Potential Buyers Beware: A Warning from a Recent W211 E55 Buyer
10-29-2010, 01:31 PM
#1
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Potential Buyers Beware: A Warning from a Recent W211 E55 Buyer
Hello everyone,
I'll make this post short and to the point. I am a recent college graduate (read: not making tons of money) who saved up for a long time to buy his dream car. As a college graduation present to myself, I finally purchased it: a 2003 W211 E55 AMG. It had about 66,000 miles and came with a 3 year/36k mile third-party extended warranty. It was a bone-stock, one-owner car, and that owner had all work done on it at the dealership he purchased it from. Seemed to be ideal conditions.
Today is October 29, 2010. I purchased the car in June 2010, about 4 months ago. I had the car inspected prior to purchase and that came up clean. In the 4 months since purchase:
1) Idler pulley bearing wore out, wore down pulley with it, was causing knocking in the engine bay - replaced pulley, not covered by warranty, cost $600
2) Center console cupholder stopped functioning, small plastic bit broke off which prevented spring from working - have not replaced, would cost $100
3) Keyless Go door handles on 2 of 4 doors stopped functioning - being replaced under warranty, cost $800
4) Obnoxious loud ticking sound from A/C blower fan behind glove compartment - undiagnosed, would incur at least 3 hours of shop time to pull out dashboard to diagnose
5) Steering angle sensor defective, send ESP malfunctions to dash - have not replaced yet, not under warranty, cost $400
6) Right thrust arm bushing worn out - under warranty, cost $70
7) Left thrust arm cracked - replace under warranty, cost $500
8) Left upper ball joint worn out - replace under warranty, cost $400
9) Both fuel sending units (there is one on each side of gas tank) failed, with small cracks in the tops causing fuel to pool on top and evaporate into the cabin of the car, creating noxious fumes and big fire hazard - still trying to figure out what to do, cost would be $2,000 to replace both, not under warranty
This last one is the most troubling, not only because it's a big safety concern but because a recall on that exact issue (Campaign Number 2008-020001) was issued in 2008. My car had the recall performed but was not having problems prior. So the owner had the car from 2003-2008 with no problems, had the recall work performed, problems started only 2 years later. Mercedes says they performed the recall work and will not warranty that work, washing their hands of the issue.
You will see that in the 4 months I've owned the car, I've racked up $4,870 in repair costs. You might think to yourself "This car must be a lemon". However, if you do a quick Google search on any of the above items, you will find dozens of posts and dedicated pages on each issue on multiple Mercedes forums.
I do not mean to dissuade anyone from purchasing this car. When the car is working, it is a beautiful, exhilarating machine that drives like nothing else on the road. I simply want to share my experience with the car and warn others thinking of purchasing a used E55 that they will encounter maybe not all the issues above, but at least some, maybe more. And it will be costly, no matter whether you take it to a dealer or not.
I started my job shortly after purchasing this car. It pays well, but not enough to support the outlandish repair costs on this car. The majority of my after-rent, after-tax earnings to date have gone to simply keeping this car on the road. Between that, and the fact that Mercedes will not assist me in any way in taking care of this dual fuel sender failure that was previously the subject of a recall and was clearly not fixed correctly, I will likely be selling this car soon.
I have owned Lexuses and BMWs, and both companies have been far more respectful with its customers. I will never again purchase a Mercedes-Benz product.
Brad
Feel free to post or PM in response.
I'll make this post short and to the point. I am a recent college graduate (read: not making tons of money) who saved up for a long time to buy his dream car. As a college graduation present to myself, I finally purchased it: a 2003 W211 E55 AMG. It had about 66,000 miles and came with a 3 year/36k mile third-party extended warranty. It was a bone-stock, one-owner car, and that owner had all work done on it at the dealership he purchased it from. Seemed to be ideal conditions.
Today is October 29, 2010. I purchased the car in June 2010, about 4 months ago. I had the car inspected prior to purchase and that came up clean. In the 4 months since purchase:
1) Idler pulley bearing wore out, wore down pulley with it, was causing knocking in the engine bay - replaced pulley, not covered by warranty, cost $600
2) Center console cupholder stopped functioning, small plastic bit broke off which prevented spring from working - have not replaced, would cost $100
3) Keyless Go door handles on 2 of 4 doors stopped functioning - being replaced under warranty, cost $800
4) Obnoxious loud ticking sound from A/C blower fan behind glove compartment - undiagnosed, would incur at least 3 hours of shop time to pull out dashboard to diagnose
5) Steering angle sensor defective, send ESP malfunctions to dash - have not replaced yet, not under warranty, cost $400
6) Right thrust arm bushing worn out - under warranty, cost $70
7) Left thrust arm cracked - replace under warranty, cost $500
8) Left upper ball joint worn out - replace under warranty, cost $400
9) Both fuel sending units (there is one on each side of gas tank) failed, with small cracks in the tops causing fuel to pool on top and evaporate into the cabin of the car, creating noxious fumes and big fire hazard - still trying to figure out what to do, cost would be $2,000 to replace both, not under warranty
This last one is the most troubling, not only because it's a big safety concern but because a recall on that exact issue (Campaign Number 2008-020001) was issued in 2008. My car had the recall performed but was not having problems prior. So the owner had the car from 2003-2008 with no problems, had the recall work performed, problems started only 2 years later. Mercedes says they performed the recall work and will not warranty that work, washing their hands of the issue.
