How much do you spend per year on your car for maintenence?
I have an 88 190 and I would say about $2000 per year, anything from brake pads to the odometer stops working..

I have averaged $1175/year for maintenance during the 2 years I have owned the car, not counting optional upgrades like Euro lights. About on par with my Celica GTS, about 1/3 - 1/4 of the money pumped into my Acura Legend!

probably around $250/year on the Honda CRV. Less than $1000/year on the E320. Don't ask about the "project" car - 300D. It has been on a pretty steep spending curve since I purchased it in Feb. The curve should flatten out over the next 6 months :).
Jim
'85 300D
'95 E320
'97 CRV

I drive about 60,000 miles/year, my wife drives about 30,000 miles/year and my teenage daughter drives about 30,000 miles per year. My annual maintenance costs seem like about 1 or 2 million dollars a year. It would scare me too much to calculate them accurately.

Have a great day,

The ML is the weekend (soccer mom) vehicle and vacation traveling vehicle. About $500 for routine servicing.

The SL500 is the cream puff...about $200-300 for its checkups.

The 300E is the daily driver - around $1000 - $2000 depending on the failed part of the season. It has gotten cheaper since I've joined the forum and started fixing stuff myself instead of taking it to the dealer.

This is the first year I owned my 560SEL. I spent about $2500 on maintenance and repairs. This included the timing chain, front brakes and rotors, rear suspension nitrogen cylinders, hoses, belts, all new fluids, an a/c hose, a repair to one of the hoses for the suspension, some suspension parts, and a handful of other things. After I found this site, the repairs came much cheaper! I probably could have saved at least $500 had I known about it sooner!

I think the future, "normal" years will be about $1000 a year, including fluid changes and preventive maintenance. Pretty cheap, really. I do my own repairs, and buy my parts on line of course! The gas is what costs the most...at about 15 MPG, I cringe at the pumps!

Glad to hear
 

Sometimes it gets discouraging for me to go the the mechanic to get my car and get $600+ repair bill.uuugghh
But I am a realtor and the car is really a commercial car and get driven hard so I suppose its ok.

I was wondering, nowadays, do they "engineer" failer into a car? that is do that design parts to fail so that the car company can make money on parts? If so I think that is absolutly immoral, I know that they have the ability to build a machine and have all the parts last for at least 25 years, cmon...

The "designed failure" is a nice conspiracy theory, but I really don't think it's true.

What I think is true is that given the constraints allowed to the engineers when building a vehicle has more to do with how and when parts fail. After all, government regulations continue to tighten their requirements for safety, fuel efficiency, and emissions. All the while, consumers want to have all of the latest technology...at a "fair" price. The government constraints adds complexity to the vehicle, while the consumer needs compromise superior build. After all, if we had "aircraft-quality" components in our Mercedes, they would probably sticker for about what a small airplane would go for.

Metal parts themselves do not break down, rather the moving components wear out beyond tolerances that render the part ineffective. The rubber seals, plastic wiring insulation, and such are very prone to chemical breakdown, whether it be the fluids that they come in contact with regularly, or the temperatures they reside in, especially fluctuating temperatures.

As far as failure due to design, it's impossible to simulate the myriad conditions that the thousands of parts contained in a car may encounter during its lifetime, given the short lead time given to engineers when developing a new product.

I have a TV set that hasn't had a problem since I purchased it new in 1984, but then again, it doesn't have to contain seven types of volatile recirculating fluids, heat up to internal temperatures of 500 degrees and then cool down, and be able to withstand external temps of -40 to 115 and maintain a glossy finish. Plus, the chassis doesn't have to withstand the structural stress of 120+ mph speeds. How many TVs could survive a 5 mph impact, much less a drop from the lower shelf?

For purely maintenance on my cars, not upgrades or bringing a newly acquired car up to my standards, I probably have spent over the years about $500 per year per car. Obviously, this very low figure indicates that I do almost all the work myself. I have found that there is little that I can't do myself or with the help/advice of one of my good neighbors and this great site. It should also be known that I am a tool junkie and have tools that even I haven't used yet. If you need a special tool to do the job, it usually is cheaper to buy the tool rather than having the job done by someone else. Another key to having very low maintenance bills is to sometimes realize that some things are simply not really worth fixing exactly as it originally came from the factory. As an example, my daughter had a simple switch go out on a Korean P.O.S. she once owned and a replacement was $55 from the dealer. I replaced it with a Mil. Spec. switch that would never fail for only $2. It looked fine and sure worked good.

I keep fairly complete records for all my cars.

On the BMW, I've had it since '93. When I got it, it had 59,000 miles on it, it now has 121,000. When I last totalled up my maintenance records, it was at about $4500. That is really almost all maintence parts (tires, oil, brake pads, rotors, etc.) and a lot of replacement parts (radiator, brake system parts, wheel bearings, etc.). I have done ALL the labor for service and repair myself, with the exception of a recent driveshaft replacement ($600, and by far the most costly single car repair I have ever incurred). So, about $560 per year on average, I guess, for parts only (if I paid the labor charges, the amount would have been astronomical, esp. for diagnosing and fixing problems, and the car would not have been worth it to me).

