I'd say it's built like a brick *****house actually. Ours has not been as reliable as a Toyota (is supposed to be; I've never had one), but it's really not been a money pit either. It needs some maintenance now and then, but at 185,000 miles it still drives the same as the day we bought it. Granted we bought it two years old with 60K on it, but still.

So far I have been able to do all my own work.

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Lenny

There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games. --Ernest Hemingway

'10 GL550/'04 BMW 545/'99 BMW 323/'98 ML320/'87 VW GTI (race)

OK I must have really jinxed myself making those statements, because THE VERY NEXT DAY the old Mel broke down 100 miles from home. Had to pay someone to replace the idler pulley, which split and thus shredded the serpentine belt. All told, with towing, a ride to the ski hill, and paying the mechanic to run to the dealer in Traverse City to fetch a new PLASTIC idler pulley and replace it, it cost me $375 to replace a $35 part. Anyway all's well that ends well, the job got done today and we got home with no further issues. [/rant] Still less than a car payment when you think about it.

The W163 is body on frame.

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Lenny

There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games. --Ernest Hemingway

'10 GL550/'04 BMW 545/'99 BMW 323/'98 ML320/'87 VW GTI (race)

You are right the new one is unibody, but the w163, does have the multilink rear suspension and the same 4ets system used in the sedans/wagons.

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2005 SL65
1999 E300
1995 E300
1994 SL320
1988 560SL
1987 300TD
1982 300D
1955 300SL

So basically fellas, are the early MLs pieces of crap or what????

I found one, a 1998 ML320, with high mileage (190,000 miles) that has been dealer maintained since day one and is in MINT condition......That said, the seller has dumped over 7K in recent maintenance and repairs (New brakes - New Catalytic converter - major A/C overhaul) - Never wrecked - Garage kept......etc.

My question is:

"Should I buy one with less miles and possibly end up putting money into it that has already been spent on this one????? OR, is the high mileage something that I should completely stay away from on the ML class????"

Thanks

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Currently Driving
2006 E320 CDI
1999 E300 Turbo Diesl
2002 ML500
1995 E320 Station Wagon


MBs I've owned
1997 E320 Assassinated by Pine Tree
1987 300E Wife Killed Engine
1981 300D Stretch Limo Total Loss
1970 250 Coupe 212,000 mi.
1974 450sel 184,000 mi.
1974 240D 377,000 mi.
1977 300D 204, 000 mi.
1979 280se God Only Knows!
1983 240D 130,000 mi.
1972 220D 280,000 mi.
1983 300SD 244,000 mi.

As there are darn few (if any) engines that have worn out from normal wear and tear we don't have good data on how long it will last. If it hasn't had a new transmission put on recently there is a good chance that it could go at any time. If all of the wear items have been replaced these are the only two material items that could go wrong in the next few years.

Get an oil analysis and a compression check on the engine. If it is good condition and you've got an extra US3k set aside for a transmission rebuild then you should be fine. If the engine is iffy then set aside another US$4k.

I've got accurate repair data on quite a few high mileage vehicles. These are US domestics, Japanese, and MB. For all of these once you get past the warranty period if you set aside US$2k/year on average for a vehicle that is driven 12k miles a year or less you will have enough money to make the vehicle last forever and never get your hands dirty. This includes drivetrains, paint jobs, and interior rebuilds in addition to the standard maintenance. If you baby the vehicle and do repair work yourself you can cut that number down by at least 1/3.

If you have the reserve funds mentioned above and plan on keeping the vehicle a long time/forever the data indicates that on average you will be spending the same amount of money in the long run. So if that is your goal a perfectly maintained high mileage vehicle can be a good choice.