willworkforfood

Well, I'm getting my 2003 CLK soon, and selling my 1999 CLK.
Just wanted to know if anyone had any problems like me.
I haven't had any problems in the past 12 months, but in the first 2 years of my lease, damn, everything stupid that could break, did.
My list:
1) O2 sensor: 3 times replaced
2) Fuel sensor
3) Sunroof motor (I used it 3 times in 3 years)
4) Window motor
5) Trunk release clips (broke 3 times)
6) Driver's seat replaced (went click and moved back everytime I accelerated)
7) Vanity light
8) Transmission dialed in wrong (went down hill, jarring upshift, no, REAL REAL jarring)
9) Fuel indicator
10) Subwoofer

Also, my stock tires (continental) lasted all of 7000 miles. What's up with that?

Now, I'm not saying it is a POS. Nothing that could really screw up the car ever did break. The engine was always OK. It was mainly all these stupid electrical things that made my check engine light a permanently on fixture. I loved the ride of the car and got tons of complements on it. So, I'm looking forward to the 2003 model. But I'm just wondering... did the Germans build my CLK when they were drunk from Oktoberfest or something?

Anyone else with dumb problems like this?

Ahmed

my CLK is a 2000 model, but driven 60000 miles already.

No problems till date except for:

Fuel pump, replaced under warranty
alternator, replaced under warranty
cup holder, replaced under warranty

guess i'm one of the few lucky ones

Martin

I must be one of the lucky ones (or the silent majority). The only problem I've had with my 2001 CLK320 was a squeaky dash which was fixed after 2 weeks. Since then no problems.

I also had a 1997 C280, had minor oil leak fixed by the dealer after 3 years did not even know it was there.

CLK 320

Martin, what exactly did they do to fix your squeaky dash?

Martin

According to the service records they used some dash lubricant. The squeak cam frothe RHS by the windshield.

Stiggs

I am leasing a 1999 CLK430. I already posted a CD changer problem I've had in this room...but lets not go there. Here are a few other things:
- left air conditioning vent broke.
- rear sunshade fell off track (hung down my backseat)
- My rear tires lasted 25,000 miles.....I thought this was too low of milage...rarely burned any rubber. shouldn't they last longer than that??
- I know this sounds wierd but my passenger seat squeaks(spelling?) When I have a passenger with me...sound like the plastic or the leather needs WD40!! I just blast the radio to drown it out!



So overall nothing too major....everything except the CD changer has been replaced. I love this car! Love the body style and the V8. No matter where I go, everyone stares....I swear its like they have never seen this car before!

donbiz

I have a 2002 clk cab and I too have the squeaky dass on the Drivers side. I think it's comming from the wood trim piece.

I also hear a licking nois from my Diverrs seat when i hit the gas or the brakes, It feels like something is moving under the seat but nothing is there.

Also, when ever i manually move the seats forward or backward the headrests go up

I am sure they will fix everything under warrenty as soon as i get around to bringing it in.

LOH

I think the headrests are designed to adjust up or down based on the position of the seat for what it assumes is a taller or shorter occupant. It goes up when you move the seat back and down when you move the seat forward. If you put the seat all the way back and then lower the headrest, when you move the seat forward it goes up again and gradually lowers the closer you move the seat forward.

As for the original post, my dash squeaks occasionally which I also drown out with the radio and the window control module for the express up feature was repaired.

40000 miles later that's it, knock on squeaky wood. Love the car, can't get enough of the V8.

CLK 320

Squeaky seats are a known issue with MY 98 and, I think MY 99. The base of the seat has a plastic "frame" that rubs on the leather, causing noise. In later years, the leather at the base of the seat was replaced with cloth to eliminate the noise. Also the metal skeleton inside the seat has been known to cause noises on both the CLK and the E. (This repair is problematic in that MB never altered the design so you may only be buying a little time before that noise returns) Regardless, it is a repair covered by the warranty, so if you are still covered, take it in.

sungulent

my clk is 6 months old

i changed the tire when the car was only 2 months old

i had flat and it got damaged

all them electrical probmels i am experiencing such as bouncing window

my inside doesnt work

electronic mirror went dead like a week after i got the car they replaced it but now anytime i want the mirror to go up i have to press is the oopsite direction

car is a great car but electronic on it suck

Stiggs

I can just see it now...I walk in to the dealership and say...my seat squeaks...fix it!!
I figure with my crappy CD changer I'll just suck up the seats! Although they can get annoying!!

