midget fidger

Hey guys,

My sister is looking at getting an SLK350...what do you think about the reliability of this car? Yeah, she'll get the 4/50 warranty but she doesn't really want a car that has to be in the shop all the time. Plus the dealer is really really far away. It'd be cool if a lot of you replied so I can get a general view of it all. Or if someone else did a survey like this, can you post up the link? I searched for "reliability" and "reliable" but couldn't find anything. Thanks a lot for your input! Oh yea, she's also looking at getting a new GS or 5-series if you happen to know anyone with these cars.

respdoc

The hike to my dealer is > 350 miles ONE way..now thats far away...

jd604

pfffft!
My official dealer is in Boston ... and I am in Vancouver! Ha!
But this is heheh

Someone with some proper knowledge for the 350 reliability assessment at this early interval reply and help the OP out

wil_sutton

Mine has been great with 11,000 miles. I thought I was a long way from the dealer at 75 miles, but you guys win that one.

I had a couple of minor problems that were fixed early on, but mine was one of the first delivered in the US so that's to be expected. Since then, not a major problem.

I know a few people have had them, and I would be just as upset as they are but I still think it's a few isolated incidents. Every car company makes a few lemons, or a few cars that need a little more tweaking. I think that's all it is. You will hear of some problems, but in my humble, humble opinion that's not a representative group...

All in all, I love my SLK. It was worth the almost year on the wait list, and I couldn't be happier with it (unless it had an extra hundred horses or so, but that's beside the point).

steve1173

Mine has been in the shop 17 days for a rattle & other things. Got the call yesterday the car was fixed. Got there & now the roof would not worked reliably as they messed up the trunk cover where it touches the switch for the roof. They replaced it & the hat shelf trying to fix the rattle. Well took it for a ride & it is still at the dealer as they did not fix the rattle, now it is worse on both sides of the car. Also there is an oily smear on the inside of the windshield right above the center vent on the top. My dealer said to shut the vent as they had some problems with "C" series with them where a chemical is let out from the vent which smears the windshield. Right now am in discussions about them buying back the car for an even exchange, if not when I get it back I will trade it in for something else as it just comes up with more problems & the dealer makes it worse. I am in Florida & my lemon law book is in the car at the dealer 45 miles from me. If they keep it 30 days does it qualify.

reallife

I, to, am interested in making the purchase. But in researching things I have decided to wait for the quality issues to shake out. In addition to the usual rattles, etc. these cars seem to have a higher than acceptable rate of having SERIOUS engine problems with burning oil at low mileage (like 1000-2500 miles) that have required engine exchanges. No way would I buy one now. If M-B can get these problems fixed; no, eliminated; I will buy a 55 AMG at the end of the year. Otherwise, I'll be buying a Lexus SC430.

steve1173

I agree, every manufacturer has a few lemons but the problem is my dealer & MB will not admit it is a lemon. It seems to me besides my car the other lemon in the situation is the regional rep Larry Stains.

clkcadet

its hard to say some ppl have no problems some ppl have many problems but overall i would say its a good car from what i hear, i wish i can have one to be honest

btw ive seen a briliant emerald clk 1 down 9 to go!

midget fidger

yea, hard to say...she's gonna take a drive sometime and see if she likes it better than the GS

the one you saw + mine + the one this other person saw = 3 down haha

midget fidger

well she fell in love with the SLK today...its a black on black with the amg package. i would try to convince her to get non-dark-color so she wouldn't have to wash it as much...but the dealership by the mall is giving her free car washes inside and out whenever she goes by. and she says she goes to the mall a lot haha.

StevoDaDevo

Last week we received one of the "Tele-Aid Malfuntion" messages and took it to the workshop (is that what they call dealerships in Germany? lol). Any way, they had it for a couple of days and said the problem was caused by dirty connections at the antennae and somewhere else. The cleaned the contact points and said it was working properly.

We picked up the car and got about a mile away when the malfunction message came back on. It was too late to bring it back and we have made an appointment for this Saturday to drop it off. Hopefully they can fix it this time.

Anyone else having trouble with Tele-aid?

Shinigami

I have a 55 with 5000miles. I got it 6 months ago. Haven't been to the dealer one single time for problems or checkups. This has been a problem free car so far

gary350

Had my 350 since jul 04 no problems yet but not many miles on it so far (1200), nice car.

gary

NeilC123

you've had your car nearly a year and you have only 1200 miles??? jesus I do that in a week!

Regards

Neil

clkcadet

whoa neil where do you drive for 1200 a week!
and gary where arent you driving!

wil_sutton

well, as I think we've all seen in LOTS of other threads, it really comes down to your dealership as much if not more than your car. I had a few minor issues early on (something wrong with the programming wouldn't let the airscarf/heated seats work with the top down, wrong NAV DVD, Check engine light at 500 miles, etc.) but my dealership was awesome. All those problems were within the first week of ownership. They fixed all issues, and I haven't been back since.

