Reliability & cost of ownership
Mercedes Benz Sl500 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Mercedes Benz Sl500? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Mercedes Benz Sl500 problems by model year
8 recall entries and 50 owner complaints on file across 7 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Sl500 | 1 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 Sl500 | 1 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1999 Sl500 | 1 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1998 Sl500 | 1 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1997 Sl500 | 2 | 9 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1996 Sl500 | 1 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1995 Sl500 | 1 | 22 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Mercedes Benz Sl500, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system26 complaints
- air bags6 complaints
- engine6 complaints
- service brakes5 complaints
- fuel/propulsion system4 complaints
- unknown or other3 complaints
- steering3 complaints
- power train3 complaints