debralynnjohnso

I'm in the market for a 2007 MB S550. They are beautiful cars!!! Husband and I test drove one this past Saturday w/98K miles, priced at $15.9K. PRISTINE condition. I come to the MBWorld forum as well as google and these cars have HORRIBLE reviews.....are they really THAT bad?!!!

Also question. THe one we drove was really smooth. Carfax stated it had had engine mounts and transmission replaced (pretty much same thing everyone seems to be complaining about). My question, if these 2 very specific problems have already been identified and repaired, does that make the likely hood of them breaking again less likely?

sloanbj

As long as you have plenty of money and time on your hands to deal with issues, they are good cars for impressing friends and family. Just don't get a black one or everyone will think you are an Uber driver.

just1time

On the contrary, these cars are really that good.

Some people just neglect the economics behind owning such a luxury car. its not being able to purchase the car that matters, its being able to afford the car for the period of ownership. Maintenance costs on german luxury cars are a killer...especially as the car gets older and is prone to mandatory repairs from worn parts with high costs.

Get one that has a decent maintenance history and you have cut your stress in half so to speak. Get one with a decent maintenance history and get a good aftermarket warranty for repairs, and you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

And yes, engine mounts and transmission mounts will break again. they are parts that wear out on the car. And need to be changed as per schedule. You would not use the same engine oil forever simply cause the car still starts, would you?

marthyh

I go against the general consensus that its impossible to own an older S without ze warranty..

Surely these cars have their issues,but nothing a boatload of cash or a handy diy-er in possession of a das-xentry can fix.

Guys on here with the 3years+ W221's with all those costs, are people that have their cars maintained at the dealership (under warranty) so you can expect them(their warranty companies) to pay the full premium for repairs and diags.
I think dealerships are merely interested in selling cars and keeping that demography happy,rather then keeping old cars on the road for a reasonable price.

Yeah I know that when I enter the dealership with my perfect 2006 W221 for a service C I leave them at least 1000€ -2000€ lighter (dealers always and I know this from pro-experience find something extra to fix,that you did not know was broken).

When I do this same service myself it will cost me 300€ max. And its done better with more attention to details.

When something big like a transmission or an engine breaks, it is easy to find an expert indy to do the same job at a fraction of the price, as there so many S-Klasses are operated as taxi's in my neck of the woods.
Suspension : Airmatic and ABC, great systems,but prone to wear and tear so that is different -say more expensive- as usual.
Remains relatively complex electronic stuff ; for that you preferably need the das-xentry clone,or someone who is handy that has one and knows how to operate.
Its a rolling computer-farm with many electro-mechanical parts that can break.

Point is,on these boards you mostly see people that have issues and are looking for knowledge.The other 80 percent is driving the crap out of these beasts and know that driving an S-Klasse costs money,but it is an investment in driving pleasure with fantastic returns.

Good Luck !!

Mike5215

If you're wondering why it's possible to buy a pristine car that originally sold for $100,000 for $15,000, the answer is that the exorbitant cost and high likelihood of multiple future repairs is baked into the price.

If you're serious about an S, plan on spending closer to $40k to either get one with low enough miles to qualify for a decent 3rd party warranty (an additional $3k - $4k) or is being sold as a Certified Pre Owned (and then add $4500 to extend the CPO warranty to 3 years).

They all drive smooth and they're all a pleasure to own and drive when they're running right.

DaveW68

Only buy that car if you can budget $5-8k per year in maintenance and repair costs. Because realistically that's what it will cost with that age and mileage. You'll never be able to get a decent warranty on that car. And Marthyh's assessment of indy costs really isn't applicable here in the US. Figure saving 10-15% in repair costs by going to a qualified indy who has experience working on these cars. These are not cars that most garden variety home mechanics really want to take a crack at working on...unless it's basic maintenance like oil changes and brakes. And forget buying a DAS xentry clone and trying to figure it out....unless you have the ability to just let the car go and get another one. Without proper knowledge of using it, you could end up trashing many of the computer systems on your car.

