Mercedes Benz SL problems and owner complaints

THE ELECTRICAL WIRING IS HARDENED AND BRITTLE AND WIRES ARE TOUCHING EACH OTHER THAT SHOULD NOT. I SPENT 30 YEARS IN THE CAR BUSINESS AND FOUND THAT THE SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN PRESENT IN VOLVO CARS AND MERCEDES. THE WIRING HARNESS IS SUB OUT TO FRENCH CONTRACTORS AND THE PLASTIC ON THE WIRES HARDENS AND FALLS OFF THE WIRES AND THE VACUUM LINES WHEN IN CONTACT WITH BATTERY ACID EATS THEM UP WHICH WIPES OUT THE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM. SOMEONE SHOULD TAKE THE INCENTIVE AND BRING THEIR STANDARDS UP--- OR HIRE SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THE JOB. MY FIRST MBZ …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10201881 at NHTSA ↗

THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM DEVELOPED SEVERE SHORTS, STALLED THE ENGINE, DISABLED THE ABS, ASR,SRS SYSTEMS. WITH ENGINE STALLED, STEERING AND BRAKING WERE DIFFICULT AND RESULTED IN FRONT END DAMAGE FROM IMPACT TO ROADSIDE BRUSH AND DIRT. WIRING INSULATION INSIDE THE WIRING BUNDLES HAD CRUMBLED TO DUST IN MANY PLACES FAR REMOVED FROM THE SHORT/MINOR FIRE. CAR STILL NOT OPERABLE DUE TO OTHER MAJOR WIRING HARNESS SHORTS DUE TO CRUMBLING INSULATION ON THE WIRES (HIDDEN BY THE BUNDLE JACKET) DEALER RESPONSE TOUGH IF YOU HAD BOU…

Owner-reported narrative. 80,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10074940 at NHTSA ↗

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCEDES BENZ SL-500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE HEADLIGHTS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED A COMPUTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM, AND THAT THE DEALERSHIP WILL REPLACE SOMETHING DIFFERENT EACH TIME THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS HAPPENED ON A REGULAR BASIS, MORE AND MORE OVER TIME. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR AP…

Owner-reported narrative. 69,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10135786 at NHTSA ↗

INSULATION ON ELECTRICAL WIRING CRUMBLES TO DUST, RESULTING IN SHORTS, DAMAGED ELECTRONICS, ENGINE STALLING, ABS FAILURE, ETC. IT APPEARS MBZ USED DEFECTIVE INSULATION ON THE ELECTRICAL WIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESSES. IN ALL LOCATIONS THAT ARE EXPOSED TO HIGHER THAN AMBIENT TEMPERATURE THE INSULATION CRUMBLES TO DUST. . DEALER SAYS 'ITS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 92-95 MODEL YEARS'. REPLACEMENT HARNESSES COST OVER $3000 (2 RQD) AND REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS WITH INTEGRAL DEFECTIVE WIRING COST OVER $8000 (NOT INCLUDING ANY COMPUTE…

Owner-reported narrative. 82,560 miles reported. Look up ODI 10137365 at NHTSA ↗

IGNITION SHUT OFF MULTIPLE TIMES OVER DAYS WHILE DRIVING CUTTING OFF ALL ELECTRICAL RADIO, BRAKES STEERING ETC HAS HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE 2004 OR 2005 WITH BATTERY SUDDENLY BEING DEAD BOTH ACCESSORY BATTERY IN TRUNK AND STARTING BATTERY AND HAS HAD MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SPENT ON VARIOUS PARTS AND COMPUTERS THAT WERE SAID TO BE DRAWING DOWN THE BATTERY, ABOUT A YEAR AGO CONTACTED PRESIDENT OF MB NORTH AMERICA AND GOT NO HELP FROM CUSTOMER REP THEN LAST MONTH CAR LEFT ME IN INTERSECTION ONE TIME AND IN EXPRESSWAY ENTRANCE LANE ANOTHER…

Owner-reported narrative. 33,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10588129 at NHTSA ↗

THE ENGINE INJECTOR HARNESS FAILED, THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED AND STATED THEY WOULD ONLY COVER 80% OF THE BILL. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 49,475 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014590 at NHTSA ↗

A POUNDING NOISE (LIKE A HAMMER HITTING A 2X4) OCCURRED REPEATEDLY WHENEVER I STARTED OR STOPPED. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A FAILURE OF THE BAFFLES INSIDE THE GAS TANK AND REQUIRED A REPLACEMENT OF THE GAS TANK AT A COST OF OVER $2000. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP AND SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL. THE BAFFLES SLIDING AROUND THE TANK WOULD ULTIMATELY CAUSE IT TO LEAK IF THE TANK WERE NOT REPLACED. THE DEALER WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. IT HAS APPARENTLY OCCURRED ON MANY MERCEDES CARS ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET REPO…

Owner-reported narrative. 46,239 miles reported. Look up ODI 10461084 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY, AT LEAST ONE OF THESE EVENTS WOULD OCCUR: A) THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT, IT WOULD REMAIN STUCK IN HIGH GEAR. B) THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO IDLE AT STOP, THEN IT WOULD STALL. C) WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT UP-SHIFT, THE CAR WOULD BE STUCK IN "LIMP HOME " MODE (SECOND GEAR?). D) PEDDLES WOULD NOT BE FUNCTIONAL. THE PROPER OPERATION WOULD USUALLY RETURN AFTER CYCLING THE IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER TO EFFECT A "RE-SET" OF THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. BEFORE A RESET ACTUALLY TOOK HOLD,…

Owner-reported narrative. 46,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10426642 at NHTSA ↗