W220 S Class Maintenance costs over 1 year out of warranty - you may be shocked.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 769
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From: New York
Mercedes S55 AMG
No kids or wife, so I can be flexible. I did consider an older, more reliable mercedes as well - but I think even one of those may still be a bit finicky compared to a Japanese car, which I'd be getting to conserve my S55. (And save some money on repairs too!)
I don't mind driving a Civic and saving, and keeping my S55 nice and pampered with little miles! If you told me my S55 would run forever with a few grand maintenance a year, I'd do it and daily drive it. I just don't want it to reach the "end" and start to fall apart.
I don't mind driving a Civic and saving, and keeping my S55 nice and pampered with little miles! If you told me my S55 would run forever with a few grand maintenance a year, I'd do it and daily drive it. I just don't want it to reach the "end" and start to fall apart.
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Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Long Island, NY & SE England
A Mercedes obviously!
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Joined: Sep 2009
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From: California USA
2004 S55 ///AMG, 2007 E350
Rondo,
I posted a comment on the AMG section as well, but briefly: you drive a lot of miles, 37K per year and your car is 11 years old now, both contribute to high maintenance expenditure.
If you had a 2010 Toyota Camry, you would have spent $200 in oil changes only, BUT you drive an S Class, the car is in great shape since you have maintained it well.
I posted a comment on the AMG section as well, but briefly: you drive a lot of miles, 37K per year and your car is 11 years old now, both contribute to high maintenance expenditure.
If you had a 2010 Toyota Camry, you would have spent $200 in oil changes only, BUT you drive an S Class, the car is in great shape since you have maintained it well.
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Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Clifton, NJ
96 and 08 911 turbos
I'd drive your S55 until it dies and then just get a new one.
I don't see the value behind paying $11k or whatever for a fairly new Civic to "save" your S55, which is plummeting in value regardless of miles.
I don't see the value behind paying $11k or whatever for a fairly new Civic to "save" your S55, which is plummeting in value regardless of miles.
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2000 S430
Can you tell me how to replace the front passager side air strut: email me at yotunya@msn.com. Please
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From: Tampa, FL
2005 S500 4-Matic, 1978 450SL
Yotunya, go to post #36 of the W220 S-Class Owners Start Here sticky at the top of the forum and download the pdf file - the W220 S-Class Encyclopedia. Within it you will find links to many articles on the Airmatic system. One of them, dealing with an epoxy fix to upper seal leaks also has the complete instructions for strut replacement.
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From: Toronto
2003 S-500 4matic blk/blk
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From: Maryland
09' GL550, 05' S55 (sold), 04' Yukon Denali XL, 05' 745il (sold), 01' 740il (sold)
Yes you were, I did mine myself the second time around. The first time I actually stood by and watch the mechanic at the dealer changed the pads and rotor on my cousins 05 S55. He also answered all my annoying questions. The dealer cost for all 4 rotor and pads was bout $1950 or so. When I did it myself the rotor all around and Pads cost me $900.
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Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Clifton, NJ
96 and 08 911 turbos
And $8k is way high, even for 4 rotors and pads on an S65 at full dealer marke up.
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From: Cincinnati
2010 E350 4Matic
To OP. Great post! Thank you for the reality check of your ownership experience. It is so easy to see one of these cars for sale and delude oneself into thinking you could get away without spending alot of money maintaining them or that it's a much better deal than the depreciation costs of a newer one.
One thing for sure your post convinced me of is I am too cheap to own one. I truly admire your attitude about it all. It is the right attitude to go about owning one. I wish you many wonderful miles of motoring with your car.
One thing for sure your post convinced me of is I am too cheap to own one. I truly admire your attitude about it all. It is the right attitude to go about owning one. I wish you many wonderful miles of motoring with your car.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 769
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From: New York
Mercedes S55 AMG
mbnut1, thanks for the compliments! I absolutely adore this car.
To give a little update to my initial post - car now has 158,000 miles, 7,000 miles more than my post back 3 months ago in November.
