abiazis

If you care to post your annual maintenance expenses for comparison/tracking on your 65 or 55:

Tracking my expenses for maintenance the last three years on my 2005 SL65 with 43K:

It is a second car driven 5,000 miles a year....insurance is $ 1,000 a year....

2009 - Brake pads/fluid change - 1,000, spring link bushings replace- $ 800, suspension TSB issue - $ 200, oil change $ 150;
TOTAL = $ 2,150

2010 - Wipers - $ 45, Front Rotors $ 1500, oil change - $ 150, suspension TSB $ 200;
TOTAL = $ 1,895

2011 - Warranty deductibles (ignition module replacement)- $ 200, Oil change - $ 150, brake fluid change and transmission service - $ 300, trunk struts $ 65, new plugs/MAP sensor - $ 600; new starter battery $ 110; new tires - $ 1,100;
TOTAL = $ 3,625.00

So.....it looks like maintenance averages about $ 2,800 a year with warranty covering another $ 1,100 for ignition module work........

Benz-O-Rama

Like I've always said.... The SL WILL cost about $3-4K a year in maintenance, even if it's not a daily driver.

People who are hopping in these 2003s and 2004s because of their attractive price, are quickly finding out what many of us have been saying all along. Yes, you can drive one off the lot for the price of a Toyota Camry now, but when that first ABC or Vario Roof repair bill comes in, you better be sitting down.

alx

... on the porcelain god.

unless you want to mess your pants.

true story.

i do most of the work myself (and i am very able to) and the parts alone are insultingly expensive...

carcommander

Repairs are typically cheaper than depriciation. That didnt keep me from selling my O6 and buying an 09 though. Probably 4 to 5 K per year will cover most of it.

LukasBMW

I was spending $3k a year on average to maintain my 1999 540i (repairs and maintenance). I figured I'd be able to maintain an SL55 or SL600 for $3k a year IF I GOT A WARRANTY.

I've had the car 6 months and already used the warranty twice. I would not own this car without a warranty.

This is the first time I've ever had a warranty on a car and I absolutely love it. I don't mind paying for brakes, tires, fluids, batteries, etc, but unexpected repairs really make me hate cars. The fact that I can drive this car and not worry if something breaks makes ownership so much more enjoyable.

abiazis

Update - Have spent since last report in January 2012.....

$ 1100 on new front ABC strut
$ 1400 on new trunk latch and PSE pump
$ 50 on glove box latch fix......

All warranty work..........except glove box adjustment.......

Oil change, belt tensioner, transmission service and new V-Belt per maintenance done this year.....

So.....in 3 years of ownership and 18K miles - gas, brake rotors, tires, oil changes, repairs, insurance, etc. have cost me $ 18k with warranty covering about $ 5 K....that includes insurance and out of pocket expenses, etc....

So at this pace - $ 6 K a year to maintain AND operate this car on average or $ 500 a month...........higher than I thought it would be..........one year left on warranty.........and 15K miles.....

$ 1.00 a mile to operate this vehicle (based on 16 mpg and $ 3.70 per gallon)........interesting analysis when you really look at the total expense.........

cal1

So I think the million dollar question is: How do you feel when you get in the car and fire it up? 1. My god, I love this thing or 2. what the fauwk is going to break now?

Happily for me, I am still taking door number 1 as far as my 55 goes. I would be remiss by not adding that i think about door number 2 often.

abiazis

I ask myself this often.........

I guess I compromise a bit, rationalize everything when it runs right for a while, baby the car now more than ever so it won't break anything else or prematurely wear things, i.e. motor mounts, belts, struts, brakes, etc...

I do still think it is one of the best rides ever relative to mixing powerful performance, good handling and luxury......

It really is a love/hate thing I guess.......

I'd rather have a love/love thing like I have with my 911-993........do the regular maintenance, with nothing breaking and drive the wheels off of it.........no drama......

Heck, I am even loving my Prius which has given me 10,000 trouble free miles, albeit a new car.......but something tells me if the MB was new it still would be like a high maintenance relationship.......

