Any posistive/negative 1st person experiences...long term ownership.
80,000+ miles and up.
80,000+ miles and up.
2003 Mercedes SL500
- Thread starter TomCat
- Start date
Best years of the SL500 is between 96-98 with quad cam engine and 5 speed transmission.
The true and best SL before the merger with Chrysler.
The true and best SL before the merger with Chrysler.
Or you could go for the SL600 instead with the V12.
My dads has had a lot of issues (03 with only 15,000 miles).
When the battery dies, it blows some ECU. Cost to replace the dead battery was ~$1500 plus a tow.
When the battery dies, it blows some ECU. Cost to replace the dead battery was ~$1500 plus a tow.
I had a '76...loved it.
My wife and I own two MBZ SL's. I agree with the previous poster
who indicated that the best years were prior to the acquisition by Chrysler.
The depreciation on newer models is in complete contrast to what had been
historical for these cars. The SL 600 will be a lot more expensive to maintain
and own and would not be a wise choice.
who indicated that the best years were prior to the acquisition by Chrysler.
The depreciation on newer models is in complete contrast to what had been
historical for these cars. The SL 600 will be a lot more expensive to maintain
and own and would not be a wise choice.
I've posted similar experiences myself on this forum. A buddy and I shared an 03 when it was only 2 years old. We only had it for about 9 months but we had to replace both batteries once (unit for hard top and engine) and it cost $1,200. Another time the main battery failed but I replaced it myself. And no, warranty does not cover battery failure. MB's reasoning? The car wasn't driven for 2 weeks. Wow. That was the last benz I spent a penny on.
- Joined
- 4 September 2008
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- 906
Which is easily one of the most unreliable cars ever built.
2nd. Stay as far away from this machine as possible. I read up on the v12's prior to the SL500. Story after story of people replacing 12* plugs and 12* coil packs after bringing the car into the dealer for a minor miss. I think 12 plugs and coils for the v12 ran something insane like $4-5k in parts alone.
Met a guy in Phipps Plaza last month who had a V12 Model. Beautiful car in person. But on topic he never had a problem with it. Says it's been his baby since the day he bought it off the lot. Tan/Tan.
i also been thinking of selling a few of my side toys (not the nsx) to purchase my buddy very sick heavily modded SL500. the SL model has always been my favorite model from mercedes because of the hard top convertible top and great looks but after reading on www.mbworld.org this specific model car seem to be very expensive model to keep up with and i havent seen anyone with one over 100k miles. they seem to have common issues with the convertible top pump, abc shock leaking, and other little things that are very costly especially if you dont have any warranty.
The coil packs are ultra expensive. I think the price is more than you quoted. Coil packs are a soft spot on all V12 Mercedes.
Remember when Jeremy bought a CL600 (I believe it was the coupe) and Richard bought a Bentley Turbo R for the price of a new cheapo Nissan, on Top Gear during season 17?
May bet them his hair that one would be down for repairs in 2 weeks max, and a week later Jeremy's Benz was misfiring and needed a coilpack........which he said cost 850 pounds sterling
May kept his hair :wink:
Brian
Remember when Jeremy bought a CL600 (I believe it was the coupe) and Richard bought a Bentley Turbo R for the price of a new cheapo Nissan, on Top Gear during season 17?
May bet them his hair that one would be down for repairs in 2 weeks max, and a week later Jeremy's Benz was misfiring and needed a coilpack........which he said cost 850 pounds sterling
May kept his hair :wink:
Brian
I have a friend who is a well respected Mercedes mechanic and from what I remember I am pretty sure you have to replace multiple coil packs and not just one if you have a misfire.
The SL is the only Benz that I wouldn't own without an extended warranty. My mother had a new SL500 in 2002 and MB USA bought it back 7 months later because it had multiple electronic and ECU failures. My father had a 2006 SL and it was always being repaired. The power top was a nightmare, and the electric suspension had multiple problems. On the otherhand, I have a 2006 CLS500, my wife has a 2007 CLK350 convertible, and my mother also has a 2006 CLS500, and none of these cars have had any problems. Each one now has over 60k miles and they are still going strong.
Good luck.
Good luck.
you nailed it steve. Given the car has some miles on it, MB will tell you to go ahead and replace them all because if one fails, the rest are likely going out as well.
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