Since that time, I have only spent less $300 on the car, on these items:
12/05/2010 OEM Xenon bulb Sylvania D2R 35W 152,600 $58
12/30/2010 Engine Air Filters K&N 154,700 $82
1/27/2011 1.)Oil Change Mobil 1 5W40
2.) Replace Left Marker Bulb Roslyn 156,398 $140
I also had some other small costs, my cigarette lighter fuse blew and I needed a new one, I got a new side marker lamp covering as well, and I had to do a wheel alignment after a bent rim due to a pothole. I left these out because they can happen to any car, and were fairly cheap fixes.
I plan to buy a new daily driver this year, and I'll keep the S55 more as a weekend car, so that will most likely greatly reduce the rate of wear on it.
I've been detailing the interior this winter, and it's looking great! (Shampoo carpets, leatherique on the leather, 303 aerospace to protect the dash, etc) I also removed my tints due to getting a tint ticket, I kind of like the clean, stock look without tints.
To give a little update to my initial post - car now has 158,000 miles, 7,000 miles more than my post back 3 months ago in November.
Since that time, I have only spent less $300 on the car, on these items:
12/05/2010 OEM Xenon bulb Sylvania D2R 35W 152,600 $58
12/30/2010 Engine Air Filters K&N 154,700 $82
1/27/2011 1.)Oil Change Mobil 1 5W40
2.) Replace Left Marker Bulb Roslyn 156,398 $140
I also had some other small costs, my cigarette lighter fuse blew and I needed a new one, I got a new side marker lamp covering as well, and I had to do a wheel alignment after a bent rim due to a pothole. I left these out because they can happen to any car, and were fairly cheap fixes.
I plan to buy a new daily driver this year, and I'll keep the S55 more as a weekend car, so that will most likely greatly reduce the rate of wear on it.
I've been detailing the interior this winter, and it's looking great! (Shampoo carpets, leatherique on the leather, 303 aerospace to protect the dash, etc) I also removed my tints due to getting a tint ticket, I kind of like the clean, stock look without tints.
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 508
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From: california high desert
2003 S500, 03 C240, 03 E320, 03 tahoe
if you are simply getting a daily driver
Here's a poll of sorts for you guys: Having seen these facts on the maintenance, and considering I drive nearly 40k miles a year, do you guys think it would make financial and common sense to buy a cheaper car to daily drive? I was thinking something like a Honda Civic, which would be cheaper on gas, and more reliable and cheaper to fix.
I figure that I'll make up the purchase price of the Honda Civic (used of course) with a few months of driving it, and not spending on my S55. I'd use the S55 only for pleasure and occasional trips, probably down to 10k miles a year at most from 40k. That would keep it in better condition, too - I love the car and would not want to sell it. If I keep driving it at this rate, soon it'll be 200, 250, even 300k miles - and who knows how expensive that journey will be!
Thoughts?
I figure that I'll make up the purchase price of the Honda Civic (used of course) with a few months of driving it, and not spending on my S55. I'd use the S55 only for pleasure and occasional trips, probably down to 10k miles a year at most from 40k. That would keep it in better condition, too - I love the car and would not want to sell it. If I keep driving it at this rate, soon it'll be 200, 250, even 300k miles - and who knows how expensive that journey will be!
Thoughts?
Super Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 816
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2008 W204
My father had an 03 S430, put about 30,000 miles on it a year for 4 years (a total of 120,000 miles).
Total repair costs:
~$300 for an airmatic leak
~$600 for airmatic pump
~$200 for a squeak in the front wheel area
~$300 for a water pump (did it himself)
$1400
That's truly it for repairs over 4 years and 120,000 miles.
He did all the maintenance himself, I will admit there were complex some things that should of been done that he didn't do, but oil, brakes, air filter, cabin filter, fuel filter etc. he did all that.
I would say that it couldn't of been anything more than $300 a year for maintenance.
The car ran fine until he totaled it. We always talk about how good that car was and how much use we got out of it. It served us pretty damn well.
I think the point is if you go to the dealer for every little thing you will be paying A LOT! However, if you have a good unaffiliated shop, and you do some work your self, owning an S-Class can be relatively cheap. That my take on it, which of course I have developed from our ownership experience.
