First sale of a car I posted to a blog reader (that I’m aware of). Had the opportunity to collaborate with the reader who bought the 2009 Mercedes S600 (V-12) that I declined to buy last fall and taunted me as it moved up and down the East Coast. The car was over $175,000 new and sold for $29,998. The blog reader made contact and got my take on the car, the MaxCare warranty, deductibles, repairs at CarMax vs Mercedes dealerships, and took the plunge – bought the car just over a month ago. We maintained contact as I wanted to know if his experience with a high-end CarMax unicorn and the warranty were the same as mine – I’d feel bad if my experience was an anomaly.
The good news is he absolutely loves the S600. The bad news is I didn’t buy it. Also in the good news column, he did a post-purchase inspection and found trouble with the lower control arms, an oil pan leak, and valve cover leak. Later a headlight failed. ALL were covered under the MaxCare warranty. Because they exceeded CarMax’s service capabilities the car was sent to an independent/specialist shop for the suspension and leaks, and to a Mercedes dealer for the headlight. The reader noted the independent service rep advised the repairs were $6,800 – all covered by MaxCare. He seems to be happy so far. Because he lives some distance from a CarMax he intends to have future repairs done at a dealer or independent shop, and eat the $50 deductible (that $50 is waived when you go to CarMax). Will continue to