You will see that in the 4 months I've owned the car, I've racked up $4,870 in repair costs. You might think to yourself "This car must be a lemon". However, if you do a quick Google search on any of the above items, you will find dozens of posts and dedicated pages on each issue on multiple Mercedes forums.
I do not mean to dissuade anyone from purchasing this car. When the car is working, it is a beautiful, exhilarating machine that drives like nothing else on the road. I simply want to share my experience with the car and warn others thinking of purchasing a used E55 that they will encounter maybe not all the issues above, but at least some, maybe more. And it will be costly, no matter whether you take it to a dealer or not.
I started my job shortly after purchasing this car. It pays well, but not enough to support the outlandish repair costs on this car. The majority of my after-rent, after-tax earnings to date have gone to simply keeping this car on the road. Between that, and the fact that Mercedes will not assist me in any way in taking care of this dual fuel sender failure that was previously the subject of a recall and was clearly not fixed correctly, I will likely be selling this car soon.
I have owned Lexuses and BMWs, and both companies have been far more respectful with its customers. I will never again purchase a Mercedes-Benz product.
Brad
Feel free to post or PM in response.
10-29-2010, 01:55 PM
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Thanks for the positive feedback! Now go buy one that has been maintained and get back to us!
P.S. This thread should help with your future for sale thread as well!
P.S. This thread should help with your future for sale thread as well!
10-29-2010, 02:04 PM
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a Rivera...via a Custom 24, Strat and Les Paul
Brad - sorry to hear about the troubles but you were absolutely right - many of the problems listed are well know "issues" with this platform. Whenever someone inquires about an 2003-2006 E55 on this forum usually the first responses from the members are "it may be cheap but its still a 100,000.00 car to fix" and "make sure you get a good warranty". From my own personal point of view I've had close to 7000.00 dollars worth repairs done and I know I'm in no way, shape, or form done. I'm not even going to start on what the "mods" cost...
I cannot agree with you more that service at the majority of MB dealers is sub-par at best. However I was use to this as previous experiences with MB dealers had prepped me for what to expect. You mentioned that you owned a Lexus and that makes matters worse. . .once you've experienced the dealership experience they offer, it really highlights what wrong everywhere else. As a result of this, my first order of business was to find a good indy shop.
Hopefully others will chime in with possible remedies on how to get the dealership or warranty to honor the fuel sending issues (mine was covered under my warranty) because it really seems like that is the "straw" that breaking your back.
Once again I'm sorry you are having so many problems but hang in there - besides abusing the right pedal - time is a natural enemy to any vehicle - many of the repairs you stated that you have done should last a long time and it would be a shame to put the money into it and not get the enjoyment that goes along with it!
BT
I cannot agree with you more that service at the majority of MB dealers is sub-par at best. However I was use to this as previous experiences with MB dealers had prepped me for what to expect. You mentioned that you owned a Lexus and that makes matters worse. . .once you've experienced the dealership experience they offer, it really highlights what wrong everywhere else. As a result of this, my first order of business was to find a good indy shop.
Hopefully others will chime in with possible remedies on how to get the dealership or warranty to honor the fuel sending issues (mine was covered under my warranty) because it really seems like that is the "straw" that breaking your back.
Once again I'm sorry you are having so many problems but hang in there - besides abusing the right pedal - time is a natural enemy to any vehicle - many of the repairs you stated that you have done should last a long time and it would be a shame to put the money into it and not get the enjoyment that goes along with it!
BT
Last edited by motorkas; 10-29-2010 at 04:34 PM.
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SgtRock (05-12-2017)
10-29-2010, 02:04 PM
#4
Brad,
It's unfortunate that you have to go thru all that.There is no car in the world worth more then having piece of mind.
As you have said,stock car,one owner,dealer maintained with third party warranty,all sounds ideal and yet you are having issues.
I have had few issues with my '06 E55 as well but mostly with front passenger side airmatic shock and with a front driver side hydraulic airmatic pump with all the work getting done under CPO warranty.
I wonder what kinda extended warranty you have 'coz all the stuff that you have mentioned would/should have been covered by them.
