 model the seat wires simply broke off because of age. Hydro bushings and hydro motor mounts were GOOONEEE
That said, my father still keeps 1987 300DT and being spare car- it sits for a year at the time. I just recheck it last month. All suspension bushing still hold well, no fuel leak. I replaced HG on it about 5 years ago and blower motor lately. That was it on car closing on 30 years/ 300,000 miles.