1990 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 300 SE review from Australia and New Zealand
"The world's best car - but count mine out"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Fuel pump relay overheated, and caused the fuel pump to cut out regularly, which was a dangerous thing to happen where I live, and took weeks and a painful amount of dollars to find.
Distributor cap went soon after purchase.
Suspension was never right, and I kept fixing niggles and replacing bushings pretty much weekly.
Brakes tended to catch little stones, and required surgical removal by a shop.
Water pump died on me.
Air conditioning stopped working soon after purchase.
Climate control started acting erratically after a few months.
Oil loss turned out to come from leaking block, horrendously expensive to fix.
Transmission noise started to develop after one year of purchase.
General comments?
This car was an eye-opener for me, teaching me that Mercedes-longevity can indeed be a myth. I have not had this much frustration and aggravation with a car since owning a very troublesome Citroen CX 15 years ago.
This came doubly unwelcome, as I had purchased the car specifically because I was in need of a reliable, solid car at the time, and this Mercedes turned out to be anything but. Sadly, I can't even say it's my first bad Mercedes; I just keep believing in them, who knows why.
As a car though, it was a delight. Beautiful, poised, timeless, amazing ride comfort, and guaranteed to get you the attention of anyone, at least where I live.
Recommended reviews
| 1990 - S-Class 560 SEL 5.6 liter V8 petrol One of the best cars ever built. I could afford a brand new one - but why waste the money? |
|
| Get the 5.0 lt in SE or 560 in the SEL; otherwise the 420SE/SEL is a good compromise |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1990 |
| Year of manufacture | 1990 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 straight six cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 114210 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 131450 kilometres |
| Previous car | Volvo 850 |
| Date of Entry | 25th June, 2007 |