US vehicle recalls and complaint patterns, explained
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class recalls and complaints by year
Comprehensive recall and complaint data for the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class,
sourced from official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) records.
Stats focus on model years from 1960 onwards.
Earlier years appear in the detailed table below where data exists.
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Get plain-language explanations of recalls and complaints for the
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. Powered by AI, backed by NHTSA data.
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Important: This assistant provides context from aggregated NHTSA data.
Always check your specific VIN on
NHTSA.gov
for vehicle-specific recall information.
Key Takeaways
A quick scan of where recalls and complaints concentrate for the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class,
based on aggregated NHTSA counts and campaign metadata.
Coverage spans model years 1996–2013 with 16 recall campaigns and 58 complaints in NHTSA data.
Years with the most recall activity: 2004 (3), 2003 (3), and 2005 (2).
Years with the most complaint volume: 2003 (23), 1998 (20), and 2004 (6).
Top recall themes: Brakes, Airbags, and Electrical.
Most reported complaint areas (across all years): Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, Air bags:frontal.
Complaints are not proof of a defect, but repeated themes can be useful signals when researching a used vehicle.
Always check your specific VIN for open recalls (open recalls are VIN-specific and can change over time).
Recall Themes
Instead of listing long campaign narratives, this groups recall campaigns into a few recurring areas.
Each theme links back to official notices as evidence.
Brakes
2 campaigns · Years: 2003–2005
These campaigns relate to braking system components that can affect stopping performance or warning behavior.
Across all model years, the most frequently reported areas for the
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class in NHTSA complaint data are
Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, Air bags:frontal.
Jump to Model Year
Year-by-Year Overview
Each row shows how often this model appears in NHTSA recalls and consumer
complaints for a given model year. These are counts of campaigns and
complaints, not risk predictions.
Model Year
Recalls
Complaints
Details
2013
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
2009
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
2008
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
2007
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
2006
1
0
Recall campaign(s) issued; no grouped complaints in summary.
2005
2
3
Both recalls and complaints recorded.
Top complaint areas: Air bags:frontal, Suspension:front, Vehicle speed control.
2004
3
6
Both recalls and complaints recorded.
Top complaint areas: Service brakes, hydraulic, Equipment:appliance:air conditioner, Exterior lighting:headlights:high/low beam dimmer switch.
2003
3
23
Both recalls and complaints recorded.
Top complaint areas: Service brakes, hydraulic, Suspension, Structure:body:door.
2002
0
1
Complaints recorded; no recall campaigns issued.
Top complaint areas: Engine and engine cooling.
1998
0
20
Complaints recorded; no recall campaigns issued.
Top complaint areas: Equipment:electrical:radio/tape deck/cd etc., Equipment:electrical, Exterior lighting:tail lights.
1997
1
3
Both recalls and complaints recorded.
Top complaint areas: Air bags:frontal, Seat belts:front:anchorage.
1996
2
2
Both recalls and complaints recorded.
Top complaint areas: Electrical system:wiring:front underhood, Engine and engine cooling.
What to Do Next
Check open recalls by VIN on the official NHTSA site (open recalls are VIN-specific).
If buying used, ask for proof of recall remedy completion (dealer paperwork helps).
If symptoms match common complaint themes, consider a mechanic inspection before purchase or long trips.
A compact evidence view of recall campaigns that include this model.
The default text is an original summary line, with official notice text available on demand.
Most common areas involved:
Electrical system
, Service brakes
and Equipment
Show recall evidence by year
2013
Equipment: Air conditioner:
Safety recall involving the equipment area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: Mercedes-Benz is recalling certain model year 2013 SL-Class vehicles manufactured from December 19, 2011, through May 31, 2012 originally equipped with R1234yf refrigerant. Daimler AG (DAG), the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, conducted product testing of a vehicle, not sold in the US, but equip
2009
Electrical system:
Safety recall involving the electrical system area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: Mercedes-benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-clas
2008
Electrical system:
Safety recall involving the electrical system area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: Mercedes-benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-clas
2007
Electrical system:
Safety recall involving the electrical system area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: Mercedes-benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-clas
2006
Electrical system:
Safety recall involving the electrical system area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: Mercedes-benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-clas
2005
Service brakes, hydraulic:
Safety recall involving the service brakes area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: On certain vehicles, the sensotronic brake control (sbc) system may prematurely shift to the hydraulic back-up function mode, due to deterioration of the wiring harness connection, or due to premature failure of the hydraulic pump.
Electrical system:
Safety recall involving the electrical system area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: Mercedes-benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-clas
2004
Service brakes, hydraulic:
Safety recall involving the service brakes area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: On certain vehicles, the electronic monitoring system of the sensotronic brake control (sbc) is designed to monitor the pressure gradient within the high pressure line of the brake system. If an unacceptable pressure gradient is detected, the system will switch, as it is designed to do, into the
Service brakes, hydraulic:
Safety recall involving the service brakes area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: On certain vehicles, the sensotronic brake control (sbc) system may prematurely shift to the hydraulic back-up function mode, due to deterioration of the wiring harness connection, or due to premature failure of the hydraulic pump.
Electrical system:
Safety recall involving the electrical system area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: Mercedes-benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-clas
2003
Service brakes, hydraulic:
Safety recall involving the service brakes area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: On certain vehicles, the electronic monitoring system of the sensotronic brake control (sbc) is designed to monitor the pressure gradient within the high pressure line of the brake system. If an unacceptable pressure gradient is detected, the system will switch, as it is designed to do, into the
Service brakes, hydraulic:
Safety recall involving the service brakes area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: On certain vehicles, the sensotronic brake control (sbc) system may prematurely shift to the hydraulic back-up function mode, due to deterioration of the wiring harness connection, or due to premature failure of the hydraulic pump.
Electrical system:
Safety recall involving the electrical system area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: Mercedes-benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-clas
1997
Air bags: Frontal:
Safety recall involving the air bags area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Corrosion of the electrical ignition filament of the air bag gas generator module can occur if the vehicle is operated in areas of frequently high humidity.
1996
Engine and engine cooling:
Safety recall involving the engine and engine cooling area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: The drive belt pulley on the engine can develop fatigue cracks in the metal and break. If the drive pulley breaks, the car would not have engine cooling, battery charging, and/or power steering.
Visibility:
Safety recall involving the visibility area. See the official notice for the exact defect, risk, and remedy details.
Summary: If one of the headlamp wiper arms becomes misaligned, the wiper balde can lodge in the groove under the headlamp. If the washers are activated with the wiper blade in the misaligned and lodged position, the washer pump will run continuously expelling all available fluid.
Other Mercedes-Benz Models
Explore recall and complaint data for other Mercedes-Benz models.
Recall Explained provides independent analysis of official NHTSA data.
This site does not replace the official NHTSA VIN lookup and should not be
treated as legal or safety advice for your specific vehicle.
For any safety concerns: Always check your VIN on the official
NHTSA site and contact an authorized dealer.