The fuel issue however,has been a very well known problem with E55's and not sure what to say but i would recommend going ahead and invloving the area mercedes rep as it is a dangerous issue.
As the car racks up miles it would cost more so may be replacing it would be the right thing for you to do atleast at this time.
As far as my E55 goes,it is s till covered under CPO plan and even though the car could have issues but there's nothing out there that can replace the pleasure and the big grin that this car gives me every time i take it out.I will be purchasing a nice comprehensive EW soon so that i can enjoy the car for 4-5 more years especially when it's my DD.
Good Luck
It's unfortunate that you have to go thru all that.There is no car in the world worth more then having piece of mind.
As you have said,stock car,one owner,dealer maintained with third party warranty,all sounds ideal and yet you are having issues.
I have had few issues with my '06 E55 as well but mostly with front passenger side airmatic shock and with a front driver side hydraulic airmatic pump with all the work getting done under CPO warranty.
I wonder what kinda extended warranty you have 'coz all the stuff that you have mentioned would/should have been covered by them.
The fuel issue however,has been a very well known problem with E55's and not sure what to say but i would recommend going ahead and invloving the area mercedes rep as it is a dangerous issue.
As the car racks up miles it would cost more so may be replacing it would be the right thing for you to do atleast at this time.
As far as my E55 goes,it is s till covered under CPO plan and even though the car could have issues but there's nothing out there that can replace the pleasure and the big grin that this car gives me every time i take it out.I will be purchasing a nice comprehensive EW soon so that i can enjoy the car for 4-5 more years especially when it's my DD.
Good Luck
10-29-2010, 02:29 PM
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Ok, maybe I was a little harsh. But seriously, these things cost money to fix. My 04 was immaculant and serviced to the hilt, the member here that bought it had the SC belt(brand new) snap on the way home(7hr drive). It sliced the main power cord costing like $2800 to fix. I gave him some money good will because I felt bad. Its just the luck of the draw.
10-29-2010, 03:26 PM
#6
Couldn't agree more. This is the trap many unknowledgeable buyers fall into time and time again. The high performance, semi-exotic car they've always lusted after depreciates in value to a point where it can finally be purchased. What they haven't anticipated is the additional expense to actually keep the car on the road. Stuff does wear out, and the E55 does have some known issues that any buyer ought to understand and anticipate happening to the car they're going to buy before they actually buy the car.
On a depreciated exotic (and I think it's fair to say a factory supercharged V8 borders on being rather exotic), a prospective buyer should set aside anywhere from 25% to 45% of the initial purchase price of the car to be spend on maintenance and repairs over the first couple of years of ownership. And some would say even that might not be enough.
But even with the wallet-punishing cost of owning an E55, for most owners, the driving experience is unmatched. What a frickin' awesome car.
On a depreciated exotic (and I think it's fair to say a factory supercharged V8 borders on being rather exotic), a prospective buyer should set aside anywhere from 25% to 45% of the initial purchase price of the car to be spend on maintenance and repairs over the first couple of years of ownership. And some would say even that might not be enough.
But even with the wallet-punishing cost of owning an E55, for most owners, the driving experience is unmatched. What a frickin' awesome car.
Last edited by komp55; 10-29-2010 at 04:30 PM.
10-29-2010, 03:44 PM
#7
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Couldn't agree more. This is the trap many unknowledgeable buyers fall into time and time again. The high performance, semi-exotic car they've always lusted after finally depreciates in value to a point where it can finally be purchased. What they haven't anticipated is the additional expense to actually keep the car on the road. Stuff does wear out, and the E55 does have some known issues that any buyer ought to understand and anticipate happening to the car they're going to buy before they actually buy the car.
On a depreciated exotic (and I think it's fair to say a factory supercharged V8 borders on being rather exotic), a prospective buyer should set aside anywhere from 25% to 45% of the initial purchase price of the car to be spend on maintenance and repairs over the first couple of years of ownership. And some would say even that might not be enough.
But even with the wallet-punishing cost of owning an E55, for most owners, the driving experience is unmatched. What a frickin' awesome car.
On a depreciated exotic (and I think it's fair to say a factory supercharged V8 borders on being rather exotic), a prospective buyer should set aside anywhere from 25% to 45% of the initial purchase price of the car to be spend on maintenance and repairs over the first couple of years of ownership. And some would say even that might not be enough.
But even with the wallet-punishing cost of owning an E55, for most owners, the driving experience is unmatched. What a frickin' awesome car.
A 2003 with 66K miles...look at the major service parts you should get on this car and see the OEM parts prices from some of the websites (not dealer prices). Look at just prices of parts, let alone labor which gives an informed view on some costs. After that, you have to ask yourself: "Am I comfortable with these costs?"
