2012 Mercedes C180 Sport W204 | 1.8 Petrol Manual

Description

2012 Mercedes C180 Sport BlueEfficiency, 1.8 petrol, manual, repair project

£1,795 ONO, Glasgow/Rutherglen, KR12 MBV

Selling my C180 as a project. Please read the whole ad before messaging. I’ve put everything I know in here, so there’s not much I can add beyond what’s below and the paperwork.

About the car

W204 saloon in silver, 1.8 turbo petrol (M271), six-speed manual, Sport trim, 18" alloys. Around 188,000 miles.

I’ve had it since 2023 and it’s been a great car. We’ve done thousands of miles together around Europe, mostly Italy and Spain, and I’ve spent a fair bit keeping it properly looked after. It still looks really good inside and out for its age and mileage. The engine now needs work, though, and I’d rather it went to someone who knows what they’re doing and wants to take it on.

What’s been done

Some of the work was done in Poland, so those invoices are in złoty. The pound figures for them are rough conversions at today’s rate, not what it cost at the time. The original amounts are on the invoices.

Aug 2024, Sterling Motors (approx. £1,150)

-Front and rear discs and pads
-Front hubs and bearings
-Rear brake backing plates and handbrake hardware
-Front right wheel speed sensor
-Oil and filter change
-Aux belt
-Thermostat and cooling system work

A second visit sorted all four spark plugs and a replacement passenger seat to fix an occupancy sensor fault (it affects the passenger airbag). Approx. £163.

Sep 2024: New Osram Xenarc Classic D1S xenon bulbs (approx. £48)

Oct 2024, Mercedes-Benz Giffnock main dealer (£1,406.15)

-Front suspension arm
-Both front anti-roll bar drop links
-Alignment
-Front wheel bearing adjustment
-Brake fluid
-MOT

Feb 2025, Vcentrum (approx. £277)
Cooling system: new water distribution pipe, fresh coolant, bled and checked.

Mar 2025, Vcentrum (approx. £1,209)
Oil leak repairs:

-New rocker cover
-New front crank seal
-Front cover on the cylinder head removed and refitted, new front cover and seals
-New crankcase breather hose
-Gaskets, seals and coolant

The head itself wasn’t replaced. The invoice also notes that the timing chain was stretched and should be replaced, but that wasn’t done at the time.

2025: Both front shocks replaced (no invoice for this one)

Sep 2025: Service at Kerrtech Automotive, £184.80 (payment receipt)

Oct 2025, Kerrtech, MOT repairs (£939.48 inc. VAT)
It failed first time, and then they did:

-Left front lower arm
-Two suspension bushes (invoice calls them “rose bushes”)
-Both rear brake pipes
-Brake fluid
-Alignment
-Diagnostics on the occasional smoke at start-up
-MOT

Passed on 9 Oct 2025. Advisories were corrosion on the offside front brake pipe and a small oil leak.

Oct 2025: New Varta Dynamic AGM 80Ah battery, £135.40

Jan 2026: Bosch Service (approx. £213), right front hub and bearing plus right front ABS sensor

Spring 2026: Air con serviced

Jun 2026: Kerrtech fitted a new Bosch alternator and aux belt, £893.14 (I have the estimate and the emails confirming the work and payment)

Known problems

I’d rather be upfront about these.

Timing chain: Vcentrum found it stretched in March 2025 and recommended replacing it. As far as I know, that hasn’t been done. There’s also an intermittent metallic rattle or grinding from under the bonnet that nobody has managed to pin down.

Oil leak: It’s come back despite the 2025 work. I’m not sure exactly where it’s coming from or how much it’s losing.

Blue smoke: Sometimes there’s a quick puff of blue smoke on a cold start, though not every time. A leak-down test came back “moderate, towards passing”. The mechanic mentioned possible ring wear, and valve stem seals have also come up. Nobody has confirmed the cause, and it may need serious engine work.

MOT: It ran out on 15 Oct 2026. It hasn’t been tested since, and I can’t promise it’ll pass without work.

There are no warning lights or messages on the dash at the moment.

Bodywork and interior

The paint is in really good nick, with a deep shine, and it’s always been waxed. There’s a small dent in the boot lid from a parking mishap in Taormina, Sicily. The alloys are straight as far as I know, but the finish is tired and could do with a refurb (they were like that when I bought it). The front tyres have done about 18,000 miles. The rears were fine when I checked about a year ago, but I can’t vouch for the tread now. The interior has been well looked after.

To be clear

It starts, runs and drives, but I’m not selling it as roadworthy or as a daily. It needs work, possibly expensive work, so it’s one for someone with mechanical experience or access to a workshop who knows what they’re getting into with a high-mileage project.

I’ve kept all the invoices, workshop records and MOT history, and you’re welcome to go through them when you view.

Please only get in touch if you’ve read the ad and are seriously thinking about buying. I can’t tell you more about the mechanical side than what’s here, and please keep offers realistic given what the car needs.

Thanks for reading.