IS Mercedes Benz a good car? Has anyone experienced and major problems?

Answer 1

MB is a great brand but like any other brand, all models are not created equal. I especially like their diesel models. I drove a 79 SW up until a few months ago. Sold it for twice what I'd paid for it. Do you research. There are plenty of MB sites and forums.

Answer 2

I have a E320 1996. It has a emission check engine code that won't go away and a transmission that is slow to engage until the car warms up. The dealer charged me $100 to tell me the ERG valve and line needs to be changed for $900. I changed the valve myself but not the line. It is still the same. The SRS red warning light is on. I have to spend some quality time to figure out how to take the line out from behind the engine.

I am only a shade tree tinkerer and do not trust most mechanic so I try to fix things myself and hope I do not break too many things.

However, I have found to car extremely well built and excellent to work on once I figured out how to take the part out. Anything fits perfectly. The Benz is not as complicated to fix as most think because they are so well built. A good mechanic familiar with MBs could probably do most routine repairs.

I have found that most dealership will try to milk the warranties. I had a Seville under warranty that I took to the dealer with one problem and was given the car back with two. Until the warranty expired.

My Mercedes drives like firm swift arrow, Cadillac - like riding on a cloud. I love the Benz ride better.


Good hunting.

Answer 3

I've owned several Mercedes. Most of them have been amazingly reliable. The one exception is my '99 E320, which has had an endless list of small problems. Still, I can't say as I've ever had a major problem with any of them.

As for the cost of parts and repairs, I would say that the parts are very reasonably priced. The problem is that Mercedes dealers and import specialty shops really gouge you on labor. You also need to be careful about oil changes: the quicky lube places don't understand the differences between a Mercedes and a Ford. It's not rocket science, but they will get it wrong.

Answer 4

A Mercedes is only a good car if you can afford the maintenance and the cost of keeping it running. Any time you have to replace a part it will run you 2 to 3 times the cost of a similar part from a domestic brand car. Labor on a Benz can run from 60 dollars an hr. to 75 dollars an hr. plus the cost of parts. Do yourself a favor and pick a car that is easy to work on and one that doesn't charge you a arm and leg for using their name.

Answer 5

That year had rust subject issues. with regard to the only different subject is around the 100K mark plan on rebuild the front end componets and rear suspension. different than that its a great vehicle. Has little no no resale fee. make certain you provider the transmission you could examine up on that total debate with regard to the tranny. basically use MB Fluid in the transmission or youll be sorry. FYI if it burns oil ghostly once you alter the oil in it positioned engine fix in with the recent oil that is going to never burn any oil. Ive labored on 3 of those and every time shopper complained approximately oil utilization, you wager it a can of engine fix. Ive been using the stuff for 2 many years. No issues.

Answer 6

I have a 03 Mercedes E500 it had to change 4 cd changers in a row

Answer 7

They used to be better. Hopefully they improve once more now that they have dumped Chrysler.. I have a 99 E 320 with 127k miles and have had to fix things here and there (some myself). They seem to have problems with the windows Endless lamp defectives will drive you nutty. The mechanics will also try to rob you almost always. There are things that I need that will cost me probably $1500. To be honest my 00 Mazda Protege has been much better to me.

Answer 8

Excellent car for me to make money off of. Ok here is the deal if its not in warranty expect to pay a crap load of cash in repairs and yes they do break and its not cheap. Even in warranty they no longer cover oil changes and as long as i worked for them they have never covered brakes like BMW does. Most of the longlife Mecedes I saw in the shop were pre 1998 models thats also when the merger was with Chrysler. But as a tech i have replaced just about every system on most cars. Just depends but in general the new one spend most of their life in the shop, mostly for minor elecrical component malfunctions but out of warranty would be extremelly expensive. The $1,800 for a Starmark extended warranty is worth it though. Regular repairs not covered in general. front brake pads usually make it to 30,000 miles and run $250. At 45-60,000 you usually have front pads and front rotors and rear pads about 750 to 1,000 if you need pads and rotors all the way around. But if you have the money then well have fun with it.

Answer 9

Less than a week after buying my brand new Mercedes the fuel line went and it had to be towed out of my garage. Was not too happy.

Answer 10

In general, yes. But to what degree is determined by the particular chassis/engine combination you're interested in. As has been mentioned, they can be expensive to maintain, but that's usually offset by their longevity, especially in the older models as they don't have the electronic complexity that the newer cars have. To really answer your question, we need to know which Mercedes you're interested in.