Looking at. 2012 Mercedes Benz ML350 Bluetec with 95000 miles…issues? Bad idea?
Pretty low volume vehicle. Unless you are in love with diesel fuel you may want to cross shop a CPO Hyundai Sante Fe Sport. Just a suggestion.
You asked , so here my response. I would never buy a used European luxury vehicle just because of the expensive repairs they can have . Also if this Bluetec requires the special additive to the fuel that is pricey .
Edit; At the price of a used Mercedes 350 just a little more money will put you in a new vehicle with no miles and a full warranty and lower finance rates.
Me, I’d take that money, add in a bit more, and buy a new Mazda CX-5.
That vehicle likely has a lot of electronic gadgets and gizmos, all requiring software control. So make sure all the software in all the modules has been up-dated with the latest version, as recommended by the technical service bulletins. Pretty much everything is a complicated design on this vehicle, which is a good thing if you like all the modern conveniences, but be prepared to budget for plenty of shop time if you want to keep everything working as it was new from the factory. There’s been some issues with the steering and air suspension apparently, so good idea to have your own mechanic double check that. Bottom line, if excellent handling, soft and gentle ride, and plenty of electronic gadgets to have at your beck and call is what you are after, and you are willing to accept the compromise of more shop time than a simpler car would yield, seems a like a good choice. After purchasing, your first objective should be to locate a well-recommended independent Mercedes specialist shop and get your car’s maintenance & repair file started. Even better if you can just continue with the shop the prior owner was using.
Here’s my answer
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can you buy it with cash? a loan?
do you want to prepay for a “warranty”
or have no warranty and have a pile of cash ready for any big fixes?
worse case. you have a loan. and it breaks down and you have no money set aside for repairs. now you are in a tight spot
Add me to the chorus of . I would not want a used European luxury vehicle of any kind, let alone a diesel requiring Mercedes branded version of DEF
While I agree the car is not a good idea, I’m pretty sure it can use any DEF.