BenzKid24

I just spent $200 on the A/C Blower today,i had the old one rigs for about 2weeks and then it finaly went DEAD,had to drive from Missouri to Texas with NO a/c,the w140 does have its probs,but what car doesnt???there IS NO maintance free car,ALL cars break down,some more then others,and I DO believe Mercedes should have made these more "tough" in some areas,but all in all the w140 is a HELL of a ride and we look good in them,and I DO believe also that siince the merger that they have gone down a bit in Quality,Mercedes needs to make them MAN MADE and IN Germany again..period.

JCHENRYARCH

Bought a used one 2.5 years ago for $36K and felt it was the most special car I ever owned. (no exotics, just the regular fare, including an e300, e420 - fabulous car that - 560SEL, 740il, etc.) Barely drove it. It was like having the honor to drive a teutonic masterpiece. Kept it wrapped up and garaged. Put about $8,000 in repairs the one year I owned it and sold it to buy a Porsche Cayenne TT. Promised myself I would keep my eyes open to buy the S back again.
Found another, bought the same 97 in silver, for $19.5k and the feeling is back. An absolutely incredible feeling. 55.5K. King of the Road, Top of the Hill, etc. Nothing can sway me to sell again. I was at a car wash today and a guy in the gas lane thumbed up the car and said that this was the better body model than the newer series. I completely agreed, and added that it was also much cheaper. Actually these new were about the same as the new SLs, etc with superchargers! I will endure the costs of repair, keeping my fingers crossed: yes, need to take her in to repair rear shocks (what does that cost again?)
Car came with AMG wheels, which add to the looks. So solid, so rare on the road. And the V12 is silent and powerful.

JAM

Yes, you can get a car that requires less maintenance, but you scarafice incredible technology, saftey, performance, and presitge.

Before getting into Benzes in 95, I drove nothing but Honda/Acura--VERY mainstream cars. They were great cars, but no where near the technology level that you find in a Benz.

At this point, I would by a used, high-mileage Benz before any other car new.

When I had my 2000 ML, everyone told me that it would be a nightmare in terms of reliability. I never had one issue with it.

I believe that part of the reason we incur more maintnance with Benz is becasue they push the technology envelope.

oldsinner111

I'd like to know if any other w140 owners had leak thru their front pillars

johnny conkaroo

i feel it mostly due to taking care of your car. i owned my 97 420 from 110k miles to now 167k and the only problem i have is wear an tear, such as brakes and now coil packs. everything else is spectacular. i dont baby her, but i treat her right. i feel these are incredibly strong vehicles. especially when compared to other vehicles of its class.

johnny conkaroo

hell yea man.

johnny conkaroo

correct me if im wrong but i dont think many cars can do this.

1999 S500

Hmmm.....

Let's put this in perspective. A new Toyota Camry with bells and whistles is $30-$35k these days. So that is the car I tend to use as my bench mark for reasonable cost and reliability.

The cost of the car new was in the engineering that was done before they ever built one. Rumor has it that Mercedes spent something close to a Billion$ in 1989-ish dollars to design these cars. They only built around 400,000 of all versions so there weren't many units to spread the cost over. Plastic is plastic and leather is leather so the purchase price does not really reflect that.

Mercedes Parts are pricey, but so are the Japanese cars. I am willing to bet that if you compare quality and such with another car that is between 14-21 years old, our W140s age, you would find plastic crumbling and leather cracking. The oldest of the W140 cars are only 4 years from being called antiques!

I am on my 3rd W140. The first one, 1995 S420, went to the ex-wife. The 2nd, 1998 S420, was destroyed by a knucklehead who pulled in front of my wife. The third, a 1999 S500 Grand Edition, was misrepresented by the dealer that sold it to me. I love driving it but I got ripped off pretty good so I am working through that to the tune of $9k in repairs and restoration that I would have avoided doing business somewhere else. The point being that I have around $21k in the car and I am still way ahead compared to my Camry baseline.

