Gentlemen,
WE are looking at purchasing a 94 E420 with 100k on it. Is there anything I should know about this car? Do these cars, in good condition, sell at retail? If you have an idea of what the car is worth please let me know that as well. It has never been wrecked.
Thanks in advance,
Rob

__________________
Rob Armstrong, Charlotte, NC
Mountain Island Lake
RobAinCLTNC@hotmail.com

2004 VW Passat GLS TDI-50k
2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L 7k
FOR SALE 1991 300TE 228k

2003 Subaru Outback 57k Silver/Black-SOLD
2005 C230K 18k Pewter/Grey-SOLD
1997 E420 108k Black/Grey-SOLD
1986 560sl 200k Black/Palimino-SOLD
1985 300sd 340k-SOLD
1979 240d 170k-SOLD
2000 Volvo V70XC-POS couldn't sell fast enough

Having purchased a used Benz myself ('95 E320) there are a few things I would recommend for your piece of mind. First, have it checked by a qualified MB mechanic. Second, ask to see all maintenance records. Condsider doing a check with Carfax (you'll need the VIN for this). As for cost, you can check at kbb.com, carpoint.com or several other Web sites to get a good idea of the prices for which these things go.

Hope this helps. Good luck,

Ron
'95 E320

robaincltnc

Greetings from Raleigh!

I have a 1992 400e, basically the same car as the 94.

I purchased mine last year with only 63k miles on it.

From experience and what others have written on this forum, here are a few things that are possible problem areas on a 400e/e420.

Power steering leaks. May be just a hose or worse. I recently had my p/s pump and steering rack rebuild due to leaks.

Engine harness. The wires tend to crack and cause a bunch of different type of electircal problems. I had to replace mine when I was in CA. The dealer was not willing to cover any of the costs. You may get lucky and have a dealer cover it under good faith. The harness set me back somthing like $500.

Engine cooling issues. Some report of running hot when sitting in traffic. I only see this on very hot days. Other than that, no cooling issues.

Transmission issues. Slow to engage from R to D. This appears to be a design issue in the transmission. I have this problem and just live with it. Not too bad of a delay, just anoying at times.

Since the car you are looking at is at 100k miles, I heard that you MAY want to have the timing chain replaced.

As rpalens said, a good mechanic, service records, and CarFax are a good starting point. These are just a few areas where I would concentrate on. Do a search under 400e and e420, you will see what others have reported as well.

Don't get me wrong, the 400e/e420 is an AWSOME car. I love mine. It looks and drives like it is a brand new car. As for the power/performance.... well, I still have not been beaten on the highway. I have raced M3s, 540is, Lexus SC400, oh yeah, and a few Pontiac Bonneville SSie (or whatever they are called. Seems drivers of these cars think they are fast.) OK, I did get beat once, but not by much. It was a 430CLK.

Good luck.

-David

Kelly Blue Book is way high. Check out Autotrader.com or local paper to get better idea. I bought '94 E420 w/80K on it in pristine condition for $19K from a private party, with about 10K miles left on after-market warranty she had purchased. So... you should be in less than that (even thought I'm SURE they're asking way more. But be patient.

Just bought the same car last week. Love it. Mine has 67K and is flawless. Bought from MB dealer for a bit over $20k. have it checked and make sure you get some or all records.