Hi,

I am looking to purchase a used S 430. This will be my first Mercedes, and I'm looking for advice on the reliability of a 2003 or 2004 S430. With 45-60k miles, the price range seems to be $23-26k.

What, if anything, should I be on the look-out for? I've just decided that this is a car I want, but have not proceeded with all the necessary due diligence yet. So any advice is much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

 

check the air suspension, that's the weakest link, the rest are straight forward. you may want to go as far as checking the compression, and ask the previous owner what else you might need to work on.