Mercedes - quality & reliability problems
05-11-2016, 12:55 PM
#201
MBWorld Fanatic!
Mercedes makes no money after the first sale. Dealers are independent franchisees. Mercedes corporate's customer is the guy who can afford to buy or lease a $100,000 car. That's the only guy MB corporate has to keep happy. Everything else is the franchisees problem.
But they will charge dealers $2k to certify a pre owned car and then they're on the hook for minimally a year of extra warranty (or up to 3 years for an extra $4500 from the buyer), and on an S Class, boy do they pay out.
Granted they're providing the parts at cost and the dealer's service department agrees to a lower "warranty" labor rate, but they pay on a CPO S Class. My 06 S500 had $21,000 in covered warranty repairs. My 10 S550's last service ticket alone was over $6,000 and they'd paid $4k out up to that point.
But yeah, if you want to pony up $100,000 for a fresh S Class, MB will make sure you're taken care of. You want to scoop one up used somewhere for half that amount, you're on your own. Honestly, the cost of maintaining and repairing a used S is the reason why they depreciate so rapidly. It's not the number of repair incidents that's unusually high as much as the costs associated with the repairs that's a shock to most people.
CPO or 3rd party warranty for the duration of ownership. If that's out of reach financially, you're probably not ready for an S.
But they will charge dealers $2k to certify a pre owned car and then they're on the hook for minimally a year of extra warranty (or up to 3 years for an extra $4500 from the buyer), and on an S Class, boy do they pay out.
Granted they're providing the parts at cost and the dealer's service department agrees to a lower "warranty" labor rate, but they pay on a CPO S Class. My 06 S500 had $21,000 in covered warranty repairs. My 10 S550's last service ticket alone was over $6,000 and they'd paid $4k out up to that point.
But yeah, if you want to pony up $100,000 for a fresh S Class, MB will make sure you're taken care of. You want to scoop one up used somewhere for half that amount, you're on your own. Honestly, the cost of maintaining and repairing a used S is the reason why they depreciate so rapidly. It's not the number of repair incidents that's unusually high as much as the costs associated with the repairs that's a shock to most people.
CPO or 3rd party warranty for the duration of ownership. If that's out of reach financially, you're probably not ready for an S.
05-11-2016, 02:38 PM
#202
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Land of Political Criminals and Urban Shootings
Posts: 4,010
Received 475 Likes
on
363 Posts
2015 S550
If you think MB does not build good, reliable cars, you should see the carnage over on the BMW & Audi boards. Or better yet, the Cadillac Northstar boards. Read some of the posts over there and you'll feel a lot better about your Benz.
05-11-2016, 10:05 PM
#203
Member
Mercedes makes no money after the first sale. Dealers are independent franchisees. Mercedes corporate's customer is the guy who can afford to buy or lease a $100,000 car. That's the only guy MB corporate has to keep happy. Everything else is the franchisees problem.
But they will charge dealers $2k to certify a pre owned car and then they're on the hook for minimally a year of extra warranty (or up to 3 years for an extra $4500 from the buyer), and on an S Class, boy do they pay out.
Granted they're providing the parts at cost and the dealer's service department agrees to a lower "warranty" labor rate, but they pay on a CPO S Class. My 06 S500 had $21,000 in covered warranty repairs. My 10 S550's last service ticket alone was over $6,000 and they'd paid $4k out up to that point.
But yeah, if you want to pony up $100,000 for a fresh S Class, MB will make sure you're taken care of. You want to scoop one up used somewhere for half that amount, you're on your own. Honestly, the cost of maintaining and repairing a used S is the reason why they depreciate so rapidly. It's not the number of repair incidents that's unusually high as much as the costs associated with the repairs that's a shock to most people.
CPO or 3rd party warranty for the duration of ownership. If that's out of reach financially, you're probably not ready for an S.
But they will charge dealers $2k to certify a pre owned car and then they're on the hook for minimally a year of extra warranty (or up to 3 years for an extra $4500 from the buyer), and on an S Class, boy do they pay out.
Granted they're providing the parts at cost and the dealer's service department agrees to a lower "warranty" labor rate, but they pay on a CPO S Class. My 06 S500 had $21,000 in covered warranty repairs. My 10 S550's last service ticket alone was over $6,000 and they'd paid $4k out up to that point.