On the Porsche, I have had it for over 10 years now, but have only driven it around 15,000 miles total. So, the repair costs have been minimal. The biggest repair and maintenance cost has probably been yearly oil changes (12 quarts per change). I have spent some "unnecessary" money on it though. Like the night that I started cleaning the engine, removing parts to get better access and do a good job, and I ended up taking the entire engine and transmission out of the car! Just on cleaning material, powdercoating, cadmium plating, replacing of gaskets, hoses and seals, etc. (hey, gotta do it while you're there) I probably spent close to $2000.

On the MB, none, of course, its all covered for 4 years!

The average on the 108 is about 600 per year, although this year alone I have already put $1,400 into it. That is mostly parts and very little labor (includes tires).

Right now for the year 2001, it's cost $.45/mile (gas, oil, repairs and insurance). That number is down from $.55 before the run to Las Vegas. Since purchase the cost per mile averages out to $.11/mile.

Since my wife isn't looking....

I'd say that I spend about $1200-$1500 a year - maybe less. However,I tend to be a bit anal about maintenance. My car is
a 1993 300SD with 165,000 miles on it. It is not perfect
but you would never think that it is a 93 with that kind
of mileage on it.

The w140 seems to have a life of its own. Things start
to go wrong and then seem to 'repair' themselves. Bizarre
but true.

In my case, I plan to keep the car a lot time and I cannot
afford to miss work (I get paid by the hour) so keeping
my car in good shape is a priority for me.

I actually believe in changing the filters, oil, etc. and
doing transmission service in accordance with the book.
Over the life of the car it will, I think, be a lot cheaper.

I will go through 1 Benz in the time other people go through
4 Hondas, Toyotas or whatever. (I have owned several
Toyotas)

I spend less than $200/yr avg on maintenence for both of my 300Es. :)
That will increase a little this year. Both are coming due for a set of tires and one will need front rotors at the next pad service. :(
Just in case you are wondering. Both are excellently maintained. :)

Scott,
Please list the mileage of both Mercedes'. Also, what, if anything, exactly has gone wrong (that isn't considered "maintenance") ??

WellI have had my car for just over half a year, and so far I have done some oil changes, front brake pads, two tires, and thats about it.

Of course now the car is in the shop for some tranny repairs, which happend today, but all things considered, I don't forsee spending more than $2k this year for maintaining my car, otherwise I figure, oil every 3k and filter, roughly $30 each time, figure would do it 5-8 times a year, so roughly $150-200 or so for oil changes, the rest would be routine maintenance, ai filter, etc etc,

As long as there are not major mechanical failures, the cost should nto be too expensive at all.

Hey Larry, Havent seen ya in a while.. how was your trip?

We missed you whileyou were away...

Alon

Try to beat this:

I bought a '79 300SD 3 years and 32,000 miles ago for $1200. I actually bought it for a parts car but it ran so good, I started driving it.
Since I do all my own repairs and maintenance, there are no labor charges. Tires and battery were not replaced since they were almost new.
Total parts cost about $130. Three oil and filter changes: $120 since I use Castrol Syntec 5W50.
Since the body has a lot of rust, I don't plan to use it for more than 3 years if it lasts that long and then it will really be a parts car. I already have its replacement.
However, during the time I have had it, I made $250 on a slight accident by fixing it myself and removed parts I value at $200.
So the total cost, not including fuel, for 3 years and 32,000 miles was repairs: $130, maintenance: $120. But if you subtract the $450 for the parts and the accident it has cost me about $1000 including the purchase price.
So I have an S class Mercedes for less than the cost of a Volkswagen.

P E H

G-Benz,

Just as an aside, in September of ’79 I was transporting a then 6 year old 25” color TV on the back of a pickup truck. The TV was a floor standing model with a wood cabinet. I pulled away from a stop sign and the TV slid backwards and off the back of the truck, landed on it’s side and did not explode. I went back to get it (didn’t want to leave it on the road), took it to my folks house (where it was destined for storage). When I got there, I plugged it and……drum roll please…it still worked! The cabinet was broken in 2 places. I ended up using it for almost 5 years before the CRT faded.

The TV was a hand me down from my folks. Never since have I gotten such a deal!

My ML is under warranty but even so I’ve put a little over $2,000 worth of accessories and 3 non warranty covered oil/filter changes, in the first year. Oh, yes, plus I bought an extended warranty, for the discounted price of $1,600. The car will have a MB warranty for a total of 100K miles.

My 400E, new to me in January has had new wheels & tires, a few minor fixes and I’m just starting to accessorize it. I’d guess about $1,600 since then, and I have a 60K mile checkup for it in the next month or so. Plus I'm debating putting on either a set of 500E sway bars or the RENNtech counter parts.

