I found a Local 03 Silver/Black E55. 56k miles. The private dealership took it to a local Mercedes dealership for service.

Here Is the following stuff that was serviced/replaced:

Part Part $ Hours Labor $ Total

Valve Cover Gasket - $60.00 3.0 $416.50 $476.50

Front Brake Pads - $250.00 1.5 $203.50 $453.50

Trans Service & Pilot Bushing $160.00 2.0 $273.50 $433.50

B Service Due $499.95 -- ------- $499.95




Total Hours: 6.5


Labor: $893.50
Parts: $969.95
Sub Total: $1,863.45
Shop Supplies: $59.75
Tax: $111.81

Total: $2,035.01

**They paid for all of this**




So my question to you guys is:

Is this a smart buy?
Does anything else usually break/need replacing/servicing on 03 E55's?
What are some other common problems people run into with 03's?


Currently driving a Leased 06 CLS55 AMG with 36k, No problems except today the tire blew out on the highway. Had to pay $400 for a new Bridgestone Potenza RE050A. OUCH! Anyways the lease is up in a couple of weeks, and I'm looking to get into another AMG.

Dealer is asking $25,xxx, but will take $22,xxx.


Thanks for your help,
Alex

 

Do it. Is it CPO? If at an MB dealer and not CPO, I'd ask why. Most "clean" cars that get traded in become CPO and stay. the rest are sent to auction. These days there are so many coming through that they may be trying to keep the costs down but ask to have it CPO'd before you take it and pay the extra $2k. It will be worth it to have warranty.

 

Is your current lease almost up? How does it drive for an 6-7 year old car? The head gasket seems to be the normal for many MB's....I will pick our MB-Tech's brain in the morning, I will see what he says!

 

thanks!! It drives great, just needs new tires!

 

Its not CPO'd thats why im worried. Is their anyway I can get an aftermarket/non MB warranty? If so how much more would it cost?

 

Is it at an MB dealer?

 

No just a local dealer. Non Mercedes Benz Dealer

Currently they have:

08 Orange GT3
07 Red F430
05 745Li
03 E55
87 Porsche 911

Maybe 2-3 Others cars, i forgot.


They always have a small inventory.

 

I don't see any reason not to do it provided that it has the options, etc that you want. I would however pay for a full inspection despite the fact that it was just serviced.

 

make sure u have extended warranty...

 

Close inspection of your service record suggests that they did not replace the front rotors, which MB strongly suggests doing along with the pads. I can almost guarantee you MB said this to your private dealer and he said forget it.

Some will say you don't need to change the rotors, but just so you know. may want to confirm the thickness. Especially if its the first time they've been worked on.

 

there is a common issue with 03 - trans fluid getting coolant into it because of the conenction at the radiator.
some other things to check that are common
-front control arms and ball joints
-supercharger clutch chirp/rough engagement
-leaky seal on transmission connector
-supercharger pump
-check for grease around rear axel boots
-check to see if rotors have "grooves" in them

biggest thing with 03 car made before 09/03 is that trans fluid. you definetly want warranty with these cars. if not CPO then Chrysler or other 3rd party.

how many miles on it?

 

+1!

 

That's all stuff done to prep the car for sale.

I would be more interested in her ENTIRE history of service at a Benz dealer.

Example, was she brought in for service regularly.....any major complaints the person has had with the car that he kept bringing it into service for.

Benz computers are all linked, so even if he had it done in Miami, you can check it out in LA.

+1111111 on extended warranty. LOOOOOOTTTTAA guys having piston trouble or major damage and ditching them to poor guys thinking they got a killer deal???

 

He said he cant get the service history, because the dealership wont give it to him, because of the fact he was not the owner from the day it was purchased until now. He "SAID" you can only get the history from the point you own the car.

Is that true?? ^^^



So you guys are saying I should take it in for a full inspection before purchasing? And say I refuse to buy the car without the previous service history?

Thanks again in advance, I apprieciate all the help!!
- Alex

 

That's baloney the guy is trying to feed you.

At the very least, you may want to do a CARFAX on it which should show you the service records and more.

Here in Wisconsin they'll give you the previous owners number to contact.

 

Thats what I figured....

So you guys are saying I should take it in for a full inspection before purchasing? And say I refuse to buy the car without the previous service history?

 

I'd be very leery of anyone playing those kinds of games.

You really should do a vehicle history. Carfax is pretty good.

It helped me eliminate one car that came up as having been in an accident.

 

At the very least he should be able to pull the carfax for you to see. If he's a dealer the Benz dealership should be able to pull the service history for him too. Might cost a small amount but would be worth it. Aftermarket warranty should run you $2k-$4k range so factor that into your price too. Good luck, I have an 03 and love it!

 

Where can I get an aftermarket warranty?

 

YES! I own one with 31K miles that I bought six weeks ago.

And I got a 4 Yr., 60K mile extended service plan... This is the most important "option" to have with the car.

 

How did you get your warranty?

How much did you pay?!?

 

What is the best warranty option?

Chrysler? Should I just talk to Todd?

 

I purchased my car through CarMax and I have their extended warranty. I had to transfer the car from Chicago.

Total out the door price with tax, license, transfer, fees, and warranty was a few dollars over $29K. Sales tax on cars in South Carolina is 5% but maxes out at $300. So, your cost will vary...

It literally took me fifteen minutes to buy the car after it arrived. CarMax also provided financing at an attractive interest rate. I was very satisified with my buying experience.

The other 2003's at CarMax have ben priced somewhat higher and are sold. They do have some 2004/5's in-stock. One of the 04 models has 33K miles.

I think that the market for these cars has picked up a little after a severe price decline.

 

WHat is the CarMax warrenty consist of? Also how much extra was it? Thanks

 

+100