Qmax03

Hey , im new here...

I was looking to buy a 03-06 E55 AMG ... my concern is the vehicle will most likely have over 50k miles and the warranty will be expired. I know most aftermarket warranty companies wont want to warranty a car like this past 50k miles and even if they do it will be a ****ty one.

So this leads me to ask , What are some common problems with this car ? What should I look for when purchasing one of these vehicles ? And should i stay away from the 03's since that was the first production year for this body year ?

Whats the maintance like ? Common cost of brake pads ? any special oils used to service the engine ? Major electrical problems ? etc...

Also for the owners with higher milage nearing 100k... your input would be greatly appreciated..

Thank You.

qat

I have an 04 E55 with 60k- 100k warranty- I would not mind selling it for $30K

To answer your question. I just got my brakes done- dealer wanted $2k for front rotors and front and rear pads- front pads alone are about $250 (part only). Oil change is about $200-250 for the service.

Based on my experience with my car- my car seems slow (compared to when it felt really good) unless you floor it on a good day- had to get to 60mph just to catch up to a 4 runner that I gave a jump at the light on- and I think he slowed down since we were above the speed limit
To make a long story short- dealer says there are no trouble codes so there is no fix- they say its normal- blah blah blah- but if it was normal why did they replace one of my pumps?- basically, if you have an issue and a hard trouble code does not come one, you will be SOL unless its very obvious- pretty normal since I used to have a 645 with SMG and the dealer tried to convince me the jerking was normal- but I guess it was since it was a normal defect that they could not fix

Blacksport350

Never seen any issue with an '03 that is not present in other years.

No more issues than any other performance car but do a search here as there is plenty of info on this topic.

Most common issue....perma grin and premature rear tire failure.

qat

[QUOTE=Blacksport350;3080880]Never seen any issue with an '03 that is not present in other years.

No more issues than any other performance car but do a search here as there is plenty of info on this topic.

Most common issue....perma grin and premature rear tire failure. [/QUOTe

Is that a picture of an M Coupe I see? 99-02

Premature tire wear is normal- I have the RE050- cost me about $550 a pair and they go out about 10k miles but there are other tires that have longer tire life- I think the Michelin PS last longer from my experience

jangy

There were a few electrical gremlins in the earlier ('03 and '04) models, but they were figured out. Overall, the car has lots of electronics and so not as reliable as the tanks that the W210s were. I would suggest finding one with an extended warranty. I have the 100K one. That way, you will at least have some time to find any major issues and have them addressed. After that, simply mod everything that breaks...

Qmax03

Thanks you, i jsut hope i dont have thousands of dollars of "fixin" to do after i buy the car.. i only commute 15miles a day .... so milage wont go p anytime soon... i would just hate to spend alot of time/money fixing the car.

Blacksport350

[QUOTE=qat;3080946]Close, I had both an '02 M Coupe and an '02 M Roadster. That close up is of the MR..the Coupe was steal grey. Both were awesome cars and fully modded. I would venture to say that in heavily modded form, they represented the last of the "real" M cars.

Blacksport350

I don't think you have much to worry about. By the cleanest and lowest mile car you can find and have it properly checked for issues. As an example, I would take a 10K mile '03 before a 50K mile '06. These cars are built to take amazing abuse so longevity is not an issue but like anything mechanical, certain parts start getting used up based on miles. That being said, there are plenty of 70K mile plus E55s out there that are running strong...some even with over 100K also running strong.

willscam

[QUOTE=Blacksport350;3081744]I totally agree. My M roadie is an 01. Nicely modded they are a blast to drive. I'm just cruising the E55/E63 forum because I'm going to be in the market soon, stepping up from an E320.

NA1

Try getting less than 40k mi with extended warranty and make sure maintenance done... usual stuff - fluids/plugs/brakes are ok. If going to drive winter in cold climate, get rear winter tires.

qat

I liked the way the earlier Z3 M Coupe 99-2000 drove. Nice Balance- should have kept it. Test drove the new M Coupe- front end lifts too much on acceleration and the view is awkward- maybe I was not used to it. Best of all- never had one complaint with it- unlike my E55 even though the E55 is a real nice car.

Blacksport350

That's odd as it is the EXACT same car with only a different engine, gearing, and some very minor changes to the gauges, different wheel finish, and curved badges.

In any event, when you go to Dinan Stage 4 you end up with 377BHP, a 3.73 diff, and a suspension that makes the car worth driving (among other things).

Now the car with issues is the Z4 M Coupe. Still a great car but underpowered and awkward feeling compared to the Z3 M's.