Newbie considering used SLK55

100500 · 10-03-2007

Hi, newbie here with a barrage of questions

I'm looking around for a used SLK55, which seem to be going for roughly 47-55k, relatively low miles.

Are there any known problems I should be aware of when shopping around? Also this would be my first Mercedes, or German car for that matter. How great of a reliability factor could I expect?

I have heard that the AMGs tend to be more reliable than the regular M-Bs though? Is this true?

How exactly does M-B's CPO warranty work? Assuming I buy a 2005 CPO, does this mean the warranty will end in 2009 + 1 extra year? If so, then I guess a 2005 with 30k miles wouldn't be much worse than a 2005 with 5k miles as far as the CPO warranty goes?

Thanks beforehand

**etyu** · 10-03-2007

Welcome 100500! Where are you located? I'm presuming it is in the US (if you don't mind updating your profile).

This is my first AMG (4th Mercedes Benz vehicle however). My previous MB vehicles were quite reliable and went in mainly for routine schedule service work. Very few minor quirks here and there.

A 2005 SLK 55 sounds like a good buy. Try to bargain for an extended warranty to be thrown in.

V8SLK · 10-03-2007

welcome 100500. my 55 is an 05 and i absolutely love it. the only problem that i have had with it was very minor, the center console does not always open easily. motor, tranny, suspension, brakes, electronics, etc have all been bulletproof.

**-1-** · 10-04-2007

SMART move considering a used SLK. If money IS an issue, that's the route to go. Super savings on low mileage, well equipped SLKs. I see many with less than 15,000 miles, and that would be my recommendation. My used 2005 was fully equipped with 4811 miles and in exceptional condition. Regardless, DON'T purchase sight unseen. Good luck in your search. Here's an example of an exceptional deal, 2005 SLK 55 Designo Edition, fully equipped for $46,300.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...spagenameZWDVW

in2dwww · 10-04-2007

The SLK55 AMG is a very nice machine indeed. However, when you become an owner, you will certainly have two VERY interesting problems...

1. You will succomb to Stupid Smile Syndrome (SSS).

2. You will always want to go about town topless.

Beyond that, the sheer pleasure of awakening that beast and going for a spine-tingling drive is absolute therapy for ANY problem you encounter.

Don't buy one without FULL RECORDS. These AMG's are rare, so the owner should reflect the care and respect that AMG's get. You want to see the window sticker to make sure that the car is local. If the car isn't local, you want to make sure that it was serviced, regularly, at a dealership. Furthermore, drive it hard upon test drive, but don't kill yourself. The SLK 55 AMG is a highly-tuned machine. If something feels wrong, something is wrong.

At normal temp idle, you may notice some engine roughness. This could be cheap gas or it could be a sign of stop-and-go driving (loaded plugs). Blow it out for a minute or two on the highway... it should be smoother.

Use the steeing wheel buttons to scroll through the ICD menu to check the engine oil temp before you drive anyone's AMG above 3k rpm. Oil temp icon will stop flashing at about 80. When the oil is warm, you can progressively drive it harder. Normal oil temp for me ranges from 96 - 103.

Have a dealer pull the data card to verify the options the car has. There may be an appearance of GPS, but it may actually be the lower-grade premium package.

Don't get one without airscarf.

**bclark** · 10-04-2007

Ditto the airscarf (adds a season of
topless driving)

**rlbawk** · 10-06-2007

You may want to check Auto Trader online for a great deal too. I found my 07 55 there and saved close to 10k off the list and it only had about 5k miles on it. Take it to a dealer and get it checked out and you can also save a lot buying from an individual since there are no dealer fees there. I flew to another state to pick mine up but the cost savings were well worth it...plus it was a nice drive back home .

RacerCub68 · 10-07-2007

More reliable? NOt according to the forum owner, Bill, who had his taken back by lemon law. Also he states there is some design issue of the audio gateway near a cat that overheats that is with the AMG and not the V6 cars. Maybe there should be a poll on number of defects people have expierenced.

What I know is that, there's a huge difference in quality, or at least "checked-out" between dealer bought cars and Euro delivery cars (both SLK350s).

Used, I would be more wary of an AMG depending on the car's original purchase location. For example, an SLK55 bought by anyone in Miami Beach or LA is more likely to be bought by a brand whore who did barely the minimum of maintenance and care. Something bought out in the mid-west, or in the non-downtown or Hampton area of New York is more likely to have been taken care of by an enthusiast.

VitaminT · 10-07-2007

Did he go bye bye?

I have mostly enjoyed my 55. Originally purchased about an hour north of me, owned and operated in the same small town that I live in by the original owner. He took awsome care of it too. Wish I could keep it clean like he did.

10-03-2007	#1 (permalink)
100500 SLK World Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New York Posts: 2 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Newbie considering used SLK55 Hi, newbie here with a barrage of questions I'm looking around for a used SLK55, which seem to be going for roughly 47-55k, relatively low miles. Are there any known problems I should be aware of when shopping around? Also this would be my first Mercedes, or German car for that matter. How great of a reliability factor could I expect? I have heard that the AMGs tend to be more reliable than the regular M-Bs though? Is this true? How exactly does M-B's CPO warranty work? Assuming I buy a 2005 CPO, does this mean the warranty will end in 2009 + 1 extra year? If so, then I guess a 2005 with 30k miles wouldn't be much worse than a 2005 with 5k miles as far as the CPO warranty goes? Thanks beforehand

10-03-2007	#2 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 5,279 Country: Thanks: 376 Thanked 277 Times in 168 Posts	Welcome 100500! Where are you located? I'm presuming it is in the US (if you don't mind updating your profile). This is my first AMG (4th Mercedes Benz vehicle however). My previous MB vehicles were quite reliable and went in mainly for routine schedule service work. Very few minor quirks here and there. A 2005 SLK 55 sounds like a good buy. Try to bargain for an extended warranty to be thrown in. __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant.*, EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.

