1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 Brakes Problems

TL*-THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN REFERENCE TO THE 1998 MERCEDES BENZ SLK WITH CURRENT MILEAGE: 85,000 A RECALL ISSUED ON THE VEHICLE DEALING WITH EXTERIOR REAR BRAKE LIGHTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND GAVE THEM THE INFORMATION, THEY SCHEDULED HER AN APPOINTMENT, AND TOLD HER TO COME BACK WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE PARTS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SAID THAT NOW THE FRONT LIGHTS WERE NOW BEING AFFECTED, AND THAT SHE HAD BEEN RECEIVING NUMEROUS TICKETS BECAUSE OF THIS MATTER.*AK

NHTSA ID

10186508

Incident

Sep 1, 2006

Mileage

85,000 mi

REAR BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE SLK. REPLACED ENTIRE REAR BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY ONCE UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE SOCKETS EVERY FEW MONTHS FOR THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE OWNED THE CAR. WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF THE CAR NO LONGER BEING UNDER WARRANTY, THE SOCKET FAILED AFTER ONLY 1 WEEK OF BEING REPLACED. WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY (AGAIN), BUT THIS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY SAID THEY COULD KEEP REPLACING THE SOCKETS, BUT THAT WOULD ONLY BE A TEMPORARY FIX. DEALER PUT IN A NEW SOCKET, THIS TIME TWISTING OUT THE LEADS TO GET A BETTER CONTACT AND IT SEEMS TO BE HOLDING. (AT LEAST FOR NOW) THE FAULTY REAR BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY SHOULD BE A RECALLED ITEM AS IT COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT AND/OR DEATH. *NM

NHTSA ID

10168166

Incident

Aug 1, 2006

Mileage

101,500 mi

REAR BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES, REPLACED UP UNTIL THIS POINT AT OWNERS COST. A RECALL WAS ISSUED, AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE VIN IS NOT WITHIN THE RANGE THAT THEY ARE REPLACING. MY VEHICLE CAN NOT BE DRIVEN NOW AS IT HAS FAILED IT'S VEHICLE INSPECTION. THE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST TWICE EACH ALREADY. *NM

NHTSA ID

10154421

Incident

Mar 10, 2006

Mileage

85,000 mi

REAR BRAKE LIGHT WILL STOP WORKING PERIODICALLY DUE TO MELTED SOCKET. OWNED THE CAR SINCE NEW AND DEALER REPLACE SOCKETS TWICE WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. SINCE WARRANTY EXPIRED I REPLACED THE SOCKET TWICE MORE ON EACH SIDE AT A COST OF $20. *JB

NHTSA ID

10151503

Incident

Nov 10, 2005

Mileage

10,000 mi

REAR BRAKE LAMPS KEEPS BURNING OUT AND WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. *JB

NHTSA ID

10137942

Incident

Mar 1, 2001

Mileage

25,000 mi

DT: BOTH BRAKE LIGHTS MALFUCTIONED AFTER EXTENDED USE. THE HEAT CAUSED THE SOCKET AND HOUSING TO DISTORT AND MELT, LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE LIGHTS. *AK CONSUMER STILL HAS DEFECTIVE PARTS FOR INSPECTIONS AND TESTING. IF NHTSA NEED THESE PARTS PLEASE CONTACT CONSUMER.*SB *NM

NHTSA ID

10124557

Incident

Jan 1, 2005

Mileage

39,000 mi

TAILLIGGHT ASSEMBLY BECOMES HEATED AND CAUSES FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LIGHT SOCKET/HOUSING. DEALER STATES THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND THEY CAN NOT KEEP THE PARTS IN STOCK FAST ENOUGH TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM

NHTSA ID

10124556

Incident

Jan 9, 2005

Mileage

39,000 mi

I HAVE A 1998 MERCEDES BENZ SLK 230. THE BRAKE LIGHTS MALFUNCTION ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER INFORMS ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE OF THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. IT SEEMS THAT WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

10121690

Incident

May 19, 2005

Mileage

31,000 mi

BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE CIRCUIT BOARD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.THIS INFORMATION WAS PROVIDE BY MRS. MARGO'S HUSBAND LENOR KARSTADT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10099344

Incident

Oct 1, 2004

I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH 1,000 MILES ON IT, I WAS THE 3RD OWNER. 1ST OWNER WAS DEALER IN NJ, 2-ND OWNER WAS MY FATHER. THE PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 15,000 MILES AND HAS CONTINUED. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE REAR BRAKE3 LIGHT ASSEMBLY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A "KNOWN DEFECT" THAT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED WITH THE SLK MODEL THAT MERCEDES MANUFACTURES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY DOES NOT HAVE A WAY TO COOL OFF AND GETS TOO HOT AND BURNS UP CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO LOOSE CONNECTION AND THEY FAIL. 4 DIFFERENT MECHANICS HAVE ALL TOLD ME THE SAME STORY. I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD KEEP REPLACING THE PART AND THE SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CORRECT THIS DEFAULT BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE MODEL OF THIS MERCEDES. I AM AFRAID THAT I AND MY SON WHICH IS 2 WILL BE IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT MAYBE EVEN FATEL IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE, I HAVE GONE TO THE DEALERSHIP LOOKING FOR HELP, THEY WILL NOT HELP ME, THEY TOLD ME TO GO TO MERCEDES, THEY WILL NOT HELP ME. I HAVE BEEN SHOW THE PART THAT GETS TOO HOT AND LOOSES ITS CONNECTION. I HAVE THEM WITH ME FOR PROOF OF WHAT I AM SAYING IS FACTUAL AND MERCEDES IS NEGLECTING THIS ISSUE. I ASSUME THEY DON'T WANT TO BE BOTHERED WITH AN EXPENSIVE RECALL. PLEASE HELP US.*AK

NHTSA ID

10079017

Incident

Jan 5, 2004

Mileage

15,000 mi