Used 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class CLK430 2dr Convertible Consumer Reviews
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clkcabriolet, Wesley Chapel, FL, 04/01/2013
updated 03/07/2024
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class CLK430 2dr Convertible
38 of 43 people found this review helpful
I bought my car for a weekend convertible from the original owner who used it the same way. It had always been kept in an environmentally controlled garage and dealer maintained It is good looking, drives well and lots of fun.... when it works. I've owned 60s Alfa Romeos and Fiats, but none that broke or needed constant servicing like this Mercedes. Well, maybe one 68 Fiat was almost this bad. The transmission module, convertible top computer module, trunk lock, radio, oxygen sensor and dashboard have all died. Did I mention the constant fault lights on the dash? Mercedes says this is typical. I love my Acura’s. They have the three times the mileage of the Mercedes and they NEVER break. The ultimate luxury is dependability. If I wanted a beautiful but poor quality car I would have bought a Jaguar. The dealer wanted $6k to replace the top control module. I went to another Mercedes repair place and they fixed it fine for $800. I wouldn’t darken the door of a Mercedes dealer after the car goes out of warranty and they gave it the worst car wash I’ve ever seen. Something about the dealer expects owning a Mercedes to cost a lot of money and to just put the costs on my Amex card. 44000 mile update. I had to replace the A/C compressor and the plastic slot in the dash where I put my sunglasses has melted, cracked and fallen apart. The rubber stops for the trunk lid are disintegrating. Rust has showed up on the bottom of the passenger door around the rubber seal, which is really strange since the only time the car gets wet is when I wash it. Two hydraulic valves for the convertible top leaked fluid inside the car and had to be replaced as well as the stainless cables that hold tension on the top. I was advised it is normal for these to fail. Wow, more built in obsolescence. To be fair, the car has never left me on the side of the road, but that's the nicest thing I can say about the reliability. 47000 update - I've had a couple trouble free years which have been nice. I've been able to hop in the car on nice days and enjoy it with no issues. People can't believe it's 16 years old. The styling and paint have held up well over the years. It’s now 18 years old and it has been trouble free for over 4 years except it leaks a little oil on the garage pavement. First car in a long time that leaked. Not worth fixing, but worth noting. It now is 19 years old and has 48,000 miles on it and nothing has gone wrong in the last year so its dependability rating has creeped up. One of these days I’ll replace that part of the dash that has lost pixels because it’s gotten worse. I have no idea what time, temp, or gear it’s in. I’ll also replace the plastic glasses holder that was falling apart. Everything else works fine. It still drives smoothly, and quietly like a regular coupe, when the top is up. It’s now 20 years old and has 49,000 miles on it. No new news except the minor leaking has stopped. Everything still works, but the factory radio is weird. It usually works, but sometimes it won’t shut off when I remove the key and open the drivers door. So I have to restart it and then turn it off again. Weird. It’s in the shop to have a few things replaced. The eyeglass holder literally disintegrated and the rubber on the trunk stop bumpers disintegrated as well. The glue on the leather panels on the door and the Mercedes symbol on the gear shift lever went bad. If the car sits for awhile the lifters in the engine are noisy and the engine sounds like the manifold is leaking, but it goes away after awhile and does not repeat if the car is driven more often. Shouldn’t happen, but it does. Otherwise, the car continues to perform well as it approaches 50,000 miles. It’s now 21 years old with 50,000 miles on it. The passenger side rear side panel leather fell off and I tried to fix it. It looks ok. The wife likes the car so we kept it, but I got another convertible. It’s $1k to replace the little part that shows the temperature, time and gear number so it’s not worth it. Otherwise nothing new to report. I sold the car privately for $10k at 51k miles and ran into the new owner a few weeks later at the hardware store. He had to replace the top shortly after he bought it, because the part around the back window let go. I sold it to him in good faith and he and his wife opened and closed the top multiple times with no issue, so I sold it in the nick of time. He also found some oil on the floor and had to replace two cylinders in the top mechanism. He replaced the tires (which needed replacing), had an interior guy fix the loose leather panels in the doors, changed the oil and transmission fluids, and put a different radio in it. I figured he spent ~ $7k on it, which were all needed. This is my last review as the car is gone and I’m lucky I sold it when I did. Everything was working when I sold it……
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Love This Car
appeal2, 11/26/2003
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class CLK430 2dr Convertible
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I bought this car with 2500 miles on it back in summer of 2000. I put on another 26000 miles the past two summers. The car is a classic. Mine came loaded with nav, orthopoedic seats, xenons and cd changer. It rides like a dream. The brakes are the best of any car I have ever owned. Stopping from 60-0 seems to take place in about 105 feet. It eats front tires in about 16k miles. Gas mileage comes in about 18-21. Its pretty peppy, 0-60 in 7.4+. Engine has a nice growl when accelerating. Taking down the top is easy but not one touch. Sound system could be better, but is adequate. Doesn't matter when you're doing triple digits with the top down.
Luv My Mercedes
Jay Cutler, 06/16/2003
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class CLK430 2dr Convertible
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Still gets praise for its beauty whenever its getting gas or valet parked. Only complaint is the occasional over bumps' squeaks, coming from I suspect the convertible top and how it locks onto the frame (my wife insists the noise is from the dashboard). The car is still a dream and even my most obese non front seat passenger doesn't complain about room in the back . In fact it can take two not so big people fairly comfortably in the rear seat.
Tough to beat!
Brisbourne, 05/15/2002
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class CLK430 2dr Convertible
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
OK, not quite the build quality that you've been led to believe, but the ownership bargain of a lifetime! After 10000 miles, the performance comes on strong, and the whole driving experience improves. Noticeably better when driven hard Trunk is surprisingly useful as long as you pack soft. Without the options, (heated seats, etc) a little cheap inside with obvious 'missing' switches on the otherwise nice black ash console. Pay the money for the multicontour seats...they make a substantial difference in comfort over long distances. Verdict? I have a 2004 500CLK on order!!
German hot rod
Keith Crews, Pottstown, PA, 07/15/2016
updated 01/22/2018
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class CLK430 2dr Convertible
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
Buy low miles and look for signs of hard driving. Cruises at 100+ with ease , handles well for an old unit. Update ,A/C went out,compressor lockup. Will need complete ac overhaul. However all non Mercedes parts originally so cost is surprisingly low,like any American car. Did change trans filter and fluid to Amsoil synthetic . As well as engine oil. Highway mileage has been 25 mpg at high speed ,80+ amazingly! At lower speeds mileage drops. Still great !
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
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