I am new here and considering the purchase of a 2009 ML350 with 82,000 miles on the engine. It was a trade-in at the local Mercedes dealer and, according to its CarFax, has been regularly serviced at the dealer for the last six years. The asking price is $14,000. However, I am wary because it has been sitting on their lot for nearly a full calendar year. Is this cause for alarm? I'm sure that a year of sitting, unused, in a baking Florida parking lot can't be good for the parts, tires, et cetera. I'm also concerned that no one has come forward in nearly 50 weeks to purchase. Does this sound like a good deal? Thank you.

 

Hello and welcome to the forum! The price seems fine; but there may be hidden issues. If you're interested in the car, I would highly recommend getting a full PPI report done by an independent MB mechanic - this will give you a definitive answer as to if there are any problems under the hood. Hope this helps a bit and best of luck!

 

Thanks for the reply. Went for a test-drive today; quite the experience. In a nutshell: "The gas is nearly empty so we can't drive it on the road, but you can drive it around our lot. The ABS light is on, the brakes need to be replaced, and this door has two small dents in it. Here's our final, very large price. Yes, it's been on our lot for a year but you don't have to worry about dry rot in the tires because most of the time it's been parked out in our field where it doesn't get as hot as pavement. The tires have 50,000 miles on them, but they still look good so you don't have to worry. Yes, it's been here a while, but we won't give a discount and we won't repair anything. Oh, we'll change the oil, but that's it." Buh-bye.

 

Wow, well there you go! Pretty clear that this one has been neglected.