Not really, and modern cars have proven they should be easily able to cover this distance with plenty of life left in them. That, however, is on the proviso they’ve been serviced and maintained correctly.

Even the best, most robust cars can fail long before 169,000km if they’ve been neglected, particularly with regard to oil changes. So the real answer to your question will depend on the car’s service history. Check the history carefully for any signs of skipped servicing. We’d buy a high-mileage car with a full history over a low-mileage example with no records every time.

Unfortunately, the only simple solution to your problem is find the little circuitboard (chip) that went missing when you did the battery replacement. Without that, the key can’t talk to the car’s computer and let it now that it’s okay to allow the engine to start.

The alternative is to find a car locksmith and have a new key programmed to talk to the car. Exactly what else this will involve will depend on the car itself and how the security system is configured. You may need to change other components on the car and it could get pretty expensive. You may also need to trailer the car to the technician.

If that doesn’t pan out, perhaps try a Mercedes-Benz dealership which should be able to sort it out and get the car running. But you’ll be paying full price for that service.

You could be looking at anything from a maladjusted or broken selector, to a transmission with low fluid level or even a transmission that has pretty much failed internally. All three possibilities can see a car with reverse and no other gears.

A transmission specialist is your first port of call, once you’ve checked the transmission fluid level yourself, of course. The owner’s manual will tell you how to do this.