[Desertracer]

Hi all,
I am new to the Benz world, 26 years old and heading to college after 9 years in the Marine Corps. Selling the gas guzzling lifted truck and considering buying a 2001 SLK 230 AMG Sport for my school commuter while in Phoenix, AZ.
Any input would be appreciated......any major mechanical problems?? Gas mileage? What should I look for this Saturday when I meet for the test drive and inspection?
I noticed that ALL asking prices were well below Kelly Blue Book value.....is this because there is no demand, or that the cars will self destruct after 50k miles?
Thanx in advance for your responses!!
Nick

 

[Miked619]

First off welcome
Personally I would be lurey having this car while in college, when things break it gets $$$ quick. And things do break. Things to check for/known issues:

peeling interior center console

'rubbing c-pillar' - its the rear roof support on the drivers side

rear brakelights circuit board burns out

there are more, I just can't remember which are problems I have had and that are more common, lol.

Id get at least carfax on it and take it to the dealer and get a service printout. And is is starmarked? no promise its a great deal car but at least u have some coverage. Also how much warranty is left on it?

I think the asking price varies a lot from area to area, around here they still ask high bluebook and commonly above it.

 

[Desertracer]

It (one I am really interested in) is 2001 with AMG, black, 67k miles, automatic, one owner carafax guaranteed, 1k mile warranty from dealer. I emailed them with 21k out the door cash deal offer, they were asking 22.5k plus tax...etc. it retails for 28.9k on kelly blue book.
It has the highest miles of the 2001's i have been looking at, but hard to find AMG with chrome MB wheels and jet black body.
As for the little things.....I am into electronics.....just don't want explosive tranny or supercgarger!!

 

[Miked619]

Id push for a longer warranty, is there a time limit on the 1k miles. Btw the electronics that go aren't repaired they are replaced. Others experience will vary but to give you an idea I will list some of my major problems had, mine is a 99 w/51k on it, when I got it a 1 year and 3 months ago it had 25k ( I do a lot of highway travel). Mine was starmarked, w/one owner and clear from carfax also.

-both brakelights burntout (120 per side)
-c pillar rub (repaint 250)
center starting to slowly chip away (400 for new)
idler pulley froze (750)
both ingitor coils replaced (350)
maf replaced (750)
leaky seal around front window (150)
bad gas cap (think it was 20, not sure)
cruise control failure (350)
fuel guage malfunction (unsure cost, they didnt list it)
thats off the top, im sure im forgetting a few.


Under warranty its all cool, but unless your a good mechanic for some of these things and have the time it gets expensive quickly, hense my warning. Anyway not to damper your fun but its something to be aware of, and if ur college days are like mine thats a lot of loot to find.

 

[Desertracer]

1 month/1000 mile warranty on anything.............also in AZ is state mandatory 30 day drivetrain coverage seperate.

 

[Buellwinkle]

2001 is a good year, has the newer look. Put a pulley kit on it and air filter for a few hundred bucks to make that thing fly.

What I look for when buying a car is repainted panels, signs that something went wrong, specially if the seller doesn't admit it first and then you find it on your own. Look under the car, inside the trunk & hood for signs of a previous accident. I look for stickers/bolts/screws sprayed over, overspray on the chassis, under the hood, in the door jambs. One trick is to see if the edges of the door have a ridge where it was painted on the outside but not the inside leaving a ridge of paint along that edge. Another trick is to find out what stickers should be under the hood and see if they are missing as it's rare that a body shop replaces all the stickers when they repair front end damage. At an auto supply store you can get a paint thickness guage, ideal for finding body fillers. Remember, they warranty the mechanicals for a month, not bad bodywork.

Check the oil (color, odor, level), check the auto trans fluid (if automatic) for the same. Fluids should not have a burnt smell, low levels means neglect, gritty oil can mean engine problems. Look for fluid leaks. Drive the car, it should be solid, no rattles (although the tops naturally squeak on that car), no funny noises, no pulling to one side or another, brakes stop evenly and have a solid feal. S/C should have a faint but aduible whine when at full throttle and then dissapear when you let off the gas, at any speed.

Good luck, sounds like a good deal.

 

[Docjay]

If you dont buy that AMG....I have a 2003 230SLK Kompressor that I am selling. 40K miles asking $28K.

 

[Kirill]

67k miles, automatic,

Tranny will need a flush. Arround 300$ at dealer

 

[Kirill]

Desertracer - 1/31/2005 6:37 PM

Hi all,
I am new to the Benz world, 26 years old and heading to college after 9 years in the Marine Corps.

That's what college should be about - driving hot car and getting all the hot chicks GET IT

 

[YellowSLK230]

Demand seems to remain high for the cars. The Edmunds price is probably a better indication of where the market is for the cars; Kelly Blue Book is always way high in my experience, used as a tool for dealers to justify an excessive price. You can usually find around 80 SLKs on ebay to use as a price guide. Assume that they are all being sold by dealers trying to get the "high" Edmunds price for their Buy It Now. If you buy from a local individual, try for somewhere between the Trade-In and Person to Person (middle) price, depending on now nice the car is and whether it has any kind of extended Benz underwritten warranty such as Starmark or Certified transferable or remaining original warranty. Warranty is a Good Thing with these cars particularly if you are not a do-it-yourself sort of person with tools and a good garage to work in (not typical for a busy college student). The basic stuff seems fairly solid but there are a lot of gimmicks and sensors to cause expensive mischief for the person who likes to go to a dealer and say "fix it". Look for gas mileage in the mid 20s, high 20s on trips.

