Faults:

Transmission electrical plate (twice).

Head gasket leaks.

Mass airflow sensor (three times - now carry a spare).

A/C condenser leak requiring major dash removal.

Nitrogen-filled cells for self-leveling system.

On its fourth set of front shocks and second set of rear hydraulic booster-shocks, but no complaints!

General Comments:

Going for the "Special Interest" license plates. Nothing newer has caused me to regret this purchase. Fortunately I have been able to do most repairs myself, so not paying outlandish $140/hour dealer prices.

Perhaps one of very few original owners of this model.

Faults:

The blower motor failed. MB wanted $1800 to repair it. Did the job myself, sourcing a new motor from the UK for $180 Australian dollars.

Central locking was slow to lock; found a broken fitting on the pump; cost $5.00 to fix.

Passenger rear electric motor failed. Sourced the part, and repaired it myself for $340.

General Comments:

Has presence like no other car in Australia. I live in the country, and when this car comes over the hill, people move over to let you past; it turns heads everywhere it goes.

The build quality is simply unsurpassed, fit and finish is laser like quality, and everything feels as if it was built to last forever. You cannot fail to be impressed by the sound the doors make, the silence in the cabin is breath taking, and its ability to cross vast distances quickly and leaving you completely relaxed beggars belief.

The Bose sound system defies its age; the quality is crystal clear, no doubt helped by the double glazed windows, which pretty much seal up the cabin like a bank vault.

This car was built for covering vast distances, and it does so with complete ease; it's unlike any other car I've ever owned.

Faults:

There is a slow oil leak called a weeping leak. The problem is caused by filling the motor oil all the way to the top of the limit. The standard is to fill to the middle of the min/max line on the dipstick.

General Comments:

Going from a Honda Civic to this car was a giant leap for mankind.

Faults:

One head light globe blew, easy and cheap to fix.

General Comments:

The car has aged exceptionally well; as cars have increased in size, this car now blends in with current trends nearly twenty years after it was released.

The handling for a car of this size or any car for that matter is exceptional, this is the most stress free car to drive, I have ever owned.

The reliability has been first class; one globe in 50,000km that's it. Four oil changes and one transmission service, and one set of new front brakes, which indecently were far cheaper to replace than my previous car.

The car is quite beyond anything else out there, it makes you feel safe the moment you close the door. It feels like it's hewn from a single billet of steel; if I were going to have a crash, this is the car I would want to be in.

Everything works just perfectly, no squeaks, rattles or cheap fittings in these cars, just endless quality. The comfort of the interior is first class, and it wears exceptionally well; still looks and smells like brand new despite its age.

Everyone that rides in it doesn't want to get out. I use this car for doing trips from Melbourne to Sydney twice a week, and I can honestly say I doubt I will ever part with it, truly an exceptional automobile.

I would never consider anything else again; an S-Class is the last word in luxury cars, truly outstanding, a very happy owner.