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10-29-2010, 03:51 PM
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2007 E63, 2006 C55
RE: 03 E55 Woes
Brad - I feel for you. 03 was 1st year in the US for the W211 E55, and it had some issues to work out even when new. The W211 did get better annually as time went on, I believe the 07 up cars are still rated quite well.....but they are at least 4 years newer and more expensive to purchase. Once you get the 03 right, it will likely treat you right too; alternately, maybe think about something a little newer for the future.
The MB dealer service can be hit or miss depending on where you live. While I am fortunate to have excellent service, that is not always the case. Finding a good Mercedes Independant Shop is paramount for anything you need to pay for, they are generally 25% cheaper than the dealer and will try harder to earn/keep your business. A good shop can save you major $$.
Remember that you are driving an expensive 8 year old car. Things do wear out and break, and because they were expensive new, they are also expensive to repair later. I recently sold a perfect 03 BMW 530 for the same reason.....great car but things started to wear out, and the costs to repair was more than I wanted to spend on an 8 year old car.
Lastly, don't give up on the brand. Your car is 8 years old, and at some point they won't cover it anymore. Mercedes are expensive to buy and maintain, just have a warranty. When they are in good repair, they are like nothing else on the road and IMO completely worth the price of admission.
The MB dealer service can be hit or miss depending on where you live. While I am fortunate to have excellent service, that is not always the case. Finding a good Mercedes Independant Shop is paramount for anything you need to pay for, they are generally 25% cheaper than the dealer and will try harder to earn/keep your business. A good shop can save you major $$.
Remember that you are driving an expensive 8 year old car. Things do wear out and break, and because they were expensive new, they are also expensive to repair later. I recently sold a perfect 03 BMW 530 for the same reason.....great car but things started to wear out, and the costs to repair was more than I wanted to spend on an 8 year old car.
Lastly, don't give up on the brand. Your car is 8 years old, and at some point they won't cover it anymore. Mercedes are expensive to buy and maintain, just have a warranty. When they are in good repair, they are like nothing else on the road and IMO completely worth the price of admission.
10-29-2010, 03:56 PM
#9
So very true! I knew what i was getting into when I bought my w211 AMG. I spent hours researching the forums and blog sites about common failure issues and costly repair items. As such, everything that had worn out or broken on the car has not been such a surprise. I knew that this car hadnt won anyones favor based on its rock solid reliability. As a backup I ended up holding onto my 2004 Accord 6spd coupe which after 7yrs and 60K miles still runs like new.
What did surprise me though is the horrible MB dealer services! My local dealer is so bad that I try to avoid taking my vehicle in at all cost, even though its under warranty! Do your self a favor, get handy with a wrench (like Shardul), or find a reasonable indy shop.
As a side my AMG is in the shop as we speak for a broken pano roof which ticks me off since I rarely even use it. Next time I'm going for the black vinyl instead.
What did surprise me though is the horrible MB dealer services! My local dealer is so bad that I try to avoid taking my vehicle in at all cost, even though its under warranty! Do your self a favor, get handy with a wrench (like Shardul), or find a reasonable indy shop.
As a side my AMG is in the shop as we speak for a broken pano roof which ticks me off since I rarely even use it. Next time I'm going for the black vinyl instead.
10-29-2010, 04:04 PM
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Ok, maybe I was a little harsh. But seriously, these things cost money to fix. My 04 was immaculant and serviced to the hilt, the member here that bought it had the SC belt(brand new) snap on the way home(7hr drive). It sliced the main power cord costing like $2800 to fix. I gave him some money good will because I felt bad. Its just the luck of the draw.
when that first repair bill happens, especially on the ride home, trust me on this. And like another person said, you may have bought the car for less but it was a $80-90k car new and that is what the repairs are based off of.
Just the regular upkeep and fixes are going to take a few pennies to pay for.
10-29-2010, 04:07 PM
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'13 GT-R AMS Alpha 9+, CLA45, E55
EDIT* LOL ^^ What he said 
Just wait until the Airmatic goes out.
It was once a $90k car. Just because the cars value depreciates doesn't mean the ownership cost does as well.
Sorry to hear your woes man. They are wonderful cars though in my opinion.
Just wait until the Airmatic goes out.
It was once a $90k car. Just because the cars value depreciates doesn't mean the ownership cost does as well.
Sorry to hear your woes man. They are wonderful cars though in my opinion.
10-29-2010, 04:14 PM
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2003 E55 & 2014 GL550
Couldn't agree more. This is the trap many unknowledgeable buyers fall into time and time again. The high performance, semi-exotic car they've always lusted after finally depreciates in value to a point where it can finally be purchased. What they haven't anticipated is the additional expense to actually keep the car on the road. Stuff does wear out, and the E55 does have some known issues that any buyer ought to understand and anticipate happening to the car they're going to buy before they actually buy the car.
