thinking of buying a 2003 s430 w/ 190k miles for 2800, what should i check? also, how are repair costs on it

ANSWER : Mercedes makes great cars, but the really durable models seem to have gone away in the nineties. The cars they’ve been making in this century are so electronically complicated that you have a lot of weird and expensive problems when they get really old; say ten to twelve years old and over 150K. Problems in the automatic braking system, stabilization, SRS and engine transmission management are always popping up. They usually manifest with mysterious warning lights on the dashboard and odd behaviors that don’t resolve until you buy several hundred dollars worth of sensors. You can probably find yourself spending in the neighborhood of 2 to 3 thousand dollars a year in repairs on a car like the one you are thinking of. Frankly, I think you’d be better off looking at something with a higher purchase price and lower mileage. If you do decide that you are really interested in this or any other used car, you can contact Your Mechanic for a pre purchase inspection. They can send a technician to your home or the location of the car to check out the important points on your prospect and let you know what you are likely to run into.

ANSWER : Hello….used car repair, maintenance, and restoration costs are highly dependent on the actual, as found, condition of the vehicle. To get a reasonably precise estimate, and also to protect yourself in the transaction, I recommend you request a pre-purchase vehicle inspection. That inspection, carried out by a certified Mechanic, dispatched to your location, will give you the data you are seeking. In lieu of an inspection you do have some additional options insofar as data. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a database of consumer complaints, official recalls and factory service bulletins for all makes and models, by year. I encourage you to go to the NHTSA website and enter your vehicle’s year, make and model and review the existing reports which will give you an excellent idea of what has been experienced by other owners insofar as faults in your particular vehicle. I would post the text of the reports here, but they are detailed so it will be more practical for you to view them online (it is free). In addition, "Consumer Reports" publishes system by system vehicle reliability data for all years, makes, and models. This data is available free in the library or on-line if you are a paid subscriber. That reliability data will give you an excellent indication of the relative likelihood that key systems on the model (and year) of interest will fail at greater, or lesser, frequency compared to those rates reported for other vehicles. Obviously, what you want to be looking for in that database is an indication that the vehicle "make and model year" is not a "lemon" insofar as reliability. If you are unable to access any of these resources, or desire data of a different type, please do not hesitate for a moment to re-contact YourMechanic and we will assist you further in your attempts to make a wise used vehicle purchase.

ANSWER : All issues that appear to be common throughout a particular model would be something of concern. I would recommend having any vehicle that you are considering purchasing thoroughly inspected by a professional. If you’d like, a certified YourMechanic technician can come to your location to perform a standard 75 point safety inspection on the vehicle in question and give their recommendation.

Another very important thing to consider would be to get a long warranty on the vehicle – preferably bumper-to-bumper. A bumper-to-bumper warranty for a long period of time will ensure that anything that happens to the vehicle will be covered under warranty.

ANSWER : Hello Mike. You have found yourself in a position where there is a lot to consider, and the choice is going to come down to how much risk you are willing to take with this truck. Starting with the knock sensor, it can be anything from a bad connection to a bad knock sensor itself. If the engine seems to be running quietly and smoothly, it is likely a connection or sensor problem. The oil pan leak is also a problem, because of how difficult they are to fix (even if it is just the gasket). Often you have to remove several components and possibly even raise the engine to get access to it. When you add the axle seals into the mix, you have to consider the time, effort, and money it takes to replace them as well. If the truck is in great condition otherwise, you may have a decent purchase. However, axle seals, oil pan gaskets, and knock sensor issues all happen with heavy wear typically, and the truck may be closer to the end of its life than it seems. 126,000 miles is not a lot, and if you can get the repairs done relatively inexpensively, then you may be taking less of a risk. For a second opinion and inspection, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

ANSWER : Hi there. These are good vehicles and are fun to drive, but they are expensive to maintain and repair, and they do have some expensive issues. You want to drive the vehicle and feel for any vibrations from the engine. These engines have a series of internal issues that can cause vibration and will cost upwards of $3000 to repair. They also have issues with the suspension around this time having issues leaking air springs. You want to see if the vehicle will remain sitting level after sitting over night. If not then it may need some new air springs which can be expensive to repair. The other serious issues are all electrical related. You want to look for signs of starting issues as well as issues with gauges and other electronics not working right. If you get into any of the modules on this vehicle the repairs can be substantial in cost. Most of these repairs can only be done at the dealer or a shop with the right equipment.

ANSWER : Hello, and thank you for writing in. Your head is in the right place about inspecting the vehicle and doing some research on it. While we can not advise you to buy the car or not, you should do some research on your own, and have done what we call a "pre-purchase inspection". This means a tech will meet you at the vehicle, and inspect it for any signs of damage, or potential repairs you are looking at making up front. What you can do on your own is research any TSBs on the vehicle. These are technician service bulletins that pertain to issues the manufacture knows are going on with that make and model. If there are any serious TSBs that have not been addressed, this may be a cause for concern. The CVT (constant variable transmissions) is one of the newer types on the market, but they seem to be holding up well for those manufactures using them. The vehicle’s lifespan has more to do with how well the car has been maintained. Consider looking up any repair history, so you know what they have or have not maintained. For a pre-purchase inspection, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

ANSWER : Hello. First off, your vehicle is equipped with a timing belt. This should be changed soon if it has not already. As for the battery, I typically see these last until about 120,000-150,000 miles. If you need quotes for these, follow the links for a battery replacement and timing belt replacement to get estimates for your 2007 Lexus GS 450. If you are serious about the car, consider having a pre-purchase inspection completed by one of our independent technicians to get full disclosure of the car’s existing condition.

ANSWER : Hi there -by definition, a 4WD vehicle is going to have higher maintenance costs than 2WD; there are more moving parts. However, one that has not been used off-road, not pushed a snow plow, and only occasionally pulled a boat, starts you off in a better position than one which has had a lot of extra-curricular activity! I would personally lean towards making a higher initial purchase price, for a truck that has not been modified, or used in a severe manner, then back it up with a pre-purchase inspection to increase your chances of making a good purchase.