[BenzEagle]

I have a candidate in my search for an ML 350 and will do a pre-purchase inspection.

Where would I get the most thorough inspection?

At a dealership?

At a quality independent?

I remember when I had purchased my first Mercedes, a 300D, I had a pre-purchase inspection, and they overlooked the fact that the engine burnt oil like crazy.

I want to make sure that if there are snares, they are discovered.


What's your experience with pre-purchase inspections?

 

[43sqd]

Stay away from the early W164 350 models as they have nothing but very expensive problems.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w164-m-class/1502856-ml350-3-5l-balance-shaft-failure.html

 

[BenzEagle]

Stay away from the early W164 350 models as they have nothing but very expensive problems.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w164-m-class/1502856-ml350-3-5l-balance-shaft-failure.html

Yes, I intensively researched the w164 class.

I ruled out all 2006-2008, and this one is about a 2010.

I'm still having valve timing checked if engine is working well, and have a thorough check.

Any comments about the quality of a pre-purchase inspection at dealer vs independent?

 

[43sqd]

Your indy. If you go to the dealer they will tell you things you don't need.

 

[BenzEagle]

Your indy. If you go to the dealer they will tell you things you don't need.

My Indy has sold his shop and the new one is greedy - so I don't have a trusted Indy. Have to rely sifting through Yelp ads and decide which ones are real, and which ones are bought


PS: the "like" button doesn't work with my account, and neither do the "smilies" on the side.

 

[BenzEagle]

Found a new Indy.

True German mechanic who's had the shop for over 25 years.

Tomorrow I'll see if the high mileage car is well maintained...

 

[marmalade]

My Indy has sold his shop and the new one is greedy - so I don't have a trusted Indy. Have to rely sifting through Yelp ads and decide which ones are real, and which ones are bought


PS: the "like" button doesn't work with my account, and neither do the "smilies" on the side.

Yelp has built it's reputation on people not being able to buy their way out of bad reviews.

PD

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[BenzEagle]

Yelp has built it's reputation on people not being able to buy their way out of bad reviews.

PD

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

I read about this and the lawsuit.

While Yelp reviews are heavily gambled, there are many bad merchants who like to get back at Yelp and lying just as many of the scammers who abuse the site.

But in fact I have found great businesses using it.


Key things to watch out:


1. Fine the businesses who buy reviews: those are usually with an unusually high number of reviews. Many of the reviews will be of people with few reviews to their credit.

2. Find out if a review is fake the way it's written. Common sense helps. If you paid for a service, would you overflow in gratitude and thank the business passionately? Of course not. For me those fake reviews have a blinking light to them like an error code in star diagnostics (P0001 - fake review ) . Any review that is just enthusiastic and contains to factual information why the poster is satisfied will be discarded.

3. Check negative reviews. Often there are good hints. Again: common sense will show you if the negative review is real - or placed by a hateful competitor - or placed by a complainer. There are people with a majority of negative reviews who complain about anything. A good negative review gives you the facts. I have been warned away from many a dealer and repair shop by a good, factual negative review.

4. I usually have 1 to 2 negative and 3 positive reviews that I find interesting and factual and disregard the rest.

5. Then go there and see what your impressions are.


If you read Yelp more like literature than a factual report you can find the good businesses. I found great businesses before.


My current Indy had only about 25 reviews over the past 10 years, and the negative reviews were about him being grumpy to people who were - I think - not courteous. Because to me the mechanic was very good and I'll get him my maintenance business.


PS: I also read the "reviews currently not recommended" to round out the picture.