The interior of the headlamp assembly was melted and burnt. Upon close examination all of the wiring inside and outside of the headlamp enclosure was deteriorated. The protective plastic covering over the wires were crumbling and had fallen apart, bare wires had been touching inside of the housing. The wiring on the interior of the housing is not exposed to the elements. The wiring on the exterior of the housing exposed to the elements exhibits the same failure, in that the protective insulating plastic coating is deteriorated and exposed copper wires are touching each other.
The worst 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK430 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical9
- Transmission4
- Body2
- Engine2
- Acceleration1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical9
- Transmission4
- Body2
- Engine2
- Acceleration1
- Brakes1
- Driver assistance1
- Fuel system1
- Tires1
- Visibility1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Engine crankshaft pulley failure
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure that could result in loss of power-steering assist.odi has received a total of 546 non-duplicative reports that allege engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure on all mercedes-benz vehicles using the subject component.the subject component failures are progressive in nature and only a small percentage of the complaints and warrant claims involved a failure that had progressed far enough to effect power steering performance (6 of 55 odi complaints reference increased steering effort).there have been no crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see summary report attached for further detail.
PE03058
Technical service bulletins for the 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK430 15
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Washer fluid system leaks
- During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or...
- Headlamps leaking or fogged
- Headlamp or front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Rear lamps fogged up/not leaktight
- Crease formation on genuine leather seat covers in vehicles with low mileage ⢠Objects left on the seats...
- Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
- Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
- IPhone mobile phone: Various complaints after software update to iOS8
- Noise complaints when load on backrest frame changes
What 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK430 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
We just purchased a 2002 mercedes benz clk 430. For barely two weeks and can't drive it. We are having major issue with the trunk to open because our battery is totally dead. We cannot jump cable the car because the batery is in the trunk and the trunk will not even open with the manual key that it comes with. I have called mercedes benz and do exactly what I was ask to do but still didnt work. I went on you tube, google, and search the internet for answers but nothing. A lot of people are having the same issue with their clk's convertible. It seems like this is a manufacturer and a defective merchandise. This is a big disappointment from the maker and that was unexpected.
I own a 2001 mercedes-benz clk430. I have been experiencing intermittent sporadic failure of the ABS, bas, esp systems when I apply the brake. On occasions the gas pedal sticks and the car speeds up to dangerous speed. The car has to be put in neutral and once stop and restart, it would run normal again, and the car shows "no malfunction". Recently on july of 2013, while I was driving on the freeway and the car sped up on it own and almost went out of control. When I apply the brake ABS/bas/esp reported as failed, but the car did stop when I put in neutral and apply the brake. I took to mercedes-benz and they said they don't see any problem. I told them I want them to run the "computer diagnosis" and I want them to give me the report. Below are a few of the safety system failures that are on the report: etc - electronic transmission control code 120 the front right wheel speed of the traction system is sporadically implausible code 121 the front left wheel speed of the traction system is sporadically implausible me2-sfi - motor electronics 2.8 code p20dd-001 b37 (accelerator pedal sensor) : signal 1 / short circuit to possitive / potentionmeter above maximum value (p0123) esp - electronic stability program code c1504-009 the system is switched off. Code c1100-001 l6/1 (left front speed sensor) code c1101-001 l6/2 (right front speed sensor) ezs - electronic ignition switch code b1156-005 the control unit has short circuit to ground or open circuit. Tele aid [USA] - telematic system code n1100 no signal is received from the right-side speed sensors. Code n1101 no signal is received from the left-side speed sensors. I searched on google and found many owners reported problems with their ABS/bas/esp systems with clk430 on www.mbworld.org I believe these are manufacturing defects and mercedes should recall the clk430 and fix the issues.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercedes benz clk430. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and shut off when a child was able to shift the vehicle into neutral or reverse, without the presence of the key in the ignition. The vehicle began to roll backwards down a hill as a result. The child then turned the steering wheel and the vehicle crashed into a fence. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the failure was not diagnosed, but it was repaired for body damages. A complaint was also filed with the manufacturer. The contact also stated that the vehicle was recently rekeyed, which may have contributed to the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
The instrument cluster LED problem with my 2000 mercedes clk 430 has become more of a problem within the past month. It happens quite frequently now. Whenever I start the vehicle, the gear indicator does not indicate which gear I'm in and the car proceeds in low mode until I pull over and restart it. The safety hazard lies in the fact that I don't check my gear indicator constantly, so if it fails and I don't notice, the low/slow mode that the car automatically shifts into could get me killed on any street where the speed limit is at least 35. This car has given me numerous problems the past year and my safety seems to be in jeopardy more and more as the these issues increase in severity. I made the financial sacrifice for this car because mercedes are suppose to be some of the safest vehicles on the road......it's unfortunate that consumers in my situation don't have a voice when we're simply innocent victims in the making.
Shift lever inoperative/ erratic: 2000 clk430 being driven when transmission refused to shift from low gear, then second gear, and finally not at all! Had vehicle towed to shop, shop found shifter had gone bad. I didn't know the transmission was electronically controlled. $1500 later it now runs out fine. Mileage was 77k.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercedes benz clk430. The contact stated the pixels in the digital dashboard were scrambled and failed. The vehicle was not taken in to be examined. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 92,099.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 mercedes benz clk430. The contact stated that the gear display lights no longer illuminate on the instrument panel. As a result, he has difficulty seeing what gear is being used. The manufacturer will not cover the cost of the repairs. The current mileage was 48,000 and failure mileage was 25,000.
Front bumper cover / air dam broke on ordinary wheel stop in public parking lot. Car has inadequate clearance and front bumper cover / air dam is constructed so that it hooks on wheel stops and breaks. It happens every time you park if you bring the front tires to within a foot of the wheel stops. According to mbusa, the front bumper cover is an air foil / safety device providing stability to the car. Once it is broken, the entire front bumper cover has to be replaced, but of course it will only happen again and again.
Car engine shut off at traffic light with traffic build up behind me. After an hour of waiting for tow truck, it suddenly started again. Took it to garage which changed the crankshaft sensor for $308.55. Apparently, faulty crankshaft sensor is a known common problem with mercedes clk cars!!
Compare the 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK430
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Questions about the 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK430
Is the 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK430 reliable?
Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK430, 5.0 times a typical CLK430 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK430?
Electrical system, with 9 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles. Next is transmission (4).
How many recalls does the 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK430 have?
No recalls on record.
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