2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 Problems

* Brake system has failed by brakes applying randomly; research indicates due to faulty YAW sensor and Lateral Movement sensor per mechanic who retrieved the codes. Per Mercedes Benz, these sensors are no longer available and they're no longer making them. There are no aftermarket parts available. * Brakes have applied randomly at various speeds and causes a loss of control of the vehicle. This has been happening over the last few months and poses a very deadly situation. * Independent MB Specialist Master Mechanic pulled codes and confirmed problem. He advised there are no parts available. * No lamps indicated problem was imminent.

ON THREE OCCASIONS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BY THE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM WITHOUT DRIVER INTERVENTION. IN THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE THIS ACTION PLACED THE DRIVER AND OTHER MOTORIST IN THE VICINITY OF THE CAR IN EXTREME DANGER. TRAVELING EAST BOUND ON HIGHWAY 80 THROUGH FAIRFIELD CALIFORNIA IN THE LEFT LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE ABRUPTLY ACTIVATED BY THE STABILITY SYSTEM CAUSING THE CAR TO YAW TO THE RIGHT AND THEN SUDDENLY TO THE LEFT. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN OTHER MOTORIST THAT THERE WAS NOT A COLLISION. THE CAR DID HOWEVER ALMOST COLLIDE WITH THE CENTER BARRIER. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

Driving low speed, about 30 MPH, right front wheel begins braking in anti-lock mode. Car pulls right. BAS/ESP light comes on. Was just driving, never touched the brake pedal.

while driving on the highway/freeway system in the Portland Oregon area on several occasions one of which i initiated myself activated the cruise control immediately after initiating the vehicle began to increase its speed to the continuing to speeds well beyond the 100 mile per hour mark I was not able to deactivate the cruise control in the usual ways pressing the brake pedal did not work cruise control knob has a cancel that was not responsive either on two other times this happened when I while driving the same thing happened but i was un aware i had touched the cruise control knob one of which a friend of mine was driving and i failed to notify the individual to be extremely careful not to use cruise control he had initiated by accident since it was so close to the blinker control switch He had more strength than i did and managed to bring it to a full stop burning through brake pads leaving it smelling as though there was a fire that had taken place in the vehicle, I recently read that another company that made similar vehicles as the Mercedes Benz slk model was having similar problemns

rear lights malfunction and UNKNOWN

I OWN A 2001 SLK320 MERCEDES BOUGHT IT A SECOND OWNER, IT HAD NO BRAKES LIGHT IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE, ELECTRIC SEATS NOT WORKING EITHER. REPLACED THE RELAY FOR SEATS BUT CAN'T GET TAIL LIGHTS TO WORK CHECK ON RECALL WAS NOT HONORED WHAT THE HECK. MERCEDES SHOULD FIX THESE CONTINUAL PROBLEMS THAT CONTINUE TO COST US BIG BUCKS TO FIX $600.00 EACH TIME BECOMES TO MUCH, LAST MERCEDES FOR ME OR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. MERCEDES STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT IT'S A SHAME WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT WITH A BIG COMPANY LIKE MERCEDES, I HOPE SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING TO CORRECT THESE ON GOING PROBLEMS WITH THESE EXPENSIVE CARS.

rear lights malfunction and UNKNOWN

I OWN A 2001 SLK320 MERCEDES BOUGHT IT A SECOND OWNER, IT HAD NO BRAKES LIGHT IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE, ELECTRIC SEATS NOT WORKING EITHER. REPLACED THE RELAY FOR SEATS BUT CAN'T GET TAIL LIGHTS TO WORK CHECK ON RECALL WAS NOT HONORED WHAT THE HECK. MERCEDES SHOULD FIX THESE CONTINUAL PROBLEMS THAT CONTINUE TO COST US BIG BUCKS TO FIX $600.00 EACH TIME BECOMES TO MUCH, LAST MERCEDES FOR ME OR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. MERCEDES STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT IT'S A SHAME WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT WITH A BIG COMPANY LIKE MERCEDES, I HOPE SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING TO CORRECT THESE ON GOING PROBLEMS WITH THESE EXPENSIVE CARS.

WHILE DRIVING IT, THE CAR WILL ACT LIKE I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND THE BAS/ESP LIGHT WILL COME ON. I AM NOT HITTING THE BRAKES WHEN THIS HAPPENS, I AM JUST DRIVING ALONG. *JS INITIALLY, THESE EVENTS HAPPENED AT LOW SPEEDS, MORE RECENTLY IT HAPPENED AT 50MPH IN THE RAIN. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO CONNECTION TO SPEED, ACCELERATION, TURNING, OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN RANDOM FAULTS. DEALER READ AN ESP CODE C1120-004, 016 ESP YAW SENSOR PLAUSIBILITY OCCURRED 1 TIME AND ERASED CODE. THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION IN A SHORT TEST DRIVE. NEVERTHELESS, IT HAPPENED AGAIN AT FREEWAY SPEED ON THE WAY HOME, AND AGAIN THE FOLLOWING DAY AT SLOW SPEED.