04 Gallardos are down to the 70ish range used, can't imagine the fun repairing one of those.
I don't have the heart to tell him that it's near 100% certain an Airmatic failure is coming within the next 12 months. Just seems to be happening to all the 03's right now.
Hope things smooth out for ya bro. Know that Airmatic failure is coming. When you come out and see the front end super dropped, you'll know it's Airmatic time. Heads up.
10-29-2010, 04:16 PM
#13
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Hello everyone,
I'll make this post short and to the point. I am a recent college graduate (read: not making tons of money) who saved up for a long time to buy his dream car. As a college graduation present to myself, I finally purchased it: a 2003 W211 E55 AMG. It had about 66,000 miles and came with a 3 year/36k mile third-party extended warranty. It was a bone-stock, one-owner car, and that owner had all work done on it at the dealership he purchased it from. Seemed to be ideal conditions.
Today is October 29, 2010. I purchased the car in June 2010, about 4 months ago. I had the car inspected prior to purchase and that came up clean. In the 4 months since purchase:
1) Idler pulley bearing wore out, wore down pulley with it, was causing knocking in the engine bay - replaced pulley, not covered by warranty, cost $600
2) Center console cupholder stopped functioning, small plastic bit broke off which prevented spring from working - have not replaced, would cost $100
3) Keyless Go door handles on 2 of 4 doors stopped functioning - being replaced under warranty, cost $800
4) Obnoxious loud ticking sound from A/C blower fan behind glove compartment - undiagnosed, would incur at least 3 hours of shop time to pull out dashboard to diagnose
5) Steering angle sensor defective, send ESP malfunctions to dash - have not replaced yet, not under warranty, cost $400
6) Right thrust arm bushing worn out - under warranty, cost $70
7) Left thrust arm cracked - replace under warranty, cost $500
8) Left upper ball joint worn out - replace under warranty, cost $400
9) Both fuel sending units (there is one on each side of gas tank) failed, with small cracks in the tops causing fuel to pool on top and evaporate into the cabin of the car, creating noxious fumes and big fire hazard - still trying to figure out what to do, cost would be $2,000 to replace both, not under warranty
This last one is the most troubling, not only because it's a big safety concern but because a recall on that exact issue (Campaign Number 2008-020001) was issued in 2008. My car had the recall performed but was not having problems prior. So the owner had the car from 2003-2008 with no problems, had the recall work performed, problems started only 2 years later. Mercedes says they performed the recall work and will not warranty that work, washing their hands of the issue.
You will see that in the 4 months I've owned the car, I've racked up $4,870 in repair costs. You might think to yourself "This car must be a lemon". However, if you do a quick Google search on any of the above items, you will find dozens of posts and dedicated pages on each issue on multiple Mercedes forums.
I do not mean to dissuade anyone from purchasing this car. When the car is working, it is a beautiful, exhilarating machine that drives like nothing else on the road. I simply want to share my experience with the car and warn others thinking of purchasing a used E55 that they will encounter maybe not all the issues above, but at least some, maybe more. And it will be costly, no matter whether you take it to a dealer or not.
I started my job shortly after purchasing this car. It pays well, but not enough to support the outlandish repair costs on this car. The majority of my after-rent, after-tax earnings to date have gone to simply keeping this car on the road. Between that, and the fact that Mercedes will not assist me in any way in taking care of this dual fuel sender failure that was previously the subject of a recall and was clearly not fixed correctly, I will likely be selling this car soon.
I have owned Lexuses and BMWs, and both companies have been far more respectful with its customers. I will never again purchase a Mercedes-Benz product.
Brad
Feel free to post or PM in response.
I'll make this post short and to the point. I am a recent college graduate (read: not making tons of money) who saved up for a long time to buy his dream car. As a college graduation present to myself, I finally purchased it: a 2003 W211 E55 AMG. It had about 66,000 miles and came with a 3 year/36k mile third-party extended warranty. It was a bone-stock, one-owner car, and that owner had all work done on it at the dealership he purchased it from. Seemed to be ideal conditions.
Today is October 29, 2010. I purchased the car in June 2010, about 4 months ago. I had the car inspected prior to purchase and that came up clean. In the 4 months since purchase:
1) Idler pulley bearing wore out, wore down pulley with it, was causing knocking in the engine bay - replaced pulley, not covered by warranty, cost $600
2) Center console cupholder stopped functioning, small plastic bit broke off which prevented spring from working - have not replaced, would cost $100
3) Keyless Go door handles on 2 of 4 doors stopped functioning - being replaced under warranty, cost $800
4) Obnoxious loud ticking sound from A/C blower fan behind glove compartment - undiagnosed, would incur at least 3 hours of shop time to pull out dashboard to diagnose
5) Steering angle sensor defective, send ESP malfunctions to dash - have not replaced yet, not under warranty, cost $400
6) Right thrust arm bushing worn out - under warranty, cost $70
7) Left thrust arm cracked - replace under warranty, cost $500
8) Left upper ball joint worn out - replace under warranty, cost $400
9) Both fuel sending units (there is one on each side of gas tank) failed, with small cracks in the tops causing fuel to pool on top and evaporate into the cabin of the car, creating noxious fumes and big fire hazard - still trying to figure out what to do, cost would be $2,000 to replace both, not under warranty
This last one is the most troubling, not only because it's a big safety concern but because a recall on that exact issue (Campaign Number 2008-020001) was issued in 2008. My car had the recall performed but was not having problems prior. So the owner had the car from 2003-2008 with no problems, had the recall work performed, problems started only 2 years later. Mercedes says they performed the recall work and will not warranty that work, washing their hands of the issue.
