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Advice on 2015 s550 coupe 4matic purchase with attached CARFAX, 11/14 door production
I just got a 2015 s550 coupe with 26k miles for $44,900 from CarMax sticker on door says 11/14 production date.
I'm still within the 30 day return.
Seem like it sat for 2 years or no records during COVID.
Plan to keep for a 10 years. Is it crazy to pay this much for a 10 year old car, what will it be worth in 3 years of more depreciation?
Will this motor have the same borescoring issues that I am reading about online as other m278? Is it worth taking to an independent Mercedes mechanic to borescope the engine to see it it has any scoring?
Is this a good carfax for maintenance?
Would it be recommend to return the car because of engine and wait for a later model?
I bought carmax max care for 4K for 5 years 150k miles.
I have had car for 2 weeks and have had a PPI inspection done at Mercedes dealership which they said everything was good, except the tires, front breaks and rotors and the two batteries were no good.
Called carmax they said take to Goodyear to check, they replace all 4 tires with new Pilot sport 4, new front rotors and front break pads and replaced the 2 batteries. Bill was $4100 and was covered by carmax.
The dealer also did: SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2019080019
Bolt Replacement on the Steering Rack
Has all options except night drive, 3D audio and magic sky, it is a 4matic. Front and rear brake pads at 10mm.
Thanks for any advice and suggestions.
Last edited by Alterlane889; May 14, 2024 at 04:24 PM.
So you're over the national average a good amount but it's low miles for 10 years. Also it's a clean carfax and seems well maintained.
10 years - that's a 20 year old m278 motor - it'll take vigilant inspections and repairs as they come up as this engine is (as you know) prone to oil leak in harness, cylinder scoring... also the amount of electronics in that car is ridiculous, I believe there's over 100 electric motors on the interior alone
I personally wouldn't put up with the anxiety of owning this car for 10 years as it's already 10 years ago, even with a warranty - but this isn't my dream car. Is this your dream car? If so then life is about measured risk. Don't let my opinion sway you in that circumstance.
why do you have doubt after you've bought the car?
i would spend $10k more and get something newer and more statistically reliable.
Last edited by PeterUbers; May 14, 2024 at 04:28 PM.
IDK. I am interested in the C217 as well. Because of the scoring issue I am avoiding considering ones that are pre the iron sleeves. What did the dealer say about scoring? That said yours is low mileage and you did get a warranty. I am wondering if the scoring can be mitigated by frequent oil changes. Don't know. Thinking that you will still face some depreciation. This is not an easy call. Good luck.
My dream car was the s65 coupe but after doing research I decided an s550 might be the better way to go because of cost of maintenance and being a daily driver.
I bought it when Carmax still had the 30 day return period as now it is 10 days and for the Maxcare. I am having doubts because of the scoring issue I keep reading about online. Also don’t want to spend that much on a car to have to worry about the engine issues.
Also when I bought the car I thought it was a updated motor because I read online that all the coupes and the updated motor, but after checking with service it seems like my motor number is before the update. Not sure if this is true. I did not have the borescope the engine so I’m not sure. Should I ask the service manager at Mercedes, would they have any other info on scoring in my engine based on their PPI?
Maybe I’ll return it and wait and see if the 2020 models depreciate some more. Are these better motors?
Last edited by Alterlane889; May 14, 2024 at 05:43 PM.
I get the desire for the S65 very special car. I would ask an Mercedes specialist or dealer service what their read on the scoring issue is. As it sounds like you are aware, the cylinder liners were changed to cast iron sometime in the 2015 manufacturing timeframe which probably means 2016 -2017 model year cars. The 2020's have the M176 engine which hasn't revealed any major weaknesses yet.
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