Help - 2001 Mercedes C240

[Parrotletlover]

Hi,

New to the forum. Nice to meet you all.

Got a question for you about a 2001 Mercedes C240. There is one for sale that I'm looking in to... the question has to do with a bit of rust, rims, and the hood ornament. (Of course, this is considering the mechanical and electrical systems are running well - but I haven't got to that part yet.)

1) This vehicle, interestingly enough, doesn't have a star ornament but rather a small circular badge. Also, there is a large star in the grill. I thought this particular model should have a star ornament but a plain grill. Is this an aftermarket option or does it denote a certain "trim"? Also, would it be possible to install a star ornament where this circular badge is?

2) I didn't really inspect the car yet, just drove past, but saw there was a small bit of rust above the driver's side wheel. Does this seem too problematic to repair? The vehicle is nicely priced, but if this rust problem is a never-ending battle to get and keep repaired, it might not be worth it. Knowing the car has a small amount of rust, would it be worth it to purchase it and repair or just avoid this vehicle?

3) The right side of the vehicle (passenger side) has black rims, but the driver's side seems to have the original rims. The black ones are hideous. Can you find the original factory-installed rims and how much do they cost? I've been having a very difficult time finding any reliable info online so far.

I still need to contact the owner and get precise info, such as mileage, condition, options, how it runs, service records, etc. But it seems this car has had some aftermarket optimization (the rims and hood ornament/grill, for example). Seeing as this car will be out of warranty, what is your opinion on it? The price, especially among comparable cars, seems quite reasonable (again, if it's in reasonable condition). Would it survive the duration of the loan?

Thanks very much in advance for your help - I appreciate it!

[Musikmann]

Welcome to the forum Parrotletlover,

That is a W203 C-Class and there is a forum devoted to that series. I would copy/paste this post and duplicate it there. Those actual owners are better able to answer your specific questions.

In the mean time, I would not buy any car that has rust. It probably indicates a general lack of care and maintenance on the owner's part. On the other hand, he is not trying to hide something with a cheapie bondo repair job that would likely resurface right after you buy it.

The flat hood ornament and the star grill probably indicate that it was available with a Sports Package. The flat badges are easily replaced with a star in a couple of minutes. I'd imagine the grill would be a fairly easy replcement too.

Lastly, the car is new enough that you should be able to find OEM wheels for it (dealer, eBay or classified ad). Maybe the owner still has the original wheels that he damaged in some fashion and you can have those refinished. But, that's another red flag - mis-matched wheels?

[MB-SV]

I agree with above. I also leased for nearly 4 years a 2001 C240. It was one of the worst cars that I've experienced in the last decade. Numerous electrical and suspension problems, generally a mediocre car. I would not bet on one of these being a good long term ownership experience.

[mr.xpowerseller]

You don't want this car. I had C240 and its was not a good car. As you can see I sold it after not a lot of mileage because of electrical problem after problem after problem!! Yours sounds like a rust bucket that was clearly owned by someone who didn't care about it. That makes it even worse. The first few years of the C were very unreliable poorly built cars. 01 was the first and absolute worst model year for the C. Avoid this starmarked Chrysler at all costs.