Long Term MB Owners
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 158
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From: San Francisco, CA
06' CLS 500
Long Term MB Owners
I recently purchased a MB, the 05' SLK350. Until my recent purchase I have been a long time follower of Infiniti. I previously owned a 99' G20 and then a 03' G35 Coupe. Both cars were reliable and I never ran into a single problem, except for the usual creaks and rattles coming from the interior which were easily fixed after bringing it to the dealer. How would you rate the MB in long term quality? When I say long term I mean about 5-6 years. Any info. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Scottsdale, Arizonai
'85 190E 2.3-16 '99 C280 '11 GLK350
The SLK350 is a new model, so it will be hard to advise. Just curious, you bought a multi-thousand car without checking on reliability and customer satisfaction first? 
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco, CA
06' CLS 500
Not quite, MTI:
I did some research on the reliability and customer satisfacton of the previous SLK and found two very different points of views. One half says that the car is absolutely problem free w/o any problems at all and then there are the other half who swear that they would never buy a MB again. This was before I found out about this forum as well. I eventually succumbed to the beautiful looks of this car as well as the new and improved V6. You are absolutely right that this is a new car and it will be hard to tell, but how about the overall reliability of MB in general? Thanks.
I did some research on the reliability and customer satisfacton of the previous SLK and found two very different points of views. One half says that the car is absolutely problem free w/o any problems at all and then there are the other half who swear that they would never buy a MB again. This was before I found out about this forum as well. I eventually succumbed to the beautiful looks of this car as well as the new and improved V6. You are absolutely right that this is a new car and it will be hard to tell, but how about the overall reliability of MB in general? Thanks.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 12,161
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From: Obama Land
K Car
As with all cars, some will have more problems than others. I have found that car models in their first year run tend to have more issues. However, in my opinion, the majority of these issues can be corrected and the longer term quality of the car (at least 5 years) would be satisfactory. Of course, satisfactory is a subjective term. To some this means the car never has a problem. This is not realistic to me. After all, thats why cars come with warranties.
With that said, I should also mention that I do not intend to keep my car past the end of the original warranty. Although I think the odds are that it will continue to perform to my satisfaction, I would prefer to move into a new model where I have the full comfort of a bumper to bumper warranty.
With that said, I should also mention that I do not intend to keep my car past the end of the original warranty. Although I think the odds are that it will continue to perform to my satisfaction, I would prefer to move into a new model where I have the full comfort of a bumper to bumper warranty.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,719
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From: Scottsdale, Arizonai
'85 190E 2.3-16 '99 C280 '11 GLK350
As a whole, the Mercedes unit of Daimler-Chrysler has been the whipping boy of the press when it comes to customer satisfaction, dealership issues and the like. With the advent of more electronics in the cars, it seems that the issues along those lines have increased, as opposed to purely mechanical issues. Just like computers and other electronic devices, I guess the "useful life" of the modern cars is getting shorter and more measured in the length of leases. As a contrast, my W201 will hit 20 years in our family as a daily driver in April of this year.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 491
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From: Irvine, CA, USA
Tesla
I intentionally waited a year to avoid the first year bug when I bought my C class in 1995. Was going to keep it for 10 years but had to give it up at 8 years after the repairs got too expensive. I had all types of problems, mostly electrical but some mechanical and design problems. The extended warranty was a lifesaver. But when that expired, each one of my trip to the dealer averaged $700.
When they run, they run well. When they break, get ready for sticker shock if you don't have warranty. They really aren't made like they used to.
When they run, they run well. When they break, get ready for sticker shock if you don't have warranty. They really aren't made like they used to.
