RoadVitals

1995 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.
16
Latest Jul 7, 2019
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.
2

Overview

Our database contains 16 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL320, most frequently naming the electrical, engine and airbags 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

  • Electrical1168.8%
  • Engine212.5%
  • Airbags16.3%
  • Exterior lighting16.3%
  • Visibility16.3%

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

View all 16
Electrical
Filed Jul 7, 2019

(XXXX) BIODEGRADING WIRING HARNESS REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID
11229850
Incident
Mar 6, 2019
Mileage
135,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Apr 23, 2019

MY VEHICLE IS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ SL320R AND WAS BUILT WITH BIODEGRADABLE WIRING INSULATION IN THE ENGINE HARNESS. THE INSULATION IS DETERIORATING AND CAUSING PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE HAS 131,000 MILES. I'M THE 3RD OWNER. POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET INDICATE POTENTIALLY FATAL FAILURES ARE POSSIBLE. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNERS WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE?

NHTSA ID
11203157
Incident
Apr 1, 2017
Mileage
121,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Feb 5, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ SL320. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE COMPUTER CLUSTER WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. AN UNKNOWN DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. *TT

NHTSA ID
11066993
Incident
Sep 1, 2017
Mileage
130,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 16, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ SL320R. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PLASTIC ON THE WIRING HARNESS WAS PEELING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF AUGUSTA AT (706) 860-1111 (LOCATED AT 3061 WASHINGTON RD, AUGUSTA, GA 30907) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT NO RECALLS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN AND THERE WOULD BE A FEE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. *TT *TR

NHTSA ID
11063069
Incident
May 15, 2017
Mileage
140,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jul 18, 2016
Fire reported

THE ENGINE BAY WIRING HARNESSES HAVE DISINTEGRATED ON THE CAR DUE TO USE OF HEAT SUSCEPTIBLE WIRE INSULATION. THIS HAS CAUSED BARE WIRES TO SHORT OUT IN THE ENGINE BAY. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SPONTANEOUSLY SURGE RESULTING IN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION. SUBSEQUENT TO THE SURGING, IT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO DIE RESULTING IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKING POWER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DIAGNOSE WITH WAS CAUSING THESE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS, ELECTRICAL ARCING AND SMOLDERING OF THE WIRING BECAME APPARENT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND MB HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT IT. THE REPAIR INVOLVES THE RELATIVELY SIMPLE REPLACEMENT OF 4 WIRING HARNESSES IN THE ENGINE BAY. THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD ISSUE AFFECTING MANY MERCEDES VEHICLES PRODUCED BETWEEN 1991 AND 1996.

NHTSA ID
10885736
Incident
Jul 6, 2016
Mileage
140,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 9, 2016

HEADLIGHTS GO ON AND OFF, BULB WARNING LIGHTS STAY ON

NHTSA ID
10873543
Incident
Feb 20, 2016
Mileage
180,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Mar 8, 2016

THIS CARS 1995 MERCEDEZ BENZ SL320 ARE A DANGER FOR DRIVERS AND I THINK GOVERMENT HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF SAFETY MATTER FOR PEOPLE MUST HAVE MERCEDEZ BENZ TO TAKE CARE OF THIS MATTER

NHTSA ID
10845540
Incident
Mar 6, 2016
Engine
Filed Feb 28, 2016
Fire reported

MAF CONNECTOR CAUGHT FIRE, WIRING INSULATION DETERIOTED CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THIS HAPPEN IN MY GARAGE WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE, IF I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WOULD HAVE BURNED EVERYTHING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT

NHTSA ID
10838855
Incident
Feb 18, 2016
Mileage
112,518 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—
1995Viewing160040.0
1994200—

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.