Masonator

Hello!

I have just gotten my first car, A 2003 Mercedes C240 4matic, my neighbour gave it to me as a present. It seems to be immaculate condition, the interior is pristine, all the electronics and ac, work, etc. He says he has maintained it very well, and it shows. However, I am having a bit of a weird transmission issue. On occasion it struggles to shift up, usually from 1-2, but will kick right into gear if I floor it. There's no clunking, banging, reverse works great, no noises at all. It doesn't happen anymore frequent whether the car is hot, warm, when I just get in, etc. It really is completely random. Some days it'll happen all day, others not at all! It is worth noting my ESP light is on, but that has been on ever since I unplugged the battery last week to check my transmission fluid "which looks great" I also took it to a shop and they said the fluid looks great as well. They said they could flush it, but another place I called said they wouldn't bother flushing and that it will "likely need an entirely new transmission" Keep in mind they haven't even seen nor looked at the car yet so I'm not sure how he made that recommendation. The car has 125k miles, and a fresh full synthetic oil change, alignment, balance, and tires. Please let me know where I should start!