You will see that in the 4 months I've owned the car, I've racked up $4,870 in repair costs. You might think to yourself "This car must be a lemon". However, if you do a quick Google search on any of the above items, you will find dozens of posts and dedicated pages on each issue on multiple Mercedes forums.
I do not mean to dissuade anyone from purchasing this car. When the car is working, it is a beautiful, exhilarating machine that drives like nothing else on the road. I simply want to share my experience with the car and warn others thinking of purchasing a used E55 that they will encounter maybe not all the issues above, but at least some, maybe more. And it will be costly, no matter whether you take it to a dealer or not.
I started my job shortly after purchasing this car. It pays well, but not enough to support the outlandish repair costs on this car. The majority of my after-rent, after-tax earnings to date have gone to simply keeping this car on the road. Between that, and the fact that Mercedes will not assist me in any way in taking care of this dual fuel sender failure that was previously the subject of a recall and was clearly not fixed correctly, I will likely be selling this car soon.
I have owned Lexuses and BMWs, and both companies have been far more respectful with its customers. I will never again purchase a Mercedes-Benz product.
Brad
Feel free to post or PM in response.
Did you not read your 3rd party warranty to see what it covered? I come up with a $3100 + 4) figure that you were told isn't covered compared to your $4870 by implication as posted. Who told you what is and isn't covered?
10-29-2010, 05:26 PM
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Couldn't agree more. This is the trap many unknowledgeable buyers fall into time and time again. The high performance, semi-exotic car they've always lusted after depreciates in value to a point where it can finally be purchased. What they haven't anticipated is the additional expense to actually keep the car on the road. Stuff does wear out, and the E55 does have some known issues that any buyer ought to understand and anticipate happening to the car they're going to buy before they actually buy the car.
On a depreciated exotic (and I think it's fair to say a factory supercharged V8 borders on being rather exotic), a prospective buyer should set aside anywhere from 25% to 45% of the initial purchase price of the car to be spend on maintenance and repairs over the first couple of years of ownership. And some would say even that might not be enough.
But even with the wallet-punishing cost of owning an E55, for most owners, the driving experience is unmatched. What a frickin' awesome car.
On a depreciated exotic (and I think it's fair to say a factory supercharged V8 borders on being rather exotic), a prospective buyer should set aside anywhere from 25% to 45% of the initial purchase price of the car to be spend on maintenance and repairs over the first couple of years of ownership. And some would say even that might not be enough.
But even with the wallet-punishing cost of owning an E55, for most owners, the driving experience is unmatched. What a frickin' awesome car.
QFT. In bold, you slammed that on the head and people should take note. Always, always, check into routine maintenance, typical repairs, indy/dealer prices, and parts prices BEFORE you buy any car. Know what you are getting into.
A 2003 with 66K miles...look at the major service parts you should get on this car and see the OEM parts prices from some of the websites (not dealer prices). Look at just prices of parts, let alone labor which gives an informed view on some costs. After that, you have to ask yourself: "Am I comfortable with these costs?"
A 2003 with 66K miles...look at the major service parts you should get on this car and see the OEM parts prices from some of the websites (not dealer prices). Look at just prices of parts, let alone labor which gives an informed view on some costs. After that, you have to ask yourself: "Am I comfortable with these costs?"
+1000000 Well said
04 Gallardos are down to the 70ish range used, can't imagine the fun repairing one of those.
I don't have the heart to tell him that it's near 100% certain an Airmatic failure is coming within the next 12 months. Just seems to be happening to all the 03's right now.
Hope things smooth out for ya bro. Know that Airmatic failure is coming. When you come out and see the front end super dropped, you'll know it's Airmatic time. Heads up.
04 Gallardos are down to the 70ish range used, can't imagine the fun repairing one of those.
I don't have the heart to tell him that it's near 100% certain an Airmatic failure is coming within the next 12 months. Just seems to be happening to all the 03's right now.
Hope things smooth out for ya bro. Know that Airmatic failure is coming. When you come out and see the front end super dropped, you'll know it's Airmatic time. Heads up.
