ateng

I recently purchased a used 2007 R500 with about 55k on it. I love the ride, comfort, and looks, but am having a big scare. I found out there is a class action against MB on the engine M272) it used on the R350s. I have read somewhere that MB's engine M273 will have the same problems with the cam shafts, causing repair costs to about $6,000 when about 100,000k is reached. On top of that, after just one week of driving it, the power steering pump failed, and the repair cost was $1,600. Pretty scary for me right now.

Can anyone tell me that whether their R500 is reliable? Should I sell it now to prevent further headaches and costs? If not, what issues should I be expecting?

supernsx

I don't know what to tell you but if my R500 is out of warranty today, I will sell mine tomorrow. My R500 is totally loaded with gadgets and in less than two years, my extended warranty has paid over $6K on repair cost and none of those repairs are major. 2 automatic side mirrors replacement cost about $1300 and one airmatic shock was over $3K (still have three more shocks to go). I get a feeling that will be another $10K of repair cost before my extended warranty run out in 3 years.

ateng

Thank you for your response, supernsx.

Luckily, my car doesn't have airmatic shocks. I talked to a mechanic who specializes in Mercedes, not a dealer, and he said that the V8 engine and transmission of the R500 is solid and reliable. I will have the car checked out by him next week. I have a feeling that I will have a love/hate relationship with my car if I decide to keep it. After driving the R500, I have a difficult time driving Japanese cars except maybe Lexus' ones. I was told that the cost of repairs for BMW's and Audi's is the same.

TINMan22

We bought ours new in July 07. We've replaced the PS pump under the extended warranty. The lift gate is a chronic problem that we've learned to live with. We are nearing 80k on the odo.
Beyond that, the car is marvelous and I can't of anything that could replace out other than the next R350 when it gets the direct injection engine with 305 hp. I autocross ed it until we bought the S80 T-6 AWD Volvo and was competitive against other V8 Benzes, even on all season tires. That is to say, the handling is superb for a car that is longer and heavier than an S500. Buy an extended warranty and enjoy the car!

aggst1

Bought my 2006 R500 in January '09. It now has 48K miles and has been exceptional. I had two problems that were fixed under warranty: After I bought it I noticed occasional hard shifting and the dealer replaced the valve body, and recently I had a suspension warning message come on (it does NOT have airmatic) - it was not noticeable while driving, just a warning message. The dealer replaced a broken suspension component for that. All other trips to the dealer were for routine maintenance.

It is an exceptional vehicle. I suggest you give it a thorough inspection with your mechanic as you stated and also check the maintenance history if possible. You can ask a MB dealer to print you a report of all work performed at an authorized MB shop by giving them the VIN number (if you don't already have this info). Among others, make sure the transmission fluid got replaced at 39K miles. Evidence of systematic maintenance according to manufacturer schedule is a good sign for the car's future.

Yes, some repairs are expensive, but if you have a well cared for example, you are well ahead someone that bought it for $75,000 when new (that was the sticker price on mine)

bigben320e

My R500 has been pretty solid, hardly any issues, I purchased it with only 11K on it. The only issue I had was with the airmatic pump which was replaced under warranty. Currently, I have about 52K on her and going!

ateng

Thank you everyone.

Does anyone find the seat of the R500 or R350 uncomfortable? I find my driver seat so hard. Even the seat of my work truck, GM Silverado, is more comfortable. Is that common for German cars?

ajaeger

My life gate stopped working - getting it fixed now (motor works to open it once my kids do the manual release in the car and I hit the button from the outside, and the motor works to close it, it's just the release part that doesn't work right). And today I have MAJOR electrical repairs due to rain damage - they say the drain get overwhelmed by too much rain and then it flows into the air-intake and to the battery and electronic compartment. BLahhh!

ajaeger

Other than that, I LOVE IT! ;-) Best non-minivan, minivan ever! I have 4 kids, in carseats, so there are much better/friendlier options - my Caravan rental is awesome, can even get the german shepherd in the front and the jogger stroller in the back. It's just doppy compared to the R.

ateng

Hi Everyone,

Now I am wondering if I have air suspensions. I heard that all R's have air susp on the rear and optional for the front. I don't have a air-sus buttom on the panel. Does that mean I have or not have air suspensions. Thank you!

aggst1

If you don't have a button to raise/lower the car then you don't have air suspension. You do however have "air suspension" in the back as part of the self-leveling suspension system that comes standard. It is not the same however as the full airmatic as it does not allow the vehicle to be raised or lowered nor it provides different comfort settings (soft, hard etc). These of course are part of the airmatic system.

