10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
66,770 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL500:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #6

Apr 022012

SL500 8-cyl

  • 63,000 miles
Took my car in for service as it wasn't running properly (computer codes, stalling, etc) found out that in 1995 the Mercedes Benz company put biodegradable wiring. Had to send to germany for a new wiring harness ($1500) may have to purchase the other wiring harness in the near future ($3000). What kind of car company puts biodegradable wiring in their cars?? a Mercedes is known to last up to several hundred thousand miles, but not when the wiring starts disintegrating!! I have since found there are hundreds if not thousands of class action suits for this same matter against the Mercedes Benz company. They refuse to acknowledge the issue or the problem. Had I known of this, I would not have purchased the car in the first place!

- Peru, IL, USA

Add Complaint
problem #5

Nov 052007

SL500

  • miles
Car goes into limp mode also causing additional error codes on my computer.

- Wichita, KS, USA

Add Complaint
problem #4

Aug 202007

SL500 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 161,000 miles
Mb wiring harness failure.

- San Rafael, CA, USA

Add Complaint
problem #3

Feb 132007

SL500 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 56,871 miles
My 1996 Mercedes SL500 with less than 55,000 miles has crumbling wire insulation on the engine controls which has resulted in shorted wiring in the engine controls. The poor quality of the insulation on the wires is the problem, yet the car maker or the dealer has not done a recall to replace this wiring harness for this safety problem. I am told the cost to replace all the defective parts will be thousands of dollars. The car must be rewired before it can be driven.

- Tracy, CA, USA

Add Complaint
problem #2

Oct 042006

SL500 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 119,750 miles
Car stalled in traffic due to wiring harness failure. Started small fire that was extinguished before any significant damage. I replaced the wiring harness and cleaned engine compartment. Wiring harness insulation had turned to powder in many locations shorting fuel injectors, mass sensor and cam magnets.

- Erie, PA, USA

Add Complaint
problem #1

Dec 152005

SL500 8-cyl

  • miles
I own a 1995 S320. I have had 4 window regulator failures. Three of these failures involve the same window. The dealers (fla and ill) and mbusa have refused to warranty or remedy this defect since the car is obviously out of warranty and greater than the 30 day warranty period following installation of these new regulators.

- Jupiter, FL, USA

Add Complaint