Used Mercedes Benz: What to Check When Buying One

Buying a used Mercedes requires a great deal of thought and consideration so that you don’t end up buying a car that ends up costing you a fortune in repairs and constant trips to a specialist garage. Doing a bit of research and routine checks up front, could save you from making a costly mistake that you would come to regret. Here are a few things to think about before you buy:

Do you have a local garage which can work on Mercedes cars?

This is something to think about before you commit to making a purchase, particularly for a second-hand Mercedes. It will need maintenance and potentially repairs and not all local garages are willing to work on used Mercedes cars because they are not familiar with them, so just bear this in mind before you buy.

Are you prepared for the potential maintenance costs?

There is the potential for much higher maintenance costs than you might be used to, by buying a used luxury car. Garages which specialise in luxury vehicles are naturally going to charge more than working on a non-luxury brand so when pricing up the car, take into account the potential costs for servicing, MOTs and potential costly repairs as well – does it still look like a bargain after that all adds up?

Does your used car come with a warranty?

If you are buying privately, the chances are the manufacturers’ warranty will have expired so you could be left with no warranty on your car. If you are buying from a dealer you can ask them to add in a warranty on the car for you when you buy it and if it’s an authorized Mercedes dealership that should not be a problem. If you go here https://www.bigmotoringworld.co.uk/used/cars/mercedes-benz/ you’ll get a 3 month warranty as standard (can extend to 3 years). They got some pretty nice Mercs too!

Are the car’s gadgets out of date?

While one of the benefits of a used Mercedes is all the extra features and gadgets which you wouldn’t find in most used cars, they can become obsolete fairly quickly so don’t let those be your main reason for buying. For example, a built in GPS system in a 10-year-old car is not likely to be of much use to you. If a lot of the gadgets are not working that could add to your costs to get them upgraded or repaired.

Have an independent vehicle inspection

You should always get an independent vehicle inspection carried out on any used Mercedes you are planning to buy – you can ask the mechanic to give you a quote on any potential repairs or issues which they spot. You are not expecting the car to be perfect, but neither do you want any unpleasant surprises when you get it home.

Have the car scanned for fault codes

As part of your independent inspection, get the mechanic to check for fault codes on the Mercedes that you are planning to buy. That will raise any issues which might not be visible from a physical inspection and again, will save you from any nasty shocks after you have bought the car.

Check the car’s history

It’s easy to check a car’s full history before you buy it and it will show you if the car has been in any accidents or written off. The details this report provides can be invaluable in the buying decision as you can’t tell from an inspection if the car had been written off previously. Also ask the seller for full maintenance and service history details – if the car hasn’t been regularly serviced and maintained it could be harbouring potentially expensive problems under the hood.

Check the insurance cost

When planning to buy a used luxury car you need to work out if you can afford the upkeep and that includes the insurance costs – it might be considerably higher than you think so get some insurance quotes before committing to buy the car, to make sure the monthly payments aren’t going to take you over your planned budget.

Do some research.

Once you have decided on the type of Mercedes you want to buy, do some research into that particular model. Have a look online at what people say are the most common issues and problems for it so that when you check out one you want to buy, you know exactly what to look for before you part with a penny.

Owning a Mercedes is a dream for many car drivers and the price tag that comes with a new model makes the used car market look very appealing as the only way to ever afford one. With proper checks and research, and access to a specialist mechanic should you need one, there is no reason why purchasing a used Mercedes shouldn’t become an amazing experience and way to make your luxury car ownership dream come true.