Faults:

At purchase:

A/C inoperative.

Sunroof inoperative.

Passenger front window inoperative.

Driver's rear window inoperative.

Wear/small tear in driver's seat leather.

Some rust and paint fading (Florida beachside car).

Since purchase:

Climate control panel broken (heat - A/C-blower).

Fuel filters replaced/fuel lines cleared.

Front brake pads/rotors.

General Comments:

Built and drives like the tank it is. Bulletproof mechanically (with proper maintenance). Roomy, comfortable, well appointed interior.

It's not the fastest car on the road, but it will get you where you want to go and back every single time.

I drive this car daily around town, and make several highway trips a year of about 400 miles each, averaging 29 mpg (not bad at all for a car that is heavier than most trucks).

This car has only stranded me once, right after I purchased the car (due to blocked fuel filters, previous owner was somewhat lax about maintenance). Working on the non-running problems now. Parts are plentiful, easy to get and relatively inexpensive.

For $1300, an excellent purchase. I intend to drive this car to the grave - either its or mine.

Faults:

Nothing, awesome car after many years, even the AC blows cold,

General Comments:

Like, I said this car is the most amazing car I ever owned. If you want to go fast, definitely this car is not for you, but if you want a car with class, easy to maintain, and an average of 27mpg, then consider this great German machine.

Faults:

I bought a neglected car, therefore my comments are somewhat not typical of the other posters who say this is the most solid car built.

That said, this is a very sturdy car, but has needed a lot of TLC to bring it back to its former glory.

Since owning it, I've replaced all fuel lines, fuel pump, oil cooler lines (PITA), left ball joint, tie rods, valve adjustment, alignment, brakes, repacked front bearings, exhaust clamps, new antenna, corrected faulty wiring from PO's poor attempt at stereo installation and changed all belts.

I still need to flush out the cooling system, which is filled with rust, and put in Mercedes coolant, change the transmission cooling lines and put in a rebuilt steering box.

Cosmetically, the car also needs some help as the driver's fender is dented and could use paint. I did install euro lights, which helped the appearance some, but overall, it needs a bit more help.

General Comments:

Good car, but not exactly cheap to maintain. I do all my work myself, but sometimes I don't have enough time.

The vacuum system in these cars is quirky and affects the transmission shifting, which was horrid when I got the car.

After a lot of tweaking / adjusting, I've got it to where it is somewhat civilized, but still needs the Midas touch from a trained MB tech. I may bite the bullet and have a MB Indy put some final touches on the transmission adjusting.

Next year, I'm planning on replacing the timing chain & tensioner. Hopefully after that, this car will be as good as new, and provide me with years to service.

I love the diesel engine, and hope to keep this MB for a long time. I also have a 84 300SD and a 86 300SDL, which was crashed and totaled (sadly).

Faults:

When I purchased my 300D, the previous owner had put 112,000 miles on it. I took it to a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Memphis, TN to have the car brought up to full operating reliability. A number of repairs and replacement parts were needed, with the final bill exceeding $7500. While the car's exterior and interior were generally in immaculate condition, periodic maintenance had evidently not been regularly done. The following maintenance was performed by the shop:

The radiator was replaced.

The water pump was replaced.

The thermostat was replaced.

Belts and hoses were replaced.

Wheel alignment was performed.

The driver side drink holder was replaced.

The battery was replaced.

Rotors were turned and brake pads were replaced.

The rear decorative rubber bumper strip was reattached.

Air conditioner was serviced.

Oil and filter were changed.

Air filter was changed.

The valves were adjusted.

The fuel filter was changed.

Since the original maintenance was done, I replaced the starter in 2005 at about 120,000 miles.

The air conditioner compressor was replaced in 2006, and I've had to service the climate control system with freon yearly since that time.

The battery was replaced in 2008.

The vacuum lines, by which the automatic door locks work, evidently formed cracks, resulting in loss of the automatic locking feature in 2008.

The controller located on the top, center firewall that operates the climate control system, failed in 2008 at approximately 138,000 miles. I had the unit replaced with a manual valve, so that when I want AC, I close the valve manually. When I need heat and/or defog, I have to manually open the valve.

At 153,000 miles, I had the rotors turned on the front brakes.

At 153,000 miles, the front right wheel bearing was replaced and the front left bearing was repacked.

At 153,000 miles, the exterior paint still looks good, but is fading. The color is a pale yellow (tan).

At 153,000 miles, the camel tan vinyl interior still looks almost new, but has a couple of rub areas on the left side of the driver's seat.

At 153,000 miles, the engine leaks a small amount of oil; not enough to get excited about, but uses no oil between scheduled services.

General Comments:

I bought my 300D because I had always admired the car's clean lines and because I liked the smoothness of the diesel engine out on the open highway. Everywhere I've gone in my 300D, people have stopped me to comment on it, often saying they had owned one and regretted having sold it. They are surprised when I tell them it is a 1984 year model, because it looks almost showroom new when cleaned and waxed.

My wife and I have used our old W123 300D for road trips to Gatlinburg, TN, Branson, MO, Washington, DC, and other distant destinations with no hesitancy about its age. It has never let us down. We continue to use it for long trips and as a daily driver. We have averaged 32+ miles per gallon in normal highway driving conditions, perhaps because I drive conservatively speed-wise.

In addition to being thrifty fuel-wise, the 300D has excellent suspension and seating systems for long trips. We are not road-weary when we reach our destinations, something that cannot be said about most other cars.