Diesel117

I am looking at a two owner 2005 E55 with 90K miles for sale and would love feedback on:

What to look for. (Any specifics?)
What you think its worth.
What is maintenance cost?
What known reliability problems are there? etc.

This would be a DD. I would drive it about 15K miles a year. I'm in North Texas (mild weather). This is a low option E55. No panoramic roof, no parking senors, etc. Just navigation and moon roof. Asking price is $20K. I think that is a little high.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian

Toadster

offer $18.5

just remember - in 4 years @15k you'll be ~150k miles on a 12 year old car

Diesel117

The mileage is very much on my mind. That being said, my suburban had 300K miles before I got rid of it. My truck now has 180K. My car had 155K and I was going to keep it but it someone just plowed into me the other day and it got totaled (the whole reason I am shopping). I wrench on my cars and keep them in good shape and I get the most out of them (miles wise).

Am I headed down a dangerous road with a higher mile AMG? With manuals and forums I can work on anything I just don't want too for 50K miles. What, if anything, commonly goes wrong with these cars?

Diesel117

Searching around I see the below are concerns. Any others? Common issues or hit and miss?

Fuel sending units can leak.
Supercharger bearing can go out.
IC pump failure
Battery control module
Alternator
Idler pulley

Toadster

you'll have your share of maintenance issues, but there are plenty of high-mileage AMGs on here... some well over 120k

gaspam

Airmatic suspension... common and costly... i have had 3 of the 4 replaced to the tune of about $4500

FASN8N

Add crankshaft position sensor to the list
Motor and transmission mounts
Airmatic at $4,500, must have been a stealer rape job?
You can get a pair of rear bags from Arnott for $800 and a pair of fronts for $1k?

gaspam

when the rears went out the arnott rears were not yet available so had to get oem ones

when the front one went out i had to have the car towed and dealership could get it done same day while i was at work or i could wait a week to save a few hundred bucks on arnotts to arrive... prefered to have my car back same day and delivered to me while i was at work

hank55

i am looking at getting one also, i am currently looking at extended warrantys, however the model year is 2003 and has about 39k on the odo.

allenjdmb

at it two ways. (1) 120k ain't nowhere near what is used to be. But...(2) Benz cars aren't put together like they used to be either. They aren't built with the idea that they can run for 200+k miles. On the other hand, if it appears to be well cared for, then you could probably ride it to 145 or so and only lose a few grand. Assuming the tranny doesn't quit, that is....

Sir-Boost-a-Lot

iTrader: (1)

It sounds like a solid buy if you can get it for under $20k. While 90k isn't high miles for a 2005, the context might make it seem so. You may be better off with a low option model such as this if you plan to keep it for some time and drive it, more complex nature might equal more to repair.

How does the rest of it look? Was it garaged? Is it from a dealer or an individual?

I've had mine a year and taken it from 66k miles to 76k miles and only changed the oil other than discretionary upgrades. I was aware that air suspension components were a common failure and have been prepared to replace those components when they go. I would have expected those same failures whether I was buying a 40k mile car or a 90k mile one as they're still 6-9 years old regardless of the mileage. Now that they're available from Arnott I would probably do all 4 should one fail.

Good luck!

cij911

$20K seems very fair to me if it has been well cared for....

allenjdmb

but depends totally on the condition and service history. Dont be fooled by the crazy asking prices on this board, they are not what's really happening in the marketplace.

cij911

Maybe, but I can tell you that most of the "pristine" cars on dealer lots are not so "pristine"....Most have been cared for poorly, bad paint / paint jobs, no real service history, etc.

I would expect a price a tad higher than some would deem "market price", but I also have a binder with every service record from day 1 for all my cars. Each is detailed regularly and well maintained. I have never had a problem selling any of my cars either. So I guess it just depends on what you are looking to get...

numismatic

This guy is selling his E55 and seems to have good history. Other members have vouched for the car. Might be a good option...

allenjdmb

to agree about the cars on many dealer lots. You have to take each one on its own merit. I was more speaking about the cars for sale here at mbw that are thousands of dollars away from reality. Absolutely, an exceptional example will bring more money. But not 25-30% more. Thus, a good many of these cars are still sitting, and will continue to. As far as selling your own car, I guess it depends on where you are and the availablity of financing. If you haven't done it in the last year or so, it's a different world out there now.

novae500

I should sell my 05 to original poster for $25k

Diesel117

Thanks for all the replies. The car "looks" clean. If I get serious I will pull a carfax and a report from the local MB dealer (Star report?). The lack of options is a bummer. Bramage's 04" E55 he is selling is beautiful. Just he is in CA and the car is not black. For the right price I have flown across the country to buy a car, just don't have the time to right now.

Honestly, the possible repairs scare me. I could afford one or two things but not a handful of major ones right now. I'll have my truck paid off in a year and then it's game on.

allenjdmb

there you have it. This is a forum member who has access lots of info, but is still concerned about fixing these things. Generally, it's not that bad, but the perception....one more time it's harder to...well you know by now.

Diesel117

If I understand you correctly, I have been led to the water but just not drinking the kool aid? It should concern anyone to spend $18K on a vehicle when there is story after story on here about guys dropping $7K-$10k on repairs alone in the first year.

I worked for MB Finance for 10 years and unfortunately they don't make them like they use too.

Diesel117

Maintenance is one thing but I wouldn't want to spend $7K-$10k on repairs on any vehicle I owned.

emoving

You better get a Civic!

Diesel117

emoving,

Yeah, this car might not be the one for me. If repairs are going to get stupid then I might as well just save up for the exotic.

Don't get me wrong. I'm dropping about $9K into my truck this winter but it is mostly goodies and because I want to. Not for things that didn't hold up from the factory.

AKnight55

On average repairs are nowhere near $7k a year..

emoving

Airbags are cheap now and that is really the main issue with these. I wouldnt gt too worked up if the car is in good condition. People come here to biach like most forums. I have never had a major issue nor has anyone I know that takes care of their car.