My 21 year old 928 had all of its water and related hoses plus a front end seal replaced, plus a couple of injectors, and a few odds and ends. I’d guess about $2,200 or so this year.

My 528e had a new muffler and a tune up this year….about $1,200..

My 2 week old bike blew a rear tire…$4.00 for a new inner tube

What price passion!?


…Tracy

Boy, now I'm feeling like I've got bad luck! I've had every vehicle I own blow up several things...and it's not even summer yet! Just lost the radiator on my 300E last night, after I just spent $750 getting a water pump replaced last month. So far this year, repairs for all of the vehicles have totaled $5000! I hope this is not a trend, or I'll have to start getting rid of these cars!!

I imagine after a year of heavy repairs the spending curve will flatten out for you because u have so many new parts

Haven't totalled the invoices yet, but the thing that strikes me from the prior responses is the random nature of parts failures. This has been my experience too. Odd occurrances such as three flex discs failing on the 95E300 over 130000 miles while one failure for the same part on the 87300TDT over 179000. Water pumps seem to fail frquently
on these cars, which would indicate to me a manufacturing problem. Imagine if your water pump was made to last like MB-Tex! It would be interesting to see what the true cost per mile driven is taking everything into account (including
residual value) and compare it to other brands.

David and others,
The wife's 93 300E has 98k and my 89 has 146k. I did put a new battery in my wife's car last year and the last major problem it had was the infamous faulty engine harness that has plagued the 104 engines. MB took care of that (Thanks MB!). Prior to that the head gasket was replaced due to pouring oil out of the front of the engine. Once again MB took care of that too.
The last major problem that I had with the 89 was I replaced the valve stem seals and hydraulic elements 2-3 years ago.

Like PE Haiges I do ALL of my own maintenence. The only time I pay labor is if I don't have the equipment to do myself (alignments, tire mounting, etc).
I have two really good cars. That's why I want to keep them.

I don't keep all expense records, just the ones with warranty value...

I've had the ML less than a year and it only has a few thousand miles on it. So far $50 on my own schedule maintenance oil changes 1500mi and 3000mi. I expect it to be about $100/yr until the MB warranty expires.
I'm going to add Waag brush/taillight guards and chrome the 430 wheels. Tracy, any regrets on the extended warranty?

The 300D was a family purchase and had some neglect issues so I've spent about $3500 getting it accessorized to my standards. :cool:

I'll have to get a picture of these babies loaded up to show you all when they're done.

Ed,

Thanks for asking! I’ve never had a warranty that I regretted. While my ML has a mere 13.5K miles in a little over a year, I hope to have and enjoy it until it has well over 100K miles. Having talked with the mechanics at my local dealership, I’m well aware of a number of so called pattern failures down the road. In short, replacing components is the only way to fight components with a relatively short service life.

…Tracy

In answering the question of cost per mile, the most
significant factor is generally depreciation. Obviously,
this is more true for newer cars (more depreciation, less
maintenance) than for older cars (reverse the previous).

Here's my own experience. My first MB :) I purchased an
'84 300D in 1993. Though in reasonably good condition,
it was no cream puff. Drove it daily until late 1999, when
it was sold because I switched to a more utilitarian
station wagon. I averaged just under $1000/year in maintenance/
repair on the 300D. I did the majority of the work
myself, and insisted on keeping it in top shape. It ran
and drove much better when sold than when purchased.

As for cost. Paid $7500, had no trouble selling it for
$5000. Got six+ years of transportation for $7500.
That's $2500 in depreciation and $5000 in maintenance/
repair. Least expensive car I've ever owned, and it's
a Benz!

Let's just say that my mechanic *really* looks forward to those 30k intervals...

Really, this car is no more expensive than any of the american or japanese cars I've owned. It may be less so. Here's how I figure it: aside from scheduled oil/fluid/filter/belt changes (and one brake job and one new battery), my daily commuter has cost me *nothing* over the 90k miles on the clock. Let's see, my Mazda ran about $600/year once out of warranty and the Exploder no less than $2k/year on part failures (can you say lemon?!), so I feel pretty lucky.

But that 90k service ran almost $4k. Here's what I got (most of it preventative and early-replacement for parts that still had 10-15% wear remaining but as I hate visiting tech every month just 'had it done'): replaced suspension (incl bushings), steering dampener, motor/tranny mounts, all hoses and belts, timing cover re-seal and chain rail guides, some kind of belt tnsioner, brakes, H2O pump (prevent.), P/S pump (buzzing), heater PVC valve, one lagging window motor replaced, about five bulbs replaced (dash, hi-beam, random etc), O2 sensor, alignment, steam clean, wheel bearings re-torqued, thermostat upgrade, flex discs and the "standard" fluids/filters/body/interior/tune-up 90k service.

Wish I had the tools and the knowledge to do most of this myself as I paid slightly more in labor than parts to have it done. But that works out to about $500 per year, outside of regular oil changes. And the car rides, handles and runs better than new.

That's worth it, IMO.

[Edited by makakio on 05-21-2001 at 06:12 PM]