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anotherusername
Member
Date registered: Oct 2018
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Posts: 7
| G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
I'm considering buying one of two different vehicles, a 1993 500GE or possibly a 2005 G500. I am completely new to these vehicles and I'm just trying to find out what I'm in for on each. I don't mind spending money on maintenance when needed, but I prefer not to have to continually spend money on a vehicle that is constantly needing maintenance for every reason under the sun.
I will not be driving it much, my other half will as a second vehicle, she will not drive it hard in fact, more likely, she will hardly drive it.
Thanks in advance for any insight.
Mark |
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H1LM002G55
Expert
Date registered: Mar 2010
Location: S Florida / Geneva / Jeddah
Vehicle(s): 500 GE, G55, LM002, H1
Posts: 1796
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
You have not posted your location. That makes a difference.
Owning both vehicles, I will say they do need maintenance frequently. The basic servicing is relatively easy to do per say, thanks largely to G-AMGs posts. But there is a generational difference you will need to deal with and you will spend an inordinate amount of time tracking down parts for the 500GE and waiting for items from Germany.
You need to carefully consider what local resources you have available as regards a dealer willing to order special order parts for you and a mechanic skilled at working on MBs.....just because he is a MB mechanic does NOT mean he is hip to working on Gwagens. And an early W463 G is very different mechanically and electronically from a MBUSA W463 G brought in to the US by MB starting in the year 2002.
You need to do your homework and figure out how much time you can devote to the vehicle and carefully evaluating what your local resources are like in terms of costs and overall competence.
Edited by H1LM002G55 11/20/2018 10:31 AM
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H1LM002G55
Expert
Date registered: Mar 2010
Location: S Florida / Geneva / Jeddah
Vehicle(s): 500 GE, G55, LM002, H1
Posts: 1796
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
A 500GE is 25 years old and a 2005 is 13 years old. Plan on needing to not only do maintenance but restoration and exchanging significant amounts of worn out parts that are long past their lifecycle. |
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H1LM002G55
Expert
Date registered: Mar 2010
Location: S Florida / Geneva / Jeddah
Vehicle(s): 500 GE, G55, LM002, H1
Posts: 1796
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
http://www.pointedthree.com/disc/forums/showthread.php?tid=23378&po... |
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anotherusername
Member
Date registered: Oct 2018
Location:
Vehicle(s):
Posts: 7
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
Thank you H1LM002G55 for your reply and advice!!!! I have read many of your posts while researching the 500GE. Thank you for documenting your knowledge and experiences on the forum. It REALLY helps a " newbie" such as myself.
I am in Birmingham Alabama and I am most definitely leaning toward the 500GE. I am a vintage guy, my newest vehicle is a 1977 and it's my every day driver. I also have a half of dozen other 70's cars that I drive regularly as well as fifty or more vintage motorcycles. I most definitely understand older mechanical parts wear out and time out and a lot of times it's very difficult to nearly impossible to find replacement parts. To me that is half of the fun of owning and preserving older vehicles. I really enjoy the restoration, reconditioning and preservation part of older vehicles. I enjoy the cosmetic part of it so much it is the only thing I have ever done for a career. I have been blessed to have spent the last 32 years reconditioning Corporate Aircraft.
Winston from this board and another "G" forum suggested that I join here and read posts from you as well as Aguess. I was able to talk with Alex(Aguess) via email and he also gave me some great advice as well as a list of things to look for during a pre purchase inspection.
All of that being said, I want to enjoy the use of the vehicle as much as I enjoy working on them and maintaining them. I am not experienced at all with Mercedes-Benz so I was trying to find out what I am getting myself into if I purchase the 500GE. I am not looking for a black hole to throw money into and get limited enjoyment (I have plenty of those already). What I would like is to get the vehicle in top shape and then be able to use it as dependable reliable secondary vehicle. If both vehicles are similar for maintenance, reliability and upkeep than I will go with the 500GE. If the consensus is that the G500 is leaps and bounds ahead of the GE in reliability and regular maintenance then I would consider it for my first G Class vehicle.
Thanks again for your help.
Mark
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
H1LM002G55 - 11/20/2018 10:34 AM
A 500GE is 25 years old and a 2005 is 13 years old. Plan on needing to not only do maintenance but restoration and exchanging significant amounts of worn out parts that are long past their lifecycle.
And if that 500GE has been living in Canada, there's probably a good amount of rust. |
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
There's also the option of an overly maintained pre-MBUSA limited edition 2000 G500 that is currently for sale near you. |
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H1LM002G55
Expert
Date registered: Mar 2010
Location: S Florida / Geneva / Jeddah
Vehicle(s): 500 GE, G55, LM002, H1
Posts: 1796
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
If you are just getting into MB ownership, I wouldn't recommend a G-Class or a 500GE. The limited production aspect of the G-Class and the lack of a lot of good technical expertise outside of the forums here in the states complicates ownership. A 500GE is really an exotic and if I didn't have some of the help+contacts that I do, it would be even more challenging, time consuming, and expensive to keep on the road. I would be willing to bet in parts and maintenance cost I have spent close to ~$30K+. That is parts, discounted labor rate, tires, fluids, etc.....and this was for a one owner vehicle that had complete books and records from Germany that was garage kept with all services performed and low mileage. Age wears things out. So does keeping a vehicle sitting in a garage.
I can't tell you how many hours I have spent ordering parts that are obscure at my MB dealer. And finding solutions to NLA No Longer Available parts.
It's worth it for me. I love the color and you have to pay for the exclusivity.
