S-Class (W221) 2007-2013: S 320 CDI, S 350, S 450, S 500, S 550, S 420 CDI, S 600

S550 Reliability and Dependability Advice

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Jun 3, 2012 | 10:57 AM
  #1  
darth's Avatar
Thread Starter
Newbie
 
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
lexus es
S550 Reliability and Dependability Advice

Hey Folks

We are in the market for a new car and we test drove the new S550 this week. I am not a car expert, but the handling and comfort of the car was exceptional.

I would love to get this car, but I am worried about something and needed guidance from long term S class owners

Here is my profile. I tend to buy my cars new and hold on to them for 10 years or more. Hence dependability is very important for me. I was reading the 2012 Consumer Reports review of the S class and they mentioned that this latest series introduced in 2007 has a predicted reliability of worse than average. Given my profile this worries me.

Can somebody who has owned an S class for 5 years or more please answer the following questions for me

  1. First do you agree with the consumer reports assessment?
  2. If you have kept repair records, what does your repair history look like in terms of costs. Intellichoice predicts the repair costs on this car for the first five years is $2,000 or so while Kelly blue book predicts over $4,000. So there seems to be a large variation here. Maybe it is the way the estimate the labor costs, not sure
  3. Also does this repair history worsen after 5 years? This would be critical for me to understand, since I tend to hold on to my cars for a longer time.
Thanks for your help
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2012 | 12:53 PM
  #2  
GFEAR's Avatar
Super Member
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 627
Likes: 0
my first s class was a 2007, bought it with 20k on it, sold it with 65k on it, i needed NOTHING but oil and regular maintenance in that time, i since replaced it with another s and it too has been perfect.
Reply
Old Jun 5, 2012 | 10:39 AM
  #3  
JL889's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
2008 AMG E63
I would recommend a warranty. The technology on this car is quite expensive. I made that mistake with my last S class. I had a 94 S500 and kept it for about 12 years. I opted out of the extended warranty and it cost me about $8-9K after the factory warranty ran out. This time around i went ahead and just paid for the extended warranty for piece of mind.
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2012 | 10:02 AM
  #4  
autoPOM!'s Avatar
Former Vendor of MBWorld
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Ford Fusion
Originally Posted by darth
Hey Folks

We are in the market for a new car and we test drove the new S550 this week. I am not a car expert, but the handling and comfort of the car was exceptional.

I would love to get this car, but I am worried about something and needed guidance from long term S class owners

Here is my profile. I tend to buy my cars new and hold on to them for 10 years or more. Hence dependability is very important for me. I was reading the 2012 Consumer Reports review of the S class and they mentioned that this latest series introduced in 2007 has a predicted reliability of worse than average. Given my profile this worries me.

Can somebody who has owned an S class for 5 years or more please answer the following questions for me

  1. First do you agree with the consumer reports assessment?
  2. If you have kept repair records, what does your repair history look like in terms of costs. Intellichoice predicts the repair costs on this car for the first five years is $2,000 or so while Kelly blue book predicts over $4,000. So there seems to be a large variation here. Maybe it is the way the estimate the labor costs, not sure
  3. Also does this repair history worsen after 5 years? This would be critical for me to understand, since I tend to hold on to my cars for a longer time.
Thanks for your help
If you are looking for an extended warranty, you might want to check out Mercury Insurance Group. You can quote your vehicle at www.extended-vehicle-warranty.com and download sample contracts so that you can review coverage details.

Michelle
auto-POM
michelle@auto-pom.com
Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:50 AM.

story-0
Six Gift Ideas Your AMG Loving Dad or Grad Will Cherish

Slideshow: Six gift ideas your AMG loving dad or grad will cherish.

By | 2026-06-03 17:26:18


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Craziest Things AMG Gas Ever Built

Slideshow: Sometimes AMG builds fast sedans. Other times, it builds twin-turbo V12 land missiles and six-wheeled off-road monsters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-26 17:59:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes-AMG's new electric GT 4-Door Coupe trades combustion for software, synthetic noise, and more than 1,100 horsepower.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 20:08:15


VIEW MORE
story-3
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-4
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-5
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-7
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-8
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-9
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE