Hello,

Thinking of getting a 2006 c-280 with 6800 miles. What are some common problems people are seeing, I currently have a VW Passat. I moved and now have problems with the snow. I need a 4 wheel drive, or all wheel drive so I can get home. This one has the 4MATIC.

Please give me your opinions on this and let me know how others are doing with the same car, prolbems they have, things they like and things they hate.

Thanks for your help.

Fred

 

I picked up an 06 with 27K. Solid, quiet and quick. Averages 24.5 mpg on premium fuel;(winter in Northeastern Pa.Takes a while to get used to the adaptive automatic if you are used to the old ones which only change gears based on hydraulic pressure. Heated seats come with the 4-Matic and are wonderful. Outstanding performance in snow and ice, the car having saved my *** on at least 4 occasions.Some body lean though the car will hang on in the twisties. Wish the springs/shocks/struts were firmer as the stock ones are calibrated for ride quality. Compared to a 3 series BMW, the Mercedes is more comfortable and feels more solid. Seems to have a bit more snob appeal if you bother to pay attention to that bull****. The automatic transmission has a far better reputation for longevity than the BMW slushbox. The Bimmer's suspension is sportier out of the box and it's steering more communicative. In short, BMW-more sporty, Mercedes-more luxury. I may well change out the stock suspension for Bilstein/Eibach parts to tighten up the car in the twisties. Only had mine for 3.5K to date but not at all sorry I bought it. As I understand it, the airflow meter is a weak point.[/align][/align]Hope this was helpful[/align][/align]Regards,[/align][/align]Will[/align]

 

99 c280 and love it. first MB.

 

Bought a 00' C280 around 4/20007 w/ 105k w/ no maintenance records to speak of from a local Virginia dealer (car was from Texas). 10,000 miles later and has been a gem. Digital cluster readout has never been quite right but found a place in California that will fix all readouts for $300. Just have to remove it and ship. Very satisfied, my main vehicle these days.

Update: Now into ownership about 4 years, mileage is about 140,000, the instrument cluster readout is still not operating properly, somethings just dont bother me...I have yet to fix it. The car would be non operational without it, and I find myself driving it quite a bit. It does not effect the operation of the vehicle. The C-280 my main ride still, great for city and highway trips, I even put some new paint on her about a year ago, very sharp looking. I have had no problems with it to date. It does seem to go through light bulbs on a more regular basis than my other vehicles ('87 560sl, 98' Ford F-150). All in all, still very satisfied, decent gas mileage, have yet to do a tune up, and have been just doing oil changes and that's about it. A buddy did a paint job on her and my dog just scratched the heck out of a door the other day..crawling out of a window, paint might buff out.

Almost forgot, I lost the insert for the lighter (a little spring loaded "do-dad" that pushes against the phone charger insert. I can no longer use the lighter to charge my cell phone. Mercedes wanted $472 for a new ashtray, or $80 for a new insert = .03 cents of aluminum and a few wires. All I need is some power to charge my phone...the old phone is no longer inside the vehicle, but all the associated wiring is...does anybody have any ideas about getting a power source off the existing cabling? You would think a $40,000 plus car new would have a power source to plug something in, right?

Finally, you read all sorts of good and bad stories from the internet when you are looking into buying a vehicle, this particular model is not too fancy, has some handsome looks, is well made and handles nicely. When I asked the Service Manager about any issues the other day when inquiring about fixing the ashtray, his only response was "ball joints". When asked if its something I could do myself, his response was "Doubt it, those guys (referring to the dealership) can hardly do it" and we both laughed. Is it that difficult? I just did them on my 98 F-150 4x4...

Any help regarding the cluster, 12V DC power source, or ball joints is much appreciated! I been keeping a keen eye open for maybe a used S320 these days...might want to stretch my legs a tad. However, at 6'4, no problem getting comfortable in the C-280 as well.

Best to All