Average Life of a Mercedes Benz S430

My foggy crystal ball says it could die tomorrow or 10 years from now.

Not gonna lie... German early 2000's cars are complete nightmares to keep running because this was the first time there were so many electronics in the cars. One huge problem is mechanical however, the air suspension is prone to fail, here is a link for a lot of known problems https://www.google.ca/amp/s/repairpal.com/problems/mer cedes-benz/s430.amp I hope that helps. A good reliable alternative to this (I know you will call me an old man for this) is a Lexus ls400, those are rwd V8 just like that Mercedes and they run for a million miles, literally. If you want something more sporty a 1997-2004 Lexus gs400- gs430 would be great. 270 to 300 HP depending on the model you get and a nice comfy leather interior. Back when it came out motor trend did a review and it was drifting around and it got a better score than a corvette at the time around a figure 8. That s430 is nice, if you wanna pay up to 2500 or more a year on maintenance which you probably don't, judging by the fact you are in uni. Hope I helped!

Is this the one you are looking to buy?

Toyota or Honda,

I've had my 2002 s430 up to 250k miles and it still ran great when I sold it. The only issue is buying them with that mileage is do not speed fast on turns you don't want to break or make a leak in the air suspension. They will go forever these cars only issues is air suspension.

252k miles here, tranny replaced 10k miles ago. Get Arnott replacement air shocks and be prepared for control arm replacement ($$$) if you have bad roads in your area. That and carbon build up because of the engine being overpowered but otherwise an excellent car. Seafoam/ techron is your friend. These can go 500k miles easily and are still luxurious.

Well, I'll tell ya... Ya gotta baby them a little, but the ride, feel, safety and comfort are absolutely amazing. I have a "06 S430 with 93,000 miles that literally runs, feels and looks like a new car. In fact, many people [who are not necessarily Mercedes followers] do think the care is relatively new due to the fact that Mercedes is very slow to make major changes in body and interior style (pretty conservative actually). To be brutally honest, I like the lines and interior styling of my "06 more than the brand new ones, which seem over-styled, garish (almost gaudy). Just the feel, smell and ambiance of the car makes me look forward to driving to work the next day. Only thing is... like with any Mercedes - ya gotta keep-up on the maintenance. Otherwise, speaking from an engine/drivetrain standpoint, these cars can be kept and driven for years. Just remember to baby them!

I agree with HONDARULESJ35, one of the best cars to get is a Toyota, Honda or Lexus, and if you want a pickup truck get a Tundra or Ford F- 150, they are the best.

Black Beauty S430 2002! Drive great but keep up on maintenance! Use car cover! Cowl drains back up! Or garage kept. Use only Benz parts! Ukulele HollyBloe

I have a White S430 with 230k and a White 2023 S500. I expect the s430 will last longer than the s500 I would trade the s500 first.