Feedback on Used MB Dealer (Orange County)

[LarryO]

I am looking for a 300e or 400e. I have called several MB Dealers (new) and a salesman from Fletcher Jones recommended Reubens in Dana Point. I would appreciate any feedback on this company or if anyone out there could recommend a reputable MB dealer in LA or Orange County.

[Lebenz]

My recommendation would be to be less concerned with the dealer and more with the car. No matter where you buy one, take it somewhere else, to a MB dealership’s shop or a trusted independent, and have them do a used car inspection. In addition, have them lift the/a valve cover to see what condition the cam & related are in. Have them check under the battery for rust; have them check for accident repair, and that everything works, and that there are no weeping seals.

If at all possible, get a car with a Starmark warranty, or at least a good after market warranty. Once you have the car thoroughly inspected, make the dealer a reasonable offer.

Remember that for dealers, cars are a way to make money. They almost all offer no implied warranty, with vehicles sold “as is” and “where is.” Usually they buy at auction and try to sell the cars quickly. I’ve heard that often if a car hasn’t sold in 3 or 4 weeks it will be auctioned off again.

As an aside, I spent about 2 months looking for a 400E. Finally found one at the other end of the country and had it shipped to me. It was well worth the wait, even though the dealer was somewhat less than totally forthcoming. I expected that, after all.

Good luck!

[LarryO]

Thanks for input. My understanding id that MB dealers will not offer a Starmark on cars over 5 years old, is this the case?

[Lebenz]

LarryO: When I bough a Starmark car, the limits were 7 model years or less and less than 100K miles on the odometer. Very much worth it, however. On my Starmark car they did over $20K worth of repairs (at not cost to me) before I got tired of having it fixed and traded in on a new ML. It’s possible the rules of the warranty have changed, but they had not as of earlier this year. Worth a call to find out. BTW, the repairs were a reflection of the model (300TE 4-matic) and not, I think, of the dealer.

Tkamiya: Good point. I forgot about it. I had to pay a little extra to get the valve covers and the battery removed from my then potential 400E. It ended up costing me $150 for the inspection and extras, from a MB dealer in Rochester.

[LarryO]

Labenz and Tkamiya,
Thanks for the info. I intend to have my possible purchase inspected at Camino Import Auto Service in San Juan Capistrano. They have been recommended elsewhere on this site. In addition to inspecting the battery and valve train, are there other things I should be concerned with?

[LarryO]

Tkamiya,
Thanks for you reply. I am grateful for your willingness to share your expertise.

[-fad]

fyi- full Starmark info is referenced in the MBZ websites (dealer and corporate sites).

Not in Orange County, but.....recently purchased a Starmark 1994 E500 at 33,600 miles on it at Rusnak Pasadena,CA. It was my second Starmark purchase from Rusnak (and I reside in N Cal).

I reccomend Ed Keller- Internet Sales Manager. He provided great service and expertise (and is an 500e owner himself).

-fad

[Stan Pittman]

If you are still in the market for a 400E the independent dealership that I work for has one. Email me if you are interested.