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As the title says I am looking at a 2014 350 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY Wagon WDDHH8JB0EA811489. I talked to the insurance company and they
reviewed the damage estimate on the car. As I am looking at prices of the parts I am having a couple of challenges.
What model is the car? The salvage yard that has parts told me that the rear bumpers are not the same from the sport to other models.
what is the color? So I can try and find the parts already painted(used)
Options on the vehicle?
It is a 7k buy and at this moment it looks like I can get all the parts delivered to my door for 2k. Then I would have to do an enhanced inspection. I realize that the resale would be low because of the rebuilt title.
Rear bumper is part 2128859925 has active park assist not AMG styling see Xentry attachment for full parts list. Data card attachment shows vehicle details: model 212.288, exterior color Diamond White Metallic, interior Leather Espresso Brown/Silky Beige.
Last edited by konigstiger; Apr 17, 2020 at 03:16 PM.
With AMG package finding bumper on JY might be like winning lottery.
But beware that OM642 engines are high-maintenance units, where common oil cooler seals replacement goes above $2000 due to labor involved.
With OM651 coming highly recommended -they drop value like crazy, so don't count on resale.
Yeah I am thinking that I may have to go new, or have a lot of plastic work done.
The car is listed as a gas engine, so you are telling me it is a diesel? Huh.
So tell me more about the "high maintenance" OM642. engine. I have read about the oil seals, but what are we talking about in maintenance? The wagon only has 59k on it.
And I do understand that this isn't a big money maker, but rather a cheap way to own.
You chose to not list your location, but in USA bluefficiency usually means diesels.
Fact is that all this is just advertisement with no technical precision, so even salesmen don't know what they are selling.
If you have picture of the engine, that would tell for sure.
I am in Pittsburgh PA . This vehicle is at an auction, No real salesman involved.
But looking at twhat is on autotrader I am starting to think that I am taking too big of a risk buying this car for the amount of potential money I might be saving.
That doesn't look like diesel engine.
Still seeing you are low-volume member to the forum, I wonder if you have already found old wisdom >> "There is not much in this World, that can become very expensive faster than cheap Mercedes-Benz"?
7 grands for 7 yo salvaged and crashed car doesn't sound like a good deal to start with and seeing your lack of experience with those cars, it can very easy become money pit.
Did you check how much inspections cost in your state? They alone can eat close to a grand from your wallet.
My thought process is if I can get it all done under 11k I would be in good shape. Much more than that and i would be getting close to a clean title vehicle. Maybe it would not have as many options but still the risk would be much lower.
I have had a bit of Mercedes exp., 2005 e class CDI an absolute highway roller. and a 2010 ML 350, a short lived ownership due to my 16 yo boy. Such is life. I have good general car knowledge with a fair level of wrenching, mostly brakes, plugs and routine maintenance anymore.
I have always found the specific forums to be a great source of expertise and have relied on them for my vices/hobbies. So far so good
Thanks again, and as always please feel free to share any other thoughts/advice.
The wagon carries a premium over the sedan. At $11,000 all in, you would be fine as long as you held onto it for quite awhile and I know you realize resale will be difficult.
The wagon carries a premium over the sedan. At $11,000 all in, you would be fine as long as you held onto it for quite awhile EVER and I know you realize resale will be difficult.
I wouldn't buy a this salvage MB for $7G, or even half that. Too much to repair at too much expense. And a salvage wagon would not carry any premium... it's just another wrecked MB.
And you'll NEVER be able to sell it, except to a salvage yard.
The car is listed as a gas engine, so you are telling me it is a diesel?
And the lot is closed due to the Convid-19. So I can not actually see the car in person.
Pulled this out of my last post because I didn't want it to be missed.
FWIW........
The VIN number you posted, the data card shows a - V6-GASOLINE ENGINE M276
Go to www.mbepc.net run the VIN number you can see what was included when it left the factory.
$7,000 is way too high.
