LOL good point on the Kia, won the J. D. Power INITIAL Quality...

If I was the on the team that designed that car, I would have been insulted.

Killed In Action
Korean Invading America
Korea Invades America
Keep In Attic

Sorry, I love those acronyms!

I have had the pleasure of driving a 140, it was fantasic! I really like that S class car, but it is much too big for me! I am sure it is an excellent family hauler when it behaves.

The early 140's (pre-96) are a big headache to maintain, even if they have been properly serviced. They just have too many issues that were later resolved for the final years of production.

Although, as mentioned before, not all issues were solved. ALL 140s, even late production ones, suffer from A/C evac problems, power assited door closing pump failures (constant and EXPENSIVE$!$!$!$), extreme tire ware (due to its weight), rear power window bracket failures, some electric/electronic gremlims... not to mention the high price of parts for regular maintenance.

Early 140s, among many things, suffer from retractable trunk handle, side power foldable mirrors, all power windows, remote door loock, radio amplifier and hydraulic suspension failures.

Your best bet is a 1997-1999, well maintained, low mileage S320-S500 - stay away from the 600s.

As a proud 140 owner, I can tell you it is the best built, best piece of machinery I have ever had the pleasure to drive. Just because of that, I put up with its out of ordinary maintenance nightmares.

__________________
A. Rosich
CL 500, 1998
S 500 L, 1998
E 320 T, 1995 [Sadly sold ]

W140s are worth nutthin' these days. My brother finally sold his last week, after having it on the market for several months. A 1997 S320, quite clean, about 60K miles, came off Starmark 6 months ago so everything works. He got $16K after waiting and turning down several lower offers.

At that price I wouldn't be considering any earlier cars. And it looks like a viable alternative to spending $30K on a new ES300/G35/C230 etc. Half price for the purchase, the other half a fund for the inevitable maintenace & repairs.

- JimY

Here's a neat twist on the original poster's question.. something I've been thinking about also..

What is the cost of repairing all of the "common" stuff on a W140, assuming none of it has been done?

I would personally plan to spend about 50-70% of that number (considering that some of it was "probably done but there are no receipts to back it up, some of it will never fail, etc.) Correct me if this isn't a reasonable assumption.

The numbers I've come up with are:

$3000 evaporator
$500 Bose amp rebuild
$700 door assist pump
$700 wiring harness

Anything to add to my list? I'm assuming the car has decent tires when purchased and doesn't have any major steering problem (this can be easily determined by putting the car on a lift and/or an aggressive test drive)

So the number I have in my head for planned W140 repairs is about $2500-3500 assuming the above list is all I need to worry about.

A question for all: Can prior replacement of any of the above items be determined by an experienced MB tech, assuming no service records? I don't think a rebuilt bose amp or assist pump looks different from the original. But is any of the evaporator visible by removing a few dash components? If there is *no* cracking anywhere in the wiring harness can it be assumed that it has been replaced? Is there another way to tell?

Neal

__________________
'83 300SD 335,000km (207k) mi SOLD
'87 560SL 163,000km (101k mi) SOLD
'86 300SDL 356,000km (220k mi) SOLD
'92 500SEL 250,000km (155k mi) SOLD
'90 300SL 140,000km (87k mi) SOLD
'01 S430 260,000km (161k mi) SOLD
'03 SL500 167,000km (104k mi) SOLD
'07 S550 4MATIC 235,000km (146k mi) SOLD
'07 GL320 CDI 4MATIC 348,000km (215k mi)
'13 GL350 BlueTec 4MATIC 170,000km (105k mi)
'14 SL550 72,000km (43k mi)

Cost of repairs on the 140 are high, but if you are willing to repair it yourself and do you own part search. You should be able to find good prices.

For example, I was able to find a new vacuum pump on door locks for $425 on the Internet. Of course, member in the Mercedes Shop Forum can provide help in most repairs.

Jack

With the sticker on a 1992 300Se being $69,000.00 in 1992, repairing the afore mentioned items is well worth it for the ride and comfort the 140 provides. Mine has had the wiring harness replaced, trans valve body and 5th gear solenoid replaced along with the inner trans wire harness, new bearings and seal in the differential (200K miles), rear wheel bearings, and now a valve job and timing chain. Next up the front end and the a/c evaporator. All window risers and motors replaced and new capacitors replaced in the Bose sound system. Total should end up at about $12,000.00 and having paid $13,500.00 I will have 150K to 200K more miles on a beautiful luxury car, and I have put 100K on it already. The numbers add up for me.

Tim

I agree, a theoretical bill of US$12-15,000 for major repairs on a W140 compared to its original sticker prices and the pleasure of owning and driving simply the best over-engineered vehicle ever produced is peanuts.

The problem is that certain problematic issues tend to repeat their failure in a very short time, so the original amount can multiply quite quickly and exponentially.

For example: the a/c EVAP is known to fail due to its combination of alluminun and copper for its construction (these two metals don't mix quite well). If you replace the failed evap with an original M-B unit, it should fail again sooner or later. A full copper evap is available in some markets and warrantied for at least ten years, although is much more expensive than the original.

__________________
A. Rosich
CL 500, 1998
S 500 L, 1998
E 320 T, 1995 [Sadly sold ]