CLK 320

If the noise is coming from the base of the seat, where the plastic frame rubs on the leather, you can probably do a quick fix yourself. Just place some felt between the plastic and the leather. If it eliminates the noise you can permanently mount it there.

sungulent

squicking noises can be avoided by listeting to loud music

i always bumb one time i was tired and turned off the stereo

i had turn it back on because of the squicky noises came from backseat

willworkforfood

LOL this is pretty sad. We got some huge cheerleaders of the CLK with a helluva lot of idiotic quality problems... Hmm... I don't feel so alone any more!
Well, it still is a .... good car. I truly hope MB is not gonna put Chrysler quality in my new 2003. I want a car that was put together by SOBER employees pleeeeze (in case anyone at MB is listening...)

Stiggs

The rear sunshade is the best!! (sarcasm)
I remember the first time I used it....trying to impress my friends. I had the windows down and I guess it couldn't handle the breeze....piece of plastic broke and it fell off the track and on to my buddy's head. He said..hey this works great..its keeping the sun off me!!!
After i got it fixed I've never used it again.

sungulent

lol funny u mentioned rear sunshade

me too its the first thing i showed my friends

hope you friend is ok sorry

ktm

Why did your Continentals only last 7K miles?

I have them too on my new CLK and I was a bit miffed as to why I got Continentals on a Mercedes.

donbiz

I dropped my CLK off at the Dealer (Rusnak, Pasadena) this morning and they fixed my Squeaky dash, my squeaky seat (with a felt strip) and informed me that the headrest going up when i moved the seat back was a "feature"

It was all covered under warrenty and at least Dan, my service advisor, was aware of all of the issues and fixed them with no hassle.

MsMercedes

I don't know if the Germans do it like we do it in the States, but at our auto plant we have what are called "supplemental" workers, who only come in and work on Fridays and Mondays. They cover the full-time people who take extra days off to extend the weekend. That means that the regular person isn't there to do the job, and a fill in person is.

When they say not to buy a car built on Friday, they mean it. As much as the fill-in tries to do a great job, they sometimes screw up and it gets by Quality Control. There are ways to check this when you buy a car.

Maybe German plants do this too??

donbiz

One day after my dealer "fixed" my squeaky dash, I have a new, louder sueak coming from the dash (abouve the speedometer)


Oh well, at least they fixed the seat squeak!

sungulent

when i was getting the clk i was considering the cab

my dealer talked me out of it saying its noisy

go figure

cdnclk320

i have rattling sounds coming from the dash in speeds in excess of 110 km/hr.

CLK 320

Is the squeak from the same place as the one they "fixed"? What exactly did they do to repair the squeak? Sometimes, the dealer disassembles the dash, pulls it back slightly from the windshield, adds felt, and then reassembles. Unfortunately, this is a fairly lengthy job on a W208 CLK. I think it takes something like 4 hours to take the dash apart and even longer to put it back together. It is not a procedure to be taken lightly, given that you could easily create more noises than you eliminate. However, they may not have gone to this length in your case. Did they tell you what they did?

donbiz

on my warrenty receipt it says they removed my dash wood an applied felt. I recreated the sueak for them at the dealer by pressing on the wood trim

Now I can recreat the aqeak by pressing on the dash directly above the speedometer. The new squeak is much worse than the old one. It's kind of a crackle. seems to be worse with the radio on but that could be my imagination.

I here it whenever i hit a small bump in the road, however a big bump doesn't usally cause it.

I won't be able to leave my car at the dealer for a day until the week after fourth of July so i;ll just have to get use to it!

willworkforfood

Wow, we got a lot more replies than I would have thought...
Funny, well, not really funny, thing is...
On Friday my soon to be off lease CLK decided to really get all fked up. Maybe it is the belt or whatever, but it started making sounds that would wake the dead. A loud high pitched squeak squeak squeak continually sounded from the engine compartment, loud enough to prompt all the service personnel to come out for a look at my lemon.
Well, I had to bring the damn thing in for the 20K service anyway, so it was no big deal, I guess....
THE THING THAT PISSES ME OF IS THIS...
WHY? WHY? WHY is it that the first time something REALLY serious comes up like a sound from the engine that makes you think it's about ready to blow up... why is it that THIS time the goddam check engine light DOESN'T come on????
EVERY damn time some stupid thing, from the O2 sensor, to the fuel sensor, to the fuel cap not being screwed on the goddam check engine light comes on!
So, let me get this straight Mercedes Benz.... I should ONLY check the engine when some stupid thing comes up and when there really may be something LIFE-oratleastcar-threatening, I don't need to check anything?
Hmm, maybe it's like the headrests, I just don't UNDERSTAND all the "features" properly...