In all of the discussions regarding maintenance and repair costs, there is a significant increase in annual repair costs on vehicles that have higher mileage on the clock. Vehicles with 250K on the odometer are going to consume much more money per year than vehicles with 125K on the clock. In fact, many vehicles with 125K can get by with maintenance and repairs below $1K per year if the owner performs all the labor.

The SDL is a model that tends to consume more dollars than most of the other W126 vehicles. This one has absorbed about $4K in maintenance and repairs over the last 20 months. But, much of that was neglected by the PO, so, I expect it to decline significantly. About $800 of that figure includes new tires, reconditioned wheels and a new head unit.

It is also true that the owner's perception of the vehicle requirements weighs heavily on the maintenance costs. Many of these vehicles, and this SDL is no exception, can be driven on a daily basis with the need for $5K worth of repairs to get them back to perfect condition. But, the owner elects to ignore these items, preferring to state on the forum that his vehicle only needs $500. worth of repairs this year.

So, what's the true cost of repairs? It includes the actual out of pocket expenses and it also includes those items that are "deferred" through a deliberate act, or by the ignorance of the owner.

Anyone who claims to spend less than $1000 per year on a vehicle with mileage that is approaching 200K is likely kidding us, or themselves, or both.