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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz SLK (R171).

2004–2011 · Petrol · 3 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Mercedes-Benz SLK (R171), real photo of this generation
MercurySable99 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 3 of its engines.

  • 7G-Tronic conductor plateGearbox
    Period mentioned
    2004 onwards (more failures in 2004–2008)
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with 7G-Tronic. Confirm the gearbox type.

  • 13-pin connector leak on the 722.6 gearboxAutomatic gearbox
    Period mentioned
    1996–2013
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.

SLK 200 Kompressor (M271)

Petrol

SLK 280 / 350 (M272)

Petrol

  • M272 / M273 balance shaft sprocketTiming system
    Period mentioned
    2004–2008 (engines below serial number 2729..30 468993)
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

SLK 55 AMG (5.4 V8)

Petrol

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Mercedes-Benz SLK (R171)
EngineDocumented faults
SLK 200 Kompressor (M271)Petrol32 with conditions
SLK 280 / 350 (M272)Petrol32 with conditions
SLK 55 AMG (5.4 V8)PetrolFewest documented22 with conditions

According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the SLK 55 AMG (5.4 V8) (Petrol).

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 4 checked

Timing system

  • Look out for: Rattle for 2–3 seconds or more on a cold start; engine light for camshaft timing deviation.

    Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start, read timing fault codes and check the chain replacement history.

  • Look out for: Engine light with P0016 and P0017 (1200 and 1208 on Mercedes diagnostics), rattle on start-up, hesitation, misfires and, in severe cases, stalling.

    Ask them to check: Compare the engine serial number with the 2729..30 468993 cut-off, read cam correlation codes and, if in doubt, inspect the sprocket with a borescope. First rule out the cam adjuster magnet (a cheap fault).

Gearbox

  • Look out for: Gearbox stuck in 2nd or 3rd (limp mode), harsh shifts, delay engaging D or R, gearbox warning often without an engine light; turning off and restarting clears it for a while.

    Ask them to check: Diagnose with Xentry/STAR to see the sub-codes (a basic reader only shows P0700). Check for oil in the gearbox connector.

Automatic gearbox

  • Look out for: Oil around the electrical connector on the side of the gearbox, harsh shifts or slipping, delayed engagement and limp mode: the car stays in one gear (usually 2nd and reverse after a restart) and the engine light comes on.

    Ask them to check: Read the gearbox control unit codes before switching off if possible (a restart can clear them). Look for oil at the connector and, with it unplugged, on its pins and at the control unit plug. According to the service bulletin, the connector should only be removed with gearbox oil below 50 °C to avoid damaging the conductor plate, and the harness must be routed without tension.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P0016P001712001208P0700P0705P0706P0710P0717P0718P0715P0720

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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