Is a 20 year old SLK financial suicide?
Discussion
I have some recollection that the early 350s had some engine issue (oil consumption?) in addition to the chocolate balancer shaft sprocket one that went on for a couple more years (need to check engine no) and which will cost four figures to fix. I gather the other major issues are rusting-from-the-inside-out rear subframe (that Merc has generally been fixing FOC), rusty front wings where they meet the front bumper, roof seals failing and letting water in the boot and the plastic variable-intake lever breaking and the 7G gearbox electronics. At that age and mileage it will need new dampers and suspension bits to drive like you expect. The actual servicing won't be much more expensive than a normal car.
Difficult if you don't know the history, but if it is if any help, I have a similar era Mercedes.
2000 CLK 320.
Obviously now 24 years old, think mileage is about 110,000.
Light use for an initial period, but has been a daily driver for the past 15 years.
Nothing significant has gone wrong, which is why we continued using the car. Maintenance costs not unreasonable and I even continued using a main dealer, because the service intervals are dashboard based, so for say 8,000 miles a year, you dont need services every 12 months.
Transmission oil leak where electrical wires enter the gearbox. Fixed and never recurred. I have dealt with rusty wheel arches twice and I will soon have that done professionally. Auto boot release has failed, some seat stitching is coming loose. Everything else works as it should. Feels the same to drive as it did when new. Latest MoT had no advisories.
These old Mercs are worth nothing, so I am keeping my CLK, even after having recently replaced it with a new Mercedes.
If the SLK looks to be in good condition, the purchase price probably means you don't have much to lose.
In case it helps, for my 2010 SLK-350 my M-B main dealer recently charged £440 for the "small" annual service, and told me the "large" one would be about £100 more.
They also recommended new wiper-blades, which probably weren't needed ; and underseal to stop surface rust, which was hopelessly thin & runny and dripped off onto my garage floor. Those recommendations added £60 to the basic price, so I would think twice before accepting such recommendations next time. I suspect that having found nothing wrong with the car to charge for, they add these kind of extras to boost their profit.
I had previously been warned that SLK main dealer servicing would cost £750+ , so it may not be as costly as you expect.
They also recommended new wiper-blades, which probably weren't needed ; and underseal to stop surface rust, which was hopelessly thin & runny and dripped off onto my garage floor. Those recommendations added £60 to the basic price, so I would think twice before accepting such recommendations next time. I suspect that having found nothing wrong with the car to charge for, they add these kind of extras to boost their profit.
I had previously been warned that SLK main dealer servicing would cost £750+ , so it may not be as costly as you expect.
Asking on here is good. But there’s really no substiture for spending a few hours online reading up on owners groups to see what the recurring issues are.
For a car of that age I would think twice about using main dealers. They can be competitive for pure servicing by the book, but for anything else a good independent Merc specialist is best.
For a car of that age I would think twice about using main dealers. They can be competitive for pure servicing by the book, but for anything else a good independent Merc specialist is best.
As has been rightly said, they are (should be) reasonably priced, plentiful and most have led an easy existence.
I think that the 250 diesel version had the highest retained value after three years at some stage in the past - how things change.
I like the very early supercharged 230s with the red and black trim - the drivetrains are strong, but as values have fallen, maintenance will have inevitably been overlooked.
I can’t see them following the 107 or 129 into classic car status in the future though.
I think that the 250 diesel version had the highest retained value after three years at some stage in the past - how things change.
I like the very early supercharged 230s with the red and black trim - the drivetrains are strong, but as values have fallen, maintenance will have inevitably been overlooked.
I can’t see them following the 107 or 129 into classic car status in the future though.
I've had a 350 and a 55
The 55 had front brake pipes replaced as part of MOT at Mercedes Main dealer, at my cost. 12 months later they are shown as an advisory on MOT failure...
The 'Goodwill' repairs of subframe are for 20 years, so be wary of that.
The 350 was a great car, but had a leaking heater matrix.
The SLK doesn't seem to have an 'image' problem which I quite liked, but having had 2 models for 5/6 years I got fed up with the water leaks that were difficult to trace and rectify.
A good car should be good though, but I don't think I'd have another.
The 55 had front brake pipes replaced as part of MOT at Mercedes Main dealer, at my cost. 12 months later they are shown as an advisory on MOT failure...
The 'Goodwill' repairs of subframe are for 20 years, so be wary of that.
The 350 was a great car, but had a leaking heater matrix.
The SLK doesn't seem to have an 'image' problem which I quite liked, but having had 2 models for 5/6 years I got fed up with the water leaks that were difficult to trace and rectify.
