The cost spread for the job I had done was over $3,000. I got a firm fixed quote for the job before I started, and at the time the rebuilt engine was not from Mercedes in Germany, but a supplier that does this work for MB, which I believe is out of California. The engine alone was over $9,000. It made no difference to me that the rebuilder was not a Mercedes-Benz owned outfit as it came with MBNA's 48 month or 50,000 mile warranty. The big and deciding difference for me was $3,000 plus. I was confident the dealer's mechanic could handle the job at the time, and still think the work he did was and still is fine. I was unaware the turbo was about to start leaking, and, if the pseudo factory rebuilt engine long block comes with a turbo, I might have been better off to have spent the extra $3,000 plus at the time.

But that is all water over the dam, as today I am enjoying my E300D TurboDiesel quite a bit more than the 350SD - it is much more agile and spirited and gets 34 mpg vs 26 to 27 mpg. So, I am happy with the way it turned out, but disappointed that Mercedes sold such a flawed car.

The point of my saga was to advise the person considering the 350SD that the engine is most likely a time bomb. And it is between $6500 and $10,000 to get it fixed when it goes off. So, if you are considering spending a sizeable chunk of change on a car, you might just be better off buying something else. Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)