whats maintenance like on an early 2000 C-Class Benz?

[UrbanPoet]

whats maintenance like on an early 2000 C-Class Benz?
I was just curious as to how much one should expect to maintain a C-Class benz from the early 2000s.

I've only heard the typical hearsay that german cars are "unreliable and expensive to repair".

Are they really all that unreliable? Or are they fairly average, and just expensive to repair?
I'd like to hear some input on people experienced with owning benz's.

[adfactor]

I have a E-500. I purchased it brand new in 2008. In the first year of ownership the following has happened:

Xenon Headlights stopped working
Front shocks required changing
Autodimming Mirror Stopped working
Driver Seat Memory Stopped working
Motorized headrest stopped working

Infact right now the car is at the dealership due to a warning light....

I've had a few more but I can't really remember at this point. Everyone of these problems was covered under warranty but it has been a real pain since the loaner provided by mercedes is an awful awful awful B-200.

To put it into perspective each of the problems listed above would have cost well over $2000 dollars to fix had they been out of warranty. I would still purchase a mercedes again. I have a few other luxury vehicles and there is a noticeable difference when driving the mercedes over the other vehicles. A mercedes isn't about value for money or reliability.

With regards to a circa 2000 C class, there are tons of other more reliable options out there. I'm guessing that if your range is around an 8 year old model you probably dont have the disposable income should something go wrong. On top of that the jap luxury vehicles will be more reliable, have better interiors, more options, drive better, drive faster, be better on fuel then a 2000 C Class.

I would save your money until you can actually afford a newer mercedes.

Goodluck whichever way you decide to go!

[randomdef]

If any car I had bought had all of those problems, i'd ditch it. Spending the gross amounts of money on a car, let alone a benz, i expect quality, not a quality-as-it-goes-through-warrenty-and-done-right-the-second-time.

I have a E-500. I purchased it brand new in 2008. In the first year of ownership the following has happened:

Xenon Headlights stopped working
Front shocks required changing
Autodimming Mirror Stopped working
Driver Seat Memory Stopped working
Motorized headrest stopped working

Infact right now the car is at the dealership due to a warning light....

I've had a few more but I can't really remember at this point. Everyone of these problems was covered under warranty but it has been a real pain since the loaner provided by mercedes is an awful awful awful B-200.

To put it into perspective each of the problems listed above would have cost well over $2000 dollars to fix had they been out of warranty. I would still purchase a mercedes again. I have a few other luxury vehicles and there is a noticeable difference when driving the mercedes over the other vehicles. A mercedes isn't about value for money or reliability.

With regards to a circa 2000 C class, there are tons of other more reliable options out there. I'm guessing that if your range is around an 8 year old model you probably dont have the disposable income should something go wrong. On top of that the jap luxury vehicles will be more reliable, have better interiors, more options, drive better, drive faster, be better on fuel then a 2000 C Class.

I would save your money until you can actually afford a newer mercedes.

Goodluck whichever way you decide to go!

[onecoolloser]

We have a 2003 C240...no problems yet.

However, it only has around 29000 kms...so it hasnt been driven much.

[VivienM]

If any car I had bought had all of those problems, i'd ditch it. Spending the gross amounts of money on a car, let alone a benz, i expect quality, not a quality-as-it-goes-through-warrenty-and-done-right-the-second-time.

Agreed. Especially given the 2008 was like, the 6th year of that generation of E class (it launched in 2003 in North America). You'd THINK they'd have gotten a lot of the bugs worked out by then...

[AGR-1]

An oil change is not more money than any other car.

A brake job, the pads are not expensive, the discs are reasonably priced again not more money than another car.

Many independent shops have a DAS with the correct software to deal with older cars, consequently diagnostics are not a major issue either.

[UrbanPoet]

Lets say... This person could afford $1500/year on maintenance. Good enough?
I've come across a 2003 C-Class 230 (with the super charger what what!) for $9000...
130km, one owner and no accidents!

[macnut]

Lets say... This person could afford $1500/year on maintenance. Good enough?

I'd say, allow $500/yr. on scheduled maintenance, and,

$1,500/yr. on (unscheduled) repairs. (Some years it might be over $2,500, others less than $500)

[Piro21]

Lets say... This person could afford $1500/year on maintenance. Good enough?
I've come across a 2003 C-Class 230 (with the super charger what what!) for $9000...
130km, one owner and no accidents!

That generation of Benzes was the most unreliable in the company's history. There's a reason the car is so cheap. The 2003 was the last year with the terrible interior before they overhauled it, as well. Avoid it unless you can take the pain.

[rockybun]

Buyin a Benz to say you drive a Benz is what you would be doin if you bought a 8 year old C class. Terrible car. Buy a 4 to 5 year old Passat for the same money and you have a larger and way better vehicle.

My 2 cents.

[KorruptioN]

Buyin a Benz to say you drive a Benz is what you would be doin if you bought a 8 year old C class. Terrible car. Buy a 4 to 5 year old Passat for the same money and you have a larger and way better vehicle.

My 2 cents.

Calling the Benz a "terrible" car for reliability (I'm not huge on any Benz built past 1993), and then suggesting he get an old Passat?

