thinking about buying a 2001 s500 with 52000 miles. i dont want to spend a lot on normal upkeep. am i fooling myself?

2001 is the second year of that model run, but in my opinion Mercedes still hadn't worked out some of the early model problems.

I believe they had problems with dash clusters going out ($$$$$), as well as the adaptive suspension ($$$$$).

FWIW, the engine and transmission have proven to be robust.

Poor interior quality was also a complaint of the early S class cars. Too much penny pinching.

These cars were facelifted later on, and an interior redesign was a big improvement.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

FWIW - MB has extended the warranty on all 00 - 03 W220 (S-Class) sedans to 10 yr or 100,000 miles.

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Daily Driver: 02 E430 4MATIC
In the family: '03 E500 // '04 ML500 // 64 220SE

Keep an eye on your harmonic balancer (big pulley), look at it once a month to see if the rubber is coming away from the pulley so it does not come apart and dig into your oil pan causing an oil repair of approx $2-k.

You should stick to your service intervals religiously every 10-k miles.
Do not spill soda or any other drink on your gear shift mechanism.

Your cluster may wig out costing about $16oo.00 dealer cost.

Check engine lights from mass airflow sensors and bad spark plug wires may arise.
Again, keeping your air filters replaced on time cuts down the risk on the air mass.

Do not let the quick lube guys touch your car, please.

Use recommended motor oil (mobil-1).

Brake jobs are pricey unless you find someone like me that won't rake you through the coals.

Expect to pay around $550.00 or so for front pads and rotors at the independent guy's place.

You will get tired of cleaning brake dust from the fron t wheels every two days, and you should wipe the wheels down regularly to keep the brake dust from ruining your wheel finish.
You can get protectant spray from the dealer or other sources.

Make sure you find a good , honest shop to do the check ups so they look for any problems that may arise during regular service checks.

The biggest problem that people run into are the ones that arise due to the customer neglecting to get the car serviced on time, by qualified, honest shops.
If you go over the scheduled maintenence for lengthy periods, then you run the risk of potential problems being overlooked and also possible running conditions may develop due to clogged filters , depleted oil quality, low fluids, fluid leaks, worn parts, then that's when it gets expensive.

So I tell people all the time, it's better to spend the money on the scheduled services than to wait until something goes haywire due to trying to save a buck by ignoring the schedule.

One more thing, make sure the shop that services your vehicle stamps your service booklet.
I have noticed that the dealerships here in Atlanta have been slacking off very badly about stamping service booklets.

I still go out to customer's homes to work on their s-500's or 430's that only call when the oil is broken down so bad that they hope the fresh oil change will stop the engine from making that ticking noise.
Yeah, most of the time it does, but is it worth waiting that long?

Just don't beat the dickens out of it and it should do fine for you.

is the extended warranty for all non routine parts

If memory serves me correct, I believe the extended warranty is only for the instrument cluster. They are also sending out letters to replace the SBC brake "pump" for certain models.

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Brian W.

01 S55 AMG Silver
01 CLK55 AMG Silver

yep

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2002 E320 4-Matic
2008 Subaru Outback
2009 Subaru Forester

if u want a W220, save up more money and get 03+

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Current cars:
2001 MB E55 AMG
2003 Honda S2000
2000 Honda CRV

Gone but not forgotten:
2004 BMW 325i 5sp sport
1999 BMW 540i sport
1997 MB E420
1995 BMW M3 coupe