These are $100k cars. Why is it that people seem to get it with Italian and British exotics but not with AMGs? Why is it that people think just because they cost peanuts used that somehow they're going to cost peanuts to fix and maintain?
These cars were targeted towards people with lots of resources and not recent college graduates. If you have a warranty and a good comfort level in the bank, then you can enjoy an expensive performance car while being fully aware of the risks. If you don't, then owning the car can become an uncomfortable proposition. There's a reason most sane people in the world wouldn't go out and buy an expensive car, even despite their monetary status.
One can't have their cake and eat it too. Buying a used potential time bomb on a limited budget just to have some fun on the road doesn't cut it in the real world.
Cars in general don't really make a lot of sense except as transportation. Everything else about them is extra and costly fluff.
I'd like to have a villa in Italy, too. And hey, real estate is a bargain these days. But just the taxes and upkeep alone would eventually kill me.
10-29-2010, 06:22 PM
#15
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2004 E55 AMG
Feel for you man. I bought my 04 w/30k in April 2008, went through a 100 point inspection at the dealer to qualify for the aftermarket warranty. Totally clean bill of health. Within 3 weeks the problems started, resulting in 35 days in the shop during the following three months, and $7k price tag. None of the problems were the common ones listed here on this board.
And BTW, just went through the full 50k service for just under $1k.
The saving grace is the stupid level of performance, thrills me every time I drive....and believe it or not the service at my local dealer is completely top notch, actually oustanding.
And BTW, just went through the full 50k service for just under $1k.
The saving grace is the stupid level of performance, thrills me every time I drive....and believe it or not the service at my local dealer is completely top notch, actually oustanding.
10-29-2010, 08:07 PM
#16
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2 things that don't make any sense.
1) You stated that you had the car inspected by a reputable 3rd party, if so, why weren't they able to spot the worn pulley?
2) What exactly does your 3rd party warranty cover? It appears to be "JACK SQUAT"! Most 3rd party warranty claims should only cost you the deductible for incurrance of warranty claim.
1) You stated that you had the car inspected by a reputable 3rd party, if so, why weren't they able to spot the worn pulley?
2) What exactly does your 3rd party warranty cover? It appears to be "JACK SQUAT"! Most 3rd party warranty claims should only cost you the deductible for incurrance of warranty claim.
10-29-2010, 08:19 PM
#17
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E-ZGO 53hp., 1999 E 430 sport, 2004 E 55, 2008 Tahoe LTZ on 24"s
Funny you buy a 7 year old car with 66K miles, and blame Mercedes cause it is old and worn out.
Sell it ASAP cause it will only get more expensive, you are in over your head, spending way too much of your income on transportation. Worst part is that it sounds like you are dependent on a dealer for service.
Sell it ASAP cause it will only get more expensive, you are in over your head, spending way too much of your income on transportation. Worst part is that it sounds like you are dependent on a dealer for service.
10-29-2010, 09:06 PM
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2004 S55 (SOLD, miss it every day), 2009 GL550
1) You didn't do the "quick Google" before buying a $100,000 car (used or not makes no difference). Too bad, might have saved you some heartache.
2) You did the quick google, knew about the potential for financial pain, and bought the car anyway. Why? Probably because it's a blast to drive. But dude, you gotta pay to play!
good luck, and please share with us the name of the company that sold you that piece-o-crap warranty so no one else gets hosed by them.
10-29-2010, 11:32 PM
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2004 Mercedes Benz E55
Calvin, man...keep your chin up! That's quite a car you have for just graduating college! I currently have an '04 E55, and I've owned it for about 1 1/2 years, it's been in the shop over half the time I've owned it! But, I don't feel that the previous owner was as "****" as me. Luckily, my best move with the car was I purchased that Chrysler Maximum Care Warranty. To date, I've had the front main supercharger pulley/bearing replaced, other pullies the mechanic said were "stressed", the left trunk spring broke, the switch in the middle of trunk stopped working, the heater air conditioning module broke causing intense heat to blow in the rear all the time, leaky valve cover gaskets, a VERY noisy A/C blower motor that was replaced, and new rails on the sunroof. Everything was covered with this warranty. No questions asked. I wouldn't want any luxury/sports car with today's technology and multiple computers without a warranty!
Get the bugs out and enjoy the hell out of it!
Get the bugs out and enjoy the hell out of it!
10-30-2010, 01:00 AM
#20
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Brad, thanks for the post and everyone else on this thread. I have been in the market for a 2005 -2006 E55. I have been doing the research and reading through the forum threads. Not understanding how this mercedes can have so many problems - I have a 1997 E320 that drives great with 210K on the clock (160k are mine). I have not had any repair issues other that normal maintence with this car, it has been amazing. So in doing the reaserch on the E55 I could not understand how these cars could be so much trouble, all I could think of is that everyone is driving them to hard or bought poorly maintained cars - after all my Mercedes has been a rock. Well this thread has really hammered home the point, get a good warranty if you want to play in an E55.
