2000 Mercedes Benz SLK230

CARS ENGINE SHUTS OFF SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. MOST INSTANCES OCCURRED WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION. THE ELECTRONICS STAYED ON BUT NO ENGINE OPERATION AT ALL. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART WITH A SLIGHT TURN TO THE LEFT AND THEN RIGHT OR TURNING OFF ALL THE WAY AND RESTARTING. ABOUT A THIRD OF THE TIME THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART FOR 5 TO 45 MINUTES WITH ONE OCCASION LASTING OVER 2 HOURS. MOST RECENTLY THE ENGINE SHUT OFF 4 TIMES ON A 90 MILE TRIP. THE LAST OF THE FOUR FAILURES OCCURRED AS I WAS PARKING AND WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL LATER. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS AND NEITHER FINDING A PROBLEM, THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR WAS REPLACED ON SPECULATION THAT IT COULD BE A RESULT OF A SIMILAR FAILURE ON OTHER MERCEDES BENZ ENGINES.

I HAVE A 2000 MERCEDES SLK230 SPORT, COPPER DESIGNO EDITION. I HAVE HAD MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR IN THE YEAR I HAVE HAD IT. THE BACK BRAKE LIGHT WAS MELTED AND BURNED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM THAT. I HAD THE CAR RUNNING FOR ABOUT 1 MIN. AND 30 SECONDS DOWN THE ROAD WHEN I BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING THAT SMELLED LIKE PLASTIC BURNING, I THOUGHT FOR SURE IT COULDN'T BE MY CAR AND WAS COMING FROM OUTSIDE. I HAD THE HEAT ON NOTCH NUMBER 2 BUT NOTHING WAS COMING OUT. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE HEAT CAME ON THEN JUST CUT OFF AGAIN, I THOUGHT THAT WAS ODD. THE SMELL BEGAN TO GET WORSE. SO I PROCEEDED TO PULL INTO A CONVENIENT STORE PARKING LOT. AS I PULLED IN I NOTICED SMOKE SPIRALING OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD VENTS, SO NOW I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE SMOKE IS FILLING UP THE CABIN. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE CAR OFF AND POPPED THE HOOD. SMOKE WAS POURING OUT FROM JUST UNDERNEATH THE WINDSHIELD, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I RAN INSIDE THE STORE TO GET POSSIBLY SOME WATER OR SUCH FOR THE CAR. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW OF THE STORE AND MY CAR HAD 6 FOOT FLAMES RUSHING OUT THE FRONT RIGHT UNDER THE WINDSHIELD. THE STORE MANAGER AND I RAN OUT AND PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND THE FIRE DEPT. CAME AND NEW YORK STATE POLICE. THE FIREMAN DRENCHED IT WITH WATER AND PRETTY MUCH FLOODED THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. THE HOLE BEHIND THE FIRE WALL WAS QUITE BIG WITH THE WIRE HARNESS BEING BURNT TO A CRISP. THE FIREMAN SAID IT LOOKED LIKE THE HEATER BLOWER HAD A SHORT THE WAY IT WAS ALL MELTED. I HAVE HEARD TONS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS CAR ABOUT ELECTRICAL SHORTS, A FEW COMPLAINTS EVEN WAS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR, BUT THEY PULLED THE HEATER FUSE JUST IN TIME TO PREVENT FIRE. WHAT IF A PARENT LEFT AN INFANT IN THERE FOR A MINUTE WHILE THEY RAN IN TO PAY FOR SOMETHING , NEXT THING YOU KNOW THE PASSENGERS SEAT IS IN FLAMES, I BET SOMEONE WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS THEN!! THANK YOU, JOSH *TR

MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC SENT A SAFETY RECALL # 2006-080005. I MADE AN APPT AT MERCEDES BENZ AT KEARNY MESA, SAN DIEGO, THE SERVICE WRITER (ALFONSO) SAID THAT THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE THE TAIL BRAKE LIGHT IF IT FAILS, BUT THE RECALL CLEARLY STATES THAT DUE TO THE HIGH HEAT CREATED BY THE TAIL BRAKE LIGHT THE BASE OF THE LAMP SOCKET CAN BE SUBJECT TO THERMAL DEFORMATION OVER TIME, THUS WHEN YOU PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL THE TAIL BRAKE LIGHT WILL NOT WORK BECAUSE THERE IS NO ELECTRICAL CONTACT. THE RECALL ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE REPLACEMENT MATERIAL IS MORE HEAT RESISTANT MATERIAL BUT THE SERVICE WRITER SAID THAT THE REPLACEMENT MATERIAL IS THE SAME AS WHAT I HAVE ALREADY IN THE CAR, WHICH IS FALSE. *JB

BRAKE LIGHTS BURNS OUT ON AVERAGE OF 3 TO 4 TIMES A YEAR. I BROUGHT TO THE DEALER FOR BULB REPLACEMENT, BUT THE PROBLEM OCCURS A FEW WEEKS LATER. A DAYS AGO, THE PROBLEM RECUR. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND HAD THEM FIXED IT; HOWEVER AS, I DROVE OFF THE LOT, THE BRAKE LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECURRING FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. THE DEALER HAS REPLACE THE HOUSING TWICE. SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AND AGAIN. *NM

2000 MERCEDES BENZ SLK 230 WITH 14072 MILES ONLY HAD TAIL LAMP UNIT R/SIDE REPLACED DUE TO THE BULB "MELTING". ENTIRE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UNSAFE, DEFECTIVE DESIGN FOR BULB TO MELT IN SOCKET. PROBLEM DEFINED AT AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP AS CAUSE: POOR FIT. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MECHANICS AT SHOP WHO STATED THIS IS COMMON. WHY? NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS BEFORE THERE IS A FIRE IN VEHICLE DUE TO THIS BULB PROBLEM. *JB

DT: LIGHT CAME ON DASH PANEL INDICATING THERE WAS A LIGHT PROBLEM, AND DISCOVERED THERE WERE NO BRAKE LIGHTS. TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID BECAUSE THERE WAS HEAT SO EXTENSIVE FROM BRAKE LIGHT THAT IT MELTED AND WOULD COST $1200 FOR REPAIRS. THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SERVICE PLAN THROUGH FORD. HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE,TSB # PB8210/406 OF 1-31-05. *AK NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE BUT OWNER PLANS TO PAY FOR THIS OUT OF POCKET. *AK *JB