But yeah, if you want to pony up $100,000 for a fresh S Class, MB will make sure you're taken care of. You want to scoop one up used somewhere for half that amount, you're on your own. Honestly, the cost of maintaining and repairing a used S is the reason why they depreciate so rapidly. It's not the number of repair incidents that's unusually high as much as the costs associated with the repairs that's a shock to most people.
CPO or 3rd party warranty for the duration of ownership. If that's out of reach financially, you're probably not ready for an S.
I'm looking at a '13 s550 tomorrow, 30k miles, clean carfax, reasonable price, although I found one with similar mileage for $3k cheaper so I'm going to negotiate a little. All things being equal - Mercedes dealer, similar miles and in service date, only $5k variance on original MSRP so I think it's worth challenging the $3k. I'm going to max out the warranty which will cover me for 3.5years and unlimited miles - I will trade it after that expires ... To me, who drives 25-30k annually that's better than a new car warranty.
** I'm going to pay out of pocket for the warranty - and was wondering if $4695 sounds right to extend the CPO two years ... **
It sounds reasonable and from what I've read sounds right. ***Wanted to get some thoughts and also wondered if MB will negotiate on that at all based on others experience. ***
I'm a little nervous that I don't see brakes and rotors replaced on the carfax, nor do I see tires... In my experience all of that would have needed replacement - summer performance tires usually are gone between 20-25k, and with such a heavy car I would imagine brake pads would be exhausted and rotors warped. **Anyone have an opinion on that?*** There is the certification entry and a few generic "recommended maintenance performed" which lead me to believe maybe that occurred or the tires could have been installed elsewhere. I will ask for the MB service history from their records and of course eye ball the tires and ask for the X/32s off the certification report for brakes and tires, but just wanted some opinions. I feel really comfortable being backed 3.5 years unlimited miles and I'm used to paying maintenance costs for my E class, which i imagine will be comparable, with a bit of a premium for the larger engine, larger brake rotors, etc. But I'm anticipating similar maintenance costs. ***That's my last question - does anyone have an opinion on whether the S class maintenance line items are comparable to an E class? ***
Sorry for all the questions, feel free to ignore and move on, but if anyone is feeling particular helpful to weigh in, your thoughts would be appreciated!
PS - I had a lot less problems with my E class than the three Cadillacs I had before. And I did have a Lexus ES with a shot AC compressor under 50k, so I think it's the luck of the draw - take care with maintenance and you're pretty likely do have a reliable vehicle. Sometimes it's just the nature of the beast that it will mechanically fail - it is a machine after all. Because of my prior experience with Mercedes I'm not overly concerned about another one like many can be apprehensive about German / euro vehicles. I agree with the statement about repairs - it is costly if you haven't seen the bills before - I figure that's addressed by the warranty as long as I'm prepared to pay out the maintenance. As I think I've mentioned before I have a local MB master tech who has an independent shop and does a great job with a $65ish labor rate and doesn't excessively mark up tires and parts ... That works for me rather than what the dealer would steal from me, which may make me think twice. Final note, it used to cost me $1,700 all around for brakes and rotors on a Cadillac and that car ATE brakes and rotors every 10-15k, plus if you tried to put non GM rotors on it lasted half the time - whereas I've found MB parts more solid. My friends think I'm crazy when I say everything on MB is more solid down to the quality of the gas cap - but it's true. The first time I pumped gas it stood out to me how even that detail was well engineered.
Thanks in advance everyone for any thoughts on my S class inquiries!
05-11-2016, 10:30 PM
#204
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 4,088
Received 939 Likes
on
686 Posts
2010 E350 4Matic
Mercedes makes no money after the first sale. Dealers are independent franchisees. Mercedes corporate's customer is the guy who can afford to buy or lease a $100,000 car. That's the only guy MB corporate has to keep happy. Everything else is the franchisees problem.
But they will charge dealers $2k to certify a pre owned car and then they're on the hook for minimally a year of extra warranty (or up to 3 years for an extra $4500 from the buyer), and on an S Class, boy do they pay out.
Granted they're providing the parts at cost and the dealer's service department agrees to a lower "warranty" labor rate, but they pay on a CPO S Class. My 06 S500 had $21,000 in covered warranty repairs. My 10 S550's last service ticket alone was over $6,000 and they'd paid $4k out up to that point.
