View Poll Results: How would you rate your reliability history?
Never had a problem. It's just perfect.
8
40.00%
A minor thing or two, which is to be expected.
11
55.00%
A few too many problems, more than I expected.
1
5.00%
I wish I would have never bought this lemon.
0
0%
Voters: 20. You may not vote on this poll
This guy at the car wash stopped me to say his CLK was a lemon.
05-06-2011, 04:17 PM
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
This guy at the car wash stopped me to say his CLK was a lemon.
He went on forever. All of it seemed to be electrical. OTOH, I remember being initially stumped by some of the controls and had to refer to the dreaded manual, so there may have been some operator error in play for this guy. 
Nevertheless, he was amazed to hear that I hadn't had any problems (other than the cigarette lighter doesn't work and it isn't the fuse). My biggest problems is keeping that creamy interior clean.
So is that guy just really unlucky?
I've had great luck, but stuff like that makes you nervous.
Nevertheless, he was amazed to hear that I hadn't had any problems (other than the cigarette lighter doesn't work and it isn't the fuse). My biggest problems is keeping that creamy interior clean.
So is that guy just really unlucky?
I've had great luck, but stuff like that makes you nervous.
Last edited by JHouse; 05-06-2011 at 11:20 PM.
05-06-2011, 04:41 PM
#3
Member
I have heard that if you have a real headache car, it is most likely electrical based (hard to diagnose and expensive to fix).
This being said, lemon cars tend to get exposed to a lot more people simply because people are constantly selling them. Conversely, a smooth running car may have only 2 or 3 owners in its lifetime.
Pound for pound, the CLK certainly doesnt have any more issues than any other production vehicle.
This being said, lemon cars tend to get exposed to a lot more people simply because people are constantly selling them. Conversely, a smooth running car may have only 2 or 3 owners in its lifetime.
Pound for pound, the CLK certainly doesnt have any more issues than any other production vehicle.
05-06-2011, 05:04 PM
#4
Best way to think of our cars is that they used the American approach to car making when it came to the CLK. We dont have a lot of eletronic components like the E-class or other classes do (electric suspension, electronic brakes, etc). It's really easy to fix if something comes up but at times it can be expensive. (GET AN AFTER MARKET WARRANTY!)
My good friend is a Master Tech for MBZ and he raves about this car and how easy it is to maintain. He has done some work on my car, mainly oil leaks but that normal for a car that's 7 years old.
One problem I have is the SRS light is on for the child safety feature of the passenger seat... $150 to fix; not a big deal.
My good friend is a Master Tech for MBZ and he raves about this car and how easy it is to maintain. He has done some work on my car, mainly oil leaks but that normal for a car that's 7 years old.
One problem I have is the SRS light is on for the child safety feature of the passenger seat... $150 to fix; not a big deal.
05-06-2011, 05:24 PM
#5
Super Member
Thread Starter
Years ago, I read in Car and Driver that it took Mercedes 60 man-hours to make their average car (whatever that is) but the incredible part was that the last 20 of those 60 hours was quality control i.e. fixing the stuff that didn't get put together right the first time.
The point of the article had to do with Toyota spending 12 man-hours making their average car (with just about zero defects at the time).
Interesting comparison. I'm guessing robotics have changed a lot of that information by now.
Another interesting tidbit: When Ford bought Jaguar, the parts used in the XJ series was reduced by 1/3. I guess there was a lot of crap in there they didn't really need, huh?
The point of the article had to do with Toyota spending 12 man-hours making their average car (with just about zero defects at the time).
Interesting comparison. I'm guessing robotics have changed a lot of that information by now.
Another interesting tidbit: When Ford bought Jaguar, the parts used in the XJ series was reduced by 1/3. I guess there was a lot of crap in there they didn't really need, huh?
Last edited by JHouse; 05-06-2011 at 05:27 PM.
05-06-2011, 05:56 PM
#6
Best way to think of our cars is that they used the American approach to car making when it came to the CLK. We dont have a lot of eletronic components like the E-class or other classes do (electric suspension, electronic brakes, etc). It's really easy to fix if something comes up but at times it can be expensive. (GET AN AFTER MARKET WARRANTY!)
My good friend is a Master Tech for MBZ and he raves about this car and how easy it is to maintain. He has done some work on my car, mainly oil leaks but that normal for a car that's 7 years old.
One problem I have is the SRS light is on for the child safety feature of the passenger seat... $150 to fix; not a big deal.
My good friend is a Master Tech for MBZ and he raves about this car and how easy it is to maintain. He has done some work on my car, mainly oil leaks but that normal for a car that's 7 years old.
One problem I have is the SRS light is on for the child safety feature of the passenger seat... $150 to fix; not a big deal.
05-06-2011, 05:56 PM
#7
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 100
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2009 CLK550 coupe
I purchased and owned a 07 CLK350 for little over 3 years then traded it in for the current 550 (need more hps, LOL). During the 3 yrs of ownership and despite having PIII option on that 350, I experienced only 2 minor issues.
- third brake light cover came off after a car wash (dealer replaced immediately).
- replaced driver side door handle because it stopped responding to keyless-go's IR signal (dealer took a week to order the part. Work perfectly after replacement).
The CLK has been the most trouble-free car I have ever owned. And I thought I had some fairly reliable cars in the past - cars such as Nissan pathfinder, Accura Vigor, Toyota Supra...
- third brake light cover came off after a car wash (dealer replaced immediately).
- replaced driver side door handle because it stopped responding to keyless-go's IR signal (dealer took a week to order the part. Work perfectly after replacement).
The CLK has been the most trouble-free car I have ever owned. And I thought I had some fairly reliable cars in the past - cars such as Nissan pathfinder, Accura Vigor, Toyota Supra...
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05-06-2011, 05:59 PM
#8
I purchased and owned a 07 CLK350 for little over 3 years then traded it in for the current 550 (need more hps, LOL). During the 3 yrs of ownership and despite having PIII option on that 350, I experienced only 2 minor issues.
- third brake light cover came off after a car wash (dealer replaced immediately).it happens to every CLK
- replaced driver side door handle because it stopped responding to keyless-go's IR signal (dealer took a week to order the part. Work perfectly after replacement).
The CLK has been the most trouble-free car I have ever owned. And I thought I had some fairly reliable cars in the past - cars such as Nissan pathfinder, Accura Vigor, Toyota Supra...
- third brake light cover came off after a car wash (dealer replaced immediately).it happens to every CLK
- replaced driver side door handle because it stopped responding to keyless-go's IR signal (dealer took a week to order the part. Work perfectly after replacement).
The CLK has been the most trouble-free car I have ever owned. And I thought I had some fairly reliable cars in the past - cars such as Nissan pathfinder, Accura Vigor, Toyota Supra...
