A little DIY makes this a fantastic deal
kcattorney
on 08/29/2016
Comfort Rating: 5
Performance Rating:
4
Interior Rating: 5
Reliability Rating:
4
Technology Rating:
5
Value Rating: 5
I bought my '06 S430 4matic in 2011 with 130,000 miles on it. It had a very subtle but nice lower body kit and new 20" aftermarket wheels with fresh tires. I paid $13,000 for the car. Despite the high mileage, it was in great shape. Having owned several German luxury cars in the past, I knew going in there'd be maintenance costs. I came up with a strategy for dealing with that inevitability. First, although it was to be my daily driver, I had backup vehicles to use when (not if) something broke on this car. That's important because it took away the urgency whenever something broke on the car - I would just drive my old BMW 3 series convertible for a few days or a week while waiting for a part to arrive and for me to have the time to install it. Second, although I'm not a mechanic, I can do research on the internet to diagnose a problem and hopefully find easy to follow instructions to complete common repairs. There are an unbelievable number of detailed, step-by-step instructions with pics and videos on the internet Mercedes forums and Youtube. Third, I have a 4-post hobbyist lift in my garage. That makes doing many, many diagnostics and repairs so much easier. 4 post lifts cost about $2,000 and can be delivered directly to your garage. You can put it together yourself in a day or hire someone to set it up for you for about $500. Fourth, I have a mechanic that lets me provide my own parts and he just charges me labor. This saves me ALOT in repair costs. You will probably need to develop a relationship with the mechanic before he allows this, but referring friends and family to him is a shortcut to developing such a relationship. It also means staying away from the Mercedes dealership and using an independent repair shop. There are some repairs that I just don't have the time, talent or tools to take on, and having good mechanic for the tough stuff is a must. Fifth, gathering up a decent set of tools and an OBDII scanner is a must. But, with Harbor Freight and Northern Tools and other discount tool sources, it's not that expensive to do that. Be sure to get a decent toolbox or chest to keep your tools organized. Sixth, don't be afraid to buy used parts when appropriate from salvage yards as well as use quality non-OEM parts. This can save you 50% to 80% easily on parts over what a dealership costs. My S430 now has over 200,000 miles on it and it is going strong. I have gotten to know the car and am not afraid to do some easy repairs - for example the Airmatic suspension system. It's relatively easy to fix the air suspension, and with aftermarket suppliers, I would even say it is cheap to repair. For example, the first Airmatic problem I had was a big one requiring replacement of the air pump and problems with both front struts. Had I taken it to the dealer, it would have been nearly $7,000 to repair. After researching on the internet, I was able to buy a rebuilt air pump and replace the top strut seals all by myself. About 6 hours of total labor and $900 in parts, including the cost of a special strut tool. If your mindset in buying a used Mercedes that's out of warranty is to take it to the dealership every time it breaks, pretty much any model Mercedes (or other luxury vehicle of any brand) will eat you alive in repair costs. But, with a DIY mindset, you can keep them running great on a reasonable repair budget. The W220 series cars are fantastic automobiles.
