Man, I tell you, being a soldier can be a little tense at times but it's ok. Finally I have time to write something.

Lately I've been scrounging the net and the most common topic about Mercedes that I have been coming across is the reliabilty versu the Japs. I know in a way it's nothing new since the 1990 Lexus but time has past, Lexus is established and many people have been between the brands.

Now let me start off by first saying what irks me a little. For one thing, a 2003 or newer car is too old to totally judge and say things about long term reliabilty. For one, a car 5 years or less is barely out of warrenty period and secondly, most of these cars have barely past the 50,000 mile mark and of course should have no major problems besides an electrical glitch here and there that basically happens with any eletronic regardless of age. But I 've been coming across reliabilty grips about tranny failing, steering gearboxes going out, suspension parts breaking, and etc.Stuff that is mechanical. Hell, I wonder what do these people be doing to these cars? A carwith 50,000 miles and never had a fluid change before shouldn't have a tranny blow especially one in the 2003+ time period. And steering gearboxes going out? How is what I wonder. And not only that, people are having repeated trips to the dealer or mechanic over these type of stuff. That points to in my opinion that it wasn't fixed right in the first place.

Now, I know many people with just about all types of cars ranging from ya vanilla Civic to ya Rolls-Royce to the CL63 back to the basic Chevy Aveo and each have a different view on reliabilty. I think one thing tha affect the view is expectations.
If a Honda Civic electric seat stop working, most people I know who had this problem will just live wiyth it and over looks it, even a 2000. But when it fails in their 1990 190E it's world war three. Owned by the same guy. Now after 17 years of life, of course itgoing to fail eventually but I don't see how it's not a problem when it fails on a car that's not even ten years old yet.Then if you even it up, with a 1990 Honda versus a 1990 Mercedes, it's a paradox since it's still not even since more than likely the Mercedes have alot more electronics even in those days than did the honda. More stuff means more stuff to break.
Any ways, what baffles me is that so many low mileage cars are having so many problems. Even if the quality of cars have decreased in recent ages, I wonder how in the world or what in the world are people doing to these cars? My car is going on 240,000 miles and of course things break as expected but nothingunexpected has broken yet nor have anythign major. The oils is changed regukary, with the proper engine oil for once, since there have been many times in America where I caught the mechanic tryign to sneak 5W-10 oil in there. Dummy. And many people forget to change the tranny oil and wonder why it fails quickly or have problems. And of course I took other prevntive measures to ensure the car will run for a while. Only major thing is the water pump interior gaskets which caused me to need a new water pump.$700 job on the 560SEL with pump. Price qoute for the 1990 LExus LS 400 you ask? $2,000 withpump. And they say Mercedes cheap and hard to maintain? Go tell a mechanic youhave an Acura Integra midninety version with a bad water pump and watch embang their heads against the wall.
Another common problem I see that cause Mercedes so many problems is people just doing things wrong. I have a nice German mechanic over here and the first couple of times he went under my hood, he found so many little things that were obviously done wrong or overtightened or not properly done that it was ridicioulous. Mostly just overtightening of stuff. What is it with American mechanics and tightening things until they break something? Luckily I got most of the stuff corrected and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg. I'm averaging about $120 a trip compared to the amount just for some computer nerd who can't turn a wrench to save his life charging me $250 just for him or her trying to find the OBC II port. "It's an 89 you ****! Use your wrench! Yeah, that metal thing collecting dust next to ya."
Probably why the dealership can't even fix my BMW right. Just a steering gear box and power steering pump for good measure. Note, 20 year old car, and first replacement steering gearbox. I'm a little hesitant in even thinking about a machine that gave me good reliabilty for so long at that age. It seems like not many people know how to take care of cars these days as if they are nothing more than dispoable toilet paper and wonder why things break. Ask a random person when the last time they changed the differential fluid in their 1995 car and see the look you get on their face. Or oil in the tranny in their modern BMW that's in the shop getting a new tranny because it over heated from oil velocity breakdown.
Number one complaint about the 560 around the net. That "pesky" hydraulic suspension. Obviously these people never had a Cadillac or Lincoln with the hydralic suspension. Especially Lincoln Town cars. I've seen countless town cars looking like lowriders 1994-1997 in particular because the hydro. suspension failed. Now, when this happen, the average Benz owner, beats his head against the wall and take it in to get fixed. Most people with the American cars with this problem never get fixed because it cost about the same as it does to get the Mercedes but it's no where near as valuable or worth it.

A lexus, nice car. But after driving a Mercedes, it don't compare. Yeah, the Benz is a little more picky, but people tend to forget that the next brand up from Mercedes in price is Bentley and Rolls-Royce and more recently Maybach, (which is still Mercedes). And ask the owners of any these cars and they will tell you that these cars are picky too. Ask any Ferrari owner and ask how many times he must go in for a valve adjustment, or this and that and it make even the AMG merces repair seem like chump change. And go out and find any Ferrari with 200,000 plus miles and I'd be impressed. In fact, find me any car with 200,000 miles. Cadillac engines are usually worn so thin by now that you'll be lucky to get compression in any cylinder these days. I ain't see even seen too many Lexus that wasn't junk with that many miles. I've seen many hondas with 130,000-160,000 miles but most of them I wondered how the hell did they pass safety inspection and had so many problems that it wasn't even worth tryign to fix. Then on the other end, every other day you hear about some old 1980s or 1970s Benz, looking prestine crossing into 200,000-300,000 mile range and owned by a guy who usually bought and sold many brands. But what makes guy, that I know, sell his1998 Cadillac, 2002 Escalade, 2000 LS400, 2003 GS300, and see them come and go while all the while still holding on to the 1985 500SEL that he brought new from his army days in Germany.He says character that even with all the cool gadgets and eletronics the newe cars he owned lacked. He said the 2000 LS 400 was very nice comfortable but each time he drive it, he longed to get behind the wheel of his Benz. His wife ended up driving it most of the time. The escalade he had for a short while. It;'s ok, but said he had no use for it especially with the rising gas prices. He also said Cadillac is not what it used to be back in the days. The 1985 500SEL was his first Mercedes and he wondered why didn't he buy one earlier. But he did mention that the new ones are just too complicated for his taste. So he sold the LS for a more gas saving GS300 which the wife drives and he drive the 1985 over 20 years old Benz. He said he never really had any major issue that is out of the ordinary and even though it's a tad more expensive per trip than the Caddy, he says it's worth every

 

Oh i agree but i still need to sell the 560 like i was telling u in the PM do to other things not just repairs.

But i agree my GF owned her 2000 blazer from when she got it in 2001 with 35k miles till summer 2006doing nothing except oil&filter and tires and air filters then paid 1000 for repairs not to bad though is it? Now it needs a fuel pump but it has 116k on it so is that so bad? I think not but I just want to sell it cause i got her that beelte convertable and there is no need for the blazer - well it is nice driving a SUV for dirt roads again