Mileage funny business????? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

pwogaman · #1 07-17-2007, 01:34 PM

I was looking at a 1989 300E on-line. The picture of the odometer shows 119K. A VIN check through state emissions (available on-line) shows the vehicle had 130K in 2002 when checked. I pointed this out to the seller who wrote that he mistakenly put in the wrong VIN and he gave me another one. The other VIN checks at emissions in 2006 with 116K, which is possible, but . . .

The second VIN comes back to a 1990 300E. The picture of the vehicle in the listing clearly shows the 1989 and earlier side trim.

I suspect the seller may have taken the 1990 300E console with the 119K odometer and put it the higher mileage 1989 300E.

My question is this: Is there any visable difference between a 1989 and a 1990 instrument console? Anything, such as the order of the warning lights, the placement of the clock, the number of miles per hours the speedometer will go?

G-Benz · #2 07-17-2007, 02:10 PM

Did the early W124s come with an economy gauge? I know my '93 doesn't...

CTM VT 2K · #3 07-17-2007, 02:32 PM

Except for the odometer reading, that could just as well have been from my '88 300TE

(And trust me, I just spent the whole weekend working on my cluster getting the odometer to work again).

deanyel · #4 07-17-2007, 02:32 PM

The 89 has an odometer discrepancy either way. At this point the seller undoubtedly wants nothing more than to never hear from you again, and I think you should oblige him.

visioncasting · #5 07-17-2007, 03:32 PM

the seller is lying. run away from this car. you dont want to do business with someone like that.

pwogaman · #6 07-17-2007, 06:08 PM

Here is a follow-up message I sent the seller:

Thank you for getting back to me again with the correct VIN in your e-mail earlier today. I am sure you can see why seeing a 136,447 mileage reading for the vehicle during a 2002 Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) emissions test, as seen on the DEQ web page, would raise suspicions when your listing of the vehicle and the picture of the odometer for it show only 119,076, particularly when both have the same VIN (WDBEA30D5KA972020) (the 1st VIN).

The other VIN you gave me in your e-mail (WDBEA26D8LB249694) (the 2nd VIN) has a mileage reading consistent with your sales listing according to the emissions test results available on the DEQ web page (116235 miles as of July 12, 2006).

Nevertheless, I’m still a little confused about a few things and maybe you could clear them up for me prior to my making a commitment to bid on your vehicle.

The DEQ web page reflects the vehicle with the 2d VIN is a 1990 model year, yet the vehicle pictured in your listing is of a 1989 or earlier W124, as can be seen by the different side molding, and as it is further described by you. I suppose it is always possible that the model year for the 2nd VIN vehicle was not copied correctly during titling and registration, or during three separate occasions of emissions testing as reflected on the DEQ web page.

To further satisfy myself prior to bidding that this could be the only plausible explanation, I checked both of the 1st VIN and the 2nd VINs through Mercedes-Benz.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the 1st VIN is in indeed to a 1989 300E with MB-Tex Mushroom colored interior (code 175) and Smoke Silver Metallic exterior (702), just like the vehicle pictures shown in your listing.

The 2nd VIN also is a W124 with MB-Tex Mushroom colored interior, but that is pretty much where the similarities end. This vehicle was delivered with an Impala Metallic exterior (441), but I suppose that could have been painted over. Still, I was not sure exactly what that color looked like so I checked at the paintscratch.com web page for a visual reference and it is somewhat like a light mud color as viewed on my monitor, not at all like the vehicle pictured in your listing. Finally, the 2nd VIN vehicle is a 1990 model year, just like the DEQ listing, which would mean it would have the full lower side trim, unlike the vehicle pictured in your listing.

While I still remain interested in bidding on your vehicle, I am concerned that the speedometer cluster from the vehicle with the 2nd VIN may have somehow mistakenly made its way into the vehicle with the 1st VIN number, thus reflecting an inaccurate odometer reading. Perhaps some further explanation of the situation on your part might be helpful - or perhaps you could remove the speedometer cluster and look for the production dates stamped on it. Anything after the March 14, 1989 delivery date for the vehicle with the 1st VIN would be consistent with this concern.

Please let me know if there is any other information that would be helpful to me, such as service records. While I am interested in the vehicle, I might not necessarily want to keep it forever and I certainly do not want to get in trouble for inaccurately representing the mileage when doing so.

Thank you