Conner
Total repair costs:
~$300 for an airmatic leak
~$600 for airmatic pump
~$200 for a squeak in the front wheel area
~$300 for a water pump (did it himself)
$1400
That's truly it for repairs over 4 years and 120,000 miles.
He did all the maintenance himself, I will admit there were complex some things that should of been done that he didn't do, but oil, brakes, air filter, cabin filter, fuel filter etc. he did all that.
I would say that it couldn't of been anything more than $300 a year for maintenance.
The car ran fine until he totaled it. We always talk about how good that car was and how much use we got out of it. It served us pretty damn well.
I think the point is if you go to the dealer for every little thing you will be paying A LOT! However, if you have a good unaffiliated shop, and you do some work your self, owning an S-Class can be relatively cheap. That my take on it, which of course I have developed from our ownership experience.
Conner
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 769
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From: New York
Mercedes S55 AMG
The high pressure line gave out as I mentioned, and there was a leak on one of the struts at 85k miles, and a few more issues around 105k miles with ABC that involved the pump/struts.
For the last 50,000 miles though, save the pressure line - I've not had any ABC issues. So at least it can go that long! And this is with constant driving, 500-1000 miles a week.
For the last 50,000 miles though, save the pressure line - I've not had any ABC issues. So at least it can go that long! And this is with constant driving, 500-1000 miles a week.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 769
Likes: 5
From: New York
Mercedes S55 AMG
So a little update on the car. It now has 165,000 miles, up from the 151,000 that it had previously. in November of 2010. (So about 14,000 miles in 6 months).
In that time, basically all I've needed is a new engine air filter, new 4 brake pads and 2 front rotors, 2 Oil changes, and a Xenon bulb. Not much more than $1,000.
I am really starting to have a different take and viewpoint on the car. I always enjoyed it, but at first I was sort of not sure where the maintenance would take me. The more I drive it, and the more miles go on it, the more I really respect and admire the vehicle and the build quality.
With the amount of miles I put on, and at the pace I do it at - I think it holds up very well. The car, even being a 2001 with 165,000 miles - drives perfectly. No rattles, powerful acceleration and precise braking. Everything works. I am really starting to have a lot of confidence in the build quality. Sure, a few items have been replaced- but that is expected.
What really impresses me is that every time a part is replaced, the car really does go back to being factory spec, or at least as close as it can be - i.e no "old" car affects like rattles or poor performance.
I think it will easily hit 200k+ miles, if not more. If I buy a newer MB, especially an S Class with less miles, I know that with proper maintenance it will go for literally a few hundred thousand miles.
In that time, basically all I've needed is a new engine air filter, new 4 brake pads and 2 front rotors, 2 Oil changes, and a Xenon bulb. Not much more than $1,000.
I am really starting to have a different take and viewpoint on the car. I always enjoyed it, but at first I was sort of not sure where the maintenance would take me. The more I drive it, and the more miles go on it, the more I really respect and admire the vehicle and the build quality.
With the amount of miles I put on, and at the pace I do it at - I think it holds up very well. The car, even being a 2001 with 165,000 miles - drives perfectly. No rattles, powerful acceleration and precise braking. Everything works. I am really starting to have a lot of confidence in the build quality. Sure, a few items have been replaced- but that is expected.
What really impresses me is that every time a part is replaced, the car really does go back to being factory spec, or at least as close as it can be - i.e no "old" car affects like rattles or poor performance.
I think it will easily hit 200k+ miles, if not more. If I buy a newer MB, especially an S Class with less miles, I know that with proper maintenance it will go for literally a few hundred thousand miles.
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Joined: Oct 2013
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2005 Mercedes Benz W220 S400
New Post
Thank you everybody for sharing your experiences. These are excellent cars though not perfect.
I live in the Dominican Republic and own a 2005 S400 CDI (V8 biturbo diesel).
Indys are much more cheaper depending on your area code. I usually spend half of the amount of the prices posted here.
Owning these cars its a unique experience.
PS. I know I got a couple of years late.
I live in the Dominican Republic and own a 2005 S400 CDI (V8 biturbo diesel).
Indys are much more cheaper depending on your area code. I usually spend half of the amount of the prices posted here.
Owning these cars its a unique experience.
PS. I know I got a couple of years late.
