High mileage on a Diesel car

[Duke220]

Hi. Really need some advice. I've been offered a good deal on a Mercedes 64 plate (2015) diesel. But it's racked up 80k miles. Mercedes themselves are the previous and sole owners and assure me it's motorway miles mainly. I'm just worried of additional costs once I've bought it because of high mileage. E.g. changing diesel pump etc. What are your views?

[juan king]

it depends how cheap it is compared to an average miler? but honestly its only 80k and will have been serviced regularly. it shouldn't be throwing any bills your way really

[greenarrow]

Wouldn't phase me. At least with that sort of mileage it wont have the DPF type issues associated with diesels driven round town.

Also, if you are not a high mileage driver that average will in time come down, although you might find it harder to move on, as the UK car market seems nervous about higher mileage cars.

[Duke220]

Thanks for that. No I'm not even near doing that kind of mileage. Its on a PCP deal so I might end up just returning it to Mercedes for a newer one...when does a diesel filter usually need changing? Is it like a cambelt that needs changing every 60k miles?

[RizzoTheRat]

Check when the cam belt/chain needs doing, 80K is quite a common mileage for belts so is possible it needs an expensive service soon. Other than that go for it, that's not really that high a mileage

[Duke220]

Ok. Thank you all. That has really reassured me

[eybic]

Is a diesel suitable for your needs? What kind of miles will you be looking to do in it?

[Jasandjules]

I can't imagine a new merc will struggle to do 200,000 miles sooooo

[Duke220]

I drive max 10k a trip myself but mostly city miles. The deal is on diesel car so I didn't think much of it.

[JonChalk]

Have you watched the latest Car Throttle video, with a strip down of a 420,000 mile Skoda Octavia diesel engine.

Very good and very informative, and confirms that regular quality servicing works wonders.

[Monkeylegend]

Which model and which engine ?

Most Mercedes engines are chain driven so no cambelt change. The Mercedes 4 pot diesels are not run in until 100k miles, and will do mega miles without issue if serviced properly, and by mega I mean several 100k miles.

If it's the Renault engine that might be a different proposition.

[Pericoloso]

I wouldn't buy it ,cars go wrong at 100,000 miles.......

[Sheepshanks]

Duke220 said:

Hi. Really need some advice. I've been offered a good deal on a Mercedes 64 plate (2015) diesel. But it's racked up 80k miles. Mercedes themselves are the previous and sole owners...

Not that it matters much, but it's unusual for manufactures to hang on to cars - normally they're changed every few months. Any idea what the background is?

I'd have thought it most likely it was owned by Mercedes Finance - in which case it's been leased to someone.

Diesel filter change is 4yrs / 60K miles (service intervals are annual / 15K miles). Make sure it's had the auto transmission fluid changed - that was probably due at 75K miles and costs a few hundred quid to do.

Issue you may have with short journeys is these cars, indeed all diesels really, take a lot of warming up. I've got an old C270CDi and in winter it's 20 miles before it's properly warm. Wife has a newish diesel Tiguan - that shows it's up to temp in 3 miles, but it also shows the oil temp. At 3 miles it's still blank. Again it's into the teens of miles before the oil is at 90C.

The engine itself is pretty bullet-proof. Suspension parts on C Class seem to go with either miles or age, so get you either way.

[jeremyh1]

I would jump in it drive it all the way sown to Greece and back this afternoon
I know of Chauffeur cars in London of similar spec/age (all sizes c to s class) that already have 300K on then some of them are on shift work so never actually stop

[wemorgan]

What's the price differential between that 80k car and a 40k car?
I'd not be concerned over reliability, more just depreciation.

[Vanordinaire]

Duke220 said:

I drive max 10k a trip myself but mostly city miles. The deal is on diesel car so I didn't think much of it.

Not sure what you mean by 10K a trip? But if you're only doing low mileage in lots of short trips, a diesel's not a good idea.