Mercedes SLK230 Reviews

The experience put me in the market for a replacement. I live in the Rockies and the mountain folk aversion to rwd vehicles is near legendary so my search took me well out of my area. The R170 version of the SLK was only made from 1998 through 2004, averaging about 10,000 US versions each year. I've discovered that only about 10 percent of these have manual transmissions. What are you thinking when you order a 2 seater sports car with an automatic transmission? I find that mystifying.

The search took me two months and I finally found what I was looking for at Mercedes Benz Omaha. I bought the car over the phone and never saw anything but pictures before I picked it up. This particular car is a one previous owner 2001 SLK 230, barrillo red. I rented a car, drove to Omaha and the dealership was very accommodating, picking me up in Council Bluffs for a late evening car pickup. They even filled it with gas. I drove it to Cedar Falls, IA that evening.

In the morning I discovered that the convertible top would not fully retract. The trunk opens and moves forward to receive the top...but nothing other than the whirring of the hydraulics obviously trying to do something. I bought the car As Is with no warranty of any kind but gave Mercedes Benz Omaha a call anyway. They hooked me up with an appointment on my return trip to Wyoming to evaluate the problem. In the meantime my son found a stream about the problem on the MB forum. Several solutions were posted there, the most useful of which is give the right front corner of the top a sharp smack with your fist...which actually works.

I have heard the stories about how expensive the top hydraulics can be to fix so I decided to keep the appointment at Mercedes Benz Omaha to get an evaluation...seemed like a good idea to know with more certainty what I would be facing in the future.

Mercedes Benz Omaha assigns the customer and associate who is tasked with getting your car through their process and resolving your issues. Mine was named ** and she is more customer advocate than I've ever encountered at a dealership. I just wanted my car plugged into their diagnostics computer and to walk out of there with a printout. There isn't a Mercedes dealership anywhere in Wyoming and it seemed useful to have that information because my favorite mechanic runs a Volvo shop. I was dismayed 1/2 hour into the appointment to be offered a ride home because, "this is going to take awhile". I explained that home = 550 miles and I'd go ahead and wait on them. ** said “the mechanic has finished evaluating the computer read out and wants to get into it deeper”.

Two hours later I'm standing in the parking lot contemplating my Ipads recommendations for nearby fast food establishments when an employee finds me. He tells me ** is looking for me and advises my car is done? ** is all smiles. My car is sitting in the queue obviously freshly washed. Upon further inspection I find it has been vacuumed and the top now works perfectly, faster and smoother than my old SLK which is saying something. ** reports the mechanic thought the issue would likely be that over time the mechanism picks up debris and just needs a good cleaning. Apparently he knows what he is talking about because it continues to work flawlessly.

I was presented with a bill for the evaluation which had been zeroed out. ** explained that while my car was sold, "As Is", it came off their lot and the dealership wouldn't be happy about the transaction unless I was. All in all a very pleasant experience. Good to find a dealership that takes pride in their service.

I've driven the car 1,500 miles now. It is truly a driver's dream come true. Handling and responsiveness of the SLK 230 is like nothing else I've ever driven. Mileage is a respectable 30 plus mpg on the highway. Acceleration of the supercharged 2.3 L is incredible and makes driving Wyoming 2 lane highways much more fun than it ever was in my 4runner.

But it's better than BMW. I owned one and it was a nightmare. Porsche, too slow. The SLK is way faster even for a 4-cylinder supercharged engine. Its seats are like any roadster hard. Lamborghini, it drove like a clumsy battleship unlike the SLK. I'm a fighter pilot for the USA. The SLK reminds me of a plane. A little care and a lot of less ** my owners and we're all better for it, BUT... MERCEDES BENZ NEEDS TO:

4. Fix the entire interior (which BTW they use the exact same paint in the new 2013 SLK and SL500).

I'd like Mercedes to own up to the "BEST OR NOTHING" tag line that they use. They truly are the opulent car of the road and the 2091-05 SLK230 was the LAST of the best of the best. BMW, Porsche... they don't compare. EXCEPT they take accountability. Lamborghini, forget it. It's just junk compared to an SLK! Rip the SLK320. It is a problematic disaster. I had one and traded it for the smaller engine that is faster.

Finally 3 weeks ago, the radiator fan kept running after the car has been switched off. It kept running on full rpm (revolutions per minute) and drained the battery. I had it jump started and it was the same problem, drained the battery again.

I took it to the dealer. Dealer said there is a recall on a leaking camshaft solenoid part that was causing oil to leak into the car's wiring harness and all sorts of problems. It even sent oil into the Electronic Control Unit (ECU). Dealer said that the wiring harness, recalled part and ECU would be replaced which he did replaced.

He then installed a new fan control module to replace the one that had burnt out but the new one burnt out again. Now, the dealer says he needs 5 hours of diagnosis time at $850 to simply find the problem and maybe more, then additional cost to repair it.

This is insane. I don't have that kind of money and this is my only car which is useless now. All was caused by a faulty recalled leaking camshaft solenoid part! I have no car now and I am much poorer having to have so many repairs done over the years.

I feel this problem with the car has been caused by the recalled part and I should not be responsible for this cost.

Patricia's insurance company will pay her what they determine the value of the car to be. That's how it works. If she wants a refund for the amount she paid for the extended warranty, she can go to Small Claims Court.