But yeah, if you want to pony up $100,000 for a fresh S Class, MB will make sure you're taken care of. You want to scoop one up used somewhere for half that amount, you're on your own. Honestly, the cost of maintaining and repairing a used S is the reason why they depreciate so rapidly. It's not the number of repair incidents that's unusually high as much as the costs associated with the repairs that's a shock to most people.
CPO or 3rd party warranty for the duration of ownership. If that's out of reach financially, you're probably not ready for an S.
But they will charge dealers $2k to certify a pre owned car and then they're on the hook for minimally a year of extra warranty (or up to 3 years for an extra $4500 from the buyer), and on an S Class, boy do they pay out.
Granted they're providing the parts at cost and the dealer's service department agrees to a lower "warranty" labor rate, but they pay on a CPO S Class. My 06 S500 had $21,000 in covered warranty repairs. My 10 S550's last service ticket alone was over $6,000 and they'd paid $4k out up to that point.
But yeah, if you want to pony up $100,000 for a fresh S Class, MB will make sure you're taken care of. You want to scoop one up used somewhere for half that amount, you're on your own. Honestly, the cost of maintaining and repairing a used S is the reason why they depreciate so rapidly. It's not the number of repair incidents that's unusually high as much as the costs associated with the repairs that's a shock to most people.
CPO or 3rd party warranty for the duration of ownership. If that's out of reach financially, you're probably not ready for an S.
05-11-2016, 10:41 PM
#205
MBWorld Fanatic!
Yeah, of course. I meant they make nothing on subsequent re sales of their cars. Although I'm not sure how lucrative the parts business is. Car manufacturers are more like car assemblers at this point, with pretty much every part that's not the unibody shell being sourced independently from all over the place.
05-11-2016, 11:00 PM
#206
MBWorld Fanatic!
Originally Posted by frostsdad
Mike - was def looking for that rationalization of why it was cool to buy the S class - so I will go with doing my family a favor for a safe vehicle
I'm looking at a '13 s550 tomorrow, 30k miles, clean carfax, reasonable price, although I found one with similar mileage for $3k cheaper so I'm going to negotiate a little. All things being equal - Mercedes dealer, similar miles and in service date, only $5k variance on original MSRP so I think it's worth challenging the $3k. I'm going to max out the warranty which will cover me for 3.5years and unlimited miles - I will trade it after that expires ... To me, who drives 25-30k annually that's better than a new car warranty.
** I'm going to pay out of pocket for the warranty - and was wondering if $4695 sounds right to extend the CPO two years ... **
It sounds reasonable and from what I've read sounds right. ***Wanted to get some thoughts and also wondered if MB will negotiate on that at all based on others experience. ***
I'm a little nervous that I don't see brakes and rotors replaced on the carfax, nor do I see tires... In my experience all of that would have needed replacement - summer performance tires usually are gone between 20-25k, and with such a heavy car I would imagine brake pads would be exhausted and rotors warped. **Anyone have an opinion on that?*** There is the certification entry and a few generic "recommended maintenance performed" which lead me to believe maybe that occurred or the tires could have been installed elsewhere. I will ask for the MB service history from their records and of course eye ball the tires and ask for the X/32s off the certification report for brakes and tires, but just wanted some opinions. I feel really comfortable being backed 3.5 years unlimited miles and I'm used to paying maintenance costs for my E class, which i imagine will be comparable, with a bit of a premium for the larger engine, larger brake rotors, etc. But I'm anticipating similar maintenance costs. ***That's my last question - does anyone have an opinion on whether the S class maintenance line items are comparable to an E class? ***
Sorry for all the questions, feel free to ignore and move on, but if anyone is feeling particular helpful to weigh in, your thoughts would be appreciated!
