I am not a transmission expert, but is it normal for a transmission to go completely out all of a sudden? That does not seem the be the "norm" on most cars, but I know that these W140's are a different vehicle in a class of their own with strange behaviors. It is a little scary knowing your transmission can be perfect one minute, then completely gone the next with a $3000 repair staring you in the face. Sure makes me worry about my W140 (which shifts perfectly at this time and quick to shift into reverse).

Most cars will start to show signs of failure well before they completely conk out. I wonder what happened to this transmission to make it go out without warning?