The used auto market is/will be going straight down, all the auto manufactures will be at huge losses, and the used cars are dropping even faster. Wait and look around, will be a buyers market with cash in less than 60 days.
Talk to your insurer first. Will they insure the car? Even if they do, most will not pay for full body shop bill on a salvage title as there is always suspicion of pre-existing underlying damage prior to a new accident. As others have said. it's already a buyers market for cars and prices will only go lower over the next few months. For the absolute best deal, do a regional (500 mile) or national search on the usual internet car sale sites.
And I do understand that this isn't a big money maker, but rather a cheap way to own.
Any other thoughts would be appreciated.
I you must have an MB, I wouldn't grasp at a salvage when you can buy a 2010 E-350 with all the trimmings for under $10K. Sure it's got 80,000 miles, but it has P1 and P2, Pano roof.... and at least it's not wrecked, you can insure it and drive it right away, and resell it if you later decide that MB ownership is not all that...
As the title says I am looking at a 2014 350 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY Wagon WDDHH8JB0EA811489. I talked to the insurance company and they
reviewed the damage estimate on the car. As I am looking at prices of the parts I am having a couple of challenges.
What model is the car? The salvage yard that has parts told me that the rear bumpers are not the same from the sport to other models.
what is the color? So I can try and find the parts already painted(used)
Options on the vehicle?
It is a 7k buy and at this moment it looks like I can get all the parts delivered to my door for 2k. Then I would have to do an enhanced inspection. I realize that the resale would be low because of the rebuilt title.
Any other advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
In one sentence, the slightest bend around the rear door will make this car a nightmare to own. I would be willing to bet that this is the reason for the salvage title.
Regarding salvage, I had an excellent experience with the car, but not so much with the process. In October 2016, I picked up a 2012 S550 4Matic with 77k miles for under $23k. It is about to roll past 120k miles with nothing out of the ordinary, one round of breaks, front lower control arms, air suspension compressor. The crash repair cost around $4k which is what made this thing a deal. And most importantly, it all happened because I know the right person.
Regarding the experience, it took 3 months to get it repaired (but only $4k), which was not the only problem. Nor the biggest. Due to a series of bad coincidences some of the replacement parts VINs showed up as stolen when I took the car to get it inspected. That is of course another story for another board. It added a week long delay, over $1,200 in damaged parts, and the massive emotional trauma of four police cars rushing to the scene to apprehend me and my ring of criminals when one of the parts’ VINs got flagged as stolen.
To recap, never buy a rear ended wagon, and never buy salvage unless you know a guy or if you are the guy.
Cheers
kinda off topic but I wouldn't recommend buying the car unless I can physically inspect it,
a few month ago my sedan had a rear end accident, it looks 5 times less serious than what you have on the wagon,
but once they take the bumper apart apparently the impact also bent the rear body panel and the spare tire panel resulting a $8.1K repair bill,
so never underestimate what you see on a picture until you get to the underbody
Not off topic at all. I appreciate the personal experience.
The estimate from the insurance company was for 10k. It had no listed damage to the body outside of the hatch and bumper. There was supplemental damage for the bumper bar and foam protection. The proximity sensors were listed for replacement as well as the park assist.
I completely agree about viewing the car in person. But unfortunately that is not an option with the current Covid-19 climate. This was an idea that I was considering and jhad many questions and doubts. It was due in a large part of not being able to actually do an inspection in person. I do really like a wagon (currently I have a 5 series wagon), and would be a way to get into it on the cheap side. Sometimes these things work out and sometimes they don't. unless I can pick this wagon up on a cheap bid, I believe that I am going to pass on the vehicle.
I bought lot of MB long distance and when coming to buying long-distance the Mercedes is brand you can bet on it.
I value the MB paint most and having detailed pictures I could tell a lot (reading the pictures take some practice). I never got burned on the purchase, but then I did not buy perfection and small mechanical stuff is always expected.
Unfortunately lot of auctions do very lousy pictures, including huge Copart and either you buy the car for value of wheels on it, or you better get it personally inspected.
Good luck on your search.
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