At 6ft 4, 220lbs, there are not many cars out there that are really comfy and enjoyable to drive to me. I am a bit of a power junkie as well. The toy car is a Porsche 1986 930 Slant Nose so I appreciate the power of the S500 when cruising on a trip. I hate SUVs so I get the room of a truck, the power of a sports sedan, and the safety of a tank all wrapped up in one.

The 1998 S420 that got smashed did its job and really sold me on what these cars are really about. I do not think my wife walks away on her own from that crash in most cars. Certainly she would be walking with a cane!

I have good feelings Mercedes Customer Service so far. They treat me like I bought a $150k AMG S Class and with the classic car program that the Brumos Companies does, I pay a labor rate comparable to 3rd party shops and they discount the parts as well.

The thing is, finding low mileage W140 cars in great shape is getting harder to do. The 2nd and further owners will have done less work on these cars as time goes by and if you want to bring one up to perfect new condition, is expensive. That is why they get neglected.

neglected = $$$$ for the new owner.

Disappointed in my W140....No.

Pissed off at North Jersey Auto Mall for being pathological liars....you bet!

oldsinner111

I think it is more smarter to buy a used Benz than any new car.

kcscout

First let me say that I agree with your basic premise. I too love my W140. I have had two of them and both were incredible driving machines. My first was a 99 S420. Ok it was really bought for my wife, but I did get to drive it on family trips and when I worked on it. I got myself a matching 97 S320. I bought both of them used and paid a lot less than the new prices. Used is the only way I would buy a MB these days. They depreciate too quickly. I share your concern over some of the maddening problems these cars develop. Wiring that literally falls apart. finicky control modules. But all in all I have had only a couple of issues that were expensive. The transmission on my S420 had to be rebuilt after 175K miles and the water pump on my S320 had to be replaced after 215K miles. My son totaled my S420 a couple of years ago and I made the horrific mistake of replacing it with a W220 (a 2000 S500). Comparing the two chassis I love my W140 even more. Just today I had to replace the drivers seat belt on my S320 but I am getting real good at doing these little replacements and with help from my brothers on this forum I get most of the information needed to keep thing running well.

oldsinner111

found out sunroof has 6 drains,now I will snake the other 4.They can clog up throwing butts out the sunroof,and leaves with sunroof open

eddie a

The sunroof has four drains, one on each corner,, butts clog them up? interesting

oldsinner111

theres drain hole also at center post on my 99. My problem is when stopping or reversing I leak at front pillars. Did not happen until I waxed the roof,causing water to bead. get my info from a merceds mechanic,shop foreman,trained in Stuttgart,worked with 140s

eddie a

Ive had about 25 sunroofs completly out..I know there are 4 drains on each corner.. none in the center..

oldsinner111

correction 4 drain hole can't reach the rear though,using a bathroom drain snake. a tech on another forum mis directed me.

CIGAR_LOUNGE

ainsworth66

I have had my S 280 for 10 years bought it when only 24000 Ks on clock.. sure It costs some money but the ride, performance and sheer comfort is fantastic. Australian conditions fairly warm, and needed new wiring, transmission overhaul and bits and pieces but when divided over 10 years its a lot cheaper to maintain than a wife, has less headaches and seldom disagrees with it's proud owner. A lot less costly with less electronics than the S 500. This car is my baby!

69Pagoda

Thought I would add my experience: a love affair with a 92 500 SEL purchased with 180,000 mi on it - and ran it for eight years until it had over 400,000 miles on it - and it was a great car.

Would cruise at 130mph for hours without breathing hard (only on clear open roads where it was safe to do so), was very roomy where five people over six and a half feet tall could sit for hours without being claustrophobic. The engine was never apart save for replacing waterpump and the serpentine belt tensioner several times. And lots of computer problems. And electrics with the lights and gewgaws inside. And the soft-closing system. But as far as the engine, drive train and transportation part of the car - it ran like a train and had the heart of a bull inside.

