If all goes well over the next month, I hope to pick up an 01/02 clk55 coupe. A couple of guys I know, my Father included, have been trying to talk me out of the AMG, saying it will be very expensive to keep it up, especially since it will be hard to find one in my price range without a ton of miles.

So my questions are, how many miles do you have on your 55 at the moment, and do you think the reliability decreases drastically around the 90-100k mile marker?

 

mine is 2005 CLK55 Cabriolet. Only has 22,500 miles, its a fair weather car and only comes out in nice weather when i'm going to put the top down.

maintenance is expensive. routine work should be about the same as any other benz. other reapirs (collsion etc.) maybe more due to some specialized parts.

mine has actually been very "unreliable". but its' under warranty. not sure how long i'll keep it after the warranty.

 

It seems like I've read more "unreliable" stories on the 209 than 208.

 

i have an 03, bought it in 05 wit 37k+ miles, now it has about 77k+...been thru a transmission, which actually would've been an "ok" experience if the stealership would have ordered correctly, but whatever!...i 2nd the maintenance being expensive...i wouldnt buy one that doesnt have warranty, unless u have one hell of a mechanic...all in all i love my car, and would recommend anyone to get one if they're capable of handling somewhat high prices for parts n labor...

 

2003 CLK55 has 38,200 miles. No major work done. Nothing has broken.......yet.

 

"Expensive" is a relative term. If you have to stretch financially to get into the car, don't buy it.

This applies to ANY Mercedes-Benz: Regular maintenance is a must, not an option. Your car will degrade quickly unless maintaned adequately and routinely.

Good luck in your decision.

 

Purchasing the car won't be a problem at all for me. Regular fluid changes, filter changes and things of that nature are no problem either. What other sort of things (special of the amg) need to be done on a regular basis, and how regular? At what intervals does MB suggest the major maintenance be handled?

I already figured I would look for one that had that "B" service completed recently by the dealer. This would be a good idea, right?

 

The W208 was manufactured during the time when MBUSA offered 'free' service on the FSS (Flexible Service System) program. Basically, when the computer told you to get the oil changed or have an A or B service done, you made an appointment.

I never paid any attention to the recommended services as I felt that 10,000+ mile oil change intervals were not enough! Same goes for "lifetime" fluids on transmissions and differentials. I had mine serviced at 1,500, 5,000, 10,000, 15,000, etc. and paid for the intervals out of my pocket rather than wait for a light to come on and tell me to have something changed.

Back you your issue....ask for service records. Were service intervals extended (10K or more miles)? Remember, these 3-valve V8s use sixteen spark plus!

Aside from the general maintenance, the big-ticket items on routine maintenance of the AMG (vs. say the CLK430) are brake pads and rotors. You will go through tires quickly. Motor mounts and some suspension components can wear in 60-70K miles, depending on how the car was driven.

The biggest issue with these cars (or ANY modern MB for that matter) is that fact that they are completely controlled by computers. For example, when you hit the window down switch, there is no "hard wire" connecting the switch directly to the window motor/regulator. Instead, that signal is routed through multiple computers on the CANBUS system that sends the signal to lower the window. The transmission module, stereo, and all the other electronics operate in the same manner.

Bottom line....if you have trouble with one if the numerous control units, it will be an expensive repair. Oh, they are ALL VIN coded to the car as well, so forget about buying one off a salvage car and plug it in expecting it to work. The technology packed into these cars is incredible....but can get expensive if a control module isn't working properly.

Good luck.

 

That all sounds about normal. I used to have a 2004 Mach 1 (hence the user name) which is a 4v motor, and incredibly tight working space. I'm used to having the oil changed every 3k. The other fluids tend to be about every 30k though. Hell, with over 550 rwtq, I still haven't changed the fluid in my rear end. How often do these cars have problems with the electronically-controlled parts? If the parts can't be replaced, what has to be done to fix it? Take the ECU out and work on it or what?

There are A LOT of shops around Houston that work specifically on German cars, and seem to always have BMW's and MB's in the bays. Would shops like this be a better option than taking it to the dealer for every little thing and being ***-raped?