A good car should be good though, but I don't think I'd have another.
You should be paying next to nothing for it, they change hands for £1500 every day at trade auctions so privately they should be £2k ish for a nice one. They are sods for rust on the tips of the front wings, so look out for crap repairs that'll fall to bits. The timing issue on the early 3.5 is very real, I see loads of them with it, so don't spend more than you can literally throw away on a whim.
I love SLKs even though they're a bit crap they are better than the sum of their parts, but they really do need to be shed money.
If you can afford it try and get a 2008 facelift one, they 3.5 went to 300bhp and is an absolutely storming engine, and all the engine issues are fixed. I had a rocking horse poo manual 2008 with 130k on it and that was a fairly hard sell privately at £4k a year ago.
No point paying any sort of premium to get one from a dealer, nobody retailing cars this old and iffy will actually stand behind it when the timing gear craps out.
Later 08 to end of line autos drop to £400 a year RFL from the £700 big boy tier. The're really rare though, it was an old model that 90% of buyersonly ever bought for the "imagine" and there was a global financial crash so they weren't high on anyones shopping list.
I love SLKs even though they're a bit crap they are better than the sum of their parts, but they really do need to be shed money.
If you can afford it try and get a 2008 facelift one, they 3.5 went to 300bhp and is an absolutely storming engine, and all the engine issues are fixed. I had a rocking horse poo manual 2008 with 130k on it and that was a fairly hard sell privately at £4k a year ago.
No point paying any sort of premium to get one from a dealer, nobody retailing cars this old and iffy will actually stand behind it when the timing gear craps out.
Later 08 to end of line autos drop to £400 a year RFL from the £700 big boy tier. The're really rare though, it was an old model that 90% of buyersonly ever bought for the "imagine" and there was a global financial crash so they weren't high on anyones shopping list.
I'm on my second SLK 350, the first (an 04) I had for a couple of years but managed to crunch it (!) but bought the second with the insurance money three years ago. This is an 05 with 50K miles. It is a lot of car for the money and I enjoy wafting around. It is serviced at the local independent and has been going well with only routine servicing. All the bits are working but the hood needs several goes before it fully opens or closes.
Driven gently I can get 30 mpg...but it still goes very well when prodded firmly.
I started with a Mk1 Sprite many years ago, moved to MX5's now SLK. I do like open top sports cars, but the SLK is more a "gentleman's high speed touring car" as it is too big and heavy for a true "sports car".(It is a bit like me - too big and heavy now!)
Driven gently I can get 30 mpg...but it still goes very well when prodded firmly.
I started with a Mk1 Sprite many years ago, moved to MX5's now SLK. I do like open top sports cars, but the SLK is more a "gentleman's high speed touring car" as it is too big and heavy for a true "sports car".(It is a bit like me - too big and heavy now!)
Edited by Flying Phil on Monday 9th September 09:12
Flying Phil said:
the SLK is more a "gentleman's high speed touring car" as it is too big and heavy for a true "sports car".(It is a bit like me - too big and heavy now!)
Totally agree with that, it does a much better job of being a minature SL than a C class does of being a minature S class too!Edited by Flying Phil on Monday 9th September 09:12
Cino said:
I'm looking at an SLK350 from 2004 with 122k miles. The car you get for that price seems pretty impressive, but would it be a massive money pit? I would be using it for mostly short commutes and weekend fun. Is the servicing and parts etc. a lot more than standard family type cars?
We've had a 2009 SLK280 and currently have a 2007 SLK350. The 3.0 and 3.5 M272 engines had balancer shaft issues up to about 2007. So much so that there was a class action law suit in the US. If it's made it to 122K its probably OK , but any codes about cam position sensors or loud ticking on startup , run a mile. It will be the balance shaft not just a sensor...Apart from that they are fairly reliable and cheapish to run, parts are easy to get. Rust is a bit of a killer if not kept on top of. There can be problems with the speed sensors in the gearbox.
If you get one with electric seats they go lower than the manual ones which is handy if you're tall. Air scarf is very nice to have as well.
I picked this up a couple of days ago for a friend from BCA
113k miles, full dealer history, nice set of Michelins (rears look like they'll need replacing soon) and a fresh MOT, traded in to Listers for a 420i. It's a facelift 305bhp SLK350 with all the toys you want and some rather ugly Designo seats.
CAP was 2950 but it was getting no love at all so I got it for £2,500+fees, all told it'll be £3k delivered to my door. I loved the manual one i had last year, it'll be interesting to see if the auto ruins it.
I think these are a real bargain now, £3k is a pre "strong and stable government" £1,500 in car terms.
