I purchased a 2013 Mercedes E350 convertible with 71k miles for what seemed like a very good price. Kamani had great energy and Mark was also very personable and they both gave a good vibe for sure. It looked like the car had some wear but except some minor issues, I believed it was a good deal.
I scanned it for codes and it came out clear, made sure the roof opens and closes, AC working, radio working, tires looked ok etc.
I admit I am not a car guy, so I had to trust them that the car is on the up and up.
After a week or so the roof stopped working. I checked the hydraulic tank and it was empty. I took it back to the dealer, and they fixed it in the shop that's adjacent to the dealer. When I asked the head mechanic what was the issue, he said that "something was stuck in there". I asked him about the hydraulic tank and he said it was full, all good.
Another week goes by, and the top doesn't work again. I take it back and the car sits there for 2 weeks. Kamani was in touch with me, but it became clear after a while that he was stringing me along. I picked up the car with no resolution, and right after picking it up in heavy rain, it turned out there was a water leak from the roof as well. Right above the driver's left side.
I took it to a mercedes mechanic and he confirmed that the hydraulic pump is empty, minimum of 2 hydraulic rams leaking oil heavily, and there is a heavy water leak from the roof, requiring replacement of the front seal.
He also inspected the rest of the car and found:
1. Engine mounts are collapsed
2. Cylinder head front covers are leaking oil heavily
3. Transmission pan is leaking heavily
4. Shifter linkage bushing is completely gone
5. Faulty camshaft position sensors leaked oil into the engine harness. Needs a new ECU, engine wiring harness, and many other engine components.
On top of that here is a list of issues I had to fix by myself:
1. tire sensors
2. driver's head rest fell apart
3. Dash screen plastic cover fell apart
4. I made a duplicate key and the existing key had a low battery.
5. The radio volume is not working now as well.
I believe that they knew about at least half of these issues and tried to find someone to dump this car on. I asked them to take it back and they refused, offering to fix whatever issues I have.
The car sat at their shop for a total of 2.5 weeks and nothing was done about any of the listed items above. At this point, there is no reason for me to take it back there.
I paid about 13k for the car but the roof issues alone are about 5k and probably another 10k for the rest. 2 Mechanics already told me to try and get rid of the car and minimize my losses.
The reason they have many good reviews, in my opinion, is becasue Kamani asks the client to write the review right after you drive off the lot. I had to go back and revise it after discovering the fraudulent operation that they are running.
I truly hope that this post will prevent future scams, and as many people as possible will avoid purchasing a car from that dealer. read more