 

I've got just under 40K miles on my '02 and no ECU computer problems - though I did have the instrument cluster replaced under warranty, a known issue on all W208s and W210 (E-class) cars of that era...not an exclusive issue to an AMG.

My 55 goes to a fellow W208/55 AMG owner for service (mbenzman). A good independent shop that knows AMGs specifically will make your life easier and less costly down the road. Tranny and diff fluids changed at 30K is desired, at least in my book. I do oil with Mobil 1 every 5K.

The motors and transmissions are robust. I'm sure they can get costly when needing repair - I have no idea what a rebuild would cost...

As far as the electronics....a little care goes a long way. Don't spill any liquid down the shift gate. Chances are great the little computer sitting down there will be affected in a negative way. I've seen replacements range from $600-$1000. Next, don't be stingy on having the battery tested every couple years. Electronic fluctuations can wreak havoc on sensitive electronic parts. I've not heard of an ECU going bad on a W208 55 - I know a CLK320 this happened to and it was an expensive fix ($2K+). Since my car is mostly stock, I can't speak to modded 208s as far as electronic issues.

I really can't speak to any detailed issues with the W209s.

I bought my car new in June '02 (warranty until June '09) and plan to hang onto it at least 10 years. It has plenty of power, looks great and can be had at an excellent value at the moment. Mine isn't my daily driver, so perhaps my vision is skewed...

 

Sounds good. I'm sure there are some shops in Houston that know what they are doing w/ AMG's. The car will be my daily driver, but I live downtown and drive about 2 minutes to work every day. I take a 200 mile round trip run up to see my g/f at school about twice a month. Other than that, the only miles that will be put on the car are driving around town on the weekends.

 

i only have 45k and just picked it up at the beginning of the year. i immediately had the MAF, ball joints, and motor mounts replaced under the factory 100k warranty. it was a $2500 job. However, dealers love warranties, so I'm not sure HOW necessary it was.

 

2003 55 AMG with almost 25,000 miles. i bought the car with 17,000 miles so i have put almost eight thousand on it. i have had no issues what so ever. the car is rock solid.

 

Now at 107K+

I have had the insturment cluster replaced

Small things don't work like lumbar on the dirvers seat, temp gauge (probably form bumper replacment)

Anyway about 2-4K per year maintainance (all dealer done)
Another 1500+ in tires per year (can't help the right foot)

A good indy would reduce cost but not all have the service capabilities

If this is too much, learn to make more $ and enjoy

 

2005 - 4,500 miles in service date was 8/31/2007. So I am covered until 8/31/2012 and 100,000 miles.

Having it shipped from California to Chicago, only white with black interior CLK55 I could find in the country with so much factory warranty left!

 

if you dont mind me asking how much did you pick it up for?

 

'04 w/20,000mi

I've had a few little problems with my car, all of which were covered under warranty.

liner on the a-pillar started to separate, signal indicator on dr. side mirror had bad seal causing condensation, radio amplifier failed.

I'm actually bringing my car in on monday because inside my driver's side door there sounds what appears to be a loose nut causing a rattling sound, and my key doesn't work anymore(even with new batteries).

 

My girlfriend just signed the papers for $40k including shipping from Cali to IL.

here are some pics, and story ... https://mbworld.org/forums/clk55-amg-clk63-amg-w208-w209/249521-new-mbworld-story-w209-05-clk55-white.html

I thought it was a great deal i wouldnt we find anywhere else.
I am addicted to autotrader.com and she always wanted a clk so we decided there will never be a better opportunity than this especially in white.

 

I bought my '04 a bit over a year ago with 53k miles. I currently have 77k miles on it. Other than a passenger seat sensor, and a broken seat track (thanks to the previous owner), I've had no real mechanical problems with the car.

As for body work, well front bumper (cracked from the previous owner) and both mirror housings (some a$$ stole the turn signals from them)

Tires are the worst I think. I've replaced the fronts once so far and the rears twice since having the car. Mainly that's due to not having them rotated at first.

In general its not cheap to have one of these cars but if you do get one, drive it like its meant to be driven!