P11

Hey guys, I am about to purchase my 2nd Benz and Im quite sure I'd like to go with the 2002 S430. I have driven a 2001 S430 for about 3-4 months without much problems but my father was the one who dealt with maintenance and stuff like that. So my question is, how much does it cost to maintain a S430 and if anything goes wrong how deep will it dig a hole in my wallet in comparison to a 2003 BMW 325ci.

Thanks in advance!

kenstudios

Welcome to the forum. To answer your question, it will cost arm and a leg if anything goes wrong with the car. Get one with low miles and you'll enjoy you S class experience. Now to the maintenance:-

- Oil change (Service A) - $120-200 at dealer or $90 if you DIY.
- Oil change (Service B) - $350-600 depending on what is done.

- Airmatic (in that car it will give at one point or another) - I'll break this part down in stages. If you just get the relay (as a maintenance deal) about $40. If your struts leak - $800 for the repair kit. If the whole unit give (pump and all) - $4-5K for the repair.

- Electrical problems (at some point you might have these) Rear SAM tend to go bad. $5-600 for parts. Windows sometimes act crazy.

- Brakes are sometimes under service B, front pads are around $100 and rear pads around $90. Rotors are replaced every other brake job for superior performance of the system. $150 each. Brake pads are $10 each.

With all that said, get some kind of extended warranty and good luck with your purchase.

One more thing, if you plan to buy the S class but are worried about maintenance, maybe this isn't the car for you.