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Originally Posted by Lebenz
If you foresee yourself getting tired of your 300e then it is probably not worth the expense to maintan. If you were to compare the cost of maintaining the 300e to the cost of purchasing another vehicle and the inevitable repairs that will come with the other vehicle you can make a decision based on the comparative cost.
MB provides a secure path for maintenance, and if I remember correctly they routinely make parts for about 20 years after a production line ends, and frequently for much longer. So if you find value in the car, MB offers the equipment to keep it running for many years to come. IMO there is no car more suitable for enjoyable long term ownership than the 300e
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I bought a 1989 300E (187,000 miles on it now) from my sister in December '04. She had the car serviced only at MBZ dealerships, never missed an oil change, etc...so I know the car has been properly maintained. I drive a lot more and am a little rougher on my car and I also live on a much tighter budget than she, but I found a mechanic that retired from a MBZ dealership that seemed ok. He did some minor repairs on a couple occasions and was nice enough to let me pay later-which I did as agreed!! I was satisfied with the work but annoyed by personal questions he was asking (I'm a female). I expressed that he was being too nosy and paid him the balance of what I owed. I took the car in yesterday because it runs hot in traffic but not on the freeway. I just had it repaired for the same problem 6 months ago. He said it was the thermostat back then (I paid $200 )-now he said it's the water pump and he said my "tensioner" needs to be fixed or tightened (or whatever you do to a tensioner). He gave me a quote of $330 for the water pump, $200 and change for labor and $35 for the repair of the tensioner and some other stuff . It came up to over $600 when he added it all up. His attitude is not as friendly anymore and said he was looking for a car for his daughter and would "take the car off my hands" for $300 The car can't be in that bad of shape because it has been perfectly maintained in the past. I was insulted by that comment and left the garage. I want to know if the quotes he gave me are even in ball park range of what the norm is. I feel like he is being indifferent now because I wouldn't disclose my personal business to him. Any input will be appreciated
