NHTSA vehicle safety data

1997 Mercedes Benz SL600 Recalls & Complaints

The 1997 Mercedes Benz SL600 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 3 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Mercedes Benz dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1997 Mercedes Benz SL600. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

1997 Mercedes Benz SL600 owner complaints

Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Mercedes Benz SL600, describing incidents dated November 4, 2007 to October 17, 2019.

Most-cited components

Engine 1 complaint
Seat Belts 1 complaint
Visibility/Wiper 1 complaint

Newest complaints

ODI #11301246 · Filed January 22, 2020
WE TOOK A ROAD TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO, TX, ON 10/15/2019, AND WERE RETURNING HOME ON 10/17/2019 WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. SAN ANTONIO IS ABOUT 2 HOURS AWAY FROM LLANO, TX, WHERE WE LIVE. WE HAD DRIVEN IN SAN ANTONIO TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND STOPPED FOR BREAKFAST AT IHOP AROUND 10:30 AM. AFTER…
ODI #10706143 · Filed April 16, 2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 (NA) MERCEDES BENZ SL600. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED…
ODI #10213304 · Filed December 31, 2007
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCEDES BENZ SL600. THE DRIVER SIDE AND REARVIEW SELF DIMMING MIRRORS FAILED. THE MIRRORS APPEARED TO HAVE AN OILY SURFACE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRES FAILED, BUT WAS UNSURE WHICH WIRE FAILED AND WHAT REPAIRS WERE NEEDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE…

Read all 3 complaints

MERCEDES-BENZ/AIR BAG MODULE

NHTSA #99V327000 · Air Bags — Frontal · NHTSA notice

Reported November 22, 1999 · MERCEDES-BENZ USA, INC.

Potentially affected: 4,402 vehicles

Owners notified January 18, 2000 · Vehicles built June 1, 1996 – July 31, 1997 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CORROSION OF THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION FILAMENT OF THE AIR BAG GAS GENERATOR MODULE CAN OCCUR IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN AREAS OF FREQUENTLY HIGH HUMIDITY.

Safety consequence

CORROSION OF THE IGNITION FILAMENT CAN RESULT IN THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG BEING DEPLOYED UNINTENTIONALLY.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MODULE.

Notes

OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JANUARY 18,2000. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1997 Mercedes Benz SL600. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

3 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Mercedes Benz SL600.

Seat Belts

ODI #11301246

Incident: October 17, 2019 · Filed: January 22, 2020

WE TOOK A ROAD TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO, TX, ON 10/15/2019, AND WERE RETURNING HOME ON 10/17/2019 WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. SAN ANTONIO IS ABOUT 2 HOURS AWAY FROM LLANO, TX, WHERE WE LIVE. WE HAD DRIVEN IN SAN ANTONIO TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND STOPPED FOR BREAKFAST AT IHOP AROUND 10:30 AM. AFTER LEAVING IHOP, WE HEADED NORTH ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD OF HIGHWAY 281. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE LANE. AS SOON AS WE PULLED AWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT. MY HUSBAND, GLEN, WAS DRIVING AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. MY SEATBELT RETRACTED AND I SAW AND SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HARNESS AREA BY MY RIGHT SHOULDER. GLEN MERGED OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND WE PULLED OVER ON A SIDE ROAD. WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND I GOOGLED "MERCEDES SEATBELT EXPLOSION" AND FOUND THAT IT HAD HAPPENED TO OTHERS IN THE PAST WHICH ACTUALLY MADE ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT CONTINUING ON WITH OUR DRIVE HOME. I COULD NOT WEAR MY SEATBELT. I THOUGHT GLEN'S HAD ALSO LOCKED UP BECAUSE I CHECKED IT WHEN WE STOPPED BUT LATER IN THE TRIP HE TRIED IT AND HE WAS ABLE TO WEAR HIS. ONE THING WE NOTICED: THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON THAT MORNING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE DECEMBER 2017 WHEN WE HAD THE CAR SERVICED. IT WENT OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EXPLOSION BUT THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON.

Engine

ODI #10706143

Incident: April 16, 2015 · Filed: April 16, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 (NA) MERCEDES BENZ SL600. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

Visibility

ODI #10213304

Incident: November 4, 2007 · Filed: December 31, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCEDES BENZ SL600. THE DRIVER SIDE AND REARVIEW SELF DIMMING MIRRORS FAILED. THE MIRRORS APPEARED TO HAVE AN OILY SURFACE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRES FAILED, BUT WAS UNSURE WHICH WIRE FAILED AND WHAT REPAIRS WERE NEEDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 112,000.

Check your 1997 Mercedes Benz SL600 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Mercedes Benz SL600 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Mercedes Benz VIN