Find a great dealership before you find a great car. It's worth the extra work and worth the extra drive.

gary350

clkcadet, been too busy doing up my house and my daughters house, I took early retirement but the wife still works so I do not have to drive to work. I still have my 1998 SLK230K (7 years old in sep) with 17,230 miles on it. Someone said It would be cheaper for me to take a taxi everywhere. But the wife is finishing work next year I fancy a new S Class (out about xmas so they say) and go touring Europe (the SLK350 is not really suitable for long distances).

Oh the longest drive I have done in my 350 is from the dealer I bought it from - 17miles. Do I really need a car?

gary

Ynot

No you don't, you can give it to me. I will utilize it much better :p

GearHead

I wished I could say my MBs have been problem free.

Had my SLK350 just before Christmas and 5 months later, have been fighting the strange knocking sound from the doors, rattling from the c-pillar, pretty bad wind noise from the driver's window area especially from the cross wind, and 2 cracked c-pillar trim. Just this past friday, after my last visit to the dealership to address the knocking sound, while driving home, I starting hearing strange whining sound from the engine compartment. Even before I could get home, my check engine light came on. Man, this is starting to kill me for a new car which has only 1400miles.

I thought my E500 was bad (though many of the problems were created by the dealership service depart), I am getting more problems with my SLK.

Man, I don't recall having so much issues with my BMW X5, Honda Odyssey.

So, I think the MBs do have reliability issues

wil_sutton

I hate that so many of you are having problems with your dealerships, but it sounds like in most cases the dealerships are to blame rather than the cars.

Also, I haven't seen to much of it in this thread, but in other threads everyone seems to be blaming Chrysler for MB's problems. Remember folks, MB bought Chrysler, not the other way around... Maybe I'm naive, but I doubt Chrysler has much to do with MB's problems.

A car is only as good as the person who takes care of it (the service dept., not the owner). If you are having problems, I'd strongly suggest finding a new dealer. For those of you on the central east coast, I've had wonderful luck with the Leith Auto Group taking care of MBs, the Jaguar, and a previously owned Honda and Land Rover. I regularly drive my VW an extra hour away because the service centers around here aren't worth the property they occupy.

Just some more idle thoughs. Good luck to all of you in getting your situations ironed out.

midget fidger

I thought they merged, not one buying the other

redvettx2

They said it was a merger but that is not the case. Chrysler is who owns MB now, not the other way around. Asked anyone with inside knowledge and they will confirm that. MB is not calling the shots, Chrysler is!!! That is very scary for MB. You can see my what has happened to MB's quality and the level of customer service. Chrysler is the worst in the business and it is starting to show at MB. I work for a company that supplies the auto industry with Quality Contol (QC) high tech. instruments for paints systems QC, measurements and evaluation. This is also a German company so we know what is going on with all the auto companies. We sell to every auto manufacture in the world. MB did not buy Chrysler, lol that a good one. They all talk merger to save face but just look who has the final say on all major decisions. It is not MB that for sure. The merger has actually helped Chrysler a lot. Better production processes, etc. They same can not be said for MB, its all about cost cutting, increasing production and marketing to the masses.

GearHead

If that's the case; Chrysler owning MB; why are all the top management within Daimler-Chrysler are Germans.

In any case, regardless whether C owns MB or the other way round, the quality of the storied brand of MB has gone down.

Most of my cars I currently own or previously owned were bought NEW but I have never seen NEW cars fail the way my MBs have. Hopefully these are just an abnormaly.

SLK350Magnum

I stated on a previous post related to D/C ownership..As an owner of a 2005 Dodge RT Magnum.(Which I traded in an ancient '71 220 D MB, that I had owned for over 25 years, yes, a fine vehicle all those years.) I am not the exception, but this Dodge Magnum, thus far, (6,000 trouble free miles) is one tight, super performance, fun vehicle. Yes I know, 6,000 miles is no litmus test, but I and quite a few others feel that D/C is on the cutting edge of vehicle technology..NOT SO for Chevy And Ford and a lot of others....Yes, my MDS works flawlessly (runs on 4 cylinders in cruise mode)..I would most certainly buy a Dodge Viper, if at this time, I had the Jack to do so, rather than a SLK 350 or an SL 500...And If I had the Jack I would rather have a 12 Cyl SL 600 over the Viper...well there you go..However...I feel the SLK I will buy will be the funnest and as I anticipate the best vehicle I have ever owned....And I keep my vehicles for many, many years....No lease, no thank you.

Dema

Most of SC have torque converter problem, so if you want to stay off trouble, select SLK or Z.