Thank you all. 
Thank you all.
Last edited by tsquare; 10-30-2010 at 01:16 AM.
10-30-2010, 04:28 AM
#21
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W211
the worst car made by MB in it's history.
Most recalls worst in service record.
Add to that the OP from what I can tell had no PPI performed on the car.
Ball joints don't fail overnight and several of the part failures should have been detected by a good inspection.
Has the radiator brand issue been looked or is the next big ticket item going to be a trans/coolant failure.
220S yes pricey cars cost money,however MB's record on costs that should rarely be encountered in a high end car are horrific. Valeo radiator alternator failures sbc brake issues sc issues on and on and on.
A well inspected W210 over 3 years might have 3-4 hundred in regular maint.
A 2002 W210 E55 well bought for 12-13k and inspected about the same.
The W211 should not have been a time bomb and blaming the ones who purchased them thinking they were getting a quality car not plagued with costly issues is a bit off base.
The only caveat I would suggest is don't buy a w211 with eyes closed to the fact they were potential lemons or lemons when brand new never mind as a used car
and yes blame is on Mercedes if at 6 oil changes into a w211's life it is old and worn out it should just be broken in not broken down.
don't blame the messenger
Most recalls worst in service record.
Add to that the OP from what I can tell had no PPI performed on the car.
Ball joints don't fail overnight and several of the part failures should have been detected by a good inspection.
Has the radiator brand issue been looked or is the next big ticket item going to be a trans/coolant failure.
220S yes pricey cars cost money,however MB's record on costs that should rarely be encountered in a high end car are horrific. Valeo radiator alternator failures sbc brake issues sc issues on and on and on.
A well inspected W210 over 3 years might have 3-4 hundred in regular maint.
A 2002 W210 E55 well bought for 12-13k and inspected about the same.
The W211 should not have been a time bomb and blaming the ones who purchased them thinking they were getting a quality car not plagued with costly issues is a bit off base.
The only caveat I would suggest is don't buy a w211 with eyes closed to the fact they were potential lemons or lemons when brand new never mind as a used car
and yes blame is on Mercedes if at 6 oil changes into a w211's life it is old and worn out it should just be broken in not broken down.
don't blame the messenger
10-30-2010, 04:52 AM
#22
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Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
ohlord: that was pretty much my point. Why get into one of these cars if you know what the deal is. And like you said, seems like the OP didn't do a complete ppi (with compression test/leakdown, etc.); something one needs to always do on a used performance car.
All the info in the world is out there on the E55s. Red flags are everywhere. Don't get into one if you can't or don't want to wade into the water. It's going to cost money, and these weren't cheap to begin with. Just like maintaining high end Brit and Italian cars. Try owning a used Jaguar or Maserati. It's not for the meek. Or the poor.
When new, rich people bought them. And then they sold them to people like the OP when it became no fun anymore and/or the warranty was up.
All the info in the world is out there on the E55s. Red flags are everywhere. Don't get into one if you can't or don't want to wade into the water. It's going to cost money, and these weren't cheap to begin with. Just like maintaining high end Brit and Italian cars. Try owning a used Jaguar or Maserati. It's not for the meek. Or the poor.
When new, rich people bought them. And then they sold them to people like the OP when it became no fun anymore and/or the warranty was up.
10-30-2010, 09:17 AM
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E-ZGO 53hp., 1999 E 430 sport, 2004 E 55, 2008 Tahoe LTZ on 24"s
The OPs car sounds like it has been over a curb or two from all the suspension work done.
Many people will be "taken" and unfortunately the ones that can least afford it, because like you they think "it should just be broken in, not broken down"
Then they come here and try to save others by having a passive aggressive rant and cry about how bad Mercedes Benz cars are.
Don't forget, there is a E55 buyer born every second.....
10-30-2010, 10:34 AM
#24
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You are both
right on. I do find it sad though that with all the information people still put blinders on their heads and ignore the warnings.When people buy one sight unseen on ebay with no inspection from some used car dealer across the country, now that adds up to the perfect storm
That's one you can't blame any car for!
That's one you can't blame any car for!
Last edited by ohlord; 10-30-2010 at 10:36 AM.
10-30-2010, 10:45 AM
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E-ZGO 53hp., 1999 E 430 sport, 2004 E 55, 2008 Tahoe LTZ on 24"s
right on. I do find it sad though that with all the information people still put blinders on their heads and ignore the warnings.When people buy one sight unseen on ebay with no inspection from some used car dealer across the country, now that adds up to the perfect storm That's one you can't blame any car for!
That's one you can't blame any car for!
