zitsky

I just sold my W203 and am seriously looking for a replacement. I'm looking at a 2004 S500 4Matic that is a 2 owner vehicle with 2nd owner having driven very few miles per year. It has 58,000 miles and owner is offering it for $24,000. The car is loaded with everything! (Distronic, Parktronic, Rear Comfort, etc). I just had it dealer inspected and they found these issues:

- The front right tire has a bulge on it and they say should be replaced.
- The brake pads are below 33% remaining and should be replaced.
- The front ball joint(s) is/are a little loose and should be replaced.
- The Transmission seal has a seepage area and the gasket should be replaced.

Now tire and brake pads are to be expected, I guess. But how expensive/ serious are the ball joints and transmission seal? Would you pass on a car with these issues?

I can't seem to find the list of TSB's for these vehicles. Can someone point me in the right direction?

tc1728

beware of airmatic strut/shock problems

zitsky

Yep, I know that. I recall somewhere seeing something about a TSB or repair under warranty where they would replace a plate or something. I'm not talking about the epoxy repair that is being discussed somewhere.

Have you owned a W220 previously? What was your experience.

BTW, I've been getting quotes for Chrysler and Warranty Direct service contracts. Chrysler is offering about $2500 for 5 years/70,000 from start of warranty. Warranty Direct is much higher.

nachilus

i have chrysler warranty and i love it.

zitsky

Well the car doesn't look so good after the inspection. I think the current owner could have had some of these fixed under warranty. He did buy it with about 49,000 miles in 2007, but I think it might have been a CPO vehicle.

INSPECTION RESULTS
2 TIRES WORN
LOWER BALL JOINTS WORN AND LOOSE
TRANSMISSION PAN AND CONNECTOR LEAKING
FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WORN 15%
SERVICE 'B' DUE
VALVE COVER GASKET LEAK
FRONT STRUT LEAK

Shouldn't the transmission pan and leaking connector be fixed by the dealer, even outside of warranty because of a DTB on this issue? It's the note about front struct leak (Airmatic!) and valve cover leak that tell me I should probably avoid this car. Sigh...

Skylaw

First, I think the car is overpriced. Second, before you buy, everything is negotiable. Tell the seller you won't buy unless he stands for the cost of all the items on the list. If he won't, then walk.

And if he agrees, get it in writing. I suggest you hold back a chunk of the purchase price ($5K to be safe), pay for the repairs yourself (so you can be sure a qualified MB tech performs them), then pass the difference back to him.

But first you should negotiate a better price. In my zip code, a private sale would get a price of around $22K for a car that I would argue is in Fair condition. Check the Kelly Blue Book (KBB.com) in your area.

S500 Man

yea for all the crap wrong you should get it for 19-20k

zitsky

Thanks guys. I didn't realize that fully loaded 04 S500 4Matic's were going for low $20K. I know the mileage is a little high and definitely the repairs need to be done. I'll work on bringing the price down and we'll see what happens.

zitsky

I've gotten some repair estimates from a local mechanic while I wait for the seller to get back to me. Are these fair estimates, they seem a little high. Are any of this DIY? (Obviously the Service B is, and maybe even the ball joints).

Here are the estimates:
1- Tires = We would install for $80.00 plus $99.95 for an alignment.
2- Lower Ball joints = $500.00
3- Trans pan & connector repair = $300.00
4- Front brake pads & rotors = $400.00
5- "B" service = $350.00
6- Valve cover gasket leak = $400.00
7- Front strut leak = $1350.00

If I can talk the seller down on price, and do the repairs myself it might be worth it.

Quadcammer

If you are handy, these are not huge problems.

Trans pan is no biggie
pads and rotors are cake ($240ish for parts)
b-service is an oil/filter, cabin filter, air filter change, with some lookie loo type stuff.
Valve cover gasket is most likely a breather which costs about $4 for some rtv gasket maker. Even a real valve cover gasket leak is easy to fix.

Front strut leak may just need a new upper seal. Reman struts should run $400 and appear to be easy to replace.

here's what I'd do.

Ask for a solid $4k off the offer you intended to submit.

Do the strut, and then let the wrench install the ball joint and the tires, and do an alignment.

Then do the rest yourself.

If you want more details about prices and such, I can provide them.

zitsky

Thanks! That's a great help!

NuMBS500er

Hi Nachilus, where did you get the Chrysler Warranty from?

NuMBS500er

Hi, if you don't mind for me to ask where did you get the Chrysler Warranty quotes? I am in the process of shopping for a extended warranty fo my 2005 S500 4matic with 39k miles.

zitsky

No problem. Michael Case at Zeigler Auto Group is the person that everyone recommends talking to. I was blown away by the low prices for the quote. I was quoted about $2300 for a "max care type" 5 yr/70,000 warranty on a 2004 S500 4Matic.

His current contact info as of 9/2009 is:

Office (630) 231-3464
Direct (630) 386-1707
Fax (630) 566-4197