First time poster here. I've been reading the threads here with interest and have been considering an SRT 6 since I first read about one. Finally nearing a point after landing a new job where I can take the plunge.

In my area here I can't get anything comparable to the SRT 6 for what its being sold for. A 2005 with 20 k miles in spotlesss condition is going for $18 k, and nothing else near its performance class is selling for that.

But the repair issues are giving me serious second thoughts. There is no way I could take a $6 k hit if I had to replace the entire supercharger assembly, and apparently the Chrysler techs are clueless with this car. Mainly its the supercharger issues that concern me, be it the pump or something worse. The thought of buying what for me would be a dream car is beginning to turn sour when I think it could literally stay in the shop for months.

Now I find myself leaning towards a new Mustang GT V8, even though it will cost me another 10 grand over the SRT 6. Though I like the Mustang, it doesn't appeal to me as much as the SRT 6, but common sense tells me it will be easier to get the Mustang repaired if needed.

I know the decision is mine alone, but some honest opinions would be welcome. Is the SRT 6 a lemon? Just how much is the average maintenance on the SRT 6? Will I go broke trying to keep it running?

I know any car requires upkeep, but on my budget a car is worthless to me if i can't depend on it. I suppose I will keep my old Jeep Grand Cherokee as a backup no matter what I buy, but to buy a new car (new to me anyway) and not be able to drive it would be pointless...

 

The srt 6 crossfire is in no way a lemon! I've had over 3 crossfires and never had even one major problem. Little problems, just like all other cars have, yes....and those were promptly fixed under the warranty in a fast time period! The crossfire is an outstanding car, which will last for years and years. Mercedes are built to last forever! You do pay more money for a premium car, it comes with the territory. This is not a Honda, its a premium Auto, hence you have to pay more for that maintainance.
Don't forget, many of these people on this forum are racing their crossfires like its a racecar, hence at times they're having engine troubles like any race car will. Go drive a Vette hard everyday, it will also have some engine problems! As for fit and finish problems, i havn't seen any out of the ordinary!
The crossfire is a significant vehicle, rare, and beautiful! I've owned mine for years and I still love driving it and always get great comments. Lets us know what you decide.

 

Sounds like even the cost of the oil changes on the xfires won't be in your budget.

 

Far from it. It is somewhat expensive to maintain though.
Tires are very expensive, it requires 8.5 quarts of synthetic oil, ~$20 oil filter, and parts are pricey.
It is basically a SLK32 AMG with a Chrysler designed body on it, so it will demand Mercedes-Benz pricing for repairs, parts, etc.

I'm not sure if a Mustang GT is more reliable, but parts, tires, and oil changes should be quite less.

Check the insurance rates too before you dive in to either.

Good luck.

 

Why would you spend an additional 10 grand for a mustang but yet worry about oil changes and "maybe" a few dollars for repairs. That much money will buy alot of tires, oil, gas, and incidental repairs.

I own two crossfires, one n/a and one SRT6. many miles and no problems that have cost me anything.

As you say, the choice is yours but I can't see you going wrong if you really want one.

 

You could get a used Mustang for a very reasonable price. The Mustangs are nice cars and very reliable. I had a 2002 and had no problems whatsoever. There is nothing like the sound of the modular V8 with some Flowmasters! That sound alone is worth the price of admission. If you aren't confident and comfortable with the SRT6, don't get one. Buyer's remorse is a bit**!! It makes the ownership experience crappy. Also, the lack of support from the dealerships gives quite a bad taste in your mouth too. If I were you, I'd save up for a couple of years and take the plunge on a Dodge Challenger or the future Mustang that should arrive next year or the year after. Don't jump into something and regret it.

