gatorbe

Hi Gang: Just got a very good deal on a beautiful car (72K miles) from my brother-in-law. (His wife surprised him w a new SL63 for his 50th) so he was not expecting to sell. Anyway, he put 20K in hwy miles on it during the 2 years w very few problems--nothing serious. Since I do not have service records prior to his ownership, what should I do? I do not want any surprises but do not wish to burn $280 for a "prepurchase" inspection.

Should I just drive until something goes wrong? My wife has an '01 E-320 that is just "plug and play" with no issues, so I've been spoiled. What might I expect to be wearing out--struts, rotors, etc.? Thanks for any direction.

theunderlord

Take a look at the brakes to see about how much pad life you have left, but other than that, If it has no problems, relax and enjoy.

Welcome!

LukasBMW

Get a per-purchase inspection. These cars break and they break often. A pre-purchase inspection will help you decide if you want the car and it could also save the relationship between you and your brother in law. It's not uncommon for these cars to come back from a PPI with a $4-$8,000.00 repair estimate.

theunderlord

Depending on how slow the dealership is.

Capn

If anything try to get an aftermarket warranty. This cars are pricey to repair (ABC suspension, hardtop convertible, Kompressor motor, etc).

mjr24

You are kidding, right? Get a PPI....if you don't want to pay the $280....you might want to reconsider taking on a car where it's likely you will need several thousand dollars of work if certain stuff goes out (struts, ABC, suspension.....several things).

gatorbe

Got the car for only $20K so figured I could handle a few hits. Would anyone write a warranty on a 72K mile vehicle?

Benz-O-Rama

A warranty for the car is going to be in the $5000.00 range. And worth every penny, assuming the term is decent.

Just wondering how much you're expecting to spend on maintenance and repairs, per year?

gatorbe

Not sure, but escrowing $200/month for maintenance but will do whatever it takes to keep it in tip top condition. I'm 66 and plan to keep it as my last car and pass along to one of my sons someday when I am no longer able to drive. I do have a very close friend who ownes an Indy that I will see this week-end on a hunting trip. He'll give me the low down on what I'm looking at.

gatorbe

And, Warranty Direct will not insure an AMG. Anybody out there know a reliable company that will?

Earl J

Hello gatorbe, My wife and I are new to (in our case an 07 SL 55 AMG) this class of car. Congrats! We bought ours from a BMW dealer with 48k miles. They offered and we bought at the time (last weekend) a 3rd party warrantee from Zurich, Im also considering a plan from a company called Easy Care. They have a very good BBB rating and was recommended by my regular MB service person. I asked him how easy it was to deal with that company. He said you have to be carefully and read the small print as to what's covered and what's not. The car will need an inspection, as he said they will not cover pre- existing issues. Bottom line is the higher the mileage the higher the cost of the plan is what I'm gathering. Good luck to you.

Cheers
~Earl J

mjr24

I had Easycare many years ago when I had my CL and they were really good....never had an issue. That being said, like Earl said, make sure you find out what's covered on the SL as a lot of those warranties don't cover hardtop issues, etc.

LukasBMW

Fidelity, NAC, and Easycare seem to be the best...in that order. Fidelity is by far the favorite. I've talked to many service advisers about this.

Zurich also seems to be good, but VERY expensive.

gatorbe

Thanks very much, guys. I will get my MD mechanic friend's input as well this weekend and let you know what he says.