I am doing all my research on a 1999 C280 I am going to buy. I would greatly appreciate anyknowledgeon maintaining one. First time mercedes buyer. I have my eye on a white, grey leather, 130 000 km, no accidents. What can I look for that might suggest an expensive maintenance cost down the road? What is a good siteto visit that tells me prices of damage costs, or aftermarket parts?

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If the car has been properly maintained and not thrashed by some wanna-be racer boy, it should have many more miles left on it. These cars are expensvie to maintian and repair though. If you aren't the type to work on your own car, budget a good amount for maintenance.

You can learn how to evaluate one of these cars by just reading a few posts. You need to pay a long-time experienced MB mechanic to thoroughly go through the car if you are serious about buying it. Most independent shops will do it for $100 or less since they also see you as a potential customer. It is money well spent. You do not want to buy an example with problems. Pass on it and try one of the many others that are for sale.

 

Grrrr... The second paragraph was supposed to read: You CAN'T learn...

 

i bought my 99 C280 about six months ago and all the maintainance i had to do was replace the oil pan because it had a leak, replace the six year old battery, and replace a few of the light bulbs. the oil panwas pretty expensive like 1000 dollars. it is an awesome car and fun to drive.