C320purchase

I am thinking of purchasing a used C320 from a local dealer. Any advice or comments on the 2001 C230 as far as reliability, etc?

Reply to
Gregory J. Bednar
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Here's the statistically invalid data from a sample of 2:

My brother-in-law's 2001 C320 has been in the shop regularly and has 'limped home' at least once. M-B is giving him a rebate in recognition of the problems.

My 2002 C320 Wagon has been trouble-free except for the need to replace a carge cover that failed to latch.

FWIW.

Kal

Reply to
Kalman Rubinson

2001 was a very bad year for the car... go to edmonds.com and see for yourself... also go to
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and look up the year
Reply to
Rich Williamson

Youch!! - I never figured MB was akin to a beater car! - I was going into the situation thinking I was going to purchase a quality car that had all the bugs worked out of it and would run the usual 1 Million miles most of the older MB's used to run. I guess this is no longer true. Greg

Reply to
Gregory J. Bednar

One million miles on a MB ? ( or any car for that matter) You better be a mechanical genius or have real deep pockets. -Dana

Reply to
Dana

"Dana" wrote in news:fSavc.7825$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net:

It is cheaper to drive a Mercedes a million miles than any other car!

Reply to
George Mann

Excerpted from Consumer Reports, 4/2004 Auto Issue: Used cars to avoid: '01-'03 C-Class '02 CLK '03 E-Class; '00-'01 E-Class AWD '98-'02 M-Class '00, '02 Sclass '02 SLK

C-Class reliabilities section: '01 Problem areas rated worse to much worse than average: Electrical, Body Integrity, Power Equipment, Body hardware.

Reliability verdict: Wose than average for that year.

Reply to
KS

But couple this with the other statistic: cost much more than average. This I personally feel this sways these sorts of all marque polls. Skoda, Kia, Daewoo and their ilk usually get great marks. Let's face it if you buy a brand new car for £6000 you aren't going to mark it too badly if it gets you from A-B (to paraphrase MBs latest ad campain). If you are looking at making the hyphen the best part then you have to pay more... and therefore you are likely to be more piniky if things aren't 100%. Well that's my view, do you guys agree or disagree?

300 Essie
Reply to
300 Essie

I have been looking at all the responses and doing the research at the local book store ( yes, I'm cheap that way ) over a few cups of coffee. It looks like the 2001 shoud be avoided at all costs and if anything, I should wait for a 2002 to rear its head since it seems that model year has all the gremlins worker out.

Or as one respondant said, maybe I'll see him at the Lexus dealership. Right now, I have decided NOT to purchase the 2001, after all, I still have a car that works and I know it inside and out. I am not going to buy a vehicle that is going to drain my bank account faster than a high priced mistress. And after an ugly divorce, the last thing I need is to factor in "car support" payments into the mix.

It looks like MB is focusing too much on the Chrysler angle, placing all the good German engineering into the Crossfire et al., and ignoring the bigger more prestigious picture of the MB. I am disappointed in that all along I was thinking the MB is as it was, a car that would be akin to a tractor and fun for many years, something I could will to my daughter, and I am not that old. But with the price and frequency of repairs, and the re-repairs of the electrical, I would be a fool to jump in with both feet, not matter how the car performs BETWEEN trips to the shop.

Thanks all for the input and the links to other web sites where the 2001 C320 is discussed. It has been, to say the least, very informative.

Thanks Greg

Reply to
Gregory J. Bednar

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