aem225

I am considering purchasing a 2001 clk55 with 86,000 miles. I was wondering of there are any reliability issues I should be worried about.

MarcusF

The only "reliability" issue for the W208 55 I can think of is a wire connector at the transmission. That can be an inexpensive fix. The rear diff seals may weep as well. After 13 years, anything is possible so you may wish to have the car inspected. The brakes, flex discs, motor mounts, oil cooler seals, ball joints, and steering damper are all normal wear parts. The dash pixels are common and can be a DIY repair.

City Rat

I just went through this process and will now pass on the same advice to you that I received from these guys, get a pre-purchase inspection.have the inspection done at a different MBZ dealership than is selling you the vehicle. Have them pull the vehicles repair history from the MBZ database. In addition to letting you see MBZ dealer service done and intervals it will also show recall service etc. Match that info against the carfax report that you already have and you will have a very decent pic of the car's service and accident history. The pre-purchase inspection was some of the best money I ever spent. In my case it disclosed only three items, all easy fixes. Good luck.

GatorMB

86,000 is just broken in, Find the maintenance history as suggested above and take care of it with the proper lubricants and it will go,go,go.
I am @ 145,000 daily driver 2002. Timing chain time this summer.

All the Best,, Gator

daisyfresh

Honestly, I have to admit this car costs me the same in repairs as any other car I've had. It's not built with a complicated design either, no awd systems, turbos, etc. It's not a Porsche. It's a very straight forward engine and overall car. I cant tell you how much this car reminds me of my mustang...only built better with quality parts. Its built solid for sure, but parts for it tend to be around 10-25% more in price compared to say a VW pasat or honda accord, but sometimes not even that. Maintenance is also the same old stuff as with any car for this mileage/age. Spark plugs, oil changes, occasional ignition coil, fluid flushs, shocks...all in all, you are getting one of the greatest (imo) 2 doors automatics. It doesn't scream attention, but commands respect. The car does everything well, it terms of what you expect out of a car. So long story short, I guess what I'm trying to say is, you'll spend more in car insurance than in repairs for your 208 clk55.

boxeswithknobs

Well stated!!

strider-g3

Hi what kind of symptoms would this wire connector issue? im looking into buying one and the issue it has is (in cold weather) the shift lever doesn't go into reverse / drive until you release the shift lock manually - wondering if this is a related issue to what you mentioned? thanks

GatorMB

Brake lamp switch