2001 Mercedes Benz SL500: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
3 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
86,400 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2001 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.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 3 complaints (66.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 33.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 33.3% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 2 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 1 |
Electrical System: 2; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 1
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
2006: 1; 2010: 1; 2018: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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 10173053 · 2006-11-09 (November 9, 2006)
I HAVE AN 01 S500 MERCEDES BENZ WITH ONLY 44000 MILES ON IT. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT OUT @ 36000 MILES. THE LIGHTS ARE DIMMED ON THE SPEEDOMETER. A LOCAL SHOP TRIED TO REPAIR IT FOR $625 BUT I WAS TOLD, SINCE IT'S A CIRCUIT, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BLOW. THE ENTIRE CIRCUIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $1900. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AS I FIND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE MODEL. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 37,678 miles reported. Look up ODI 10173053 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10319678 · 2010-03-15 (March 15, 2010)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES SL500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED, THE GEAR AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,400. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,700. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Owner-reported narrative. 86,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10319678 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11115806 · 2018-08-05 (August 5, 2018)
VEHICLE WAS BEING STORED IN MY GARAGE .. I STARTED THE VEHICLE, IT WAS SITTING AT AN IDLE.. I NOTICED THE BATTERY LIGHT ON THE DASH ILLUMINATE. THEN I COULD SMELL BURNING. I NOTICED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SMOKE. I SHUT THE CAR OFF. I OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED MORE SMOKE, BURNT SMELL, THE WIRING HARNESS WAS SHORTING AND BURNING. THE WRAPPING OF THE HARNESS HAD A CRISP FEEL TO IT.. AS IF DETERIORATING. I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE OR FIRE. I COULD HEAR THE WIRING SHORTING. MY CONCERN WA…
Owner-reported narrative. 190,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11115806 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.