PS - I had a lot less problems with my E class than the three Cadillacs I had before. And I did have a Lexus ES with a shot AC compressor under 50k, so I think it's the luck of the draw - take care with maintenance and you're pretty likely do have a reliable vehicle. Sometimes it's just the nature of the beast that it will mechanically fail - it is a machine after all. Because of my prior experience with Mercedes I'm not overly concerned about another one like many can be apprehensive about German / euro vehicles. I agree with the statement about repairs - it is costly if you haven't seen the bills before - I figure that's addressed by the warranty as long as I'm prepared to pay out the maintenance. As I think I've mentioned before I have a local MB master tech who has an independent shop and does a great job with a $65ish labor rate and doesn't excessively mark up tires and parts ... That works for me rather than what the dealer would steal from me, which may make me think twice. Final note, it used to cost me $1,700 all around for brakes and rotors on a Cadillac and that car ATE brakes and rotors every 10-15k, plus if you tried to put non GM rotors on it lasted half the time - whereas I've found MB parts more solid. My friends think I'm crazy when I say everything on MB is more solid down to the quality of the gas cap - but it's true. The first time I pumped gas it stood out to me how even that detail was well engineered.
Thanks in advance everyone for any thoughts on my S class inquiries!
I'm looking at a '13 s550 tomorrow, 30k miles, clean carfax, reasonable price, although I found one with similar mileage for $3k cheaper so I'm going to negotiate a little. All things being equal - Mercedes dealer, similar miles and in service date, only $5k variance on original MSRP so I think it's worth challenging the $3k. I'm going to max out the warranty which will cover me for 3.5years and unlimited miles - I will trade it after that expires ... To me, who drives 25-30k annually that's better than a new car warranty.
** I'm going to pay out of pocket for the warranty - and was wondering if $4695 sounds right to extend the CPO two years ... **
It sounds reasonable and from what I've read sounds right. ***Wanted to get some thoughts and also wondered if MB will negotiate on that at all based on others experience. ***
I'm a little nervous that I don't see brakes and rotors replaced on the carfax, nor do I see tires... In my experience all of that would have needed replacement - summer performance tires usually are gone between 20-25k, and with such a heavy car I would imagine brake pads would be exhausted and rotors warped. **Anyone have an opinion on that?*** There is the certification entry and a few generic "recommended maintenance performed" which lead me to believe maybe that occurred or the tires could have been installed elsewhere. I will ask for the MB service history from their records and of course eye ball the tires and ask for the X/32s off the certification report for brakes and tires, but just wanted some opinions. I feel really comfortable being backed 3.5 years unlimited miles and I'm used to paying maintenance costs for my E class, which i imagine will be comparable, with a bit of a premium for the larger engine, larger brake rotors, etc. But I'm anticipating similar maintenance costs. ***That's my last question - does anyone have an opinion on whether the S class maintenance line items are comparable to an E class? ***
Sorry for all the questions, feel free to ignore and move on, but if anyone is feeling particular helpful to weigh in, your thoughts would be appreciated!
PS - I had a lot less problems with my E class than the three Cadillacs I had before. And I did have a Lexus ES with a shot AC compressor under 50k, so I think it's the luck of the draw - take care with maintenance and you're pretty likely do have a reliable vehicle. Sometimes it's just the nature of the beast that it will mechanically fail - it is a machine after all. Because of my prior experience with Mercedes I'm not overly concerned about another one like many can be apprehensive about German / euro vehicles. I agree with the statement about repairs - it is costly if you haven't seen the bills before - I figure that's addressed by the warranty as long as I'm prepared to pay out the maintenance. As I think I've mentioned before I have a local MB master tech who has an independent shop and does a great job with a $65ish labor rate and doesn't excessively mark up tires and parts ... That works for me rather than what the dealer would steal from me, which may make me think twice. Final note, it used to cost me $1,700 all around for brakes and rotors on a Cadillac and that car ATE brakes and rotors every 10-15k, plus if you tried to put non GM rotors on it lasted half the time - whereas I've found MB parts more solid. My friends think I'm crazy when I say everything on MB is more solid down to the quality of the gas cap - but it's true. The first time I pumped gas it stood out to me how even that detail was well engineered.
Thanks in advance everyone for any thoughts on my S class inquiries!
About $600 an axle including a flush and bleed. Not a biggie relatively speaking. With CPO I think I spent around $1k at each service visit for extra stuff, usually scheduled maintenance things that hit with more frequency as the miles pile up. A brake job here...tranny service there... Spark plugs, oil & lube, alignments and of course tires. 20" staggered Michelin Pilot Super Sports got about 10k out of the rears and 15k out of the fronts.
But I loved the car so much, and that was true of all my S Classes, that I actually enjoyed spending the money to keep them in top shape, if that makes sense. What else was I going to spend it on, besides food and shelter and the kids college?
