I am interested in buying a Mecedes-Benz 4D Sedan C280, 2007 model. It was purchased by a Honda dealer in Ohio at auction in Rhode Island. Becasue it was sold in an auction, does it mean that most likely something is drastically wrong with it – been in a flood, bad accident, etc? A Carfax report states that everything is OK but a friend of mime does not put trust in Carfax.
An auction car is not “deal breaker” for me, but it is a red flag. This is not an old car. Is it very high mileage? Could it have been driven by a smoker? Perhaps it was very dirty when turned in, with stains on the carpet and defects in the upholstery. Flood or accident damage are possible.
I bought a car that came via auction. I surmise the car was driven by a smoker, was too old (2001) to a certified used car, was due for major 90K service (which included the expensive timing belt replacement), and needed tires. I’ve put some money into it but it is a good car. My guess is the MB was turned into a non Mercedes dealer and getting parts and other issues prompted them to put it to auction. What are those other issues? That is for you to find out and get comfortable with.
Carfax is a good tool but not a perfect one. Registrations and title changes seem to be captured to a high percentage. Service work and body shop work depend on the garage performing the work to enter the information into a computer that eventually connects to the Carfax data base. There could easily be repair work done that has no carfax record trail. I had a Volvo that everything was entered into the system by the Volvo dealer, parts replaced etc. Other shops just note the car was serviced and mileage with no details. Some service is never entered. The info reported on Carfax is valid, but consider it incomplete.
Have the car checked out by a mechanic, This remains your best way to assess the condition of the car at the time you purchase it.
Combine the Carfax report, any service records you find in the glove box, your evaluation, and the mechanics opinions to piece together the car’s history and current condition as best you can. If you can’t get comfortable with a decision to purchase this car, then pass on it and look elsewhere.
The previous owner(s) can make it easy by keeping and providing a file on all the cars service records.
in your opinion does the auction suggest that something more is there than meets the eye?
Mercedes Gal, Maybe, Maybe Not.
This is in answer to “Becasue it was sold in an auction, does it mean that most likely something is drastically wrong with it – been in a flood, bad accident, etc?”
I wouldn’t trust any online source with advice for a purchase of this sort.
Ask for an extended test drive. I like to drive cars “overnight” that I’m looking to purchase. At the very least, pay a Mercedes specialist shop or dealer to give it a thorough pre-purchase inspection. Good results or bad, it could be the best money you have ever spent. I’d pass on it if it has been wrecked and repaired.
Tell us if there’s any sort of warranty that comes with it, factory or otherwise and what is covered and to what extent.
CSA
The auctioned car may only mean it was a least, or repossed car. But as UncleTurbo suggested have it checked by a independent mechanic.
“The auctioned car may only mean it was a least, or repossed car.”
The one thing that we can all agree about is that this vehicle is, at least, a car.
;-))
A auction car is neither good or bad. It’s history and condition are “unknown” just like most used cars.
Focus on getting the info you need on whether it is a good car, or not. It must look ok for you to be interested. How does it drive? Is there an owner’s manual in the glove box? Are there any service records or dealer notations in the “Maintenance” section of the owner’s manual? Have a qualified mechanic check the car over throughly.
There are lot’s of reason cars move through auction. Some are duds and others are very solid cars. Cars that are donated for tax write offs go to auction, bank repo’s, dealer turn ins, and yes flood cars and repaired accident cars do too.
Typically dealers auction off cars that they do not want to sell themselves on their own used car lot. There are many reasons for this and not all of them are bad. Given hard times, it might have been on the lot of a dealer that went out of business. The stock would have been auctioned to pay off the creditors. That’s the most benign explanation. You should ask the dealer for additional, verifiable information on the car. This might be a good time to pay for a Carfax review if you are still interested after you get more information from the Honda dealer near you.
VDC Driver, I Was Waiting For That Response From You, No Kidding!
You just can’t help it, can you? I have trouble, but am sometimes able to resist. We can also agree it has been possed at least once.
CSA
The car is still under warranty with Mercedes for another 25,000 or 18 months. In additon the Hoda dealer is thrwoing in the extended warranty up to 100,000.
Dealers typically auction off cars they would have trouble selling. A Mercedes traded in on a Lincoln might be tough to sell by that dealer and its salesmen, for instance. I was once offered a Jaguar XKE at a very good price ($6200) by the son of a dealer. His argument was; "we can’t even get our salesmen to learn to drive this thing, let alone demonstrate it! He owned a GM dealership.
In addition, as pointed out, if the car has very high mileage or needs alot of work to bring it up to par, the auction route is the way to go for the dealer.
Mercedes Gal, The Warranty Information Looks Good.
I would check with a Mercedes dealer and make sure there isn’t something that would negate their warranty coverage. Ask about needing proof of maintenance, as some on this site have warned that some warrnty coverage by some manufacturers is contingent upon doing scheduled maintenance. I wonder if they can check the maintenance history for this car on a data base using the car’s Vehicle Identification Number?
The 100,000 mile warranty may not be too hot. Often times these warranties cover little. However the Mercedes one would help you with buying a strange car.
Again, have somebody make sure that it hasn’t been wrecked and repaired. I know of no warranty that will cover any accident/collision repairs that fail, except for the individual shop doing the repair work and even they would probably only cover the original owner. Same goes for flood damage.
CSA
thanks – great advice.
I Have Gotten Good Deals On “Auction Cars” From dealers.
But it takes a little work. The time to do the work is before the money changes hands. The only one really looking out for you, is you. Many people make deals like these every day without checking anything and never having problems. If I did it I’d probably be sorry. That’s just my luck. But why trust it to luck? Do your homework now and avoid endless hours and dollars trying to straighten out a mess later.
Good Luck With It, CSA
P.S. Think about how much a 100,000 mile warranty is worth if a dealer can afford to “throw it in”. A 100,000 mile warranty of real worth on a Mercedes would be very expensive.
To Find Out What The Extended Warranty Is Worth, Get The “Out The Door Price” For The Car And Then Ask How Much They’d Take Off The Total Selling Price If You Didn’t Want It.
I’d like to hear their reply. I’ll bet a story goes with it.
Also, keep in mind that a Honda Dealer selling a Mercedes doesn’t have to worry as much about making a satisfied “repeat business” customer as they do when they sell a Honda vehicle.
While we’re on the subject of accident damage, get the VIN on the Benz then call your insurer. Ask them if they have any information on it, like accident history or any other damage (you mentioned flood). Also ask them how to find out more if they can’t find anything in their vast data resources.
It depends upon the reputation of the dealer. Our local Honda dealer I would trust w/o question. Dealers generally get the better cars at auction than independents. Nothing better than a trade in to a dealer with a service record to show you though on a make he sold new.