Dave is exactly right. This car with 15K miles wholesales for around 40K so 42K should buy it.

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2002 500SL(Black/Black)
1992 300SE(Black/Black)
1992 190E 2.3(White/Navy)
1999 VW Jetta TDI(Pearl Green)
1986 SAAB 900 Base 3 door(White)
1983 Porsche 911SC(Chiffon)
1977 VW Scirocco(DiamondSilver)

DavidWeis:
"If its not the mb dealer, try to find out who the MB dealer is. They have all the maintenance records onhand. Call up a MB dealer, give them the VIN, and they can run a search. (pst..best service; go into the service area of the dealer)."

I wrote about my experience a couple of years ago. Local MB dealer WOULD NOT provide maintenance records or anything else on my car that had been done by previous owners - even though they had done all the services! I spoke to the service manager who informed me it was due to "liability".

I did wind up with the records, but that's another story.

What liability? Sounds like he was lazy and didn't want to get them for you. I have heard that all Dealer records are archived and accessable through their satellite database. Under this reasoning then is Carfax, liable?

I don't think he was lazy. All dealer records may well be accessible via satellite - but that's a whole different issue than providing those records to subsequent owners. If I remember right, he said something about lawsuits against MB by owners of 'pre-owned cars' using repair records against the company. Carfax is a service that searches public records - I don't believe it has anything to do with service repairs, warranties, or other history.

I decided not to buy the car and offered the dealer to recontact me in a couple of weeks or so if they still have the car and are willing to allow me to do the following:

1) Let me take the car to a MB dealer and have them evaluate the cost/time of replacing/fixing everything that would need to fixed and verify that the car does not have any mechanical problems.

2) If all is in good order besides cosmetic things (rims, front bumper), then I would buy the car if the selling price is current price - cost of repairs.

We'll see what happens. At the end of the day, the dealer has to run a business and if they can sell the car today at the price they propose, good for them (I would be in their position, I would do the same).

Yves.