FaultScore

2001 Mercedes Benz SLK230 headlight problems

11 of the 41 complaints about the 2001 Mercedes Benz SLK230 are about the lighting — 27% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 43,000 miles.

C

11

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Brake Lights 7 63.6%
Exterior Lighting 2 18.2%
Headlights 1 9.1%
Tail Lights 1 9.1%

Lights across every Mercedes Benz SLK230 year

1998 15 33.3%
1999 19 42.2%
2001 11 24.4%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 126,731 miles Utica, NY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, WHEN I START UP MY VEHICLE AN INDICATOR FOR A LIGHT OUT APPEARS ON MY DASH. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES FOR A RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT BEING OUT. I HAVE REPLACED THE BULB NUMEROUS TIMES. I WAS RECOMMENDED TO LOOK ON YOUR WEB SIGHT AND I SAW THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED CAMPAIGN ID 05V505000 ON MY MAKE/MODEL FOR THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER WHEN I PUT IN MY VIN NUMBER IT PRODUCED ZERO RECALLS. HOW DO I KNOW IF THIS VEHICLE HAS EVER HAD THE RECALL ISSUE CORRECTED? ALSO, WHAT I CAN DO TO GET THE ISSUE RECTIFIED?

NHTSA complaint #11150316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,000 miles Henderson, NV

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ SLK 230. WHENEVER THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED A WARNING LIGHT SIGNALING THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE BOTH REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER, PRIOR TO THE FAILURE THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V505000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: BRAKE LIGHTS). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATED 03/15/12

NHTSA complaint #10450673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 34,000 miles Bethlehem, GA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

I HAVE LESS THAN 50K MILES AND HAD TO REPLACE THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR TWICE AND NOW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN FOR THE SAME SERVICE NEEDED. I HAVE PAID OUT OF POCKET NOT TO MENTION THE INCONVENIENCE OF HAVING IT IN THE SHOP SO MANY TIMES ALSO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION SENSORS AND TAIL LIGHT, WHICH MERCEDES DID NOT REIMBURSE FOR ORIGINAL CHARGE, JUST RE- REPLACED. NOW PROBLEMS HAPPENING WITH REAR MIRROR. THIS IS RIDICULOUS MERCEDES SHOULD STAND BY THERE PRODUCT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO LAST FOREVER AND I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS.

NHTSA complaint #10207936 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 34,000 miles Bethlehem, GA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

I HAVE LESS THAN 50K MILES AND HAD TO REPLACE THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR TWICE AND NOW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN FOR THE SAME SERVICE NEEDED. I HAVE PAID OUT OF POCKET NOT TO MENTION THE INCONVENIENCE OF HAVING IT IN THE SHOP SO MANY TIMES ALSO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION SENSORS AND TAIL LIGHT, WHICH MERCEDES DID NOT REIMBURSE FOR ORIGINAL CHARGE, JUST RE- REPLACED. NOW PROBLEMS HAPPENING WITH REAR MIRROR. THIS IS RIDICULOUS MERCEDES SHOULD STAND BY THERE PRODUCT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO LAST FOREVER AND I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS.

NHTSA complaint #10207936 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 80,000 miles Fort Worth, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT ON THE VEHICLE HAD NOT WORKED PROPERLY SINCE SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. FOR 2 YEARS THE BRAKE LIGHT KEPT GOING OUT. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC WHO KEPT ON REPLACING TWO TO THREE BULBS AT A TIME. SHE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM MERCEDES BENZ INDICATING THAT ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAILURE OF ONE OF THE SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD OCCUR. THE BASE OF THE SOCKET COULD BE SUBJECT TO THERMAL DEFORMATION. SHE WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE LETTER FOR THEM TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR IT WITHOUT HER PAYING FOR IT. THE RECALL LETTER INDICATED THE RECALL WAS NOT IN NEFFECT UNTIL SPRING 2007. RECALL CAMPAIGN# 2006-080005. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 80000.

NHTSA complaint #10182713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 43,000 miles Pocono Pines, PA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

MERCEDES BENZ 2001 SLK 230 LEFT TAIL LIGHT BURNED OUT. ATTEMPTS TO REPLACE THE BULB WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE TAIL LIGHT FITTING MELTED AND IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. MERCEDES REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND I HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE THE COMPLETE ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER SUGGESTED RE[PLACING THE RIGHT ASSEMBLY ALSO SINCE HE SAID THAT THAT WOULD ALSO MELT.

NHTSA complaint #10174350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Francisco, CA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

CONSUMER COMPLAINT CONCERNING 2001 BENZ SLK230 SAFETY RECALL #2006-08005. *TS THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #10174306 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 61,000 miles Winston Salem, NC

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

I WAS INFORMED BY A REPAIR SHOP AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT A BRAKE LIGHT ISSUE ON 2001 MERCEDES BENZ SLK230 THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED CAMPAIGN ID 05V505000 ON MY MAKE/MODEL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I SCHEDULED A APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL DEALER TO GET THE SOCKET REPLACED. I WAS TOLD BY THE MERCEDES DEALER THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. MY MAKE/MODEL IS A PART OF THE RECALL BASED UPON INFORMATION VIEWED ON YOUR WEBSITE. WHY WOULD THE DEALER NOT REPLACE IT? ARE THEY NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO PERFORM THE RECALLED WORK.

NHTSA complaint #10173116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 61,640 miles Conway, AR

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

2001 SLK 230 COVERED UNDER TAIL/BRAKE LIGHT RECALL. MBUSA STATES THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE VIN NUMBERS ON THE 2001-04 MODELS. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS. MY BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE MELTED AGAIN. 8JB

NHTSA complaint #10173154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 37,000 miles Bedford, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

YOU NEED TO INCLUDE MODEL YEAR 2001 IN YOUR INVESTIGATION OF THE BRAKE LIGHT ISSUE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE05051. BOTH THE TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLIES HAD TO BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN SEPT 02, WHEN THE CAR WAS OWNED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER DUE TO THIS FAILURE. I NOW HAVE ISSUES WITH THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LAMP BULB SOCKET FAILING TO RELEASE, SO I BELIEVE THE SAME THING IS OCCURRING AGAIN. THIS INVESTIGATION SHOULD REALLY COVER ALL MERCEDES R170 THROUGH 2004.

NHTSA complaint #10137927 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chesapeake, VA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

2001 MERCEDES BENZ DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WHERE WATER WAS GETTING INTO THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS GETTING THE HEADLIGHT REPLACED. *MR

NHTSA complaint #10133471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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