Before locking down the 13, ask the dealer to pull the internal service history and go thru it with the service manager to verify everything that should have been done was done. S Class owners, especially first or second owners, are typically meticulous about maintenance but you do get the rich a-hole who bought one for his loser 30 year old kid who just beat the hell out of it.
One thing about an S... They clean up well. Abuse may not be obvious. Look at the stainless steel sill plates. If they're all gouged to hell at 30k miles it may have had some hard use. And verify the two 13's are apples to apples on equipment. There are a lot of ways to option an S, including multiple grades of leather that may not be obvious.
And no, there's no comparison between a Caddy and a Benz. Caddy is jack off. But a Benz is p***y.
05-12-2016, 02:52 PM
#207
Also got real good at replacing window regulators on those. One car had all 4 fail.
05-12-2016, 03:28 PM
#208
MBWorld Fanatic!
I purchased a 12 S550 4Matic last year for around 44K, paid another 3400 for the MB extended warranty that took me up to 7 years or 75K miles. Spent another 1200 on Michelin AS3 tires and 250 bucks on new rotors and pads, installed em myself, very simple. Also spent another 180 bucks on an oil change and service. Dealers are glad to sell you crap post sale for a huge margin and some go that way. I found a good indie that has been fair with me. I will probably sell mine in another 3 years and buy a used W222 or maybe an SL. They are great cars but they drop in value very fast.
05-12-2016, 03:38 PM
#209
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Land of Political Criminals and Urban Shootings
Posts: 4,010
Received 475 Likes
on
363 Posts
2015 S550
Yes...head bolts! My 21 year old son has a '97 Deville and those had failed at only 65k miles. Fortunately I found a place that was able to pull the engine, drill in new bolts that are supposed to be guaranteed not to fail (much bigger threads), and replaced all gaskets including the oil pan for only $2k. This also included spark plugs, wires, and seals. This guy has done several hundred of the Northstar rebuilds in the last few years. And they sure like to burn oil.
05-12-2016, 03:57 PM
#210
Yes...head bolts! My 21 year old son has a '97 Deville and those had failed at only 65k miles. Fortunately I found a place that was able to pull the engine, drill in new bolts that are supposed to be guaranteed not to fail (much bigger threads), and replaced all gaskets including the oil pan for only $2k. This also included spark plugs, wires, and seals. This guy has done several hundred of the Northstar rebuilds in the last few years. And they sure like to burn oil.
After burning through 4 window regulators (dealer charges around $500 for this job per door, but Dorman stamps them out for 40 bucks a piece), 100K miles on it, rims going to heck and could hardly hold air and other stuff I'm conveniently forgetting I wanted that thing out of my sight.
05-12-2016, 04:14 PM
#211
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Land of Political Criminals and Urban Shootings
Posts: 4,010
Received 475 Likes
on
363 Posts
2015 S550
Yeah, that's about the going rate and fair. Was this a garage around Chicago by chance? Bet I know which one it was if it looked like a hole in the wall type place. I was half tempted to drive it up there.
After burning through 4 window regulators (dealer charges around $500 for this job per door, but Dorman stamps them out for 40 bucks a piece), 100K miles on it, rims going to heck and could hardly hold air and other stuff I'm conveniently forgetting I wanted that thing out of my sight.
After burning through 4 window regulators (dealer charges around $500 for this job per door, but Dorman stamps them out for 40 bucks a piece), 100K miles on it, rims going to heck and could hardly hold air and other stuff I'm conveniently forgetting I wanted that thing out of my sight.
05-13-2016, 11:55 PM
#212
Member
Thanks for the answers and feedback - bought it!
Bought a 2013 S550 with distronic and sport plus one package. Extended warranty until 12/2019, $107k new and spent less than half of that. Better than a new car warranty. Beautiful car - very minor paint chips on the hood - like 3 of them. The only other issue is scratches on the stainless scuff plate driver door, otherwise leather glass and paint all exceptional. Good service history ... 9/32 brake life left, decent tires - Dunlop so I will replace with Michelin after 10-15k when these wear out.
Couple of questions if anyone has inclination or time to answer:
- no Bluetooth music stream - found that crazy for $100k car. My e class had it without an adapter. I see options for Bluetooth media interface cable, or direct connect to media interface (would need lighting cable for iPhone 6).. Does this sound right? The MB Bluetooth media cable adapter is $300??