THERE IS A DEADLY ISSUE WITH THE 2001 SLK320 AND SIMILAR MODELS/YEARS, IN REGARDS TO THE LATERAL SPEED SENSOR AND THE YAW SENSOR. WHEN THESE SENSORS GO FAULTY, THEY ENGAGE THE BRAKES ON THE CAR WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE LATERAL SPEED SENSOR TRIGGERS THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT FORWARD, AND THE YAW SENSOR TRIGGERS THE BRAKES WHEN MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AS THE CAR IS STOPPED WHILE IT IS IN MOTION, REGARDLESS OF SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME OVER A HANDFUL OF TIMES FROM DECEMBER 2013 WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, UP UNTIL YESTERDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014. THIS IS ALSO A KNOWN ISSUE ACROSS MERCEDES CAR FORUMS, SO IT IS EXTREMELY UNSETTLING THAT THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. IN REGARDS TO MY EXPERIENCE: WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE IS SPORADICALLY ENGAGED DUE TO THE LATERAL SPEED SENSOR. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT VARIOUS SPEED LIMITS, AND IT IS VERY SCARY AS THERE IS NO WARNING. WHEN THE BRAKE ENGAGES, THE CAR SKIDS TO THE RIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE BRAKE LOCKING. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED TO ME I WAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN AND ALMOST SKIDDED INTO OTHER CARS. YESTERDAY, THE BRAKES ENGAGING ALMOST CAUSED ME TO DRIVE UP A CURB AND INTO A FENCE. THIS HAS EVEN OCCURRED WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING UP TO 60MPH, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER DRIVERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME SAFETY ISSUE. THE LATERAL SPEED SENSOR COSTS SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPLACE, WHILE THE YAW SENSOR COSTS ALMOST $1,000 TO REPLACE. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET TO PAY FOR A POORLY PRODUCED PRODUCT, BUT WITH THE ISSUE BEING POTENTIALLY FATAL, OWNERS HAVE HAD NO CHOICE. I ADAMANTLY BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, AND RECALL THESE SENSORS. LIVES ARE LITERALLY AT STAKE. *TR

I OWN A 2001 SLK320 MERCEDES BOUGHT IT A SECOND OWNER, IT HAD NO BRAKES LIGHT IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE, ELECTRIC SEATS NOT WORKING EITHER. REPLACED THE RELAY FOR SEATS BUT CAN'T GET TAIL LIGHTS TO WORK CHECK ON RECALL WAS NOT HONORED WHAT THE HECK. MERCEDES SHOULD FIX THESE CONTINUAL PROBLEMS THAT CONTINUE TO COST US BIG BUCKS TO FIX $600.00 EACH TIME BECOMES TO MUCH, LAST MERCEDES FOR ME OR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. MERCEDES STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT IT'S A SHAME WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT WITH A BIG COMPANY LIKE MERCEDES, I HOPE SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING TO CORRECT THESE ON GOING PROBLEMS WITH THESE EXPENSIVE CARS.

CAR DRIVEN NORMALLY ON COLD, CLEAR NIGHT. ROAD CONDITION WAS FAIR (DRY FROM CENTERLINE TO TRAVEL LANE MIDPOINT W/ HARD-PACKED SNOW FROM THERE TO SHOULDER). EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION, SQUEALING NOISE & SLIGHT PULL TO RIGHT. STOPPED TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBILITY OF BLOWN TIRE. FOUND NOTHING WRONG AFTER VISUAL INSPECTION, SO RESUMED DRIVING. APPROX. 15S LATER, SQUEALING, VIBRATION & SENSATION OF PULLING TO RIGHT RETURNED, THEN CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE INPUTS & SLOWED FROM 40 TO 25MPH. CAR THEN SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY W/ LOUD SCREECHING NOISE, SNAPPED TO RIGHT & LOST CONTROL. ATTEMPTS TO COUNTER STEER WERE INEFFECTIVE AS CAR SLID ON HARD-PACKED SNOW FOR APPROX. 100' & STRUCK SNOWBANK AT 20MPH. FORTUNATELY SNOW WAS VERY LIGHT, DRY AND FLUFFY & DECELERATION WAS REASONABLY GENTLE. NO MAJOR DAMAGE OCCURRED & AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AFTER EXTRICATING, CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN. AN OBSERVER STANDING OUTSIDE THE CAR NOTED FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WOULD ROLL FOR A FEW FEET, THEN LOCK UP. SHUT ENGINE OFF & RESTARTED (ATTEMPTING TO RESET SYSTEMS). AT THIS POINT BOTH 'BAS ESP' AND 'ABS' WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED (THEY WERE NOT LIT PREVIOUSLY). CAR STILL COULD NOT BE DRIVEN - FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP AFTER A FEW FEET OF TRAVEL & HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY. LATER DETERMINED INCIDENT CAUSED BY YAW SENSOR FAILURE. FRONT RIGHT WHEEL HAD BEEN LOCKING & SLIDING ON HARD PACKED SNOW THEN SUDDENLY REGAINED TRACTION WHEN IT CROSSED A DRY PATCH OF PAVEMENT, CAUSING THE RAPID DIRECTIONAL CHANGE & LOSS OF CONTROL. VERY DANGEROUS. IF CAR HAD HIT A TREE, PARKED CAR, ETC. INSTEAD OF SOFT SNOWBANK THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS CRASH LIKELY W/ INJURY. UNACCEPTABLE & UNSAFE! PLEASE REOPEN INVESTIGATION! THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SYSTEM! SENSORS SHOULD CONTINUOUSLY SELF-CHECK & SHUT SYSTEM OFF COMPLETELY IF FAILED. THIS WILL KILL SOMEONE EVENTUALLY IF NOTHING IS DONE! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ SLK320. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE VEHICLE STALLED. HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE WHERE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED HIM THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 70,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.