Make sure the top opens and closes flawlessly, the automatic transmission shifts smoothly (if present), and that the engine idles and runs smoothly and that the supercharger seems to be engaging. Make sure the rear brake lights are working and inquire whether they have been replaced or not (he will know why you are asking). Check for the collapsible spare, jack, and electric tire pump and tools in the trunk and proper operation of the A/C and panel instruments. Beyond that, just do the usual checks for crash damage, and run a Carfax to check for title and any maintenance history available for the car. The local MB dealer may also do a check for their maintenance records on the car if the owner OKs it for you. You also will want all the keys, especially the 2 remotes that come with the car, because they are bit expensive to replace. Needless to say, a stock car is usually a better indication of one with a long future than one which has been heavily performance modified.

In all honesty, a cheap new mundane Toyota or Hyundai under full warranty that you could ignore in favor of your studies would probably be more practical, if not as much fun to own. But you knew that already. []

 

[DA_SURG]

Kirill - 2/1/2005 9:00 AM



That's what college should be about - driving hot car and getting all the hot chicks GET IT

Damn I wish I got to do that...My campus is so small, I have to walk around and get all the hot chicks [] Where are you goin to college in Pheonix?

Overall, I'd say just get a car with as low mileage as possible. Obviously, problems come with time and mileage, and especially if you're going to have a really short warranty, try to find a car with less than 30K miles. I've never had a problem with the SLK, but that's because it has no miles basically. Otherwise, I think all of the problems have been mentioned. They are mostly aesthetic things...not usually mechanical. If you're unlucky(not counting Mike619), you might get a couple problems like peeling or C pillar rub, but don't even expect all of these problems at all.


- Nik

 

[Blokhus]

I just got a slk 230, and study at UTA. Everyone tells me they love it, even random people. I don't know if it attracts more dudes than chicks though, hehe. j/k

 

[mrfu]

Miked619 - 2/1/2005 12:46 AM

First off welcome
Personally I would be lurey having this car while in college, when things break it gets $$$ quick. And things do break. Things to check for/known issues:

peeling interior center console

'rubbing c-pillar' - its the rear roof support on the drivers side

rear brakelights circuit board burns out

there are more, I just can't remember which are problems I have had and that are more common, lol.

Id get at least carfax on it and take it to the dealer and get a service printout. And is is starmarked? no promise its a great deal car but at least u have some coverage. Also how much warranty is left on it?

I think the asking price varies a lot from area to area, around here they still ask high bluebook and commonly above it.

These are all problems in the US version correct? Cause I have the EURO version and I have non of those problems.

 

[mrfu]

Desertracer - 2/1/2005 12:37 AM

Hi all,
I am new to the Benz world, 26 years old and heading to college after 9 years in the Marine Corps. Selling the gas guzzling lifted truck and considering buying a 2001 SLK 230 AMG Sport for my school commuter while in Phoenix, AZ.
Any input would be appreciated......any major mechanical problems?? Gas mileage? What should I look for this Saturday when I meet for the test drive and inspection?
I noticed that ALL asking prices were well below Kelly Blue Book value.....is this because there is no demand, or that the cars will self destruct after 50k miles?
Thanx in advance for your responses!!
Nick

Quick question. when did you join the Marine Corps?

 

[DEATHERAGE]

If you live in Arizona and buy an slk I would help you work on it if it did break. My roomate also works for a european tuner shop in the airpark. Free Dyno time.

I think you should because small things will break on any car but the slk 230 kompressor with a supercharger seems to be a bullet proof engine. Major things happen to all cars but with the correct shop work and loving your car it will run forever.

Mercedes are built ford tuff he he
think about it you could go buy a DSM and have it Krank walk on you 1001 miles into your journey.

sorry had to say it.

--Deathy

 

[krk230]

hehe...im a 3rd year at Cal Poly and I got my SLK230k sport as a 2nd year...all my friends think its super expensive...[]

i rarely take the car to school tho...i bought it with 30,475 miles 9 months ago and now it has 35,950 miles...[]

190 is the daily driver for me...[]

...

but the SLK is a great car...fun to drive and very attractive...

 

[quillbro]

im also thinking about buying the 230.

Are those electrical problems common?

its starting to scare me

 

[bodypainter]

quillbro - 2/17/2005 7:12 PM
Are those electrical problems common?

The brake light problem is common - no denying that. Trust me when I say the vario roof makes up for it and then some.

 

[YellowSLK230]

quillbro - 2/17/2005 7:12 PM

im also thinking about buying the 230.

Are those electrical problems common?

its starting to scare me

If you scare that easily, then you probably want a new Toyota Corolla with warranty.[] Unless the car you are looking at has been salt water flooded, there are not that many things to worry about that you wouldn't find on most modern cars; just buy a nice condition car that has been properly maintained and enjoy it.

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself" -- Franklin Roosevelt

"Fear is the mind killer" -- Paul Muad Dib

"What, me worry?" -- Alfred E. Neuman[]

 

[430]

The biggest downside with the SLK is the Mercedes Tax. Basically anything you want done to the car is going to cost more than it should once people hear that it is a Mercedes. I guess they figure if you can afford the car you can afford for them to make extra profits.