- accelerator feel - the car takes off but I feel like you have to really push hard on the pedal to get it to move even a little? Lot different than e class. Assume it is just an adjustment I have to get used to?
- steering feels very heavy at low turning speeds? Again think it's just getting used to it, 4800 pounds and all.
Thanks in advance!
Couple of questions if anyone has inclination or time to answer:
- no Bluetooth music stream - found that crazy for $100k car. My e class had it without an adapter. I see options for Bluetooth media interface cable, or direct connect to media interface (would need lighting cable for iPhone 6).. Does this sound right? The MB Bluetooth media cable adapter is $300??
- accelerator feel - the car takes off but I feel like you have to really push hard on the pedal to get it to move even a little? Lot different than e class. Assume it is just an adjustment I have to get used to?
- steering feels very heavy at low turning speeds? Again think it's just getting used to it, 4800 pounds and all.
Thanks in advance!
05-14-2016, 12:25 AM
#213
MBWorld Fanatic!
Welcome to the forum. Sadly you've arrived at a time where all of us our alcoholic a-holes and prone to tangential rants. Mostly Dave.
Anyway, pick up an $89 Tune2Air 1000 Bluetooth audio adapter on Amazon. It plugs into the IPod cable and Multi Media Interface. Your car just needs the right cable, which terminates in a 30 pin male. You'll get full connectivity and control.
Anyway, pick up an $89 Tune2Air 1000 Bluetooth audio adapter on Amazon. It plugs into the IPod cable and Multi Media Interface. Your car just needs the right cable, which terminates in a 30 pin male. You'll get full connectivity and control.
05-14-2016, 09:23 AM
#214
MBWorld Fanatic!
I just grabbed an old iPod 16GB that I had sitting around and loaded my playlists onto that. 16GB of music is a lot of music, then just plugged it into the cable in my glove-box. No adapters needed as it is an older iPod. I tried the tune to air and it was flaky. Mercedes seems to be woefully behind even ford with the sync system when it comes to smartphone integration, at least with the S.
05-14-2016, 09:45 AM
#215
MBWorld Fanatic!
Yeah, if your whole library is local that works fine. If you typically listen to streaming sources like Pandora, Apple Music etc obviously you'd need your source to have Internet access.
I had zero issues with the T2A in my 2010.
I had zero issues with the T2A in my 2010.
05-29-2016, 09:35 PM
#216
MBWorld Fanatic!
Bought a 2013 S550 with distronic and sport plus one package. Extended warranty until 12/2019, $107k new and spent less than half of that. Better than a new car warranty. Beautiful car - very minor paint chips on the hood - like 3 of them. The only other issue is scratches on the stainless scuff plate driver door, otherwise leather glass and paint all exceptional. Good service history ... 9/32 brake life left, decent tires - Dunlop so I will replace with Michelin after 10-15k when these wear out.
Couple of questions if anyone has inclination or time to answer:
- no Bluetooth music stream - found that crazy for $100k car. My e class had it without an adapter. I see options for Bluetooth media interface cable, or direct connect to media interface (would need lighting cable for iPhone 6).. Does this sound right? The MB Bluetooth media cable adapter is $300??
- accelerator feel - the car takes off but I feel like you have to really push hard on the pedal to get it to move even a little? Lot different than e class. Assume it is just an adjustment I have to get used to?
- steering feels very heavy at low turning speeds? Again think it's just getting used to it, 4800 pounds and all.
Thanks in advance!
Couple of questions if anyone has inclination or time to answer:
- no Bluetooth music stream - found that crazy for $100k car. My e class had it without an adapter. I see options for Bluetooth media interface cable, or direct connect to media interface (would need lighting cable for iPhone 6).. Does this sound right? The MB Bluetooth media cable adapter is $300??
- accelerator feel - the car takes off but I feel like you have to really push hard on the pedal to get it to move even a little? Lot different than e class. Assume it is just an adjustment I have to get used to?
- steering feels very heavy at low turning speeds? Again think it's just getting used to it, 4800 pounds and all.
Thanks in advance!
06-01-2016, 08:01 PM
#217
MBWorld Fanatic!
