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U.S. public vehicle records

2003 Mercedes Benz SL: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

3 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

58,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 3 complaints include usable failure mileage.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Suspension is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 3 complaints (66.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior133.3%
Electrical and battery issues133.3%
Steering behavior133.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Suspension
2
Electrical System
1
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1
Steering
1
Wheels
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Suspension2
Electrical System1
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
Steering1
Wheels1

Suspension: 2; Electrical System: 1; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 1; Steering: 1; Wheels: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
1
50,000 to 74,999
1
75,000 to 99,999
1
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9991
50,000 to 74,9991
75,000 to 99,9991
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2012
2
2014
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20122
20141

2012: 2; 2014: 1

Pattern summary

Suspension leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10470211 · 2012-08-11 (August 11, 2012)

FAILURE OF ACTIVE BODY CONTROL HYDRAULIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM; PUMP AND WHEEL VALVE FAILURES RESULTING IN LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID AND RESULTING LOSS OF ABILITY OF CAR TO MAINTAIN SAFE VEHICLE HEIGHT AND SAFE DRIVABLE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10470211 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10488815 · 2012-12-14 (December 14, 2012)

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY ABC LIGHT VISIT WORKSHOP LIGHT CAME ON. OK, THAT'S FINE I'LL TAKE IT TO THE SHOP TOMORROW. WHILE ON MY WAY HOME MY CAR SUDDENLY DROPS IN HEIGHT AND A WARNING SIGN CAME ON SAYING "STOP DRIVING, CAR TOO LOW." I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT MY CAR HAD MAYBE AN INCH OF CLEARANCE IN THE FRONT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF IT FEEL ANY LOWER I WOULD BE DEAD DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I DROVE MY CAR TO THE SHOP AND LEFT IT THERE AND WAITED FOR A FRIEND TO PICK ME UP. I'VE READ MANY FORUMS…

Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10488815 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10588129 · 2014-05-13 (May 13, 2014)

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 ↗

Recall history

0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.