But an off the shelf US vehicle that the dealer knows how to work on is easier to drop off to them and have them handle everything via warranty. Dealers rarely remember how to work on vintage models that are older than 10 years.
My .02 cents.....be willing to drop some money if you want it reliable and comfortable.
I also say this as someone who has owned various MBs for a long time and my company manufactures for Daimler/MB.
Edited by H1LM002G55 11/20/2018 4:58 PM
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ychung
Veteran
Date registered: Aug 2015
Location: SO CAL
Vehicle(s): 2004 G500, 2014 ML350, 2008 S550
Posts: 196
| RE: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
I don't know if I should consider myself lucky or not, but I can't agree with high maintenance cost for my 04 G500.
I've owned it for over three years, and the mileage went from 160,000 to 200,000(almost), but I've never had any single serious issue.
I've spent about $3500, mostly on regular maintenance and preventative maintenance stuffs, and not only it drives great but it also looks great in and out.
I also need to point out that all of $3500 was parts since I've done all the work myself with help from all the great people here.
I drive it everyday and there are no other cars that I'd rather do it.
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H1LM002G55
Expert
Date registered: Mar 2010
Location: S Florida / Geneva / Jeddah
Vehicle(s): 500 GE, G55, LM002, H1
Posts: 1796
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
DUTCH - 11/20/2018 12:47 PM
There's also the option of an overly maintained pre-MBUSA limited edition 2000 G500 that is currently for sale near you.
Dutch: Don't sell it! |
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H1LM002G55
Expert
Date registered: Mar 2010
Location: S Florida / Geneva / Jeddah
Vehicle(s): 500 GE, G55, LM002, H1
Posts: 1796
| RE: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
ychung - 11/20/2018 6:01 PM
I don't know if I should consider myself lucky or not, but I can't agree with high maintenance cost for my 04 G500.
I've owned it for over three years, and the mileage went from 160,000 to 200,000(almost), but I've never had any single serious issue.
I've spent about $3500, mostly on regular maintenance and preventative maintenance stuffs, and not only it drives great but it also looks great in and out.
I also need to point out that all of $3500 was parts since I've done all the work myself with help from all the great people here.
I drive it everyday and there are no other cars that I'd rather do it.
Hard to imagine only spending ~$3500 in 3 years as raw costs.
Synthetic fluids alone and brake fluid changes would come out close to $1K at the frequency I do them (oil change every 3k-5k miles with full synthetic, all fluids dumped annually or 12k-15k miles, brake fluid done annually per MB, etc).
Tires rotated and balanced every ~5k miles is ~$120 each time. Alignment every year is ~$150. |
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ychung
Veteran
Date registered: Aug 2015
Location: SO CAL
Vehicle(s): 2004 G500, 2014 ML350, 2008 S550
Posts: 196
| RE: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
I just checked again my records and the total is about $4175 for the last 3 1/2 years covering about 35000 miles.
I've used all MB parts when OEM parts weren't available, see attached for summary
 (IMG_3359.JPG)
Attachments
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 IMG_3359.JPG (35KB - 8 downloads)
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AlanMcR
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, CA, Los Altos
Vehicle(s): G300DT E300DT 230SL
Posts: 3500
| RE: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
MB only asks for brake & locker fluid changes every other year.
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H1LM002G55
Expert
Date registered: Mar 2010
Location: S Florida / Geneva / Jeddah
Vehicle(s): 500 GE, G55, LM002, H1
Posts: 1796
| RE: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
ychung - 11/21/2018 1:08 PM
I just checked again my records and the total is about $4175 for the last 3 1/2 years covering about 35000 miles.
I've used all MB parts when OEM parts weren't available, see attached for summary
Please post a more legible photo with cost breakdowns.
AMG fan clutch for 500 GE was ~$800.00 special order from Germany.
HWA part number = $$$ or = NLA No Longer Available. |
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ychung
Veteran
Date registered: Aug 2015
Location: SO CAL
Vehicle(s): 2004 G500, 2014 ML350, 2008 S550
Posts: 196
| RE: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
Hope this works
 (IMG_3379.JPG)
 (IMG_3380.JPG)
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IMG_3379.JPG (41KB - 1 downloads)
IMG_3380.JPG (41KB - 0 downloads)
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kmaser
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Oct 2008
Location: Alberta canada / UAE
Vehicle(s): 1988 280GE SWB 617A with IP mods and HX30
Posts: 301
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
DUTCH - 11/20/2018 12:42 PM
H1LM002G55 - 11/20/2018 10:34 AM
A 500GE is 25 years old and a 2005 is 13 years old. Plan on needing to not only do maintenance but restoration and exchanging significant amounts of worn out parts that are long past their lifecycle.
And if that 500GE has been living in Canada, there's probably a good amount of rust.
Not all G's in Canada have rust, really depends on where in the country, was it driven in the winter, garage kept etc etc etc.
Many places in the northern U.S. are far worse.
My 500GE is very clean and was in Japan before coming to Canada,
But I do agree on the maintenance side, I am nearly sorted on my now but have done a lot of maintenance items simply because they are 25yrs old. Mostly rubber parts have deteriorated from age. |
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H1LM002G55
Expert
Date registered: Mar 2010
Location: S Florida / Geneva / Jeddah
Vehicle(s): 500 GE, G55, LM002, H1
Posts: 1796
| Re: G-Class.....high maintenance or maintenance is high?
The Japanese were meticulous with caring for their vehicles, too.
But Kmaser is right. It is maitenance and servicing in addition to restoration you will be paying for. |
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