1979 Mercedes-Benz W123 300D review from North America
"Great car if you can find a good one"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
1. Vacuum pump went out. The pump was rebuilt by the dealer with a kit.
2. AC servo went out-$1500
3. AC controls went out-$395
4. Fuel injectors clogged-$300
5. Fuel injection pump went out-$2200
6. Head blew-$1500 (used head)
7. Fuel lines got clogged-$150
8. Compression on engine very low and can't be started in cold (engine was rebuilt) -$2500
9. Engine blew up (replaced with a re-manufactured engine-$5500
10 Old vacuum pump was used as new one is not included with the engine because it is an accessory and this vacuum pump shattered for some reason which sent parts into the engine and broke the timing chain, broke cylinders and head, and this also voided the warranty on the engine.
11. Sold the car for $300 : (
General comments?
I loved the car and this is the reason I kept spending money on it thinking that this would be my last repair.
Buy one only if you can get the complete service history and only after a certified Mercedes Benz dealer checks it and runs a compression test on it and make sure the injection system is perfect as well as the vacuum pump.
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| The best car I've ever owned! |
|
| Comfy, cheap, fun classic! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1979 |
| First year of ownership | 1988 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1994 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0L 5 cylinders diesel Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 0 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 125000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 185000 miles |
| Previous car | Mercedes-Benz 240D |
| Date of Entry | 26th March, 2004 |