Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

The car is fun to drive and performs well but there are several electrical issues that are VERY expensive to get diagnosed and repaired. The Consumer Reports ratings of Mercedes for the last 7 years are accurate when they rate the cars at the bottom of reliability. The quality control for a car this expensive is abysmal and the reliability of the systems is atrocious. While the car is a pleasure to drive, it is a very expensive one to maintain and fix. Mercedes needs to stand behind the product however after the warranty runs out they just wring their hands with glee at the dealerships looking forward to the repair revenue they will get. There were 51 pages of service records for this car at the dealership for the first 78,000 miles which I couldn't get until I bought the car. There were well over 20 repairs when under warranty. In the first 3 weeks since purchasing the car I have spent over $2000 on fixes and I am not done yet and that was at an independent shop which charges $95 an hour. The Mercedes dealership charges $140 per hour.
I bought the car because I wanted a convertible with a removable hardtop and for the performance charastics. One has to do as much research as possible before purchasing. In this case the dealership wouldn't show me the maintenance records before I bought the car and only after when I gave them a signed request from the former owner. They claimed they has some sort of liability if they showed me them before I bought the car. In the end they only gave me the records when I complained to Mercedes USA headquarters.
These cars are very sophisticated and highly engineered and a delight to drive. Too bad Mercedes can get their quality control up to even average standards. If one wants to by a used recent years Mercedes it is very important to get the records prior to purchasing so an informed decision on purchasing a specific car can be made.

The seller is a tool bag. And he looked funny too....that didn't help the situation. I wont buy from him again.

I had my heart set on a car of this vintage and model, and this car was perfect. The description was right on and I am very happy with the car

The car is beautiful, and nothing beats a lovingly kept California car -- especially one with virtually full service records covering its life -- when purchasing an older vehicle. Motors, transmissions, and other mechanical things can be rebuilt or replaced if necessary; rust is a killer. My daily driver xjs convertible came from California, so when I saw this car while looking for a 450SL for my wife, I stopped looking for a car and started looking for cover transport to get it cross country. And the seller could not have been nicer or more cooperative. As for the car, oen does not expect great reliability in a 168k vehicle, but so far so good. You cannot beat Mercedes for craftsmanship and 1976 was no exception. But before buying a 450, check one out live. These are not big cars; their size compares more to the Fiat 2000s of the era than the jags or vettes, and they are beautiful cruisers, not high performance cars.

This is an example of a very well maintained 560sl. The car was described very well and the buying experience was flawless. The seller went out of her way to assist and actually delivered the car. It is a pleasure to drive and should provide many years of service. I have always loved these cars and would readily recommend this seller.

This was the easiest transaction i ever made.The most honest company I've dealt with and I would recommend E-bay and there sellers over& over again

I bought the car as an investment/restoration project. The car was not accurately described or pictured clearly. I like the vintage look of old Mercedes, the inherent quality of older cars. This car was scratched severly and full of water... It was not running... THE SELLER WAS NOT FORTHCOMING. The seller was not honest. I will need to put more money into the car that expected. Comparing it to others.... well, if the seller was honest it would have been better, ie I would not have bid as high.... I regret the purchase at the purchase price.

I was apprehensive about buying a car on line then I saw the buyer protection plan I relaxed and made the purchase. I should have read it more carefully. One thing I would like to say is that if the plan does not cover a vehicle that is over 10 years old the plan should not be listed on the page where the vehicle is being sold.
I got taken the seller did not disclose that the engine had major issues bottom part of engine ok top part damaged. I can only drive the car causing more damage, because the cost to fix is over two thousand six hundred dollars and I cannot pay that right now.
The car had electrical issue I literally drove ½ block the after I receiving the car and the signals went out, I had no head lights brake lights no power to fuse box and no signals. I had a mechanic come to take a look and had the car picked up by a shop that specialized in Mercedes and was able to get the electrical resolved. I asked the mechanic to tell me what the knocking noise was coming from the engine and he took the engine top off and discovered the major engine damage. The seller said she just replaced the brakes and that was not true the back brakes were ok but the front brakes and rotors were worn down to nothing. I emailed seller no response.
I feel totally cheated and scammed out of $ 3,900.00 plus $ 375 for delivery $776. For brakes and electrical and engine diagnosis.
I contacted buyer protection and they informed me the car was over 10 years old and was not covered... If the seller had disclosed the truth I never would have purchased the car. I felt that issue should have been covered.
Now I see the seller is selling another car on eBay. How are you guys allowing this?

It is difficult to believe that one can purchase a car on the internet (eBay) with the car located several thousand miles away without an in-person inspection. The eBay history and reputation of the Seller was explained in such a way to be very believable. Phone communication with the Seller helped give me the confidence that all facts presented about the car was indeed factual. Documents were overnighted to me, money exchanged hands, Seller assisted in securing a reliable shipper and car arrived four (4) days later. The actual condition of the car that I received was perfectly described by the Seller. If you are comfortable with the sales history of a Seller as presented by eBay and have established a relationship with that Seller before the purchase of said item you should be happy with your purchase. Go for it...

Taking an SL and crossing it over to diesel is no easy fit. This "300SLD" (it's new name) runs strong on straight WVO and gets great reviews wherever we take it. Thanks ebay!