I purchased a 12 S550 4Matic last year for around 44K, paid another 3400 for the MB extended warranty that took me up to 7 years or 75K miles. Spent another 1200 on Michelin AS3 tires and 250 bucks on new rotors and pads, installed em myself, very simple. Also spent another 180 bucks on an oil change and service. Dealers are glad to sell you crap post sale for a huge margin and some go that way. I found a good indie that has been fair with me. I will probably sell mine in another 3 years and buy a used W222 or maybe an SL. They are great cars but they drop in value very fast.
06-01-2016, 11:48 PM
#218
MBWorld Fanatic!
19" tires are dramatically more than the 18" stockers. And mine are staggered so the price for the rears is more.
06-05-2016, 04:52 AM
#220
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: South Florida
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
MY 11 CL550
I bought a '11 CL550 with 48K miles in TX. The carfax was clean except the transmission and transfer case was replaced. oddly enough, the car was previously owned local to me (but now in tx) I called the dealer and had them look up the vehicle. Customer complaint was "clunking noise" at low speeds. Whatever it was, it required a new transmission and tc. oh and it had another service for replacing valve cover gasket or something to that effect.
I went to check out the car and test drove it. Everything was fine and the car drove great. I paid 38K for the car and bought it. The dealer gave me a 3 mo & 3K warranty on it. I didn't get extended warranty of anything. I also had it inspected by a local euro car mechanic and paid him 200 dollars. he rated the car a 8/10 and didn't see anything of concern.
Drove the car with the family and went on a road trip. on the 6th day we had about 2600 miles on the car... While wife was driving, the battery light came on, ac stopped blowing cold air and vehicle over heated (water pump stopped) I thought the alternator went bad or something. I had the car towed to a ase/bosch mechanic and rented a car to finish our roadtrip.
I called the mechanic the next day and told him what had happened. He told me he'll take a look at the car and let me know what's wrong with it. I then called the dealer and told them what happened. They told me not to worry and just have the mechanic bill them or I can be reimbursed....
Then I got the bad news. The bolt on the harmonic balancer losened causing the belt to stop spinning. The front mail seal had sheared and there was visible damage to the crankshaft. engine was toast. Here is the shop's notes.
My world shattered and I called the dealer back... Thank god they didn't give me a hard time and they were very good about it. They had the car towed back and refunded me my money.
I went looking again with few lessons learned and got a 2011 with 9500 miles this time (clean carfax, no issues on service history, 1 owner from NY, regular maintenance on the year). Paid little more but I'm happy. I also got the USAA extended warranty with no deductible. It adds to my monthly payments, but I will have to pay to play it seems if I want this car. I'm hopeful I'll have good experience (especially now that I have warranty for few years) but we will see what happens. People have always told me benz is crap and they are one of the least reliable cars. I just nodded them off until this freak event happened to me.
What was interesting is that all the 2011s that I looked at ($40-50k range) had some type of service history on carfax due to mechanical issues (wiring harness replaced, oil/fluid leak repair, transmission replaced, suspension repaired etc) It was very hard to find one trouble free like the one I got. It only has 9500 miles though and I noticed these problems started happening around 25-35K miles.
They don't make them like they used to...
On the other hand, the 7th generation corvettes have been having some reliability issues and I've been lucky (granted I barely drive that thing and it has 4000 miles in 1.5 year) Alot of this is just luck I think
I went to check out the car and test drove it. Everything was fine and the car drove great. I paid 38K for the car and bought it. The dealer gave me a 3 mo & 3K warranty on it. I didn't get extended warranty of anything. I also had it inspected by a local euro car mechanic and paid him 200 dollars. he rated the car a 8/10 and didn't see anything of concern.
Drove the car with the family and went on a road trip. on the 6th day we had about 2600 miles on the car... While wife was driving, the battery light came on, ac stopped blowing cold air and vehicle over heated (water pump stopped) I thought the alternator went bad or something. I had the car towed to a ase/bosch mechanic and rented a car to finish our roadtrip.
I called the mechanic the next day and told him what had happened. He told me he'll take a look at the car and let me know what's wrong with it. I then called the dealer and told them what happened. They told me not to worry and just have the mechanic bill them or I can be reimbursed....
Then I got the bad news. The bolt on the harmonic balancer losened causing the belt to stop spinning. The front mail seal had sheared and there was visible damage to the crankshaft. engine was toast. Here is the shop's notes.
