2004 mercedes c230 kompressor sport edition reviews

Like, bad coil packs (5 minute repair $40 each 1 per plug, but when they dies your car runs like Ka Ka ) broken speaker grills from the seatbelt getting jammed into them (~ 20 each), blown speaker ($75), broken door stop ($50), issues with the hatch opening (free, just labor) and subsequent issues with the car seeing the hatch as closed. I cross my fingers all the time, and still little things here and there. The 2002 coupe was the only W203 in the US to have the older M111 engine.īut 2002 wasn't a good year for quality for benz, lots of little things that thankfully being persistant with the dealers to fix under warranty, seems to have paid off for me, in the form of a vehicle, which in the 2nd 100K miles of life is more reliable than the 1st, but of course no more warranty, so I prefer the 5 speed unit or a 6 speed manual, but finding a 6 speed on a C350 is pretty rare. The 7 speed tranny is a big 3% more efficient (big woop) according to MB documents. It's also more expensive and difficult to flush and requires more maint the 5 speed. and again, it's a 1st year engine in 2006 like the 2003 Komp 1.8L M271, likely going to issues till the bugs get ironed out.Īlso then they go to the 7 speed tranny, which in the 1st couple of years has had shifting issues, that people have experienced difficulty getting resolved, requires replacement of internal components, and even under warranty can be difficult to get resolved. UNLESS you go for a 2006+ C350 w/270 HP 6 cyl. I personally like the 4 cyl for it's power, economy, easy of repair,Īnd lower maint. Add an ASP pulley, and be close to 400 HP. Screamin' deals on those and 350 HP stock. + about 6-10 mpg less than the 4's I don't feel it's worth all the extra maint. + 2 catalytic converters, + 4 02 sensors. I spent countless hours reviewing information to get a good working knowledge of the car prior to purchase.īut at a mere 215 HP barely 20 more than the 4, and with 2 coil pack + 16 plugs + 16 wires, Search this forum, as it has a great deal of information on the history, the good and the bad that comes with owning this type of automobile. They are more expensive to maintain than many other cars out there, but they are also safer than most, more stable on the highway, and more functional than you would think. They do require more attention and service, but if you stay on top of these things and keep a good service schedule, the reward is a fun, comfortable, good handling car that has decent performance and gets very good gas mileage (1.8L Kompressor motor). Mercedes are not like Honda's or other low-maintence cars. Earlier models like 01,02, 03, seem to have a few more issues than later models, but again they could be the exception to the rule, and overall it is a well built and fun to drive car. However, the consensus of most on this forum is that the 05 W203 model had most of problem areas corrected. It has been a very reliable car to own to this point. I have a 2005 Kompressor Sport Sedan and have had zero issues with it. I feel like a Mercedes should be able to do at least that well if it's properly taken care of. I've owned my Dodge since new, and the worst I've ever had to do was replace a radiator cap and a broken sensor wire. I really like Mercedes, but I can't afford a constant stream of major repair bills. Are these reliable cars, or a labor of love? I can get a same-year Chevy or Honda for the same price, but they're so boring I can hardly stand it. So, I'm asking the owners, because we did really like our first impression of the car. Even the previous generation C class had much better reviews on the same sites than this generation. I know that the older Benzes, like the pre-91 S class, 300E, and 190 were incredibly reliable cars. We went home and did some research, and I'm a bit surprised at how many people on KBB and Edmunds have had major (expensive) repairs on these cars with relatively low miles. Not a big deal, but neither my 2004 Dodge with 86k nor her 2002 Saturn with almost 100k has ever done that. We drove it, and it seems nice (it's a Mercedes, after all), but when we changed places so she could drive, the inside door pull came loose from the door in my hand. We hadn't initially been looking at this car - it was parked next to the one we intended to see, but that car turned out to not be very nice. It seems very nice, but I'm concerned about the reliability of these cars. Asking price is right at blue book value. So, my wife and I are looking at a 2003 C230 Kompressor (sedan), verified one owner, 30k miles, and a southern car it's whole life.

2004 mercedes c230 kompressor sport edition reviews