2004 Mercedes-Benz Slk

2004 Mercedes-Benz SLK w/SAB

Overall

Not Rated

Front Crash

Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ SLK32. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH REAR BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE AS DESIGNED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. UPON RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V505000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) WHICH HE LINKED TO HIS FAILURE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH MERCEDES-BENZ OF EASTON 4300 MORSE CROSSING, COLUMBUS, OH 43219 ABOUT THE RECALL AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS AN OLDER RECALL AND THAT MANUFACTURER WAS NO LONGER OBLIGATED TO REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

BOUGHT CAR WITH 60000 MILES AND AFTER 3 YEARS RIGHT SIDE REAR BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. REPLACED BULB AND ADAPTER BUT ALSO HAD TO BEND ADAPTER CONNECTOR PRONGS FOR BETTER CONTACT. SIX MONTHS LATER SAME PROBLEM AND REPLACED WHOLE RIGHT SIDE UNIT. SOME TIME LATER SAME PROBLEM WITH OTHER SIDE. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID RECALL HAD BEEN DONE. MB OFFERED A $1000 TOWARDS NEW CAR. (FUNNY) REPAIRED WITH SAME ITEM AND SAME DEFECT, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS RIGHT FOR MB TO GET AWAY WITH.

ENGINE

THE CAR STALLED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AFTER 15-MINUTES DRIVE. STARTER TURNED THE ENGINE JUST FINE, BUT THE ENGINE WON'T START. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR. NEXT DAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN - AFTER A DRIVE CAR WAS PARKED AT THE STORE PARKING LOT AND IT WON'T START ONCE I RETURNED TO IT 10 MINUTES. AFTER UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO START THE ENGINE FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, I WAS ABLE TO DO SO AGAIN. BOTH TIME THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND OBD CODE WAS "P0335 - CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR A CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION". I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED WITH THIS SAFETY ISSUE, WHICH APPEARS TO BE QUITE COMMON FOR THE MERCEDES-BENZ CARS.

POWER TRAIN

AFTER PULLING CAR INTO GARAGE FOUND THAT SHIFTER WOULD NOT MOVE PAST NEUTRAL FROM DRIVE POSITION. THOUGH IGNITION KEY COULD BE TURNED FAR ENOUGH COUNTER-CLOCKWISE FOR ENGINE SHUTDOWN IT STOPPED SHORT OF BEING ABLE TO BE REMOVED. AFTER PROBLEM DIAGNOSED REPAIR REQUIRED COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRONIC SHIFTER MODULE COSTING OVER $1,000. I FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FOR SAME PROBLEM ON GOOGLE FROM OTHER MERCEDES OWNERS. FORTUNATE THAT FAILURE HAPPENED IN MY GARAGE. IF EPISODE HAPPENED ON OPEN ROAD MAJOR INCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. I DID CONTACT MERCEDES CAC (CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER) TO REPORT PROBLEM BOTH BY PHONE & LETTER. THEIR REPRESENTATIVE OFFERED ONLY EXCUSES & INDICATED FAILURE WAS RESULT OF 'NORMAL WEAR & TEAR' THAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED IN VEHICLE 10 YEARS OLD REGARDLESS OF HOW WELL MAINTAINED. AT AGE 63 I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS IN MY LIFETIME & NONE EVER HAD SUCH A FAILURE. I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW & WELL MAINTAINED. *TR

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ SLK230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A LIGHT, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL PERTAINING TO THE SAME ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

MY BLACK MERCEDES 2004, 230SLK KOMPRESSOR, L4, 2.4L, SUPERCHARGED. VIN [XXX] HAD THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE ME-SFI MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON AND WAS DIAGNOSED AT THE BEVERLY HILLS MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP WITH MISFIRING IN THE ENGINE (DUE TO THE CAMSHAFT SOLENOID AND THE MASS ALRFLOW SENOR (O2 SENOR) WAS DAMAGED, WITH A MAJOR OIL LEAK. I BELIEVE THAT OIL HAS LEAKED INTO THE MASS AIR FLOW SENOR FROM WICKING. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED THE SOLENOID 111-051-01-77-05 AND STARTER LINE 271-150-27--33, PLUG 111-997-01-86-05 AND CABLE TIE 002-997-24-90, BUT NOT THE CLOSING COVER 271-051-00-32 WHICH IS PART OF THE RECALL. A ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE WITH A MAJOR OIL LEAK PRESENT AND THE AIR FLOW SENOR DEFECTIVE. I DOUBT THAT THEY CORRECTLY FIXED THE RECALL AS THE OIL LEAK IS FROM THE SAME AREA. MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE RECALL, AS THE CAMSHAFT SOLENOID IS LEAKING OIL INTO THE MASS AIR FLOW SENOR. THE ME-SFI NEEDS TO BE ADDED, AS THE LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF WITHOUT THE PERMANENT AND REGISTERED FAULTS BEING ERASED EVEN AFTER THE REPAIR IS MADE, THEREBY DEPRECIATING THE VALUE OF THE CAR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE NEW HIGH-INTENSITY HEADLIGHTS, THAT ARE BLUISH IN COLOR, ARE EXTRAORDINARILY BLINDING. THIS HEADLIGHT, OBVIOUSLY, SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN APPROVED, AND NEVER USED. PERHAPS IT IS AN IMPROVEMENT TO THE DRIVERS THAT USE THE BLUISH HEADLIGHTS, BUT IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ONCOMING AUTOMOBILES. THEY NEED TO BE BANNED BEFORE (MORE) LIVES ARE LOST. WITH THE NHTSA BEING SO SAFETY CONSCIOUS, I CANNOT FATHOM WHY THESE HEADLIGHTS WERE EVER APPROVED, AND EVEN NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW BLINDING THEY ARE, WHY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN BANNED. YOU REALLY NEED TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *LA