YouTuber who bought the world’s cheapest G-Wagen realizes they aren’t, in fact, cheap when he receives shocking quote
- This Mercedes G-Wagen cost just $8k
- But it was cheap for a reason… Or lots of them
- Now the young owner faces bills five times what he paid
Published on Mar 27, 2025 at 8:16 PM (UTC+4)
by Jack Marsh
Last updated on Mar 27, 2025 at 9:56 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
After buying the ‘world’s cheapest’ Mercedes G-Wagen, this YouTuber was left with his jaw on the floor and head in his hands after receiving a quote to fix the engine.
The G-Wagen is an extraordinary vehicle.
This particular Merc was struggling with an illness though, and required surgery to its engine.
But it wouldn’t come cheap at all…
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‘Cheapest’ G-Wagen turns out to be a money pit
Of course, buying second-hand cars can mean that you’re inheriting somebody else’s issues.
But when the car is bought for an unfathomably cheap price, there’s generally something substantially wrong with it.
Lo and behold, this 1994 Mercedes G-Wagen with AMG wheels and a lift kit was bought for just $8,800. That’s some $22,000 under its value, and it came with hidden expenses.
YouTuber TJ Lamb – AKA Magnacars – quickly ran into issues with his cheap G-Wagen, and before long, Mercedes intervened with a whopping bill.
Not long after its purchase, TJ faced problems with the fuel system. The G-Wagen even broke down on the way to a dealership to get it fixed.
Mercedes identified this as a Fuel Sender issue that would cost $2,300 to fix – not bad.
However, this was just the start.
Further inspections by Mercedes identified a wealth of issues. Inn fact, the final quote for fixing the G-Wagen came out to $38,000 – ouch.
Immediately, the YouTuber removed some of the cost from this, claiming that he didn’t want the $10k front axle fix among many other recommendations.
In fact, on this first fix, the G-Wagen cost $7,000 more, which included a new windshield, a new fuel tank, sway bar bushings, and transfer case bushings.
This only stopped the bleeding though. Soon, more issues with the coolant system, throttle, and cylinder head were found.
What once was dubbed the cheapest G-Wagen actually turned out to be the most expensive, with bills piling up left, right, and center.
When the Mercedes G-Wagen is in prime form like the one Alex Hirschi – AKA Supercar Blondie – previewed, worth $800k, it’s a magnificent beast.
But it might be some time – and money – before the YouTuber can hope to find that kind of performance.
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