Hello,

I am new to this forum and I am considering buying a used CLK 430.

I'm interested in model years 1998 to 2001. I'm wondering if I should avoid the 98 & 99 model year due to, it is the first year on the market and bugs being worked out.

Buying any car is easy. My main concern to me is the maintenance as well as dealer service. as well as if it is costly to service and maintain this type of vehicle.

I've owned 3 Japanese brands before and never once had any problems except my dealer bugging me every 3 months to remind me its time to service the car.

What should I expect from the CLK in terms of reliability?

I live in Quebec Canada and would be using it in winter, so I really do not want any surprises comes winter time.

I wanted to get the Infinity G35 Coupe but hate the interior. I always had a weakness for the W208 CLK.

I presently own a 93 Prelude and a 2002 Corvette Coupe. I am giving the Prelude to my nephew, since I already have a sports car. It's why I am looking for a CLK Coupe, at 43 yrs of age I want something fast & comfortable.

P.S. I am always hearing of Kleemann if I decide to install one of their superchargers would that void the MB warranty?

what is the horsepower on a normal CLK 430 and how much HP would I get with a Kleemann?

I thank you all in advance for your responses and advice.

 

I guess no one has any advice to give me.

Thanks just the same

 

lots of newbies hop on the board with the same question, and of course, from an MB board, you will get a lot of biased opinions...

if you simply do a search, you find lots of posts about the CLK...

heres some advice... avoid '98 if you can... opt for a '00+ model to get the updated features. the clk is very comfortable, and the 430 has plenty of power to offer... if you want break-neck speeds, get a kleemannized clk55

only suggestion for winter driving is to get a different set of rims/tires... oh, and use the winter mode...

in terms of reliability, it is very much luck of the draw... some people have some problems, others have none... the clk is a pretty solid car, and mechanically, it is solid as a rock. just a few minor electrical issues like with the power windows or seats, btu thats about it... best suggestion, get a later model year like '01 or '02 so you have a good warranty left.... after that, if you want to keep it, buy an extended warranty. most complaints come from MY '00 clks and back... some '01s, not much complaints from '02 owners...

Hope you can join us in the future as a CLK owner next time...

 

John_R,
I have a 2002 CLK55 AMG Kleemann car. I've owned the car 9 months and have had very little problem.

As for warranty they Supercharger do not void the warranty, but don't expect a dealer to repair any aftermarket parts. There are Kleemann dealers around the nation that can help out.

Feel free to ask any question you like. Be a little more specific and I’ll try and answer them.
Tim

 

I think KLEEMANN USA have a CLK 430 with compressor and a lot of extras for sale, why don't you call them ?????

 

MMGRAD, TIMSTER, thanks for your input really appreciate it.

Lucas, unfortunately I live in Canada to import a MB from USA will cost me much more in terms of dollar exchange and also the car would have to conform to Canadain specs. Mainly the dash guages would have to read in KPM and not in MPH and also must be equipped with daytime running lights and some other annoying upgrade to meet Canadian specs.

 

Those things are easy changed.

 

I'm in the same boat as John_R.

Looking to buy a used CLK 430.

I read somewhere that models >= 2000 have free maintenance on them during their warranty period (50,000 miles / 5 years). Is this true?

How expensive is it to maintain a CLK? For example how much do oil changes etc. cost? How about 15k servicings etc.

Finally, what's a good price for a used 2000 model CLK 430 (stock) with ~ 45,000 miles?

thanks.
-shehryar