:confused:

[KawaiiTentacleBeast]

I'm not huge on any Benz built past 1993

They weren't particularly "reliable" in any modern sense before that either. Maybe they felt a bit more solid compared to the junk GM and Ford were putting out, that's about it.

Before Acura and Lexus came around, people just didn't know any better. :lol:

[onecoolloser]

Calling the Benz a "terrible" car for reliability (I'm not huge on any Benz built past 1993), and then suggesting he get an old Passat?

:confused:

:lol:

It's not that bad...i <3 my C lol

[rockybun]

Calling the Benz a "terrible" car for reliability (I'm not huge on any Benz built past 1993), and then suggesting he get an old Passat?

:confused:

I called the early 2000's C class a terible car as a whole, not specifically for reliability. And yes you can get a newer Passat for the same money and it is a bigger and better car.

[GangStarr]

Lets say... This person could afford $1500/year on maintenance. Good enough?
I've come across a 2003 C-Class 230 (with the super charger what what!) for $9000...
130km, one owner and no accidents!

Your going to be really upset when you budget $1500 a year and get kicked in the nads on some small part.

One day you'll sit in your car and some stupid check engine light will come on. $800 later you'll have a replaced some sensor and the lights off.

$9 grand for a 2003, hmmm I'm willing to bet you'll be visiting the mechanic for something in the short run.

If your coming from an econo box expect to burn through your first set of tires REALLY quickly. Take a look at how much a set of 4 17" performance tires cost. That can easily set you back another grand.

Another thing people often over look with used cars. Do you get more then one key? If the answer is no, then your looking at at least a $200-$400 key. I think not having a spare key somewhere is a really bad idea. I know BMW takes a week to order in a new key. Lose a key? Key malfunction? TTC for a week, no thanks.

[loybond]

calling the benz a "terrible" car for reliability (i'm not huge on any benz built past 1993), and then suggesting he get an old passat?

:confused:

+1

[KorruptioN]

They weren't particularly "reliable" in any modern sense before that either. Maybe they felt a bit more solid compared to the junk GM and Ford were putting out, that's about it.

Before Acura and Lexus came around, people just didn't know any better. :lol:

Do you know about the old W123 and W126 Benz's? They came from a time when M-B did over-engineer everything. You still see lots of them around on the roads. I think they're seriously cool cars in their own right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W123
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W126

[chinsoulja]

nothing beats the luxuries of a mercy. best looking cars in my opinion. cheers.

[gilboman]

I have a E-500. I purchased it brand new in 2008. In the first year of ownership the following has happened:

Xenon Headlights stopped working
Front shocks required changing
Autodimming Mirror Stopped working
Driver Seat Memory Stopped working
Motorized headrest stopped working

Infact right now the car is at the dealership due to a warning light....

I've had a few more but I can't really remember at this point. Everyone of these problems was covered under warranty but it has been a real pain since the loaner provided by mercedes is an awful awful awful B-200.

To put it into perspective each of the problems listed above would have cost well over $2000 dollars to fix had they been out of warranty. I would still purchase a mercedes again. I have a few other luxury vehicles and there is a noticeable difference when driving the mercedes over the other vehicles. A mercedes isn't about value for money or reliability.

With regards to a circa 2000 C class, there are tons of other more reliable options out there. I'm guessing that if your range is around an 8 year old model you probably dont have the disposable income should something go wrong. On top of that the jap luxury vehicles will be more reliable, have better interiors, more options, drive better, drive faster, be better on fuel then a 2000 C Class.

I would save your money until you can actually afford a newer mercedes.

Goodluck whichever way you decide to go!

it's also not about quality, performance or luxury or service that's for sure. but it ranks high in nostalgia, especially for the older generation.

[KawaiiTentacleBeast]

Do you know about the old W123 and W126 Benz's? They came from a time when M-B did over-engineer everything. You still see lots of them around on the roads. I think they're seriously cool cars in their own right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W123
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W126

Mercedes wasn't nearly as prevalent in North America in those days. In 1976 the cheapest W123 240D with MBtex seats, hand crank windows and 60hp I4 engine cost about as much as a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. i.e. the cheapest, smallest Mercedes cost as much as the biggest, most expensive GM car. I can believe it was better built than whatever GM was putting out even though both probably still had odometers that only went to 99k miles. Back then owning a Mercedes was serious business, if you could afford one, you could afford the maintainance.

Toyota and Honda changed the luxury car game entirely in the early 90s and all the others have been playing catch up ever since. If you want to compare a 1989 Mercedes to a 1989 Lexus LS, or a 1986 Audi to a 1986 Acura, there is no comparison, especially since around them the German car companies at the same time were also coming up with smaller, cheaper models like the C-class to expand their market presence in North America, so someone who might have owned a Corolla or a Civic now could maybe trade up to a C-class. Suddenly, Mercedes became unreliable! When in reality, it was a combination of their target demographic shifting downmarket, and the Japanese making luxury cars that would actually be reliable by today's standards, which they set themselves, and not by 1979 GM/Ford "buy a new car every 2 years" standards.