Harmonic balancer screw was loose and balancer was not spinning. Alternator was not charging battery cause the belt on balancer was not spinning. Visible damage to crankshaft and harmonic balancer, bolt and seal. To repair have to replace engine. We are not interested in performing this work.
I went looking again with few lessons learned and got a 2011 with 9500 miles this time (clean carfax, no issues on service history, 1 owner from NY, regular maintenance on the year). Paid little more but I'm happy. I also got the USAA extended warranty with no deductible. It adds to my monthly payments, but I will have to pay to play it seems if I want this car. I'm hopeful I'll have good experience (especially now that I have warranty for few years) but we will see what happens. People have always told me benz is crap and they are one of the least reliable cars. I just nodded them off until this freak event happened to me.
What was interesting is that all the 2011s that I looked at ($40-50k range) had some type of service history on carfax due to mechanical issues (wiring harness replaced, oil/fluid leak repair, transmission replaced, suspension repaired etc) It was very hard to find one trouble free like the one I got. It only has 9500 miles though and I noticed these problems started happening around 25-35K miles.
They don't make them like they used to...
On the other hand, the 7th generation corvettes have been having some reliability issues and I've been lucky (granted I barely drive that thing and it has 4000 miles in 1.5 year) Alot of this is just luck I think
Last edited by seal; 06-05-2016 at 04:56 AM.
06-05-2016, 03:46 PM
#221
MBWorld Fanatic!
The problem is they do still make them like they used to, complex as hell and expensive as **** to repair. My first Benz was a lovely 1989 190E 2.6. We loved it. Why, we wondered, doesn't everyone drive one of these?
Then we found out. It needed a distributor cap. That's a $30 part in a normal car. $400. Then it needed a pair of front struts. Maybe $300 normally. $1200.
Then I traded it for a Subaru. Ten years later I jumped back in with a CPO S Class. Which I foolishly kept after the warranty ended and was delighted when the transmission imploded two months later costing $6000 for a reman. Had a coupon so only $5400! That was after doing an extra tranny service and having all codes cleared before the CPO ran out.
You did your current deal right. Just remember to cut it loose before the service contract expires.
Then we found out. It needed a distributor cap. That's a $30 part in a normal car. $400. Then it needed a pair of front struts. Maybe $300 normally. $1200.
Then I traded it for a Subaru. Ten years later I jumped back in with a CPO S Class. Which I foolishly kept after the warranty ended and was delighted when the transmission imploded two months later costing $6000 for a reman. Had a coupon so only $5400! That was after doing an extra tranny service and having all codes cleared before the CPO ran out.
You did your current deal right. Just remember to cut it loose before the service contract expires.
04-15-2018, 10:23 AM
#223
Love MB'S S class
I have owned 3 MB's; A 2000 S500 which I drove 330,000 miles with very few issues and the car never used any oil. Next I bought a used 2004 S600 and it was a shop queen, mostly suspension issues. and finally a 2012 S550 that I have 130,000 and am extremely satisfied with this car in every aspect. Not to mention, I also get between 25 and 28 mpg. with this car. Keep them serviced and they will run like a train.
04-15-2018, 09:34 PM
#224
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY
Posts: 775
Received 63 Likes
on
53 Posts
2011 GL 550, 2010 MB S550, 2004 BMW 645Cic 1988 Corvette
I have owned 3 MB's; A 2000 S500 which I drove 330,000 miles with very few issues and the car never used any oil. Next I bought a used 2004 S600 and it was a shop queen, mostly suspension issues. and finally a 2012 S550 that I have 130,000 and am extremely satisfied with this car in every aspect. Not to mention, I also get between 25 and 28 mpg. with this car. Keep them serviced and they will run like a train.
Best I ever saw was 23-24mpg. But, I drive very fast.
04-15-2018, 09:45 PM
#225
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,801
Received 401 Likes
on
279 Posts
W463 G550 / C190 GTC //prev: W204 C63 507 / R170
That’s probably UK MPG, not US. Very misleading!
My C63 507 with the 6.2L V8 and 507 HP does get around 22-23 US MPG cruising on the highway at 75mph.
My C63 507 with the 6.2L V8 and 507 HP does get around 22-23 US MPG cruising on the highway at 75mph.
