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The car looks really clean in the pics but check it out in person to confirm.
Also have it inspected by a mechanic specializing in European vehicles.
Though the mileage is not unusually high for a car of that vintage I bet you get it for less than what they're asking.
Keyless go is a great option - wish I had it.
Nice ride, unfortunately I (me) wouldn't purchase a Salvage title car, however for the price you may be able to use that to your advantage. Just my humble opinion.
GL
2MERKS
Nice ride, unfortunately I (me) wouldn't purchase a Salvage title car, however for the price you may be able to use that to your advantage. Just my humble opinion.
GL
2MERKS
Thanks very much Guys.
Not sure how it is in other states, but here in CA cars get salvaged by the insurance companies for the smallest things.
My S550 has a salvage title based on hail damage, NO accident or airbag deployment.
This car had a minor front end collision where the front bumper and headlights were replaced, NO frame damage.
I am thinking of possibly getting the E500 (as you know, I had a W211 E320 in the past), because this S550 is just too big for everyday driving.
As my job responsibilities have changed and I will need to drive much more, I just can no longer justify racking up Mike's on the S.
With lot of driving shouldn't you choose diesel instead of gas-guzzler?
You are not new to the brand, but buying 13 years old car and expecting it to be reliable is not for everyone.
At least SBC is covered now.
Good luck.
With lot of driving shouldn't you choose diesel instead of gas-guzzler?
You are not new to the brand, but buying 13 years old car and expecting it to be reliable is not for everyone.
At least SBC is covered now.
Good luck.
Thanks kajtek1.
You are correct, I am not new to the brand but regardless, ALWAYS appreciate input from my fellow forum members.
The gas guzzler situation is not really the issue, it is more the size of the S550 vs. the E, it is not that I drive 100s of miles, but I drive more in mostly city driving conditions for which the S just is too big.
I drive diesel partly out of sentiment, but fuel saving is always valid motive. Drove to CA last month and got price shock seeing CA fuel prices. But driving diesel I took 4 cans of fuel with me and spend 2 weeks in Bay Area, driving back to Las Vegas without buying fuel in California.
I know Sacramento is diesel-oriented city, so mechanics should be available, so even you might not worry about spending money at gas station every other day, money is still money. Since we don't have daily commute anymore, the new diesel need fueling every 2 months and beside money saving, it is also big convenience.
I will not even go into the fact that will you add 80k to the car, making it 200k, the gasser becomes unsellable, while diesel will still sell pretty well.
Yeah the salvage title means that MB doesn't have to honor any warranty like SBC or fuel tank. Same with pretty much any salvage vehicle. I believe they still have to fix recalls though.
I always preferred the face lift myself. I just think the interior is nicer.
That might just have the P2 package which was keyless and bixenons. But not really sure about that as it has the headlamp washers, but the stickers under the hood or the vin would tell you if it really had it or just the stand alone keyless go option. It's not really loaded for an E500, no pano, no folding rear seat, no parktronic etc.
The salvage title kills it for me. Id rather have a car with double the mileage and a clean title. If MB doesnt honor the 15 year fuel tank warranty on a salvage title that's a $3000 out of pocket expense. My 04 E320 wagon is at the dealer right now getting a new tank installed for $0 with just 4 months left on the warranty.
Budget another $2000 for the 25 year SBC warranty you're giving up. Do you see where I'm going with this?
I would find an 05 or 06 with a clean title and ignore the CDI nonsense, the V6 and V8 gassers are cheaper to own. Also budget for the 4 corner air suspension on the V8. Coil spring suspension will be much cheaper to repair.
I think that calls for evaluation.
The car with salvage title is $5000 vehicle considered for daily beater.
Assuming Houston will add +- 100k miles on it in next few years, it will become $1000, maybe $2000 car.
What difference fender-bender from 10 years ago will it make at this point?
I think that calls for evaluation.
The car with salvage title is $5000 vehicle considered for daily beater.
Assuming Houston will add +- 100k miles on it in next few years, it will become $1000, maybe $2000 car.
What difference fender-bender from 10 years ago will it make at this point?
If the 25 year SBC warranty and 15 year fuel tank warranties are void on a salvage, that makes a huge difference. Also we have no idea of the extent of the damage or the quality of the repair. There are plenty of non salvage title E500s available in California for $5000 or less. This one has been prettied up for a quick flip. I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Perhaps a dumb question, but why does the salvage title void the SBC and fuel tank warranties?
Its standard practice across auto industry. When a vehicle is salvaged or rebuilt all warraties are void. You can contact MBUSA and find out exactly what their policy is.
Its standard practice across auto industry. When a vehicle is salvaged or rebuilt all warraties are void. You can contact MBUSA and find out exactly what they're policy is.
