SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: (Hopefully) A Different Look At Reliability? Opinions Please.
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1855
(Hopefully) A Different Look At Reliability? Opinions Please.
I searched through this section and didn't exactly find the answer I was looking for, but if I overlooked something...sorry...still a newb. But I'd like some opinions.
Everyone seems to agree that these cars can drain your wallet pretty quickly when it comes to repairs, BUT...is that really a fair statement? Yes, these are high-end luxury cars, and parts and labor are expensive as one should expect. But Mercedes has made literally thousands of these cars, and the remarks in this forum really comprise a fairly small cross-section of owners when compared with total units sold. Are there really all these repairs to the ABC system across the board, or are we hearing about it as part of a vocal minority? I'm not saying any of the complaints here are invalid by any means, just raising the possibility that our opinions might be skewed because of a small data sample.
Also, I see a lot of folks talking about how cheaply a 2006 or 2007 can be purchased for, which is usually accompanied by complaints about the ABC system, coil packs, etc. However these are nearly 10 year old cars, and I would think that systems that were once branded as "unreliable" might work better now that Mercedes has had a few more years to work out the kinks. Perhaps the solution would be to pay a few more dollars for a 2011 or 2012 model and get a vehicle that's more reliable?
I'm having a hard time getting my head around the fact that these cars are THAT unreliable. If I'm wrong, so be it. But I'd like to hear anyone's comments or opinions about this.
Everyone seems to agree that these cars can drain your wallet pretty quickly when it comes to repairs, BUT...is that really a fair statement? Yes, these are high-end luxury cars, and parts and labor are expensive as one should expect. But Mercedes has made literally thousands of these cars, and the remarks in this forum really comprise a fairly small cross-section of owners when compared with total units sold. Are there really all these repairs to the ABC system across the board, or are we hearing about it as part of a vocal minority? I'm not saying any of the complaints here are invalid by any means, just raising the possibility that our opinions might be skewed because of a small data sample.
Also, I see a lot of folks talking about how cheaply a 2006 or 2007 can be purchased for, which is usually accompanied by complaints about the ABC system, coil packs, etc. However these are nearly 10 year old cars, and I would think that systems that were once branded as "unreliable" might work better now that Mercedes has had a few more years to work out the kinks. Perhaps the solution would be to pay a few more dollars for a 2011 or 2012 model and get a vehicle that's more reliable?
I'm having a hard time getting my head around the fact that these cars are THAT unreliable. If I'm wrong, so be it. But I'd like to hear anyone's comments or opinions about this.
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2007 SL55 AMG
I bought my 07 SL55 with 70,000 and no warranty. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Make sure you have a good indy mechanic and keep it away from the dealers. I've put almost 20,000 miles on it and only have had to do routine service items. My experience has been that when someone buys a $100k+ car they usually don't drive it into the ground. Sounds like the older models had their issues but mine still feels like a new car.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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Joined: Aug 2003
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E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
The ownership.experience between 70k and 100k can be very dicey at best. Good luck owning without a.warranty. I'm in the same band on mine and it's eaten $3,700 in maintenance and repairs in the last 30 days.
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SL55 AMG, Range Rover Evoque
I have owned my 2003 SL55 for 6.5 years and just love the car.
It has done 65,000 km. in total, with zero issues and no ABC replacements. It simply gets an annual MB dealer servicing.
I desperately wish to keep it for many more years, but hearing all about the ABC issues (and costs), I always wonder when it's going to fail and if I should change cars beforehand.
With that in mind, and because I'm so happy with my SL55, I have been watching the coil-over replacement posts with great interest. If I could get more coil-over info, I may go that route and keep my car.
Currently, my SL55 has been the cheapest car I have ever owned in 46 years on the road (including Ferrari, Porsche, MB, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Lotus, TVR, etc.).
It has done 65,000 km. in total, with zero issues and no ABC replacements. It simply gets an annual MB dealer servicing.
I desperately wish to keep it for many more years, but hearing all about the ABC issues (and costs), I always wonder when it's going to fail and if I should change cars beforehand.
With that in mind, and because I'm so happy with my SL55, I have been watching the coil-over replacement posts with great interest. If I could get more coil-over info, I may go that route and keep my car.
Currently, my SL55 has been the cheapest car I have ever owned in 46 years on the road (including Ferrari, Porsche, MB, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Lotus, TVR, etc.).
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
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E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
Can't say that I agree with you on that one. The Mercedes 210 class is very reliable as are many other MB'S. The ABC equipped MB's are known for having many issues and crazy high repair costs.
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1855
Thanks for all your replies. 
This goes back to my question - are there REALLY this many problems across the entire line or are we basing our opinions on what we hear about from others? In no way am I invalidating your statement...I'm sure you did. What I'm trying to find out is if there is any data we can point to that says "Yes, in 65-70% of the V12's, coll packs are a problem." Maybe this is just data we cannot get our hands on. 
This also speaks to my point. There is a concentration of M-B owners here and we'll hear all the bad along with the good.
There may not be an answer to my question. Doesn't mean I won't get another...I definitely will. These cars are superb. I was just wondering if it were possible to objectively look at failures across a given line (e.g. the entire SL 55 series, etc.)
There may not be an answer to my question. Doesn't mean I won't get another...I definitely will. These cars are superb. I was just wondering if it were possible to objectively look at failures across a given line (e.g. the entire SL 55 series, etc.)
