Faults:

The accessory belt tensioner was going bad when I purchased the car. Had the previous owner change it.

Suspension bushings were mostly worn when I bought the car. Had them replaced.

General Comments:

After the disappointly unreliable car of previous, I decided its fun to drive and engaging factors were not worth the countless breakdowns and repairing costs it has incurred on me. At first, I wanted to purchase the W210 E200 model, but then I heard about the quality problems, so I decided to purchase this W124 instead. My fears of it being old and susceptible to breaking down quickly disappeared as I have racked up some trouble free miles on it in two years. Though not as fun to drive as my Alfa, it is much better built.

Interior is very well put together as it is still rattle free and shows very little signs of wear and tear. Switchgears and knobs click the way a Teutonic car ought to, even after 14 years.

The twincam, 16 valve engine is still very smooth at idle and low rpms. However, it is clearly not an engine made for enthusiasts as it shows signs of roughness and gasping for breath at over 4000rpms.I think this is more of a workhorse engine, which, for a daily driver, is fine by me.

I thought the suspension setting for the Malaysian spec model was a bit too soft. When I had the bushings replaced, I purchased a set of German spec springs had them installed. The car handles considerably better now, though there's a bit of penalty in ride quality. Though the original shock absorbers weren't leaking, I had them replaced as well while doing the bushings.

Body has no rust, and doors still shut with the famous Mercedes thunk. There are a few dents and dings from 14 years of being used daily.

I really wish Mercedes Benz still made cars this way. It is ashamed what happened to the reputation of this great marque, all due to the desire of maximising profit. Though Mercedes say they are going back to building cars the way they used to, only time can tell if they are actually telling the truth. I know that once your reputation and people have lost confidence in your brand, it takes ages to regain the ground that you've lost.

Faults:

Grow plug has been replaced 6 times!

One month after the purchase, transmission leak.

Six months after that, the steering column was replaced by the dealer (Under Warranty).

Two months ago, the intake manifold has to be replaced. The water-cooled dynamo have to be replaced. Front seat sensor was was defective and has to be replaced.

General Comments:

This car is my nightmare.