1981 Mercedes-Benz W123 300TD Wagon review from North America

Converting to R134 refrigerant was a very bad idea. Marginal performance at best, and acids form in the system, rotting out metal pipes which are costly to replace.

Vacuum control pods in AC system need replacement at every 4-5 years. But I live in a dry desert environment.

You MUST become an expert in diagnosis and replacement of vacuum pods in the AC system and door locking system.

Most body rubber parts seem to last for 15 years before needing replacement. Engine rubber parts usually need replacing every 3 to 5 years. But again, I live in a dry desert environment.

Seat padding needs replacement about every 10 years.

Drive shaft failed in service at 200K miles. Replaced with new.

Switches, particularly the window switches in the center console fail often and are expensive to replace, like $90USD to replace. They can be cleaned and returned to service.

Wood needs to be cleaned and restored, re varnished every 10 years. Also needs to be re-glued to the dash board.

AC can be problematic in R134A conversions. Not very efficient and cools poorly in desert and wagon configuration.

Vinyl in the interior wears forever and shows little damage due to sun or abrasion.

Large, comfortable to get into and out of. Has great utility as wagon for load carrying and utility applications. Far more versatile and useful than owning a sedan.

Diesel dependable and reliable. Typically gets 23-26 mpg in town and 29 to 31 on the highway.

These 617 turbo diesels make excellent conversions to Bio-diesel, SVO, WVO and are rock solid dependable.