I've had my SRT for 6 months and have had to have the headlights repaired due to fogging (still not fixed, need to have new assemblies installed), and had the car in the shop for 2 months straight during our best months for weather out here for a seatbelt alarm problem. The techs misdiagnosed the cause, spent over 2 grand on computer moduals, and ruined my interior in the process. Thank goodness I had the 8/80 warranty!! They replaced my interior, but never were able to fix the original problem. Utterly ridiculous!! I wish this was an uncommon problem, but unfortunately, this sort of thing happens all the time. Not to all, but to many! I shutter at the thought of these untrained techs working on major components like the engine or transmission. Also, the Xfire was cancelled by Chrysler. That means that not only do dealerships hate the car, they probably won't be sending anyone to the training for Crossfirer certification. Dealerships that support this car may be hard to find in the near future. By law, the manufacturer must supply parts and service, but in all actuality, they could do all of this at one dealership. "Sure, you can have your car worked on, but you'll have to get it to dealership X some 1000 miles away!"

Just my honest thoughts.

 

I guess I am lucky - I purchased my (Auction) SRT last year with less then 100 miles.

The dealer replaced (no charge) my fogged head light assemblies - no problem, replaced an injector - no problem, fixed a vacuum leak - no problem, Replaced the cup holder with a coin holder - No problem

I get a rental loaner every time - the dealer I use has a great Crossfire/Sprinter technician who talks to me about the mods I've installed and assures me they won't void the warranty. (I may even purchase the extended warranty now)

MY SRT runs great - and it's going to get a BIG BOOST this weekend and a tune next week.

Since I've owned it, It's been available for me to drive 99.9% of the time.

BTW - During normal driving the SC doesn't even engage. Only when you stomp on the pedal.

If you need a dependable - low maintenance - no worries car - perhaps you should consider something else.

 

Got to agree with ANTONIO311's viewpoint I have a 05 Ltd roadster with 28,000 miles and also a 05 SRT roadster with 7800 miles with absolutely no problems, none, over the two years of ownership. Of course these are pleasure miles and not driven to get the maximum performance like a good many others are doing. I'm very dumb when it comes to all the performance modifications I read about on this forum and how smart most of the others are in this area. I just enjoy driving them and plan on keeping them for that reason life is short at best enjoy while you can

 

I bought my Roadster new and drove it 3 summers for 26k miles. I did the recall for the radiator and I had a loose window track in the driver door fixed under warranty. I change the oil at the end of the season before putting it up for the winter. Am I worried about parts and service in the future, sure, but I would also worry if I had a Delorean or a 65 Mustang.

I have enough confidence in the brand that I just bought an SRT6. I'll drive it frequently this summer and get it nice and hot to check out the intercooler issue. If it's a problem, it's still under warranty. Could the supercharger break in the future - yes - but it could also run forever. Mercedes and AMG are not known for crappy products. So I'm going to invest the cost of the extended warranty and keep it in reserve for repairs.

I believe that either car, given reasonable treatment and regular maintenance, should last a long time. Take it to the track and beat it or do a lot of stoplight racing, and things can fail. And slightly higher maintenance costs (oil & filter, rear tires) are the cost of a high end sports car. Don't you think a 500hp 'stang is going to go through rear tires?

 

If you're unhappy with a xfire, you're gonna have a @#$ of a time trying to resell it later. Make sure you love it before you buy it. I'm still in the process of shopping and been watching this car awhile yet too. The price/performance is astounding now.... 18k for an srt 6 with ~20k miles aint bad at all. But if you get tired of a tight fit, moderate expense on maint., and your future wife wants you to get four seats you could lose alot.

This car is amazing with the pro's and con' - gl on your decision. Im with you on trying to make a final call. Im eyeing some roush stage 2's as my competitive alternative to the xfire becuase sound, performance, resale, potential mods, looks (I can say the same about my xfire search having these perks, minus the sound, but its a little weak stock). Wish chevy would release their camaro stats.... but even if you wait on the stangs, camaros, chargers - youre gonna blow 38k+ on a new car and maybe wait 2-3 years for a good used deal.

