RoadVitals

1994 Mercedes-Benz SL320

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Oct 24, 2016
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1994 Mercedes-Benz SL320, most frequently naming the electrical and engine categories. 2 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical266.7%
  • Engine133.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

ElectricalEngine
Filed Oct 24, 2016

WIRING HARNESS FAILURE

NHTSA ID
10918590
Incident
Oct 15, 2016
Electrical
Filed Sep 19, 2016

MY MB SL320, 1994 ONLY HAS 65,000 MILES AND THE SENSIOR WIRE HARNESS IS ALL FRAILED AND COPPER WIRING EXPOSED DO TO RECYCLED COVERING MB USED WITCH SHOULD OF NEVER BEEN USED AND SHOULD OF BEEN RECALLED FOR REPLACEMENT. READING ON INTERNET THIS IS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH IF SHOULD SHORT OUT HAS THIS ITEM BEEN ON RECALL AND IF NOT WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE MERCEDES RESPONSIBLE?

NHTSA ID
10907513
Incident
Sep 5, 2016
Mileage
64,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

LI82.70-P-060004

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

iPhone mobile phone: Various complaints after software update to iOS8

GI88.40-P-057430

EQUIPMENT

Message in instrument cluster "DISTRONIC PLUSCurrently Unavailable - See Owner's Manual"

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz SL320 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2000100
1999200
1998300
1997610
1996400
1995160040.0
1994Viewing200

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.