oldschoolmack

Im new and have always been into the Super luxury S-class. Im thinkin of purchasing an 03-05 S600 or S55 AMG the price seems reasonable but the maintenance rumors dont, $50,000 in the three years OMG! is that normal? I understand that repairs when needed will be costly but are they prone to stay in the shop?

OK so what are things to look for when inspecting?
Is a warranty a must and will I be able to get one?
Should I even buy one?
Any help would be greatly appreciated in helping me with a decision.

gorbys

Buyer advice at the bottom of the first post
https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...tart-here.html

DRTYLNDY

Well here is my opinion on this all. I have a S55 and it is by far the best car I have ever owned period! I love it. The power the luxury, everything.
That being said, yes they do break down and it isn't cheap usually. The positive note is that now that they are getting older(W220) there is more and more info on how to repair them yourself.
A few years ago my ABC system died and I ended up spending about 7k total on all that. But I still wouldn't get a new car.
The only way I can give an opinion if one of these cars is for you is if you can stomach the thought of dropping a few thousand dollars a year in repairs. Remember these cars(S55-S600) cost new 120K-185K so the parts are still not cheap.
But like I said earlier my S55 still amazes me. I had a Z06 Corvette a few years ago and I still love this car way more!
Good luck.
Johan

w4sim

Id always wanted a super luxury S-class aswell, and just like yourself i too was faced with the same dilemmas of repair and maintenance costs. After researching for over a year i bit the bullet and bought myself a 2004 S55 with 112,000 miles on the clock.

Some may say thats quite high mileage so its more likely to be prone to failures etc etc but i could see the car had been cared for, the supercharger had already been replaced a couple of years ago and so had the ABC pump so neither was likely to fail any time soon. I suppose what really sold it to me was the fact that it still had over a years worth of independent warranty left on, so i thought if anything big failed then it would be covered. Anyways, i wasnt going to cover more than 5,000 miles a year myself so it wasnt going to be a daily driver either. So what could go wrong!

Iv owned the car for exactly a year now, nothing has gone wrong with, iv replaced the discs once and the pads twice, iv also serviced it myself. The only things iv had to get done from a garage was a gearbox service (for peace of mind) and the SRS light came on and wouldnt go off, so had to get it on STAR to get it knocked off. But apart from that iv had no issues with it what so ever.

In my ownership iv put on bigger wheels, lowered it and every so often taken it on the motorway to do what it was made to do . . . . 170mph+.

Iv enjoyed it so much that in my year iv also done just over 12,000 miles in it, so much for the 5,000 miles. Iv never had to worry about calling the warranty people for anything, the whole thing seems bullet proof.

Unfortunately due to opening a new business im having to sell the car shortly although i REALLY dont want to, but in general, would i buy another one . . . Hell yeah!!!!

On a side note though, my research showed a few problems with the S600 engine, namely coil packs and oil leaks which tend to go back towards the ECU, so can become very costly. But in all honestly i wanted the AMG sound more than anything else so it was always going to be the S55 for me, but i would like to have tried the S600 for all its power and might. maybe another time.

Fraser

Are you aware it is "I've", a contraction of "I have"?

Man, that was painful to read!

S600s are more unreliable in the earlier years, those NA V12s have pricey oil leaks and other gremlins. I'd avoid all '00-'02 W220s completely.

I've had my current S600 for almost 3 years now and haven't spent remotely close to $50,000 in repairs. Including warranty, servicing, tyres and other general maintenance items the 20,000 miles I've driven have cost me about $6000 tops. Bargain.

theunderlord

Replacement brake pads every 6K ? no way.

oldschoolmack

Ok im gettin it, I see some kinda warranty is a must. Hey why are the S600's so damn cheap? I wont be driving it everyday myself but I just sure dont wanna throw money down the drain and have a nice big pretty car with a whole lotta gadjets just sitting in my garage. I guess you guys have a point after all the car is the epidemy of class and it literally cost to be the boss.

w4sim

I think you've slightly misunderstood that, i replaced that pads when i first got the car and now iv replaced them again last month, so replacement was at an interval of approx. 11,000 miles. Just because i said 12,000 miles of driving and changing the pads twice doesnt mean i did it exactly at the half way point.

sakodik

I owned a now engine burnt 2003 S55 AMG. It cost me almost 10k in repairs and maintenance in the first year of ownership. Mostly due to the fact that the previous owners didn't take care of the car too much.

I bought the car at 150k miles to its death at 188k miles. In that time, it had oil change every 6k miles cause I drive heavy footed and my oil becomes charred over time from me stomping. Changed pads once to porterfields at 160k miles and it was still good to go by the time I let it go.

However, when I bought it, ABC was already failing. Front and rear valve block are 1550 each, total cost to repair was about 2k for just front, rear same thing. Spark plugs cost me about 400 and free labor. My supercharger pulley failed, double pulley failed, some other pulley failed, solenoid problem after a tune, but other than that, once repaired car runs GREAT! How you will ever get to 50,000 in repairs is beyond me. I have a 2006 S65 to replace the 55, I wouldn't recommend the S600 because the V12 is a pain! I love my car, but I miss the 5.5 V8 kompressor, it was a much better daily.

CARFAX your car and check or routine as well as suspension repairs.

haoz129

Morning my friend,

I thought S65 has V12 too. Although that is an AMG version, it is basically the same as the S600's. Would it be a pain or a joy for you ?
Plus I believe MB V12 itself is bullet proof, at least 2003 onward. Issues come from the peripheral stuff, like the Coil Packs.

Am I right ?

Howard

Fraser

Well, there's your problem!

How? The NA V12s, sure, they're rubbish but the TTs?

sakodik

lol, yes sir! Previous owner neglected and when sold, he sold as is, broken parts and all. ABC was the most expensive part to replace, everything else was wear and tear with the supercharger and pulleys, no complaints there.

I'm not sure what I meant by V12 being a pain. I might be bias, but I got the car when gas prices were shooting up to 5 bucks a gallon in CA. Its gas guzzling to the max and I love it! Second reason is off the line (stepping on the gas to move forward after waiting at a red light) you need to gas a bit more. For me, if you put a little, the car lurks forward as if you just let the gas go, a little more and then car becomes a rocket. So I always see my passenger get their head banged against the head rest violently. Maybe I suck at driving? IDK. But driving my old S55, it was a better daily, throttle responded, car moved violently only when told to. The S65, like driving a truck for the first few feet before picking up speed. I'm not used to the 65 motor yet, but so far buyers remorse.

sakodik

I do not have extensive knowledge on repair bills on the S65 yet, but as you mentioned, coil packs, will drain your wallet. My indy said after that, its routine maintenance and will likely not cost anymore than an S55 or S600, it is essentially the same car.

Correct! S65 has the V12tt 6.0L. I'm enjoying the noise the car makes in the cabin. I am saying it is a pain in part because my S55 drove better around town, from red lights, better gas mileage (LOL). I haven't had a chance to really fall in love with the V12 yet as so many other owners have. I honestly think, in the end it would be a joyful ride in the long run.

haoz129

Sure, it definitely will. 2006 S65 is an ideal W220 with everything refined.

Keep your love growing.

Howard

joeobowyer

I have an appointment to lift the car so I can check all the mounts.