First, let me say, I love my car. It has about 178,000 miles on it and I am increasingly faced with issues like: Blower motor ($571) and regulator ($371)(I can’t turn the fan off!) and labor $440 for a total of $1382. 2 years ago i spent about that much to get the air conditioning working. They are also talking about valve covers, distributor caps, plugs and new wiring. – all told $3600. Again, let me say, I love my car. BUT… is it worth it?
Well, as you have found out, there is no such thing as a cheap Mercedes–either in the showroom or in your own garage. Personally, I would not want to keep putting money into a 21-22 year old car that uses very expensive parts.
However, only you can determine whether it is valuable enough to justify the continued–and perhaps unending–repair costs on this car. If it is a second car that you are really emotionally attached to, perhaps it makes sense to keep it going. If this is your only car, you have to consider how the car’s decreasing reliability could soon affect your employment situation.
You’re not getting all this work done at the dealer are you?
If the body and interior are in good shape, why not? Where are you going to find a car like this in good shape for $5000? Parts will be available for a long time to come. It’s mostly a question of whether you want it and whether it’s safe.