I've read the same thing because apparently there is extra bracing that comes with the 4Matic system.

I'm doing my research for the purchase of the exact same car this autumn when my wife goes back to work from maternity leave. Forp's point about service records is the key, as far as I am concerned. 2000 MY cars were still very early in the flexible service schedule fiasco, and the owner may have actually believed MB when they said he never needed to change the transmission fluid. Finding a car you're happy with and spending $2 or 3K more on it may save you thousands more than that over the life of the car.

That car has had a tough life, racking up nearly twice the mileage per year that the average car accumulates. No service records should equal no sale. And have it PPI'd by a mechanic you trust, who knows MBs.