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Buying a 2007 Mercedes C280 4Matic High Mileage

95K views 281 replies 98 participants last post by  rudeney 
#1 ·
Hey guys Im looking to buy a 2007 Mercedes Benz C280 has a high mileage daily driver. How reliable are these cars? The car has 164k miles! It is Black on Black well maintained car. What should I look out for? How much can these last? is 164k last strand for these?
 
#2 ·
There are two big considerations with a MY2007 C280 - the M272 engine could have a defective balance shaft which is what the main drive timing gear is forged onto and it's a $4K++ repair when it fails. You can tell by engine serial number if it's in the affected range. Post the VIN and someone here will lookup the engine number in EPC. Of course with that mileage, I would be surprised if this engine was going to experience the problem. Also, does this have the 5-speed transmission or 7-speed? The 7Gtronic tends to be more problematic, but either one really benefits from regular fluid and filter changes every 40K miles. Other than that, it's just the typical W203 issues, like broken door handles and cupholders, and wear and tear like catalytic converters, suspension components, etc.
 
#4 ·
WDBRF92H67F936420 is a good one - it has M272 engine #609374 (well beyond the bad balance shaft range) and the 733.6 5-speed transmission. That engine is within the range for possibly having bad camshaft magnets, but those are easy and fairly inexpensive to replace.
 
#7 ·
Sounds like a great car. Mileage really doesn't scare me as long as it's had proper maintenance. I generally find that people who have high-mileage cars that are visibly well-maintained have also taken care of the mechanical stuff, too.
 
#40 ·
very true I parted ways last week with a 2002 c320 wagon that was in showroom condition and had around 270k miles what saved it the most was the vinyl clear bra on the front and dark window tint cosmetically and a good paint sealent, mechanics wise I never had a major issue other then the plastic pully breaking twice still ran like new..

every 100k miles was the general 600 service at a local shop..
 
#12 ·
Hey guys hows it going got my C280. Really like it. Only thing im concerned about is. When I revved the car really fast it felt like the rpms were staying around 3 to 4. Really wierd, I was going around 43 mph. Just testing how transmission was. I hope nothing wrong with Transmission. When I drive it dont really notice it until showing my uncle. Thanks
 
#15 ·
If you're just talking about how quickly the transmission downshifts when flooring the accelerator, then that might be a simple solution. First of all, make sure your are in "Sport" mode and not "Comfort" mode. Comfort delays downshifts and seeks upshifts earlier, to give smoother ride and save fuel. Sport mode holds gear longer, but downshifts more quickly. Also note that the transmission is "driver-adaptive" so it learns your driving habits. If you drive in a lot of heavy traffic where you don't accelerate quickly or rev high, then the transmission learns to keep things tame like that. You can re-train it with a few hearty accelerations, and also, when you want a quick downshift, simultaneously accelerate and tap the TouchShift to the left.
 
#17 ·
Do you just want the exhaust tips for looks? That's easy. Anything else gets more complicates because on the W203, the real AMG was a V8. The "sport" model's "AMG" system is really just the standard exhaust with AMG tips.
 
#18 ·
Exhaust and on another mercedes question

Ohh okay thanks! I was thinking whatever is easier and just to make the car sound better! My question also about mercedes is. Is there a normal whine noise when crusing by at low speeds? I don't even know if I could call it a whine... lol. Sorry for all the questions!
 
#19 ·
You're really not going to get much exciting exhaust sound from the V6. As for the whine, does it make the sound only when rolling, or when you rev the engine in neutral? If only when rolling, then it's likely in the differential, and yes, you can expect some noise, though with your nigh mileage, you might want to consider a fluid change. If it does it in neutral, then it's either the engine, a belt-driven accessory or pulley, or sometimes you get some noise from the torque converter. If it makes the noise in neutral, try have a friend rev the engine why you try to locate the source. A common problem are bad tensioner and idler pulleys on the belt. If that's it, replace them before they lock-up and shred the belt.
 
#24 ·
Ironically, some things on MBZs can be more easily fixed and less expensive than other cars, but then other things can be crazy expensive. I do all of my own work, so labor cost for me is "$0" - my concern is with parts. I won't lie to you; if you are going to rely on a mechanic to keep your car running, an MBZ is going to cost much more to maintain than the typical Ford, Chevy or Toyota. Part of this is because these are far more complex vehicle than those others, but sometimes it's just an attitude of "it's a Mercedes-Benz and we can charge more because we know you'll pay it".
 
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