Might be like a wife/mistress thing.........which I don't condone, but use as an example - steady life versus major highs - and lows I guess......

I guess the solution would be to make so much money that the costs would not matter and the time down would not be an inconvenience.......

cal1

Couldn't agree more that it is a love/hate relationship with an SL. maybe that is what makes us so passionate about them.

kelwilliams08

I dont even think i can stomach how much money i have spent in my two AMGs over the last two years. Some of it self inflicted damage with the crank pulley falling off, (should have left well enough alone) gas, ins, tires, ignition coils. Eh the list goes on and on...

abiazis

Try to add it up ballpark.......love to see how it compares...............would be interesting thread to review if others chime in........

sf65

@abiazis, I'm in a very similar spot and I think we share roughly the same problems. Mine is also a MY05 with 36.3K miles.

Just dropped nearly $4K of my own and EasyCare covered an extra $3k for a new coil, ignition control module, 12 spark plugs and front rotors and pads. I paid for the latter two and EC covered the first 2. About 6 months ago it was front driver ABC strut, the ABC pump and control unit, all covered by EC. Last summer it was the rear pads and rotors.

To be fair many of these failures are due to the age of the vehicle and it's sort of normal, the price of the parts not so much. These are the first set of rotors on both ends.

I'm left with exactly 2 month left on the warranty and trying to decide between Fidelity and EC and also not sure on the duration, looking for advice here.

Most likely I'd be selling the car in a year because I want a new car, on the radar is the new tri-(??)-turbo 911 or the new Vette or even entertaining a ZL1 or Shelby, so basically looking at early dibs on MY14.

I actually expect to survive the next 12 months w/o expenses but I worry it would be hard to sell w/o a warranty and who knows whether I can get one next year. Clearly lowering the price would help, but would I end up lowering by nearly the ~$4k it would cost me?

What do you say 2, 3 or 4 years? EC or Fidelity? Skip it?

abiazis

SF 65........

Do you have any other cars to drive daily? If you hold on to the car now, you could limit number of miles on the 65 which would stretch out expenses over the next year......avoid any costly repairs, etc.

Expect currently, even with your low miles to trade-in your car for low 40's or realistically probably less or sell privately for a few grand more.....in another year, the car may dip into mid 30's private sale.......

I was offered 48K on a trade for a new Lexus IF, but it is too small and I don't really like the car....or their GS 350 IF....not ready for a 460 yet or the additional 12 K cost to buy it....although those cars would probably retain value pretty well....

Porsche dealer offered me 36K tops on a trade for a new Porsche 991 S.....started at 33K......

Can't see trading at Mercedes for a E class or S class after driving a SL 65....they probably will offer near Porsche dealer level......

Selling without a warranty is tougher in concept, can be done, but you probably will take about a $ 5K hit, which is about what a warranty is.........

What is Easy Care quoting and for what length of time? I heard very difficult to get a warranty on our cars more than 5 years old....

I am not sure that I will sell my car in a year's time, so that is where I am......

If you ARE sure.....I would dump it now for the new Shelby, which is the new style, etc., drive it a few years and sell it for the new model P-car Turbo or Vette, that you may really want for a longer term.....

Based on all of this, I would NOT buy the warranty in your situation and negotiate harder on new car and trade-in.....

I know am not buying a warranty again, no matter what, because I basically prepaid for the repairs (see below) that I had to do...........if I keep the car, I will put money aside for repairs AND if repair cost is not tolerable, will trade it then and take whatever hit.........

You also should compare your warranty costs that were covered to what the warranty cost you to see if it was really worth it..

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted below is my history with my car to date - this was a post on AMG Private Lounge I posted this week.....a more complete cost analysis over the last 3 years........

My AMG is just fantastic when it runs, but not that reliable relative to being in the shop with 44K miles on the clock......have driven it 18k in 3 years.......

My Easy Care Warranty, which cost 4K for 4 years up to 60K on the car has covered:

Ignition module - $ 1K
Intercooler motor - $.5K
Coil Pack - $ 1.2K
Truck soft close (PSE Pump/Latch) - $ 1.5 K Total expense - $ 5.4 K
MAP sensor - .1K
Front left strut - $ 1.1K

My out of pocket - maintenance costs....

