paulh2602601 Posted 1 hour ago Share Posted 1 hour ago The E Class 2020 (January) with 47,000 miles on the odometer is a 2.0 E200 AMG Line Edition (Premium Plus), and I will be seeing it next week. In order to avoid spending a lot of money on a defective product, can somebody tell me what a layperson can look for? I have previously paid for a report detailing the vehicle's maintenance, inspections, previous owners, and more as part of my due diligence. The vehicle's service history is complete and confirmed by the dealer. The automobile looks great on the photos. Buying the car from a private party raises the stakes and makes me feel nervous. In addition, I have viewed a number of instructional videos on YouTube regarding the symptoms to watch out for, such as Cold Shift, The "Kickdown" Hesitation, Torque Converter Shudder, and the like. It seems like the present owner has just had the vehicle since January 2025. He is downsizing, which is his (seemingly youthful) rationale for selling. It seems like people have been looking at it since about the middle of last year, according to the report I bought from CarCheck. There was an advisory for a minor play in the nearside front suspension arm ball joint during the last MOT (which was two months ago). Helpful suggestions are welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BENZE220AMG Posted 1 hour ago Share Posted 1 hour ago Given that, one may wonder why it hasn't sold yet. Are we looking at "optimistic" pricing? Just a few months after purchasing it in January of last year, the current owner is attempting to sell it. If you want to be sure you don't miss anything, I recommend taking a reliable companion with you when you watch it. You can either walk away (there are always other used cars for sale) or think about getting an AA/RAC examination before you buy it if you're still not sure whether it's right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BENZE220AMG Posted 1 hour ago Share Posted 1 hour ago 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulh2602601 Posted 1 hour ago Author Share Posted 1 hour ago Yours truly. My companion is coming along, and she has warned me not to miss what could be glaringly clear. His asking price is virtually exactly what a trader would pay, plus or minus £1,500 more than the research suggests for a tidy private sale. The dealer's estimate for fixing the arm ball joint is about £570; however, I will be able to shave at least £2,000 off that figure. Regarding the AA/RAC inspection, you are correct; I shall take that into consideration. Actually, it would be wise to have a professional Mercedes mechanic take a look at the vehicle. I had the RAC look into it and found someone with expertise in 280SLs in 2000, when I bought a 1983 model. They dispatched a guy who was clueless about these autos and had no prior expertise with them. In the end, a wealthy investment banker bought her after we had her for 23 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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