Quiet. Comfortable. Capable. Like an NFL offensive lineman in a tuxedo, broad-shouldered and powerful, going up into the mountains at altitude or cruising in the city with the sunroof open, the car was always a great safe way to go.

However, the cost for parts, and trying to find mechanics as the car ages is definitely a major headache. I have a CL500 I am trying to sort out. And the biggest issue is Mercedes doesn't make it easy, makes information harder to get than parts, and in protecting their intellectual property - which is why they prevent workshop manuals on the car - force the cars into an early grave with sky high repair costs.

So - have all the W140 fans passed on? Are they getting too old now and too expensive? I have a CL500 and hope that isn't the case....

oldsinner111

I'm disturb after 15 years my sitching is coming out of the leather.AC control buttons broke

fluffyfreak

I like reading threads like these, lets me know what I need to look out for in future purchases. Id like to pick up a W140 for a daily driver in the next year or so. To me, yheres really only 3 car brands worth buying, Mercedes, Cadillac, and Chevy. And I wouldnt buy any of them made after 2001 cept for a vette or camaro. Ive owned a few different cars and trucks and all of them hsve had issues. It comes with the territory imo

1999 S500

I keep a spreadsheet on my cars to track miles and repairs. I bought my 1999 S500 Grand Edition sight unseen in June of 2012. I got ripped off. This is what I have done to correct all of the mechanical problems and some cosmetics.


Highlights:

1) Suspension work

2) Way over engineered pneumatic door locking system

These repairs I believe get done on all of the W140 cars at somepoint but mine had to have them all at once because of neglect. If you buy a well sorted W140 car, these reapirs would be spread over a few years. I have budgeted $2k per year on my previous "S" Class Cars and it worked out pretty good.

They can be inexpensive up front, but they aint cheep to keep. Total money in car with Purchase, taxes/tags/repairs= $24,640. I might get around $12k for it if I sell it. So $10k in repairs vs. $???? in depreciation on a newer you detirmine the equivalent car. I think that it is worth it, most probaly would not.

oldsinner111

I'm more disappointed in the dealership mechanics.My car develope a no start issue.Another guy had same problem he paid over $1200,and the problem was not fixed.I called the dealership for a part the K38 relay,they tried to sell me a relay that cost $136.It was the wrong relay,after two weeks of searching the net I found info,location,and the part for $36.Mercedes needs to get its head out their ***.car is fixed now

pncurtis

I am on MB number 3. First was a 1975 450SL and second was a 1976 240D.

I recently purchased a 1997 S420 with 250,000 miles on it from a private party. It had been serviced by the same dealer for it's entire life and as near as I could tell the maintenance was done in a timely manner and was complete.

I purchased the vehicle for the following reasons:

1. Safety. Mercedes are designed to behave in a specific fashion when they crash and this is done to preserve the integrity of the passenger cabin. Remember, in an accident tonnage usually wins. Besides, in California, the cheapest car has the right of way because it probably isn't insured and nobody wants to go through the hassle of resolving those issues.

2. Comfort. I have a bad back and could no longer get into and out of my 450SL comfortably. The 240D was a truly gutless wonder except when going down a steep hill so I gave it to one of my grandchildren to use during college.

3. Reliability. I know that it is not perfect and needs to be maintained regularly and that costs money. However, if that is done it will operate reliably. At least it has for me.

4. Cost of Ownership. I am retired and so can't afford to spend a small fortune on cars. While the price of gas is not as comforting as it used to be I don't drive that much anymore and so it is not an issue. Oil changes are not cheap but they are not frequent either so that cost is probably a wash.