New Plugs - .4K
Tires - 1.1K
Glove Box fix - .1K Total expense - $ 6.0 K
Oil changes (3) - .6K
Transmission service - .1K
2 front rotors - 2K
Wipers - .1K
Suspension creak T Service Bulletin (2X) - .4K
Warranty deductibles - .6K
Tensioner and V-belt - .4K
Trunk struts - .1K
Battery - .1K

Operating costs - Gas @ $ 3.70 gal. (16 MPG) and Insurance @ $ 80 month - 7.0K

Grand total = $ 18.4 K/approx.

Approx. $1 cost per mile........................warranty basically paid for repairs in advance with my money and I am $ 1.5 K ahead on warranty approx. with a year to go....

Wonder what will go next.........everything is 100% working now.......would love to have 3 months with nothing going out of service........

Is this typical AMG (SL) ownership relative to costs ?

My first Mercedes has been an interesting ride compared to Porsche/BMW/AUDI/Lexus experiences.......60,000 mile service should be interesting expense)

sf65

Its a 2nd car and I commute on a bus, so can limit to 3k-4k/yr. Was offered similar prices on trade in but think I can get high 40s from a private party. The ZL1 and the Shelby have huge markup around here, even if I head 100m inland.

I don't mind the repair costs just want a newer car that would be somewhat comparable, not Ferrari/Lamborghini/Aston ostentatious

IngenereAMG

Watching this thread unfold is too funny. If you don't do your own work, all of these cars are pricey. However, I find the SL55 a bargain. In 9 years, I have had so few problems, that it isn't even worth talking about. The biggest expense is depreciation, but since I am not selling, I won't take the hit. I also won't ever buy a new MB/AMG again either, for that very reason.

I have found parts prices reasonable, and even when i have had the dealer do a few thing, more than fair.

If you guys think these are costly to run, try a Ferrari, your check book will be moaning.

sf65

Its not a matter of complaining but rather setting expectations for lurkers.
My car was generally quite healthy, some ABC problems and need to fix ignition system after 7.5 yrs is reasonable. $1200 for spark plugs and +$2000 for rotors not so much.

Yes, low volume cars will have more expensive parts. The GT-R is more expensive to run.

I still love the car, just getting bored and its hard to find a credible replacement

GeorgeJ

Have had a 2005 SL 65 for over 5 years now and hardly any probelms. My mileage is a little low at 33000 but still if there were going to be problems they probably would've showed up by now. I have had to replace brakes and rotors but mostly because I tracked it one summer for 7 days. Couple little minor things also. I've always had an extended warranty after the factory one ran out and I just extended it again for 5 more years. I also had it chipped about 3 years ago at Renntech and haven't had any problems. Hope you enjoy your car as much as I have.

cal1

Many have discussed the notion of good R230s and bad R230s. I really don't subscribe to the idea, but if there is such a thing, IngenereAMG and JMF003 are two guys at the top of the list for good R230s. I have certainly had my share of trouble to include, Xenon replaced, fuel baffle, ABC pump, and a host of other 55k related issues. In spite of it all, I still love the little monster.

The wife and I took the SL out for a ride today. We took advantage of a perfect Wisconsin summer day (mid 70s) and drove on the back roads to the state capital. The car and ride was simply sublime. The top was down and the SL was truly in its element on the smooth roads rolling through the Wisconsin farmlands. We occasionally were slowed to 20 mph or so on the 55 mph speed limit road by farm machinery. It became the perfect opportunity to mash the throttle when it was clear to pass and let the car effortlessly run up to about 120 mph or so before backing off to the speed limit. It is days like today that I am truly in love with the R230.

AZBENZ-CTSV

How much are the plugs themselves?
I thought they could be purchased at 24 x $15???
i was just quoted $400 for labor

abiazis

You can get plugs for a 65 at about $ 10 a piece on-line.....try parts.com...

Once you drive a SL 65 for some time, it is definitely hard to find a suitable replacement that is as versatile.....nothing else seems to match the luxury and effortless power, smooth ride, convertible, etc.....

