r6tanz

Everyone please list ALL problems with your car since you owned the car.
I am thinking of purchasing a 03 W209 and I want to know if this is prone to problems...
This will help a lot of us out here to recognize common problems. thanks

clkcadet

no major problems, sunroof a little weird and transmission has harsh downshifts until its reflashed

Frisco

all warranty work:
fan wire harness replaced (10k mi)
sunroof drive motor assembly replaced (10k mi)
rubber door seal replaced (30k mi)
transmission, torque converter, radiator, cooling lines replaced (40k mi)

2-ToneCLK500

Under warranty
-13 pin connector changed on transmission around 25K
-weatherstrip changed on driver side window (but still sounds like it leaks air)

Won't fix under warranty
-constant alignment problems even after several alignments
-premature brake wear and brake squealing (SA says that the MBZ braking system automatically kicks in while accelerating on a turn with the ESP on, which basically means you're using your brakes w/o actually stepping on them)

...and other small issues such as the hood emblem falling off while I was washing the car. My car is a '03 build with under 30K.

ItalianStallion

'05 CLK500 under 10,000 miles.
-Folding rear window shade rattles, fixed 2 times, starting to rattle again (mostly because of aftermarket) exhaust and subwoofer noise)
-Front emblem broke from car washes (replaced by aftermarket metal AMG emblem)
-Power Steering broke after doing "donuts" Fixed under warranty, but still has weird feeling.
-Car kept leaning to the right when driving in between 5-40mph. Mercedes couldn't fix it, when I got new wheels it stopped and its perfect now.
-Downshifts weird, especially when rolling downhill
-Upshifts harshly when accelerating kind of hard from 1st to 2nd gear
-Cruise control went dead
-ABS and ESP went dead
-Passanger headrest rattles
-SRS malfunction if I drive the car very hard. Nothing happens but it just says "airbag activated" or something
-When I would hit the left blinker, it would make this annoying clicking noise. Dealer fixed it.
-Brakes squeal a lot
-Left parking light is always on no matter what, had to take the parking lights out so it would stop (this was caused by aftermarket HID installation)

Most of these problems were either caused by me, or they weren't that big of a deal.

PrsnBenz

Had an annoying rattle from the sound system, was fixed by dynamatting the trunk area where the sub is located.

Had window regulators replaced.

Had to get a new transmission control unit because of up/downshifts.

Then there were a few more small things but were my fault.

If your considering a w209, get one thats still under warranty. It's SO worth paying a lil more in the long run.

goclkgo

The star mark in the middle of steering wheel sometimes blinds my eyes on a clear suuny day. I'm tired of covering it with my hand so I put a post-it over the sign.

The leather seat smells like fish...maybe I smell like a fish...and THE SEATS ARE JUST TOO DAMN STIFF MY BUTT HURTS LIKE $%^$ AFTER DRVING AROUND LIKE AN HOUR.

OH and I have 350. It's slow and looks REALLY boring!!! SHOULD HAVE GOT 500!!! DAMN

I HATE MY CAR BUT MY GF ENVY MY RIDE...STUPID BIT...H

shanusanus

Hi mate - all warrenty so far - but that ends like in 2 weeks so im scared now

1 New Front Anti Roll Bar (apparently a known fault so had to be replaced anyway)

2 New rear anto roll bar bushes

3 New Nokia Mb Phone cradle & New Nokia Phone interface

4 New front cup holder

5 New ECU re-wiring due to recall - Cruise Control would turn itself off and various other weird stuff was happening - all down to this needed doing

6 New Radiator, Torque Converter and Gearbox - known fault that 'wall' between rad and tranny gives up -anti freeze and other crap now in Tranny - only solution to replace all including all hoses etc

7 New Water Pump

9 ECU remap as it was shaking from gearbox - idling too low apparently!

There have been afew other little things - cant remeber them but the major stuff was above. Car was NOT bought from my local dealer but each time had a loaner car so thats cool.

Car has now done 80K miles - had it from 2002 - was one of the first w209 on teh road here in the UK - and with all the above done she's still driving as teh day I got her

clkcadet

if you hate it so much why dont you sell it?

if your 350 is slow i do not know what you are comparing it to...

goclkgo

Is there anyway that I can somehow change my 350 to 500? i've been riding around this thing over past few months now...i don't know..about 6 month and i found out that 500 has ability to turn the windows blue automatically when it's too bright outside and it's V8, which means more power and...and...I don't know I just like 500...I know I can't afford to buy this car BUT I WANT IT!!! Damn I want it!! Once I tried to drift 350...I failed you know why??? 350 has no power or i'm too stupid to learn how to drift.

