I'm new here... be nice!

I'm planning to purchase an '02 S600. Used, of course. As I haven't purchases a used car in years, I want to make sure this car is worth it. Less than 43k miles, 1 owner. Still under factory warranty. All available upgrades/options, including '04 tires and tailights. (Or so I'm told, I'm not familiar with them for either year. The car runs superbly, and is mint. The price is under 55K. Is this a good deal? The NADA value is higher even for a trade in. I'm a long time Bimmer owner, until recently. Only had 1 Mercedes, a few years ago, the ML320 (?).

So what should I be looking for? Are there any specific quirks and problems with this car? I had an '02 BMW 745Li that was a lemon, pure and simple. BMW finally gave me the '04 to replace it, but I dumped that quickly. Lost faith in them.

Input please?

Sounds like you have some money to spend. S class are very expensive to repair once the warranty is run it course. So all in all they are wonderful cars. I surprised to hear about your the BMW, I had a 7 series for 4 years and it only saw the shop for regular service.

I figured that if the car is still under warranty, I can take care of any real issues - if there are any - during that time. After that, as long as there is nothing that I should know about now, i.e. '02's are disastrous, etc, I should be ok. The Bimmer was a long story... I miss it a lot, but after all the problems just couldn't trust it. Buying a "pre-owned" car isn't something I normally do, but in this case, saving almost $100k over current sticker price it seems too good to pass up.

The S600 is a very complex automobile. It has many, many moving parts, gobs and gobs of electronics, and tons of parts that move electronically. The law of averages weighs heavily against a trouble-free existence. When it breaks, you can't take it to just any mechanic for repairs. You'll be paying a premium price for a premium MB mechanic to work on one of the best cars MB produced.

I'd get the car without further debate. If you want a trouble-free car, buy a Honda Civic.

Hopefully this will help give you an idea of what's been happening with that particular vehicle. Please do not be alarmed be how many TSBs there are for this vehicle, there's at least this many and usually way more for other vehicles.

Recalls: (2)
2004070012 Aug 04 Recall - Active Body Control Hose Replacement
NHTSA04V228000 May 04 Recall 04V228000: ABC Pressure Hose Corrosion