 

If you want reliabily go with the rustang, it's easy to modify for power. depending on your counties road condition, the srt6 may not be for you.
also the crossfire seats really suck, so you might want to toss those on ebay and install a more comfortable set up. then the srt6 suspension is a bit harsh, might want to install limited shocks or aftermarket shock. then the IC pump needs to be replaced and upgraded. if you get the "6" you can expect to drop another $2000 into it just to make it a comfortable daily driver.
God forbid you want to start modifying the car...lol your paycheck won't last very long.

 

WTF?

 

Thanks to all for the replies. I appreciate the advice.

A couple of things... first of all I am well aware of the Mercedes pedigree of the SRT 6, it's the primary reason I was attracted to it. The cost of an oil change for this car is of little concern to me, it's the thought of a major issue cropping up with the Supercharger that scares me. That along with the horror stories with service at Chrysler dealerships.

cgocifer, I think you have some very valid points about Chrysler scaling back support for the Crossfire. I can't imagine they are spending much on training new Crossfire techs capable of dealing with the 3 year old SRT 6.

I still love the looks and performance capabilities of the SRT 6, and the price is a major inducement too. But this isn't going to be a weekend cruiser for me, so I've got to know I can depend on it.

I've got a dilemma huh?

 

It seems to me that the main worry you have is the supercharger. Since you have read most of the posts dealing with this, let me just clarify that as far as I know there is only maybe ONE supercharger failure that I remember. Most of the problem that you perhaps read has something to do with the IC pump....not the supercharger itself. I too would be scared if I had to deal with a $6k hit as you call it, but the IC pump costs couple of hundred dollars and is a fifteen minute install if you should happen to be out of warranty. I hope this helps dispel some of your worries about the supercharger. Now the dealers and techs.....it's a crapshoot, some members have luck and some get unlucky. But even the ones that get unlucky some simply go to another dealership and they find a good one.
I've had my SRT for 3 months now and put in 5k miles and so far no problems (hope I'm not jinxing myself saying that). Don't forget this is a forum for Crossfires and SRTs so it may seem that there are a lot of problems with the car but in reality there are far more owners out there that have few minor problems or are problem free.....it just so happens that we come to this forum to find answers when we have problems.

 

Mine engages at 2500 rpm regardless of acceleration rates. I can feel the slight intial draw on the engine and hear the faint sound of the SC when the clutch engages.

You have been lucky. None of the dealers I've been to would even be able to diagnose a vaccum leak or an injector. I'm curious as to the symptoms of those problems. How did anyone even know either of those existed?

 

Do you even have a SRT6????? I do and drive it very comfortably every day. What the blue blazes are you talking about????

You are the most incredible agitator I've ever had the displeasure to know of.

 

I too was slightly hesitant to buy my SRT-6 after reading about reliability and what not... However, I have found that the fun I get out of driving/owning it far out weighs its issues. I have owned mine since October (bought with 15k on it) and have had it into the dealer twice now and it will be going back in a few days to complete some previous work. Everything I brought it in for was actually broken when I bought it, however I didn't notice unitl someone on these forums mentioned it and I would realize my car had the same issue. The first dealer I brought it too was clueless and almost no help, but I have found another that has a trained 'crossfire tech' and the service has been awesome. Anything that I feel is broken or not how it should be, they fix with no questions asked and they do great work. Like anything else, your taking a risk buying one, but I think you will find the risk to be well worth it. Just my thoughts.

PS- Mine is a daily driver and I am perfectly comfortable in it... I don't know what that other guy was talking about. Good luck with your decision!

 

May I ask what problems you had that you didn't know you had?

 

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

Per the supercharger failing there is definitely one member (me) whose supercharger failed and I believe at least one other forum member had a supercharger fail.

Good news: It's not really the supercharger that fails but rather the supercharger clutch.

Bad news: The clutch and supercharger are one assembly so both get replaced regardless of which component failed.