1983 Mercedes-Benz W123 300D Turbo Diesel from North America - Comments

Heat A/C controller wasn't working at purchase, but was an easy Do It Yourself fix.

Alternator was replaced after 6 months of purchase, then changed again six months later due to broken belt.

Wiper blades act up sometimes after repeated use.

I love the ease of maintenance that diesels provide, but needed more room than my Jetta had. I searched for a year before I lucked into a lovely W123 turbo diesel. It's a grey metallic with sienna interior. Rare and beautiful, with good power, comfort and fuel economy. The seats are MB Tex and were a bit dirty, but had no rips and were restored to new condition by magic eraser. The car rides smooth and after long hours on the road leaves me feeling fine.

The quality of these vehicles is clearly evident when you are up close to it. Washing it and such lets you see and feel the craftmanship that went into it. It drives great in all weather and has conservative good looks with chrome detail that makes newer cars look cheap in comparison.

The passing power can shock other drivers too. The turbo engine and tranny are gems and the gearing is great for highway cruising or bruising.

Considering these cars had sold well all over the world, parts are easily available and fairly priced.

W123s have a first rate reputation and remain few in number today, so my car makes for a great usable daily driven collectible.

I must correct the ranking for operating costs as a 7 rather than a 3. Only because genuine MB parts like any OEM parts, are priced at a premium. Aside from the durability, there is one particular aspect of owning these old cars that is very appealing. That is the steering feel. The big steering wheel and recirculating ball set-up make for a car that is very nimble and tactile. This is the greatest enjoyment of these cars, the driving experience.

Hey it's me the original reviewer. I rolled my Benz when I got caught in a freak snow storm and driving with cruise on. Put it on its side after forcing a deliberate spin to avoid hitting a pole. Great car, thank God! Anyhow, I had it repaired and it looks nice again. So strong, safe and good looking I am still pleased to be drivng it. If you wish, buy one and it will show you why people don't throw out old wine for new wine.

Hi, I inherited a 1983 Mercedes 300 D about 3 yrs ago. It had about 150,000 miles, then now about 188,000.

I haven't been able to find a mechanic that can fix the heat/AC blower problem. It's murder to drive in the winter with no heat. I noticed in the previous emails it's a pretty common problem, but easy to fix. There are a few other small things, but for the most part, what can I do to? Fix this problem, or would you recommend selling this one?

Fix it of course. One does not throw out old wine for new wine!

Have you checked the fuse? If not, do so. Bad fuses can prevent the unit from working constantly or properly.

It's easy to inspect and fix the unit if needed. Remove the screws holding the unit in place behind the wood console,, it's easy, but be gentle, you don't want to remove the wood, just move it.

Then partially remove the HVAC unit from the dash to wards you and detach the electrical harness. Inspect for cracks or dirt on the male wire plugs (which is actually copper tube wiring) or broken contacts in the female sections. Clean/grease and then reconnect (sometimes you don't need to push the wires in as far as possible with the harness, as the contact surfaces may be worn). Check to see if the fan unit will blow before re-installing. If it does not work, then get it fixed professionally or buy an other unit on Ebay.

Keep the car, because they don't make 'em like that anymore!

Fix it! Go find some Mercedes blogsites, or get a Haynes manual. Be thankful these cars are still far more serviceable than newer ones. If you can read English and have some basic tools, you should be able to do almost any basic repair to the car.