___________________________________________
All Technical Service Bulletins for the 2002 S600:
Number Date Name
P-00_45-77 Feb 04 Interior - Squeaking/Creaking Noise Kit
P-01_20-13 May 03 Emissions - Misfire/Blue Smoke on Engine Start Up
P-07_61-18D May 03 Ignition System - MIL ON/Misfire DTC's Set
P-30_30-07 Nov 01 Cruise Control - Distronic Control Unit Replacement
P-32_50-09 Dec 01 Automatic Suspension - Irregular Level Control
P-32_50-12 Dec 02 Automatic Suspension - Hydraulic Fluid Leaks
P-32_50-5A Oct 01 Automatic Suspension - Operational Check
P-33_15-10 Feb 04 Steering/Suspension - Alignment Requirements
P-40_10-33A Oct 01 Tires - Approved Winter/Summer Tires
P-40_10-39 Nov 01 Tires - Tire Pressure Control System Reactivation
P-40_10-43 Jan 04 Tires - Michelin Pilot Sport A/S(R) Tires Not Approved
P-42_20-49 Sep 04 Brakes - Noise From Rear of Vehicle
P-47_10-16A Feb 02 Instruments - Fuel Gauge Inaccuracy
P-47_10-27 Jan 04 Fuel System - Fuel Filler Cap Hard to Remove/Install
P-47_20-17 Oct 01 Fuel System - Hard Start After Fuel Filter Replacement
P-54_10-61 Feb 02 Battery - Low/Dead
P-54_21-67A Feb 03 Lighting - 'Check Left Low Beam' Message Displayed
P-54_30-57 Aug 01 Instruments - Odometer Resetting
P-54_30-76 Jan 03 Instruments - '00000' Displayed on Odometer
P-54_30-77 Jan 03 Instruments - 'Display Defective' Displayed/Lamps ON
P-54_65-86 Apr 03 Parking Assist System - Apparent Erroneous Activation
P-67_00-09 Mar 03 Body - Windshield/Rear Glass Body Seam Corrosion
P-68_05-15 Jul 02 Accessories - Insufficient Garage Door Opener Range
P-72_10-26 Dec 01 Body - Door Check Noise
P-72_30-27 Feb 02 Body - Door Closing Assist Inoperative
P-77_20-25 Sep 04 Body - Sliding Roof Malfunctions/Code 414 Set
P-80_57-11 Aug 01 Ignition System - Electronic Ignition Switch Replacement
P-80_57-14 Nov 01 Electronic Ignition Switch - Intermittent Coding
P-80_57-20 Feb 03 Audio System - RF Interference Explanation
P-82_00-260A Aug 04 Audio System - CD's Won't Play or Eject
P-82_10-173 Sep 01 Instruments - Erroneous 3rd Brake Light Fault Lamp
P-82_10-201B Sep 04 Lighting - Front Turn Signal Inoperative
P-82_10-266 Jul 03 Lighting - Right/Left Low Beam Out Message Displayed
P-82_30-174 Oct 01 Wipers/Washers - Tip of Passenger Wiper Off of Glass
P-82_30-178 Feb 02 Wipers/Washers - Wiper Blades Come loose
P-82_30-366 Sep 04 Wipers/Washers - Wipers Chatter/Noisy After Blade Change
P-82_62-169B Oct 02 Audio System - Various CD Player Malfunctions
P-82_70-222 Mar 03 Cell Phone - Phone Won't Fasten Into Cradle Holder
P-82_85-170 Sep 01 COMAND(R) System - Incorrect ETA Calculation Displayed
P-82_85-171 Sep 01 COMAND(R) System - Instrument Display Not Centered
P-82_85-197 Aug 02 Navigation System - Poor Performance
P-82_85-210 Nov 02 Navigation/GPS System - Various Malfunctions
P-82_85-264 Jul 03 Navigation System - Inoperative/Erroneous Guidance
P-82_85-288 Sep 03 COMAND(R) System - Unable to Enter New Destination
P-82_95-305 Feb 04 Emergency Contact/Alarm System - System 'Runaway'
P-83_00-61 Feb 02 Interior - Vinegar Like Smell in High Temperatures
P-83_00-70 Aug 04 A/C - Inoperative/Codes Set/AC OFF Lamp Illuminated
P-83_40-56 Sep 01 A/C - 'EC' Lamp ON/DTC 1256 Stored in Memory
P-83_40-60 Jan 02 Automatic Temperature Control - Inoperative
P-83_55-65 Dec 02 A/C - Compressor Cycles Frequently
P-88_50-26 Oct 01 Body - Banging Noises From Rea on Rough Roads
P-91_40-67A Jul 04 SRS - Warning Lamp ON/DTC's B9183/B91A3 Stored
P-91_60-48 Aug 01 Air Bag System - Side Impact Sensor Replacement
P-91_60-49 Aug 01 Air Bag System - DTC's B1867/1871 Stored in Memory
P-91_60-57A May 03 SRS System - Control Module Service Precautions
P-91_60-58 Apr 03 SRS System - Post Collision Impact Sensor Replacement
P-99_00-265 Jul 01 Vehicle - Technical Information Update Announcement
S-01_30-15 Feb 04 Engine - Cylinder Wall Damage Assesment
S-18_00-16A Dec 03 Gasoline Engine - Oil Sludging
S-49_10-08 Feb 04 Exhaust System - Rattling/Hissing/Humming Noises
S-54_21-101 Oct 03 Engine Controls - ECM Flash Process Change
S-82_70-135B Oct 02 Fiber Optics System - Configuration/Version Coding
S-82_70-179A Feb 02 Cellular Phone - V60 Programming Instructions
S-82_85-205 Sep 02 COMAND(R) System - Various Malfunctions

This link should get you to where the actual TSBs. You can also see other vehicle there as well.
http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Mercedes-Benz/index-post.html
Hope this helps
Cheers

... and also, the recalls and TSBs may not apply to the car you're looking at.

Recalls are safety related and must be performed. TSBs are used as a diagnostic reference tool. Safety recalls are done by specific VINs and don't expire with the car's warranty. TSBs are normally referenced by the service department after a customer complains about something in particular and will expire with the warranty. TSBs are issued to address common complaints.

For example, if you took the car in for unrelated service (even after the warranty expired) and the two recalls applied to your car but had yet to be performed, they would do it without your asking and without cost to you.

If you took the car in for service during the warranty period and complained about something in particular, the service tech may search the TSBs for a remedy for your complaint. It's a way to avoid re-inventing the wheel. If a process already exists to perform a repair, they'll use it. A TSB issued for an '02 S600 doesn't mean that the car you're looking at will have the same problem. It may or may not.

