ArunJanarthanan

Dear Fellow Forum members, my first post in this forum. I have come to a sale agreement from a private owner for 2011 R350 has 145k kms on it from Quebec City. Could anybody please suggest what to check before I posses vehicle ? I already checked CARFAX it looks clean no accident or major work done. My question mainly focused the vehicle is being from 2011, 145k kms and from extreme weather place. Pls advise.

houseofdiesel

Best advice, check it into the local Mercedes dealership for a prepurchase inspection and also have the detailer or bodyshop take a look for damage or repairs. These are very complex vehicles and getting one without knowing what you are buying is a risk. Also worth lifting the front carpets and floor covering and look at the compartments underneath for salt damage (rust), flood evidence etc. We have had lots of that recently. There are compartments under both front seats and floors (4 in total under fibreglass panels) they store all the electronics there (amps, modules, batteries) and no drains. Typically some salt gets down there and causes a mess.

CedarMtn

I would see if the previous owner has kept service records and if so - have a look at them. If it's a BlueTech (and in Canada most sold were the diesel) then a145K km vehicle with no major repairs done would be a very rare vehicle. IF it's the diesel - then eg: the particulate filter will be getting long in the tooth - and that is a pretty pricey replacement on its own. Common problem areas: Adblue heater - you can't really do without in Canada and even during the summer, if there is a CEL due to the heater, then the regeneration (for the particulate filter) won't run - so it needs to be cleared. Also, at that mileage, the rear air springs will be due for replacement - but you can use aftermarket parts for this (eg: Arnott's).

I'm in Toronto and since my extended warranty ran out have been going to an independent garage (specializes in MB's and BMW's) whom I trust. Every time I take it in, the head mechanic tells me I should sell my car while it's running - they have seen more than their share of modern MB diesel issues. But knock on wood, it's running really well right now (it had a LOT of problems covered by the warranty) - so I continue to enjoy the car (I've probably just jinxed myself by typing this).

And second houseofdiesel's advice to get it checked out. Also keep in mind that even body repairs are very expensive and aftermarket parts or salvage are very hard to get since the car didn't sell in big numbers. Just as an example - I have a cracked front bumper cover. Even third party covers are close to $1000 (Cdn) if I wanted to risk a poor fit. There is an OEM salvage on Ebay right now (from Quebec) but even that is close to $1000. My car got rear-ended this winter and the total cost of the repair was close to $6,000 (rear bumper cover, blind spot radar sensor, rear parking sensors). The other driver wanted to do the repair privately which was fine by me - since it was his dime. I have a feeling that if it went via insurance, the car would have been written off due to the high cost.

It's a great car, but proceed cautiously with your eyes wide open to potential repair costs.

efzauner

I have a gas model same years similar mileage.. had it 3 years now.
Things to check: blind spot warning system, keyless start and entry (does it work from all areas) rear air bags will need replacing if they havent been already. Electric retracting mirrors.
panorama roof lubrication. Air Conditioning leaks to rear seat. Spark plugs should have been replaced by now too.