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7.7

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
5,854 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 engine problems

engine problem

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2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Owner Comments

problem #3

Jun 252003

SL500 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 9,132 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vehicle (2003 mb slk320) was purchased on 4/14/2004 in AZ and began noticing problems on the drive back to nm. The most significant safety problem involves the transmission, which has been serviced by the manufacturer 8 times without resolution. The vehicle slips in and out of gear at highway speeds. The vehicle has spent a total of over 68 days in the shop for unsatisfactory repairs in a one-year period. To this date, the manufacturer has been uncooperative in resolving these problems forcing me to seek legal services.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #2

Jul 262003

SL500 12-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 3,000 miles
Re: 2003 S600 [xxx] my relatively new (3000 miles) S600 has a persistent problem with the new V12 engine that has now developed into a serious safety risk for the driver. My car has been in service more than 4 times for this problem - it has been escalated to the tech center by my dealer - it has not ever been fixed. The spark plugs are regularly fouled by misfiring cylinders (1,2,7,8) - the dealer says it may be a software problem that mbusa has failed to fix..and now - when driven at speed over relatively modest bumps - the car totally dies and all power is gone...the SRS light comes on for a moment but all steering on the car is gone and (if you are not killed in the meantime) you need to steer the car manually to the side of the road as it coasts to a stop. This is a deadly driving hazard - mbusa is aware of this problem and permitting it to continue...you have failed to respond to my prior written materials including those contained in your own surveys to me...the car is a lemon and I want a new car or we will begin suit as well as state and federal lemon and fraud proceedings..we will also file a demand with NHTSA that an immediate recall be required of mbusa on all S6oo cars with this engine... note this cylinder problem began to appear at 700 miles&.in March, 2003 it happened again in April, 2003 at 1000 miles it has continued to occur and has never been fixed&. in the meantime, the new problem of the power failing entirely has been happening for about 10 days [xxx] [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #1

Feb 102003

SL500

  • 5,430 miles
The engine stalled 3 times. Model S430. On one occasion the speed suddenly dropped from 47-15mph. Scc

- Ontario, CA, USA

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