5. Condition. This car is in amazingly good condition for the miles and years on it. It has the original paint, has never been smoked in, and has been garaged every day of its life both at home and at work. It needed a few things which I have purchased in used condition from reliable sources and installed myself. One of the things retirement gives you is a lot of time. I replaced the radio antenna, the pump for the door locking system, had the brakes replaced, put tires on it, put new floor mats in it, and repaired the remote controlled outside rear view mirrors. I pulled out the sunroof and had an upholstery shop replace the head liner in the sunshade. Everything works as it should now and all is original equipment.

6. Documentation. There is extraordinarily good documentation on the systems, parts identification, and the other things that allow me to tinker with the car. I have saved a small fortune by doing a lot of the work myself with tools I already had.

Now for the really good news. I paid $2,700 for the car and have put another thousand into it. At my age it will last me for the rest of my life and I will have a good, high quality, well engineered car that is safe to drive. That is worth a lot but the enjoyment of driving a car as smooth and quiet as this one is with a very good quality sound system in it is priceless.

Paul Curtis

italianman

I won't drive anything else. That said, my 1ist problem was the dealer knew less about the car than I did. Consequently every time I serviced the car it came back damaged in some manner.they would not know how to change a bulb without damaging the car,a division this came to a head when changing dash board lights they cracked the speedo and ripped the leather.it got to the point that I went through all the dealerships in the area but I promise you they all were failures the last one had me going down thee street with palls of smoke coming from my engine . In this period for various reasons I lost a car to fire a dhad tl buy a new automatic gearbox when that failed when going on holiday. QUOTE=ghost;907063]Are you dissappointed in your W140?
Mercedes were not interested. And dismissed my claims because my car was not up to date with maintenance
Dont misunderstand my question. I am sure most of you love your w140's, like i do.

But arent you dissappointed in what you have had to face in quality issues, maintenance problems, money $$ and effort you had to put in dealing with these problems ! Specially for a car cost so much, and supposedly has a reputation of a high quality and a prominent name !

I raise this subject, because i have owned few w140's and i have been a car broker for over 10 years, and have driven, owned, bought and sold all kinds of cars from A to z, over and over.


Anything can go wrong with the w140. Even simple stuff that doesnt even go wrong with cars thousands and thousands less and with double the miles of a w140. Its a shame, to see a car like the w140 that is 100k new and have to encounter poor quality issues that you never face with cars that have double the miles or abou 20k new (i.e honda, toyota,buicks.. etc.).


My car has around 84k, and i baby it to the most part. i have put less then 7k in year and half, and i had issues with sunroof, my window buttons sinking in, my keys, the rear shocks, speakers, and now the good old expensive climate control problem (heater/ac), among other issues.

Yes you have some people that drive their car for a year and not have to face these issues. But i think they are lucky so far, or have not YET encountered issues.

I bought my best friend a 97 s420 with 60k, looked virtually new. Now a year later, he has to replace the transmission. Even though its a 97 and one of the last years of the w140s.(supposedly better built)

Dont get me wrong, i love the w140s. I consider myself a w140 addict, always felt they are the most powerful looking automobiles on the road. Even though i owned a few so far, every time i see one, i still double look at it and admire it. They have their good qualities. They have great presence. They scream success, they make you feel good. Almost like a feel good Drug.

I feel like the w140 is like an expensive hot trophy girlfriend. You spend alot of $$ on her, because you like the way it looks or perhaps the way she makes you feel when your with her or in public.



Please comment if you have any dissappointment or dissatisfaction with the ownership of your w140s ?

Are the issues raised in this post justified?

Are your ties with the w140's more of an emotional issue? (rather then quality, performance, and logic).

Do you think that buying a different car would have been or would be a better choice in future?

Please comment about any mixed feelings regarding your w140?[/QUOTE]

oldsinner111

My Benz has been trouble free 4 years,except for one issue in the last 6 months.Though it does not prevent me from driving.I can't apply full throttle it simply will buck and miss.New ignition parts,new filers and fuel pressure checked.Like I said still driving it and excellent mpg.Just can't race her.