SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Houston! Prepurchase Inspection PPI Needed on SL55
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 111
Likes: 8
From: San Antonio, TX
2008 SL55
Houston! Prepurchase Inspection PPI Needed on SL55
Maybe I will get to join your club officially!!! I think I found my SL55 and would like to hire a PPI in SW Houston. Recommendations would be welcomed. Thanks in advance for your help. I have already found an Indy shop here in San Antonio if needed.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,498
Likes: 222
Porsche guy who drives SL63 w/ perf pkg AND perf suspension
Hope to give you some advice, a look it over isnt any good for these cars, you have to take it to a MB dealer and have them do a CPO inspection, this gives the complete condition of everything on the car, and have them give you a copy of the Master Sheet which is the complete mercedes history since it was made,
THEN you can decide if you want to buy it
THEN you can decide if you want to buy it
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 39
Likes: 1
From: Alexandria, Virginia USA
2003 SL55 AMG
If you can find an MB dealership that will agree to inspect the car, that's great - but the one I tried in Houston refused to do it. The car was ten years old, so maybe they would inspect a newer car.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 445
Likes: 11
From: Washington, DC Metro Area
Currently: 2019 E450 AWD, Previous: 2002 CLK55 Cab
Hope to give you some advice, a look it over isnt any good for these cars, you have to take it to a MB dealer and have them do a CPO inspection, this gives the complete condition of everything on the car, and have them give you a copy of the Master Sheet which is the complete mercedes history since it was made,
THEN you can decide if you want to buy it
THEN you can decide if you want to buy it
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 111
Likes: 8
From: San Antonio, TX
2008 SL55
Thanks for all the replies! Sorry, I have been offline for a while. This is a 2008 and there is zero service history on Carfax. I find that rare and worrisome, and feel maybe this car has never been serviced by an MB dealer. But the car definitely looks like is has been well cared for. I was thinking if Carfax doesnt have any service history, then MB probably doesnt either, unless there are MB dealers that dont report service to Carfax? So I was going to take it to Matt at Texas German Auto. PPI quoted $127. The indy dealer was going to take it there for me, but there was a hitch in my trade in quote, so we are trying to work that out.
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Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 445
Likes: 11
From: Washington, DC Metro Area
Currently: 2019 E450 AWD, Previous: 2002 CLK55 Cab
I would not assume that an MBZ dealer has no info on the car based on what carfax has or doesn't. MBZ should be able to give you records back to the day the vehicle hit the docks in the USA. At one point the car was under a new car warranty. MBZ will have any records of warranty service or recall service. In this instance an inspection by an indy is not just as good as the dealer. Last, the dealer can give you very detailed breakdown of what will need to be fixed, replaced, attended to on the car over the next year, parts and labor. I found this particular aspect both comforting, i.e knew exactly what I was buying and useful. Useful first, as a bargaining tool in negotiations and secondly as a to do list if I decided to buy the car. One other point, getting this kind of no BS picture on costs of repair and maintenance will help you make a smart decision regarding purchasing an after market warranty. The advice that I received from guys on this board to do a PPI at the dealer in this way literally saved me over $13kUSD and I will not purchase another used vehicle without one. Good luck.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 111
Likes: 8
From: San Antonio, TX
2008 SL55
I ended up taking it to Matt at Texas German Auto. They did a good job but missed some things. What I noticed before I bought the car was the cd changer would not work and the front drivers seat heater does not work. After buying the car I thought a simple tire balance would cure the shake above 60, but evidently one of the rear wheels is bent. The inner lip moves up and down about 1/16th inch.