10-04-2007	#4 (permalink)
-1- Don Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia USA Vehicle: SLK 55 ///AMG The MON55TER on the block Posts: 2,224 Country: Thanks: 54 Thanked 57 Times in 41 Posts	SMART move considering a used SLK. If money IS an issue, that's the route to go. Super savings on low mileage, well equipped SLKs. I see many with less than 15,000 miles, and that would be my recommendation. My used 2005 was fully equipped with 4811 miles and in exceptional condition. Regardless, DON'T purchase sight unseen. Good luck in your search. Here's an example of an exceptional deal, 2005 SLK 55 Designo Edition, fully equipped for $46,300. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...spagenameZWDVW __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. *----------------1-----------------* --------SLK 55 ///AMG--------- THE MON55TER ON THE BLOCK

10-04-2007	#5 (permalink)
in2dwww Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 203 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	2 problems I can think of... The SLK55 AMG is a very nice machine indeed. However, when you become an owner, you will certainly have two VERY interesting problems... 1. You will succomb to Stupid Smile Syndrome (SSS). 2. You will always want to go about town topless. Beyond that, the sheer pleasure of awakening that beast and going for a spine-tingling drive is absolute therapy for ANY problem you encounter. Don't buy one without FULL RECORDS. These AMG's are rare, so the owner should reflect the care and respect that AMG's get. You want to see the window sticker to make sure that the car is local. If the car isn't local, you want to make sure that it was serviced, regularly, at a dealership. Furthermore, drive it hard upon test drive, but don't kill yourself. The SLK 55 AMG is a highly-tuned machine. If something feels wrong, something is wrong. At normal temp idle, you may notice some engine roughness. This could be cheap gas or it could be a sign of stop-and-go driving (loaded plugs). Blow it out for a minute or two on the highway... it should be smoother. Use the steeing wheel buttons to scroll through the ICD menu to check the engine oil temp before you drive anyone's AMG above 3k rpm. Oil temp icon will stop flashing at about 80. When the oil is warm, you can progressively drive it harder. Normal oil temp for me ranges from 96 - 103. Have a dealer pull the data card to verify the options the car has. There may be an appearance of GPS, but it may actually be the lower-grade premium package. Don't get one without airscarf.

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10-03-2007	#3 (permalink)
V8SLK Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Home of the brave Vehicle: 05 SLK55 AMG Posts: 1,071 Country: Thanks: 40 Thanked 48 Times in 26 Posts	welcome 100500. my 55 is an 05 and i absolutely love it. the only problem that i have had with it was very minor, the center console does not always open easily. motor, tranny, suspension, brakes, electronics, etc have all been bulletproof.

10-04-2007	#6 (permalink)
bclark Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oak Park, Illinois, USA Vehicle: 2005 Black SLK Posts: 262 Country: Thanks: 5 Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post	Ditto the airscarf (adds a season of topless driving)

10-06-2007	#7 (permalink)
rlbawk Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Hampton, GA Vehicle: 2008 Yukon Denali Other Toys: 2006 BMW 325 Convert Posts: 275 Country: Thanks: 16 Thanked 10 Times in 10 Posts	You may want to check Auto Trader online for a great deal too. I found my 07 55 there and saved close to 10k off the list and it only had about 5k miles on it. Take it to a dealer and get it checked out and you can also save a lot buying from an individual since there are no dealer fees there. I flew to another state to pick mine up but the cost savings were well worth it...plus it was a nice drive back home .

10-07-2007	#8 (permalink)
RacerCub68 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: South Beach (Miami Beach, FL) Vehicle: 2006 SLK350 - All Opts. Except AMG Package & Auto. Clean looking 6-speed. Posts: 710 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	More reliable? NOt according to the forum owner, Bill, who had his taken back by lemon law. Also he states there is some design issue of the audio gateway near a cat that overheats that is with the AMG and not the V6 cars. Maybe there should be a poll on number of defects people have expierenced. What I know is that, there's a huge difference in quality, or at least "checked-out" between dealer bought cars and Euro delivery cars (both SLK350s). Used, I would be more wary of an AMG depending on the car's original purchase location. For example, an SLK55 bought by anyone in Miami Beach or LA is more likely to be bought by a brand whore who did barely the minimum of maintenance and care. Something bought out in the mid-west, or in the non-downtown or Hampton area of New York is more likely to have been taken care of by an enthusiast.

10-07-2007	#9 (permalink)
VitaminT Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alabama Vehicle: 2005 SLK55 Posts: 361 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Did he go bye bye? I have mostly enjoyed my 55. Originally purchased about an hour north of me, owned and operated in the same small town that I live in by the original owner. He took awsome care of it too. Wish I could keep it clean like he did.

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