00-02 True Reliability Opinion
 

lookin to buy a 01 S430 or S500 around the 30k mark. the big question is are the 00-02 really that problematic? i have read posts about electrical and airmatic problems? but with the 1000's of 00 - 02 s classes that are out there do you only hear the horror stories? such is true with most everything the guys that dont have any problems you never hear from. Or do i just assume if i buy 01 somewhere down the road i will have to dump 10-12k into it? if thats the case am i better off spending an extra 12k up front and getting 03?
thanks for the help

It is always better to buy a later model, if you have the funds. But as far as I gathered over the years the 2001 and up were all ok. Just the first two years did sometimes cause trouble above average.

Reliability
 

Purchased an 01 S500 Sport with 21,500 miles about three years ago. Presently have 75,000. Aside from routine maintenance, my unexpected failures have been limited to a mirror module in the right front door, and a serious misfire that was cured by spark plugs and two plug wires at about 60,000 miles. I wouldn't say that record is too bad. I certainly hope it continues to be this trouble free.

Well My car is an 01 s600 with 30k on it and it has been a piece of **** in the last yr. Total repair costs are approaching 15k. Thanks for the warranty, haha. Others have had similar luck so dont let anyone lie to you. These cars look great but are put together like ****. The dealer told me that the s600 is there most unreliable and the most costly to extend the warranty. Buy the warranty and be ready...

Mines an 2001 and lets put it this way I've spent nearly the same amount on repair trips to the dealer as I have in my plethora of mods:wall: I love this cars looks but hate the unreliabilty factor.

crap..i'm having MAJOR second thoughts about converting to mercedes now..i might just stick with bmw :zoom:

Go for the '03 and later and get the warranty...the later models have the major bugs worked out and are great cars. I would do a Mercedes S over a BMW 745 without hesitation...but I would do a '00~'02 BMW 740 over the same year in the S.:cool:

thanks for the advice spink..i'd definetly love to grab the bmw 7 but my budget isn't that high. that's why i was looking into the 00-02 S430/S500 because they seem to have depreciated alot (but now i see why *lol*)..it seems the cost to probably maintain a 00-02 model will probably run me the same as to get the bmw:rolf:

I have two buddies with S classes, one has a 01 S5, and the other has a S430 not sure of the exact year, but I can tell by the lights its pre 03... Both of them said their cars have been problem free except for.... you guessed it the airmatic... I would really like to see what the airmatic failure % rate is on the 00's to 02's...

everyone says if you're gonna buy used, shoot for a 03 or newer... was anything changed as far as the airmatic system from 02 to 03?

i think you should avoid the 00 model and get at least an 02 or newer. At least 01 got the infrared glass upgrade and working A/C.

If your budget is tight (like you said) I think you should avoid both MB and BMW. A trip to the repair facility in either car will run you nuts. It costs money to drive a luxury car. It's one thing to afford the finance payments (if you finance) and it's another thing to afford the maintenance. Think really hard before you buy. When you are ready to buy, the MB should be 03 and up with warranty. The BMW also has it's own issues begining with the 745. I would rather spend more on a 05 S class and enjoy the car than spend on a 00 model and hate the day I ever wrote that check. You can spend $25K on the 00 model then have
$4K on airmatic repairs,
$1200 on display defects,
$800 ball joint issues
$800 brakes (pads & rotors) or $3500 on Brembo jsu afew issues that can hit.
Then for mods
$4K on wheels and tires
$1700 headlights
$400 tail lights and LED mirror lights
$The list goes on. Why not just spend that money upfront and buy the 05.
It costs to drive a luxury car.

If you do buy used, pay a little extra and get a MB certified pre-owned. MB will definately stand behind the warranty. Do not get one of these crappy third party warranties.

The good thing is that the engine and transmission are very reliable as are most critical components. Lots of little problems. Having had a BMW X5 4.4i, I can tell you that BMWs are no less problematic.

It is insane to own these cars without good warranty coverage.

Jags look great now hey ,lol
 

not that great thats for sure.

Well, looks as though jkarcher has been well and truly put off as no more posts since his first.
That is a real shame. The S class is a wonderful car -voted best car in the world by so many major car magazines including both What Car and Autocar in the UK. Every day I wake, I look forward to driving mine. Truly great car.

And all he needed to do to get reliabilty as one writer said is buy from a proper Merc dealer a car with full MBSH and they will guarantee it with a proper guarantee.

Easy to forget, nobody writes in to say my rear light is working. By and large we only hear the bad news.

My two cents worth is this: 2003 was the facelift but it was much more than that. Whole interior reworked and a whole lot more beside. I'm no techie but friends who are and the motoring journals all seem to think 2003 and onwards are the bees knees. Get one of them with sensible miles and a Merc dealers guarantee, and you should be fine.

Sprink I just love the look of your car. Either it's a great photo or that colour really suits the S class. What's the name of the colour? -does it great justice.

This is a good point, people tend to dwell on the negagtive. Every day, I am glad that I have 3 Benzes in the driveway. Nothing surpasses them in terms of safety, luxury, and handling.

I have a 2000 s5 and i bought it from a guy who used to be a salesperson for benz. he said they are GREAT cars, as long as you have the warranty. I have the starmark and have had it in the shop a few times totalling over $4000 in warranty work. I love my car...and grateful for the starmark warranty :)

Exactly, just because you can now buy an early S for a quarter of its new price does not mean they will charge you only a quarter of regular parts and labor when you take it to MB, and you will take it to MB.
A lot of car, with a lot of stuff to go wrong, and believe me it does.
I was chatting to my local MB service advisor last week, he told me the average repair cost on an S class(not covered under wtty) was close to $2000.00, now that's just the average.

I would have to say go 2003 on, it seems there were many improvements from then on, and get a good wtty, not just major mechanical, as the little things can get really expensive too.