S2000

CLK500

10000 miles

1. >1000 miles replaced 7-Speed for reasons listed above. (less than 24hr without car and was given loaner while repaired)

NO PROBLEMS after this

I have no aftermarket parts

Nice Car

ItalianStallion

From a stop, if I turn off ESP and floor it and turn, I can drift pretty good in this car, same thing with if I do a tight turn and hit the gas. It's probably the lack of the 350's torque...or maybe you gotta downshift to the lowest gear so you get power instantly to the rear wheels. And I didn't know the windows turn blue? I think they came tinted from the factory with a slight blue tint to them, but not really enough that you can tell.

But yeah bro, you need the V8, its a beast. But after I drove my father's SL55 last night, I hate my car. Theres always gonna be something better out there.

clkcadet

you shouldve bought a preowned 500, i dont mean to be a pushover, but i have a 320 and its just fine for my driving style does what i want, i dont race,drift,burnout, or do donuts but i am almost certain if i switched to a 500 i would not have my license for too long after delivery.

mis3

For Service-B of my 2004 CLK-320, the mechanic put in a bottle of valve cleaner to the gas tank. The name of the bottle is Lubio Moly Ventil Sauber, Valve Cleaner. I can buy it in the parts department for about $8 Can.

Does anyone know of this product? Is it any good?

mis3

Sorry, I meant to start a new thread.....

hkpooh

I just sold mine this weekend....its got 25k miles on it....
at 2500mils...transmission dead some sort of valve not functioning and
transmission went loud "boom" then dead while I was driving on freeway.
numerous fix on the sunroof, finally they replaced the controller.
steering wheel colum tilt function not working.
weird transmission.

So far I will still buy this car if I have to chosse from an S4, 545 again... I really like the style, b pillar less, the performance is great, comfortable seat etc....I replaced it with a RS4 =P

clkcadet

oh yeah the air conditioning stinks!

goclkgo

werd! smell gets even worse when it's hot...the smell is so stink that it blinds my eyes what is wrong with this car i though someone peed on the air con/ vent.

ItalianStallion

I knew I was forgetting something! Yeah, AC smells weird, but after like 5 minutes it goes away (or maybe I just get used to it). Also, the back part of the inside of my car (right behind the backseat headrests, where the folding sunshade is) is rattling like crazy. Something is definitely loose back there because when I turn or hit the gas I hear something bang. If I turn on the music 1/4 of the way, I hear it rattle...I guess I gotta get more of that dynamat stuff. My motorola phone setup also didn't work, got a new one.
I don't know if this is a problem or not but there are times where when the car shifts, you can feel it go into a neutral gear where you can hit the gas hard and the engine revs but the car doesn't go anwhere for like a second. I actually like it because it sounds real good with my exhaust, but I'm worried that its not gonna go into gear someday.

Its still an insane car, just wish I had the newer 550 engine or even better, the 63.

clkcadet

could be the subwoofer rattling, thats what was up with mine... also i hate when you shift from R to Drive too quickly and the whole car bogs like its about to stall

and when i said the ac stinks, of course it smells, but also it sucks at blowing cold air! to feel anything i have to crank it to max

Stiggs

2003 CLK55 25K miles

Only problem I've had that I can think of was the driver's side window regulator was replaced under warranty. Its had a few recalls....wire harness was one of them. I must be one of the lucky ones...nothing major has gone wrong so far! *knock on wood*

lamak

CLK 320 September 2002. UK based but Euro import with 2 year warranty (extended with Warranty Direct for £350 per 12 months)

1)Clunking from the rear-faulty shockabsorber (2 years old 25k miles) (goodwill)

2) Comand Unit failed (sat nav disc could not be read)-(goodwill)

3)fuel guage showing 1/4 but car running out of fuel-new sender (goodwill)

4)climate control will not blow air out of floor vents (normal apparantly)

5)car cut out on motorway and then failed to restart until it cooled down(currently being worked on)- new fuel pressure sensors and crankshaft postion sensor required (expexted bill of £900!)

6) clunking from front when accelerating-one dealer had diagnosed thrust arm bushes and changed them but with no improvement (£500). Then said it needed new engine mounts. Have now gone for second opinion-they say its the anti roll bar bushes and link arms

7) central locking on passenger side failed-new motor fitted (£422!)

8) clattering noise fron NSF (passenger side footwell on a RHD car)-needs new fuel pipe clip

Shame I am having all these problems as the car is lovely when it works!

Kamal

2-ToneCLK500

For all those who had their window regulators replaced, what exactly was the problem that led to the replacement of the regulator?

shanusanus

hey dude - my tranny also does that when going from R to drive - you wait like a sec and then it finally goes into gear! Well my old tranny did that - they replaced the tranny with a brand new one - torque converter and rad - and guess what - it still does it - so I guess thats just the way the tranny works so dont fret.

clkcadet

it only does this when the car is not at a complete stop, so i doubt its a real problem, since i can now wait until the car comes a complete stop instead of going through that jerking experience! lol

to the original poster, i would like to really tell you that the good things deffinately outweigh the bad things on this car. i have 30k happily driven, smooth miles and sometimes i think how i can ever own a non benz