2003 Mercedes Benz SL CLASS: complaints, problems and recalls

THE HEATER MOTOR HAD BLOWN OUT. THE VEHICLE BOX CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK THE FIRE MELTED THE MELTED THE WIRING HARNESS. *SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 2,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10031228 at NHTSA ↗

IN THE RIGHT DOOR PANEL THERE IS A GLUE THAT SEALS THE PANELS TOGETHER. THIS GLUE GIVES OFF TOXIC FUMES. CONSUMER'S WIFE IS CURRENTLY SEEING A NEUROLOGIST FOR PROBLEMS SUFFERED FROM INHALING THE FUMES. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10039715 at NHTSA ↗

HYDRAULIC BRAKE FAILURE, TOTALLY UNEXPECTED. CAR IS A MARCEDES BENZ SL500, 2003. ONLY 8,500 K. ON 6-24-04, MB ISSUED A SAFETY BULLETIN (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NO. 04V296000)MB HAS NOT NOTIFIED OWNERS LIKE ME. I RUN A 4-WAY STOP SIGN AND A LARGE PICK-UP TRUCK WAS WITHIN 1 OR 2 FEET FROM HITTING ME ON THE DRIVERS' SIDE. IWAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR ABOUT 50 YARDS AFTER THE STOP SIGN. MESSAGGE --IN RED LETTERS IN THE DASHBOARD-- WICH SAID "REDUCED BRAKE EFFECT. VISIT WORKSHOP".. I WAS NOT INJURED PHYSICALLY, BUT THIS WAS A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE. THIS H…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10086211 at NHTSA ↗

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.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 9,132 miles reported. Look up ODI 10095713 at NHTSA ↗

2003 MERCEDES BENZ SLK 320 EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH HESITATION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED.*MR ON ONE OCCASIONS WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE GAS THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD AND THE CONSUMER HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE THERE WAS ALSO A RATTLE IN THE EXHAUST. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10117517 at NHTSA ↗

I TURNED KEY AND CAR DID NOT START. I ENDED UP GETTING STUCK EITHER AT HOME OR IN A SHOPPING CENTER. CAR HAD TO BE PUT ON A FLAT BED. DEALER RELPACED PARTS EACH TIME , BUT COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10118750 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ SL500 IN DECEMBER OF 2003. AS OF TODAY 8 NOVEMBER 2005, THE SUSPENSION APPARENTLY CAN NOT BE REPAIRED. THE CAR HAS BEING TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE EIGHT (8TH) TIME TO REPAIR THE SUSPENSION. IT IS CURRENTLY ALEXANDRIA VIRGINIA, MERCEDES BENZ AS OF NOVEMBER 9TH, 2005. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME FROM A DINNER ENGAGEMENT, LATE OCTOBER 2005, ONE OF THE FRONT HYDRAULIC SHOCK DROPPED AND THE VEHICLE LITERALLY CHANGED LANES. FORTUNATELY, NO CARS WERE BESIDE ME AT THE TIME. I AM WRITING TO THE NHTSA …

Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10142714 at NHTSA ↗

NO INCIDENT. WAS DRIVING AND AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY, HEARD BUMPING SOUND FROM CAR. ASKED MERCEDES WHAT IT WAS, THEY SAID LOOSE BAFFLE IN GAS TANK. SOUNDS LIKE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. CHECKED ONLINE AND FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. IT IS A COSTLY REPAIR JUST OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY PERIOD. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 43,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10225603 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2004-06-22 (June 22, 2004)

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 HYDRAULIC FUNCTION MODE.

Consequence: IF VEHICLES ARE NOT ROUTINELY SERVICED AND HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH MILEAGE COMBINED WITH A HIGH NUMBER OF BRAKE ACTUATIONS, OR A HIGH BRAKE ACTUATION FREQUENCY, THE PUMP MOTOR OF THE SBC MAY RUN OUT OF PERMISSIBLE TOLERANCES, THEREBY TRIGGERING THE HYDRAULIC FUNCTION MODE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SBC HYDRAULIC UNIT, REPLACING IT IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 21M 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2005-04-01 (April 1, 2005)

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.

Consequence: IN THE HYDRAULIC BACK-UP MODE, THE DRIVER HAS BRAKING POWER SUFFICIENT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH GREATER BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE IS REQUIRED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL WILL BE NOTICEABLY LONGER.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A BRACKET AND REPLACEMENT GROUND WIRE TO THE SBC PUMP UNIT ON ALL VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. ADDITIONALLY DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE SBC PUMP UNIT IN SL VEHICLES PRODUCED DURING A LIMITED PRODUCTION PERIOD. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 8, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

Reported: 2008-07-07 (July 7, 2008)

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-CLASS VEHICLES. A SOFTWARE CALIBRATION NUMBER (SCN) CODING RECEIVED ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DURING A RECENT WORKSHOP VISIT WAS INCORRECT. DEPENDING ON THE MODEL YEAR AND MODEL AFFECTED, THE RESULTS OF AN INCORRECT SCN CODING CAN AFFECT A NUMBER OF VEHICLE SAFETY AND EMISSION FUNCTIONS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FUNCTIONS: (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE.

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP MAY NOT RECEIVE A CRASH SIGNAL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE FUEL PUMP TO DISCONNECT AND PREVENT FUTURE FUEL DELIVERY AS DESIGNED.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL RECODE THE SCN FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 30, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.