Trying to buy my first AMG. I've had 2 Porsches and an Audi S4 but have always wanted an AMG; I've even been to the factory in Affalterbach. I was originally looking at C36/C43s and easily found on this site what to look for. Then my price range went up so I've been looking for slightly newer ones. My wife doesn't like silver so there aren't many options, but we just found a black 2002 CLK55 that she fell in love with. But it has 140k miles. The transmission was replaced at 40k according to carfax, but it doesn't appear the fluid has been changed since. The owner supposedly has a lot of records and had it inspected but it's a long drive to see it. I know the interior is worn and one of the windows doesn't work right. But I'm having trouble getting a clear consensus on what the weak points are with these cars. It seems there are some cooling issues and brake issues, but it seems that with this many miles most of that would have been taken care of. Is this too many miles to consider? Normally I'd like a lot less. Thanks for your help.

 

Personally I am not a big fan of the style of the W208's. I would tell you to look at a W209 which started in 2003. I have a very clean CLK55 with 19" BBS and PSS9 coil-over kit. You can PM me.

 

I think this is a situation where a thorough PPI could be your best investment. Best of luck with your search!

 

I just bought a 2001 CLK55 (W208) in Oct '11. The cooling issues are the radiator on the W209, not W208. W208's are pretty much rock solid - only issues I see reported commonly are crank pos sensor, seemingly seat motor issues, and valve cover seals needing work between 60k-90k.

All that said, I bought mine with 66k, have 76k on it now, have had NO problems coming up on 1 yr. Had it chipped w/Kleeman, swapped the stock 17's for 18" MB OEM Monoblocks, very happy with performance, and still get 25mpg on highway trips. If you get one, budget for gas, tires, brakes - and make sure you know the rotor/pad condition when you buy - brake job on these is pricey.

I had an Audi - Audis are truly high-*** maintenance defined when things break, ugh. They have GREAT interiors, but not worth the expense.

Check this earlier thread- https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...ngs-watch.html

Also, note the JD Power surveys rated the CLK's in the top resale and reliability and top reliability. I have a co-worker with a W208 with 190k on it - he swears he'll never sell it.

 

I would be patient and hold out for a lower MLG carr. They are out ther.

 

Thanks everyone. I did find an ad for a 2003 nearby with a bit fewer miles but quite a bit more money; waiting to hear back on it. I wish PPIs weren't so expensive. And I wish people took better care of their cars; I can't believe the number of trashed expensive German cars, and cars with no maintenance records.

 

Both the 208 and the 209 are great cars. Some who drive 208s prefer them. Some who drive 209s prefer them. All that matters is what you, the buyer, prefers.

The 2001/2002 CLK55s are the same. There is a difference between the early and late W209 CLK55 coupe. You’d hate to get an ’03, park it next to an ’05 and let that be the moment you discover the exhaust, interior, brakes, and steering are different.

Lastly, a PPI can be used as a negotiating tool to lower the price of a vehicle. It’s advantageous to know when a car with front rotors that list for $695 per side is due for a full brake job. If the PO used up $2K in brakes, why should the buyer cover those prior expenses?

Best wishes on the purchase.

 

Thanks very much. I hadn't looked at the CLK at all in the past -- I'm more of a sedan guy. But my wife loves it, and now I do too. There are some things I like better about the W208, but every car has its pros and cons. One of the cars just had its brakes done, AMG parts, so that's good. I certainly want to do a PPI, it's just that I hate the thought of spending $350 and finding a lot wrong that kills the sale. So I want to know as much as possible ahead of time, or get the seller to pay for the PPI. Maybe I can get the seller to agree to either reduce the vehicle price by the amount the PPI says needs to be done or pay for the PPI. I was looking at a C32 last week but while on the test drive it would pop out of gear after letting off the throttle after hard acceleration. I couldn't find anything out about what the problem might be so I decided it was too risky to do a PPI and just bagged that car.