If you took the car in for service during the warranty period and demanded they perform all the TSBs ever issued for an '02 S600, or you took the car in after the warranty period expired, and you asked them to absorb the costs of performing TSBs, they'd show you the door.

Lugnut is right on the money !

The only reason I posted all of the TSBs listed was to give you an idea of what the "Common Complaints" with that model vehicle are.

The list in no way means that the car you are looking at actually has ANY of them. It was just to give you an idea.

Feel free to check this link out and you'll see that other vehicles have similar (and some much longer) lists. --> http://www.alldata.com/tsb/index.html

Hope this helps.

A service manager at a dealership once told me the TBS are sent out to dealers, who are not required to notify the customer of the model affected by the TBS, unless the owners complains about the specific problem and it is the dealer determination if the problem is connected to the TBS and if the customer pays for the repair of the dealership does. He also added, his shop will check cars that have TBS issued to see if a problem does exist in that particular car, especially if the TBS mentions anything about possible failures or other possible issues. A recall is exactly that it recalls the car for a safety or pollution related problem that the NHTSB has received a number of complaints about for the car and or specific model of a car. But the NHSTB strongly urges the comsumer to have the recalled problem fixed, but there aren't any laws forcing the consumer to do so. So when buying a used car it is a good idea to check both the recalls and TBS list for the car and then find out it the recalls have been done. TBS's are another thing as the failure or problem had to occur before an shop will consider it. This whole story was told to me by a Service Manager so the validity of it is not confirmed.

Anybody else hear an echo in here?

As a matter of fact I did?

I'm going to be buying an S600 one day...It's my dream car...well actually a Saleen S7 is my dream car but the S600 comes close. If I were you I would buy it, just be prepared to make friends at the MB dealer cause you'll be seeing them everytime you need maintenance...cherio chap.

UPDATE- brought her home yesterday. A few minor glitches, but other than that she seems ok. There was no navigation cd; the local dealer gave me one. No phone, and the dealer swore that only a genuine MB phone would work with the system. Well, I dug out the old BMW phone that's been sitting for a couple of years, plugged it in, and everything works fine. The phonebook is all there (I swear half the people in it are dead or missing), and the whole thing works. Now I have to get the phone reactivated by Sprint. That saved me spending a small fortune buying an upgrade to the phone system or paying a dealer over $600 just for the handset.

The lights have been upgraded to '04 already. When I went to the dealer the service tech went out to the parking lot to get the VIN, and came back saying he couldn't find an '02 in the lot. I mentioned the lights, he said he thought that car (mine) WAS an '04.

The previous owner apparently didn't like the key card idea, and changed the shifter. The dealer is getting me a new shifter so I can have the key card feature. Or whatever it's called.

The tires were upgraded (?) from 17" to 18". Spare is still a 17". I set the Nav system to the new tires. Question - how do I tell the speedometer that the tires are bigger? I noticed that the tire pressure monitor is missing. Hmm... that was done to my '02 BMW, by the dealer during a software "upgrade" too. Is this an issue?

Many thanks to all for the info! I figured this car wouldn't be entirely trouble free, but it has to beat the BMW. Right? Had an '02 745Li. LEMON. BMW finally gave me an '04 to replace it, but I didn't trust it any more and sold it quickly. Bought a Lotus Elise instead. Keeping the Elise, that's my toy, but I liked the MB too. It was just a bit more than I wanted to pay back in '02, so now I have it at a fraction of the cost.

And finally, should I buy an aftermarket extended warranty? And if so, can anyone recommend a good one that is actually worth it?

The dealer can reprogram the speedo for the current tire size. They may not have to, though. With today's performance tires, an inch taller tire may have a lower sidewall profile which essentially makes 17" and 18" the same height. Anyway, ask them about reprogramming.

Also, it's probably a bad idea to put different size tires on the rear for any longer than it would take to reach the nearest tire repair shop. The rear differential is probably a limited-slip type that could be damaged with different size tires. If a rear tire blows, put the spare on the front and take the front tire and put it on the rear.

Thanks! I guess it's fine then. Believe me, I won't be changing any tires myself. That's what roadside assistance is for. I can't imagine trying to loosen lugs that have been tightened by a machine and being successful anyway.

The roadside assistance guys will change the tire but they won't care about your differential. You need to tell them not to put odd-sized tires on the rear. If they aren't really smart, then you'll need to explain to them how to change the tires so the odd sizes end up on front instead of the rear, and why.