And I seem to recall reading a thread where the fuel tank wasn't covered because it was a salvage vehicle. Sometimes it's hard to get coverage even when there is a warranty like pzev. Probably the same with SBC, that had expired a while ago with just a 10 year warranty but they just extended that to 25 years. The fuel tank is 15 years.
There is always lot of myths flying around, so it should be verified.
Common knowledge is that MB would have to prove that fender-bender affected failed parts. Don't recall warranty page saying it is void with salvage title.
Than obviously nobody wants to give service for free when they can avoid it and they will use any excuse.
There is always lot of myths flying around, so it should be verified.
Common knowledge is that MB would have to prove that fender-bender affected failed parts. Don't recall warranty page saying it is void with salvage title.
Than obviously nobody wants to give service for free when they can avoid it and they will use any excuse.
Do you want to lawyer up and take on that fight with MBUSA? We already have people on this forum who have been denied warranty work because of a salvage title.
To me that salvaged E500 is a parts car or lemons beater. $5000 is pure wishful thinking.
Insurance Write-Off; or Repaired or
Replaced Parts. Any vehicle which has
been damaged to such an extent that
the owner, insurer, financing institution
or leasing company determined the
vehicle to be a “total loss”, “write off”
or equivalent, is not covered by this
warranty. This includes but is not limited
to vehicles issued a “salvage”, “scrap”,
“dismantled” or similar title under any
state’s law.
I wouldn't touch it due to the salvage title. That's just me though.
Well, I used to think like yourself and never considered a salvage title. My S550 has a salvage title due to hail damage. I think it is a joke, because that has nothing to do with anything going on with the vehicle itself. Furthermore, I am convinced that if the previous owner would not have reported this and would have had it fixed without the insurance company knowing about it, it would NOT be a salvage title. This goes for many other repairs as well and even if a vehicle does not have a salvage title, unless you are an expert, you will never know if it possibly was in an accident before.
In regards to warranties, ........ How does a dealer know if a car is salvaged?????? I do not believe this gets entered into their database and I for sure know I never brought a title of the car to the dealerships for repair. Does your dealer run a carfax before starting work on a car?
Last edited by S70Houston; Dec 24, 2018 at 04:23 PM.
In regards to warranties, ........ How does a dealer know if a car is salvaged?????? I do not believe this gets entered into their database and I for sure know I never brought a title of the car to the dealerships for repair. Does your dealer run a carfax before starting work on a car?
The dealer doesn't run the Carfax report. They simply look up the vehicle warranty eligibility in MBUSA's automated database which has the salvage title info already baked in. Remember MBUSA not the dealer pays for warranty work and they have final say on who pays for repairs. It took years of litigation and an NHTSA investigation to force MBUSA to extend the warranties to 15 years for the fuel tank and 25 years for the SBC.
If you're a handy DIY I would pay maybe $2000-2500 for that car knowing full well SBC and the fuel tank are not covered.
Well, I used to think like yourself and never considered a salvage title. My S550 has a salvage title due to hail damage. I think it is a joke, because that has nothing to do with anything going on with the vehicle itself. Furthermore, I am convinced that if the previous owner would not have reported this and would have had it fixed without the insurance company knowing about it, it would NOT be a salvage title. This goes for many other repairs as well and even if a vehicle does not have a salvage title, unless you are an expert, you will never know if it possibly was in an accident before.
In regards to warranties, ........ How does a dealer know if a car is salvaged?????? I do not believe this gets entered into their database and I for sure know I never brought a title of the car to the dealerships for repair. Does your dealer run a carfax before starting work on a car?
You are completely correct with regards to the salvage status. But once it's recorded with the registry the manufacturer ends up knowing somehow. That's how they can send you a recall notice. On an old car that isn't going to the dealer, then the salvage status doesn't really matter. But there's two good warranties left on that model car so I wouldn't bother and just find some other car that isn't a salvage.
I would suggest looking at a 2008-2009 E550, skips some of the issues with the early 2007 models and they're more likely to be loaded than the older models. Also no SBC. While SBC has the 25 year warranty, I think there's still some occasional problems with the system that might not be covered under the extended warranty.
You are completely correct with regards to the salvage status. But once it's recorded with the registry the manufacturer ends up knowing somehow. That's how they can send you a recall notice. On an old car that isn't going to the dealer, then the salvage status doesn't really matter. But there's two good warranties left on that model car so I wouldn't bother and just find some other car that isn't a salvage.
I would suggest looking at a 2008-2009 E550, skips some of the issues with the early 2007 models and they're more likely to be loaded than the older models. Also no SBC. While SBC has the 25 year warranty, I think there's still some occasional problems with the system that might not be covered under the extended warranty.
I would suggest looking at a 2008-2009 E550, skips some of the issues with the early 2007 models and they're more likely to be loaded than the older models.
What are the thoughts on a 2008 E350 with clean title?
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