In the last 5 years, my 300E has done 60,000 miles. Repairs (everything but
>inspections and oil changes) has cost about $110 per month ($6600)
Eleven cents a mile is quite ordinary for this model.
Bill Ditmire Ditmire Motorworks,Inc.
All cars have repair cycles - for a time everything that can break seems to break. And then its finally over and the car is relatively problem free for some years. Years ago I owned two cars, both in the 35K to 50K miles range and felt like a dog on a leash; the dealer holding its other end!
As to your experience with this car, IMHO:
Head Gasket - should not have been needed by 60K; often needed by 150K Wiring Harness - should not have been needed by 60K - (known) poor quality part Engine Mount - should not have been needed by 60K Windshield Wiper Motor - reasonable if wiper used in ice and snow, not otherwise Heater Blower Motor - things break, that's life Cruise Control Combination Switch - things break, that's life Headlamp Sockets - should not have been needed by 60K
Water pumps wear out, like tires and batteries.
In the last 5 years repairing and maintaining this car has cost you $.11/mile - about the same cost per mile as its fuel. That's my 23 year experience with a '80 300SD - repairs and maintenance cost is about the same as its fuel cost on a per mile basis.
The most economical decision is to fix what's needed and drive the car until it reaches about 190K miles and then replace it. The imminent $1,800 repair cost seems steep but it's still only half of (just) the sales tax on a new E320.
Rounding up the car's lifetime costs to $9K for 190K miles the repairs will be about $.05/mile; it doesn't get much cheaper than that.
The major high $$$ expense on that model was the head gasket and wire harness, but they were problems that, once up-dated , will not return... 124 chassis w/104 is a solid , high mile car.....
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