Mercedes Benz SL550 problems and owner complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKES ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V133000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) BUT WAS ADVISED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY SATISFIED. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,679.

Owner-reported narrative. 24,679 miles reported. Look up ODI 10573543 at NHTSA ↗

DEFECTIVE BRAKES AND ROTORS ON MERCEDES S550 WEAR AT UNACCEPTABLE RATE RESULTING IN THE MERCEDES BENZ OF SARASOTA SERVICE CENTER ADVISING THE S550 IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 25,298 miles reported. Look up ODI 10263273 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ SL550. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. TWO MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT NO LONGER WANTED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT ONLY HAD 80 MILES AND THE DEALER PROVIDED HIM WITH A NEW ONE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80.

Owner-reported narrative. 80 miles reported. Look up ODI 10204387 at NHTSA ↗

THE INCIDENT I AM REPORTING IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE COMPLAINT I READ ON YOUR WEB PAGE. I WAS ENROUTE TO THE MERCEDES DEALER SHIP TO PURCHASE A SWITCH FOR MY ELECTRIC WINDOWS. I HAD NOTICED ENROUTE THAT THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO NOT BE SHIFTING. I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE IF I HAD SOMEWAY MANUALLY SHIFTED DOWN. I HAD NOT AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE IT SEEMED I WAS IN SECOND GEAR. I WAS APPROX THREE BLOCKS FROM THE DEALERSHIP SO I SLOWED TO ABOUT 20 MPH. I STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DEALERSHIP AND WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED--THE VEH…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10437905 at NHTSA ↗

THIS VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE ON ITS OWN WHILE PARKED IN A LOCKED GARAGE. THE FIRE WAS IN THE TRUNK AND INVOLVED VARIOUS ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL COMPONENTS AND WIRING HARNESSES. THE CAR FILLED WITH DENSE SMOKE WHICH COATED EVERYTHING WITH THICK SOOT. THE SMOKED SEEPED INTO EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE CLOSED CONSOLE COMPARTMENT AND GLOVE COMPARTMENT. I BELIEVE THE FIRE ITSELF DID NOT SPREAD BECAUSE OF A LACK OF OXYGEN AS THE CAR WAS PARKED WITH TOP FOLDING METAL TOP UP AND THE WINDOWS CLOSED. THE FIRE OCCURRED ON FEB. 16, 2018, AND WAS NOT DISCOV…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11082147 at NHTSA ↗

I purchased this vehicle in a private sale in September 2025. The battery Warning light was on and the radio was not working either. I had the vehicle inspected by the Mercedes dealer and was told the batteries were being drained because the BCM (Battery Control Module) I was told there was nothing they can do because Mercedes discontinued the replacement parts. So I started to investigate the BCM issue in this model and come to find out when they go bad the vehicles will get on fire, many owners around the world have posted the burned BCM & ca…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11693184 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ SL550. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS LATER, THE RECURRED WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION OR STOPPED. DURING THE RECURRENCES, THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART AFTER STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10414657 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HAD TO COAST THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND APPLY EXTREME FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AN EMERGENCY WARNING INDICATOR FLASHED AND VARIOUS OTHER WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE POWER STEERING BECAME DISABLED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND DISABLED THE ALARM SYSTEM FROM T…

Owner-reported narrative. 42,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11076437 at NHTSA ↗

THE SUBJECT CAR, A 2008 MERCDES BENZ SL550, THAT HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS STORED IN A GARAGE. THE CAR WAS STARTED AND DRIVEN OUT OF THE GARAGE ON TO THE STREET, APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS LATER WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH, THE BRAKES 100% FAILED AND THE POWER ASSISTED STEERING STOP WORKING. AFTER COASTING TO A STOP AND PLACING THE CAR IN PARK. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE DASH BOARD FLASHED A STOP SIGN SYMBOL AND A MESSAGE THAT INCREASE PEDAL PRESSURE WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. AT FIR…

Owner-reported narrative. 66,550 miles reported. Look up ODI 10567227 at NHTSA ↗