Buying pre-owned with a warranty or CPO is the way to go with almost anything above 100K original list....depreciation usually the largest expense...........

Hard to fathom that an original great condition medium mileage $ 200K SL 65 that is now 5-7 years old can be bought in the 40's.......good for us that like pre-owned cars......

What other car could you buy for that and that performs similarly to a 65......maybe a 996 Turbo, but a totally different car.....maybe a Maserati Gran Turismo some day.....or Bentley GT........or Aston Vantage V8......

AZBENZ-CTSV

The Aston Vantage and Granturismo Maser both have "oragasmic" exhaust notes but in reality on the road they are both SLUGS in the exotic speed game. My 996 TURBO S handles better but lacks the sheer brute force of the Mercedes v12

abiazis

Tough to replace a 65.........nothing quite like it..........

NCE500

Most interesting thread, here is my summary:

2010:

Upgrades: ECU/TCU tune, not really pertinent.

Warranty: replace I/C Pump, one low pressure ABC hose, drivers door check, front lower control arm bushings, alignment, nav dvd in trunk. Cost me $200 for warranty deductables, cost warranty company about $3,500.

Did a couple of oil changes myself, replaced air filters, $250.

Had my Indie flush brakes, replace belt: $175.

2011:

Upgrades, not really pertinent: Had Quaife installed, added BMC air filters, upgraded to 19 inch new to me wheels, new Michelin PS2's, new TPMS sensors.

Did these myself: sparkplugs, 2 oil changes, ABC tank filter, front and rear brake pads, wiper blades, trunk struts: approx. $950 for parts. Had indie replace trunk battery: $200.

Warranty: replace fuel pump, fuel regulator, fuel filter and a few other bits for ethanol contamination TSB. Replace engine mounts and tranny mount, dealer pulled engine and trans, new brake fluid, trans fluid, trans filter, trans elec. connector, replace ABC fluid, bleed system, new steering fluid, new brake fluid, new coolant, new I/C coolant, replace several cooling hoses, replace AC refrigerant, replace front thrust arm bearings (bushings), 2 X alignment. $400 deductables, $6900+ warranty.

Had indie lower car via STAR: $150.

2012: Warranty (January) replace one rear axle seal, diff vent tube, alignment, $850, deductable $100.

So far did these myself: one oil change, replace engine compartment battery: $250. I will need rear tires soon.

About the only big items that have not needed attention to date are ABC, and the vario roof (probably because I just leave top down all Summer except for when I wash the car).

For what it's worth, my car has been very reliable this year, am at 29K miles, and have just shy of 2 years warranty remaining.

700+ foot pounds of torque remain as addicting as ever, and the cachet this car has everywhere it goes are as strong as ever, but when the warranty goes, I will sadly replace the car.

abiazis

NCE 500.............great information and impressive work.........DIY is the way to go with the maintenance on the SL.........nice color combo on your SL.....only real surprise is how much warranty work for a car with 29K.

It seems that the durability of SL components are relatively poor compared to other luxury makes...regular maintenance aside....

Previous owner on my car also replaced lower control arm bushings, brake pads, ABC tandem pump and windshield.......about $ 5K in addition to my expenses posted above........

When my warranty ends in a year.........I will have a decision to make....60/40 at the moment to keep the car...........

TheRoadWarrior

jeez... ive been eyeing some 05-06 SL65's lately and about to pull the trigger.... but even with a full warranty, this thread is making me hesitate a little bit.... the cost is kind of what i expected, but the amount and frequency of issues seems high for a $200k car.... where is the quality?!

ive been looking at cars with 25-35k mileage, and i will be driving approx 10k per year, keep it for 2 years then sell.... from some of your guys lists, it seems like i would have to put it in the shop for repairs every other month!

realllllly want the SL65, but now i wonder if i should just get a 04-05 Bently Conti instead... every owner ive spoken with has had almost no issues, even out of warranty.


what do you guys think?.... can you improve my confidence in an SL65 purchase considering I will drive it daily?