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Coupes & Convertibles Mercedes-Benz SL/SLK-Class Mercedes-Benz SL and SLK (all models)
766 messages, Last post on Oct 26, 2009 at 3:12 AM
You are in the Mercedes-Benz SL/SLK-Class Forum. Your Host is claires
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Thought I should chip in my 2 cents worth. I have had my lovely SL500 for ten months now. I love the car, but it has been so very unreliable I cannot stand it any more. The ownership experience is severely blighted by the regular appearance of faults, which always necessitate a visit back to a Mercedes service department. And the SL-specific parts are often not available immediately which means your car sits, un-drivable, in the repair shop waiting for a back order part. In the last 10 months of ownership, I have spent a month driving loan cars, whilst waiting for various parts and repairs. Now let me say quickly that Mercedes has paid for every repair under warrantee and every loan car under courtesy, but that does not take away the irritation of the continuous unreliability of this flagship car. This week’s fault is the seat-belt pre-tensioner (car unsafe to drive, we have been waiting 10 days for parts), but previous failures have included hydraulic suspension (car not drivable), exhaust system failure (car not legal to drive) and the electric seat adjustment getting stuck in the full-forward position (so that you cannot get into the seat!). If you are buying an SL500 as a sunny-day third car – go ahead. But don’t buy one if you want something reliable to enjoy whenever the sun comes out - because, as likely as not, you'll be in a diesel C-class estate loan car when the sun actually comes out for a day. |
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I've had my '03 SL500 for about 18 months and 8000 miles, and have had recurring electrical problems for the past 12 months. At any moment while driving I am likely to get a potpourri of warning lights - BAS, ESP, check engine, engine coolant, and the most frequent light: Transmission! Visit Workshop. Except for the tranny warning, all are false alarms, and disappear after shutting down the engine and then restarting. The transmission warning is much more interesting. Nine times out of ten it too is a false alarm, but every once in a while it illuminates and continues to re-appear even after clearing the message. When that happens, I know what to expect. The car will not shift out of first gear without careful and serious coaxing. Though that has only happened to me four times, it is a real attention getter and has left me quite frustrated with the car. Needless to say I have become a regular at the M-B service shop, and while the shop has been great and accomodative, replacing control modules, batteries, harnesses, etc., the problems keep coming back (in fact I'm waiting for a call from the service manager as I write this). I've owned various M-B models for 14 years (2 S class, 2 CL class and this SL) and I can honestly say this is the first time I've had problems with the quality of a Mercedes or had a car that couldn't get fixed. Except for the occasional fisrt gear issue, the problems I've experienced aren't debilating as the car still works, but they are extremely frustrating. Before I got the SL I had a 2000 CL, which I absolutely loved, and as I await my next service appointment I find my thoughts turning more and more to a new CL55. Electrical gremlins aside, I've found my SL to be a wee bit too small, and at 6'3" I find getting in and out of the car difficult. Without a doubt the SL is a beautiful car, and tooling around with the top down simply can't be beat. But I'm going to get rid of this SL, and I think it's time to return to a CL. My only question is whether or not M-B will be changing the body style for the CL any time soon. |
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I've had my '04 SL500 for about 5 months, and it seems to have many more little issues than any previous MB I've had (3 S-Class, 1 ML, 1 E & 1 SLK). It spends too much time in the shop, though they do treat me nicely & I too get a decent loaner (C class) while I wait for this or that. I've had no problems that have yet rendered the vehicle undriveable, but seat motor probs have been recurrent (oh the comfort seat pkg is a real waste). I do sometimes feel the tranny getting stuck in 1 st gear, esp when it's cold, but so far it hasn't stranded me. |
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The current CL has at least 1 more model year (2005) to go, if not 2. The next S-Class is due to be shown at Frankfurt in 2005 (Sept) and the CL will surely follow at either Detroit or Geneva (Jan and March) of 2006 which would make it a 2007 model. M |
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I now own three Mercedes (1999 SL 500; 2002 S 430; & 2003 CLK 430 Cabriolet)and sold a 1993 300 SE with 40,000 miles on it 2 1/2 years ago. I had so much trouble with the '93 on things that should never go wrong starting around 35,000 miles and costing $6000 to fix the next 5000 miles that I thought I just had a lemon. Now the '99 SL 500 is starting to have things go wrong that should not that I am thinking Mercedes quality is terrible, particularly with only 40,000 miles and 7 yr. 100,000 Starmark warranty which does not seem to cover anything that does go wrong. I say beware of Mercedes quality. My replacement for the '99 is likely to be the new Cadillac or some other worthy car.
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Replying to: shoes (Mar 24, 2004 3:45 pm) PROBLEMS: BRAKING PROBLEMS, GAS TANK NOISE, TRUNK NOISE, BRAKES SLIPPING AND KNOCKING, NAV GOING OFF, ROOF LEAKING, CAR NOT STARTING, KEYLESS GO NOT WORKING, KEY IS GETTING STUCK IN IGNITION (I USE WHEN KEYLESS GO ISN'T WORKING....I PAID FOR KEYLESS GO AND HAVE TO CARY THE ACTUAL KEY AROUND B/C THAT NEVER WORKS)! THE CAR NOW HAS 14,000 MILES ON IT AT LESS THAN 8,000 THE DEALERSHIP GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT WITH MY CAR. NOW I SEE THERE IS A RECALL ON THE BRAKES. I AM SURE THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED ON THE DRIVER FROM THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY WOULD NOT ADMIT IT. THEN AT 14,000 THEY HIT SOMETHING ELSE WITH THE CAR WHEN IT WAS IN THEIR CARE....THE FRONT WAS DAMAGED AND ALL PAINT CHIPS ON MY CAR EVERYONE PLEASE BE AWARE THAT MB AND THE DEALERSHIPS DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE CONSUMER. IF YOU WANT AN SL BE PREPAIRED FOR TROUBLE. |
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Please...undo....cap....locks....it....is....very....hard...to...- .read! thank you Host |
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Well, I'm test driving a 2001 SLK 320 right now. The dealer let me drive it home for the evening so my husband could also drive it. I LOVE IT - it fits me like a glove and wow, is it fun to drive. However - my long-legged husband doesn't fit into it very well. For some reason, the drivers side power seat doesn't go back as far as the passenger side. That, along with the extra stuff under the dash on the driver's side, make for an uncomfortable drive for him. I'm wondering if there might be a problem with the seat. It would only need to go down and back another couple of inches to make it work for him. Any suggestions?
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Replying to: katewa (May 19, 2004 4:20 pm) I am SO glad we didn't buy the Solara................... |
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