2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
12 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
22,688 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2012 model year. Data snapshot: . 10 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Fuel/Propulsion System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 12 complaints (25.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 8.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 8.3% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 8.3% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 |
| Unknown Or Other | 3 |
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Engine | 1 |
| Power Train | 1 |
| Seats:Front Assembly:Head Restraint | 1 |
| Steering | 1 |
Fuel/Propulsion System: 3; Unknown Or Other: 3; Air Bags: 1; Electrical System: 1; Engine: 1; Power Train: 1; Seats:Front Assembly:Head Restraint: 1; Steering: 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 | 5 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 4 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 5; 25,000 to 49,999: 4; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 2 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 |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 |
2012: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 2; 2015: 2; 2016: 1; 2020: 1; 2021: 1; 2022: 1; 2025: 1; 2026: 1
Pattern summary
Fuel/Propulsion System leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting 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 10475510 · 2012-09-15 (September 15, 2012)
I PARKED MY CAR WITH AN ALMOST FULL TANK OF GAS WHILE I WAS AT WORK. AFTER LEAVING WORK, I STARTED THE CAR AND WHILE I WAS DRIVING I SMELLED A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR, AND IN ABOUT 3 MILES THE ENGINE ACTED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL, THEN DIED ON A FREEWAY OFF-RAMP DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. A CALTRANS (OR SAN JOSE) FREEWAY SAFETY CAR CAME BY AND PUT ABOUT 2 GALLONS OF GAS IN MY TANK, BUT AS SOON AS THE ENGINE STARTED WE BOTH SMELLED RAW GASOLINE. I THEN DROVE ABOUT 1/8 OF A MILE TO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT AND STOPPED, AND WE BOTH SMELLED VERY S…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,402 miles reported. Look up ODI 10475510 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10494364 · 2013-01-22 (January 22, 2013)
TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR. CAR LOST POWER ON FREEWAY. MANY REPAIRS LAST ONE BEING ELECTRONIC GAS PEDAL. *TR ## VIN PASSED ## MERCEDES SLK350 2012 ##
Owner-reported narrative. 4,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10494364 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10592439 · 2014-05-19 (May 19, 2014)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ SLK 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT BOTH CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10592439 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10639326 · 2014-09-26 (September 26, 2014)
MOVED FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO PALM SPRINGS, UPON BEING IN THE DESERT WITH INCREASED TEMPERATURES, MY CAR STARTED EMITTING STRONG FUMES THAT SMELL LIKE BURNING CRAYONS, THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM EXHAUST BECAUSE IT WAS BURNING MY EYES AND CAUSING HEADACHES. TOOK INTO DEALER AT PALM SPRINGS MERCEDES, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE DUE TO THE WAX THAT IS IN THE BODY OF CAR TO PROTECT FROM CORROSION. THEY STATED THAT WHEN THE WAX HEATS UP IT MELTS AND CAUSES THIS ODOR. THEY REMOVED THE WAX FROM THE INTERIOR OF DOORS,…
Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10639326 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10689572 · 2015-02-20 (February 20, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ SLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,800.
Owner-reported narrative. 5,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10689572 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10717847 · 2015-05-21 (May 21, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ SLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A BAD ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TREATED (CLEANED, VAPORIZED, FILTERS WERE CHANGED, INTERIOR WAS IONIZED) BY THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THE ODOR RECURRED CONTINUOUSLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10717847 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10860868 · 2016-04-22 (April 22, 2016)
ELECTRIC STEERING WHEEL LOCKS, WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE CAR ALL THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING THE CAR IS DEAD AS DEAD, IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER, THE CAR MUST BE TOWED TO THE MERCEDES DEALER, PRACTICALLY WHAT HAPPEN TO SO MANY CAR OWNER I KNOW IS THAT EIS / ESL THE EIS MODULE WHERE YOU INSERT KEY TO START AND THE ESL STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY LOCATE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN THAT FAILS. THE COST OF REPAIR ($1700.) AS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RISK YOU TAKE TO BE STRANDED ANYWHERE WITH NO PRIOR DIAGNOST…
Owner-reported narrative. 13,255 miles reported. Look up ODI 10860868 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11337084 · 2020-07-01 (July 1, 2020)
GLOVE BOX FACING HAS DETACHED FROM THE LOWER SIDE. IT HANGS FURTHER OUT THAN THE GLOVE BOX AND COULD BE A DANGER TO THE PASSENGER IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR EVEN A HARD STOP. IT STARTED COMING APART 3 YEARS AGO. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL CAR. IT CAME APART OVER TIME FROM HEAT AND SUB-STANDARD GLUE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 25,375 miles reported. Look up ODI 11337084 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.