IMO, the airmatic is great to have, no question, but if one plans to keep their car for a while the cost to repair is prohibitive! (Something like $1000 each corner). And it will definitely break, that's for sure (read the numerous posts on the subject). A poster has even claimed that he replaced the airmatic components twice on the same side and his car has under 80K miles. I would only order it if I was buying the car new and was only planning to keep it for the duration of the warranty.

With regards to your comment about the car seats being somewhat hard, I agree they are firm. Yes, in my opinion it is a German car thing. In fact every Mercedes benz I 've been in since the 70s and had the chance to take a trip in, they had the same firmness. I don't find them bad though, once you adjust your seat to the proper position you should be fine. In fact I find that the car is extremely comfortable on long trips. Maybe your seat is not adjusted properly?

ateng

Hi Aggsti,

Please help me understand. I don't have full airmatic suspension, but I have air suspension at the back. Does that mean I have 1/2 of airmatic at the back? Does that mean the two at the back are as problmatic as the airmatic system, which is a nightmare according to some users?

ateng

Hi Aggsti,

One more question. Is it normal for R500 to have a lot of road noises when driving? When I go through some not so smooth roads, I hear road noise and ever some rattling in the interior.

aggst1

I wouldn't call it 1/2 of the airmatic system. It is actually much less than that the way I have understood it. The only think the air system does in the back is self-leveling which means if you put a heavy load on the rear left, the left side suspension will become stiffer and therefore the rear will level-off. You will not have the same problems other members have noted regarding airmatic suspension.

With that said, I did have a problem with mine (R500 with no airmatic) this summer. I got a warning message while driving to the beach with a full load. The message said to "visit workshop". I took it to the dealer when I got back and they said that both rear level sensor arms (arms not the sensors) were rusted and seized and they replaced under warranty. They said it would cost $320 without warranty. If it wasn't for the warning message I would not have done anything since the ride was smooth as always. After the repair it still drives the same way, smooth just like before.


It should be very smooth unless of course we are talking about extreme pot holes. The rattling in the interior should be easy for you to isolate. Just have someone else drive and you sit in the back to find the cause. There might be loose items under the seat or in the trunk under the floor (in the spare tire compartment?)
If you are talking about road noise, does it go away when you are on a smooth paved road?

supernsx

Dealer charged me $2400 for one airmatic shock with labor. Definitely cheaper from indy shops and you may able to get it done for about 1K.

davidbho

70k of which are ours...car has had 3 airmatic shocks replaced, the rear hatch automatic opener has had issues, the rear tail lights failed, and I think that's about it...all done under CPO warranty.

Car is fantastic, love the drive, and my seats are really comfy. I have the option where it has the air blatters in the seat that make it fully adjustable, almost like the sleep number beds

Becks Imports

With the two warranty companies I represent, the R-class is an E5 risk rating. There is A 1-6, B 1-6, etc all the way to E 1-6.

So it's the second worst claims/reliability rating, just ahead of the ABC equipped AMG cars and BMW SMG M-cars.

If I was to own one of these long term, especially if highly optioned, I'd get a good extended warranty. If you need a quote email me your VIN# and current odometer reading to brucem105@comcast.net.

Bruce

ateng

Thank you Bruce for your offer.

I took my car into a reputable mechanic and he said that my R500 engine and transmission are reliable and of great quality that is proven for the past 10 or so years. The reason the R series has a bad reliability report is caused by the R350, which has a V-6 engine. The R500 has the V-8. The mechanic said the car will last me a long time.

I believe the noise issue comes mainly from the pana roof. When I ride along smooth roads, my car is quiet. When I go over bumps like speed bumps, I hear the roof rattle a bit, like it is a little loose. Does anyone have any experience with that? Another question, my mechanic said the next tune up for my car is after another 80,000 km and oil change after 15,000 km. Is that right? Is sounds excessive compared to some Japanese cars.