113k miles, full dealer history, nice set of Michelins (rears look like they'll need replacing soon) and a fresh MOT, traded in to Listers for a 420i. It's a facelift 305bhp SLK350 with all the toys you want and some rather ugly Designo seats.
CAP was 2950 but it was getting no love at all so I got it for £2,500+fees, all told it'll be £3k delivered to my door. I loved the manual one i had last year, it'll be interesting to see if the auto ruins it.
I think these are a real bargain now, £3k is a pre "strong and stable government" £1,500 in car terms.
GeniusOfLove said:
I picked this up a couple of days ago for a friend from BCA
113k miles, full dealer history, nice set of Michelins (rears look like they'll need replacing soon) and a fresh MOT, traded in to Listers for a 420i. It's a facelift 305bhp SLK350 with all the toys you want and some rather ugly Designo seats.
CAP was 2950 but it was getting no love at all so I got it for £2,500+fees, all told it'll be £3k delivered to my door. I loved the manual one i had last year, it'll be interesting to see if the auto ruins it.
I think these are a real bargain now, £3k is a pre "strong and stable government" £1,500 in car terms.
I'll be interested in your view on how it rides on the 18" wheels. Does it have sports suspension? IIRC EVO thought that one without was better on typical B-roads than their long-termer with.113k miles, full dealer history, nice set of Michelins (rears look like they'll need replacing soon) and a fresh MOT, traded in to Listers for a 420i. It's a facelift 305bhp SLK350 with all the toys you want and some rather ugly Designo seats.
CAP was 2950 but it was getting no love at all so I got it for £2,500+fees, all told it'll be £3k delivered to my door. I loved the manual one i had last year, it'll be interesting to see if the auto ruins it.
I think these are a real bargain now, £3k is a pre "strong and stable government" £1,500 in car terms.
trevalvole said:
I'll be interested in your view on how it rides on the 18" wheels. Does it have sports suspension? IIRC EVO thought that one without was better on typical B-roads than their long-termer with.
Mrs DS has had two R171s, an SLK200 on standard suspension and 17” wheels and her current 350 with sports suspension on 18” - the 200 was really quite plush and rode well, the 350 in comparison is an absolute bone shaker, a really hard ride. The standard suspension car was 100% better. " and her current 350 with sports suspension on 18” .... in comparison is an absolute bone shaker, a really hard ride."
If it has the sports package - as I do on my 2010 350 - surely you can switch between Comfort & Sport modes? I find the former a bit soft, in comparison with my old TVR ; but the Sport mode firms it up and (I think) squats it down a little on the suspension.
If it has the sports package - as I do on my 2010 350 - surely you can switch between Comfort & Sport modes? I find the former a bit soft, in comparison with my old TVR ; but the Sport mode firms it up and (I think) squats it down a little on the suspension.
GeniusOfLove said:
I picked this up a couple of days ago for a friend from BCA
113k miles, full dealer history, nice set of Michelins (rears look like they'll need replacing soon) and a fresh MOT, traded in to Listers for a 420i. It's a facelift 305bhp SLK350 with all the toys you want and some rather ugly Designo seats.
CAP was 2950 but it was getting no love at all so I got it for £2,500+fees, all told it'll be £3k delivered to my door. I loved the manual one i had last year, it'll be interesting to see if the auto ruins it.
I think these are a real bargain now, £3k is a pre "strong and stable government" £1,500 in car terms.
Mad value.113k miles, full dealer history, nice set of Michelins (rears look like they'll need replacing soon) and a fresh MOT, traded in to Listers for a 420i. It's a facelift 305bhp SLK350 with all the toys you want and some rather ugly Designo seats.
CAP was 2950 but it was getting no love at all so I got it for £2,500+fees, all told it'll be £3k delivered to my door. I loved the manual one i had last year, it'll be interesting to see if the auto ruins it.
I think these are a real bargain now, £3k is a pre "strong and stable government" £1,500 in car terms.
frontfloater said:
" and her current 350 with sports suspension on 18” .... in comparison is an absolute bone shaker, a really hard ride."
If it has the sports package - as I do on my 2010 350 - surely you can switch between Comfort & Sport modes? I find the former a bit soft, in comparison with my old TVR ; but the Sport mode firms it up and (I think) squats it down a little on the suspension.
It’s not adjustable. They’re just different springs and shocks. Hers is a 2005. If it has the sports package - as I do on my 2010 350 - surely you can switch between Comfort & Sport modes? I find the former a bit soft, in comparison with my old TVR ; but the Sport mode firms it up and (I think) squats it down a little on the suspension.
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