If you're really serious about buying a W221 Benz, then buck up and get a low mileage one owner example (07-08) in the $23-26k range (under 50k miles) where you can get a decent exclusionary warranty for a reasonable cost. Spending $28-30k on a low mileage car with a warranty included will end up costing you less over 3+ years than buying that high mileage car without coverage.

BenzV12

First year production might cause some quirks or weird issues that later models years got it right .W221s definitely one of the most reliable Mercedes-Benz models but these are complex and luxury cars . These cars come with many gadgets per se air suspension components , these are very complex and regardless of any car what model ,brand , marque buy these will eventually will go bad hence expensive repairs .
If you like more accessories you may try to buy later model year with twin turbo engine as well
Last but not least, the car you are contemplating to buy is around $15K but please don't forget you would still be paying a car of $100K in parts when you need to maintain .

dlafever

I'd guess you would consider me the oddball of the group as I do all my own work on my Mercedes. I've owned many Mercedes in the past 25 years and find them an amazing blend of technology and comfort. The only time any of my cars has been to the dealer is for warranty work. As for being the exception, I do all of my work myself using German tools (mostly Hazet) and factory approved diagnostics (WIS). My Pops was an airplane mechanic in WWII and taught me early how to DIY. I'm certified in Automotive A/C systems, trained in engineering and have been in I.T. for 30 years. I don't mean to sound inflated, just that in order to DIY on these cars, you need to commit to the plan, buy the good tools, study the forums and invest in regular maintenance.

Otherwise I'd plan for the $5-8k annual outlay and just enjoy an amazing car!

The Thomas J

Used cars are a mixed bag. Some are good some are bad, some are dumpster fires. Hopefully you find something in between, closer to good.

ACRB

My basic belief is that these cars were meant to leased, as new, for 2-3 years then passed on to the next poor schmuck in line. If there ever was a car that has “planned obsolesce” stamped all over it………. It is the 550S. If you buy that car, you will regret it.

Mike5215

Exactly. MB cares about the doctor leasing a $120,000 car with a $2k monthly payment for three years. As long as the thing is trouble free for that guy, they're all set.

GPrime2

They're not any more difficult to care for than any other modern car, the only problem is that even though they're only $15,000 now they still have 6 figure car parts prices. And 6 figure car brand service rates. So while an ignition coil in a focus might be in and out of a Ford dealership for a few hundred bucks, the same issue in an S is a few thousand. That's why they're worth so little.

As long as you understand that you will pay orders of magnitude more for parts and labor than you would for basically anything else, you'll enjoy the car, they're beautiful and ride great. In my experience things go wrong about as often as other cars, they're not "unreliable", they're just "extremely expensive to maintain".

betrezra

Buy 2 for 15k. Drive one, use the spare car for parts made of unobtainium.

Mike5215

That about sums it up. The car is in "dream mode" 80% of the time. It's just that when its in nightmare mode it's the worst nightmare you've ever had.

wilassasin

No not all that bad at all based on my experience, it's just expensive to maintain out of warranty.

Ruined_S

Not new here, just forgot my SN so I made a new one lol.

From my experience on my 07 s550, I bought it used with like 93k miles on it im at 104k+ currently, bought the car last year, I have not had any problems at all *knocks on wood*, the only maintance that needs to be done on the car is, oil change, fairly simple DIY, spark plus, also a easy DIY, and transmission flush, can also be a friend DIY but I rather take it to a shop for that.

Make sure like I did you get all the service records from the dealer!! Thats how I got confident to trade my 06 w220 for the 07, I also got a 3 month or 3k mile warranty from the dealer i bought it, in Vegas I guess its required for that or law. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING!! Like what some have stated here, they are nice cars super plush to drive but maintenance can be a b*tch if something goes very wrong with these cars specially the 2007. Some key things to watch out is the transmissions, they seem to have problems and tend to take a poop, so make sure the previous owner did maintenance on it over time, like a flush.

people think bc they are super cheap now, they can maintain them over time, nto the case. A friend bought a used Maserati quattroporte and it took a crap on him now hes selling it for like $2k lol