RoadVitals

1993 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
6
Latest May 12, 2018
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.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jun 9, 2007

What this page shows

Our database holds 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1993 Mercedes-Benz SL500. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

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

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–6 of 6

Electrical
Filed May 12, 2018
Fire reported

MY 1993 MER BENZ FFIRST STARTED TO LOSE ITS POWER KINDA LIKE LIMP MODE CUZ THE RPM WOULDNT GO PAST 2,000 UNTIL ONE DAY IT STARTED SMOKING REALLY BAD THRU THE VENTS AND FROM UNDER THE HOOD UNTIL THE CAR TURNED OFF AND HASNT TURNED BACK ON SINCE I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL. SHOP WHERE I WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE FIRE THE WIRING HARNESS HAD STARTED DUE TO THE WIRES LOSING ITS INSULATION

NHTSA ID
11093439
Incident
Feb 22, 2018
Mileage
50 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Sep 9, 2015

BAD WIRING HARNESS. INSULATION DANGEROUSLY DEGRADED WITHIN SHEATHING, CAUSING A SHORT IN MY ENGINE. THIS SHOULD BE A MERCEDES RECALL WITH PARTS AND LABOR REPAIRS PAID BY MERCEDES. THIS PROBLEM IS AS SERIOUS AS THE RECENT IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A MULTIPLE FATALITY WRECK. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP!

NHTSA ID
10762699
Incident
Sep 9, 2015
Mileage
55,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 31, 2011

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THE INSULATION OVER THE COPPER WIRING HARNESS WHEN IT WAS EXPOSED TO THE HEAT IN THE ENGINE BECAME EXPOSED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

NHTSA ID
10403922
Incident
May 31, 2010
Mileage
146,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Mar 8, 2010

WIRING INSULATION BREAKING DOWN IN THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE ENGINE CONTROLS CAUSING DAMAGE INSULATION HAS COME OFF AND WIRES BARE AND TOUCHING . *TR

NHTSA ID
10317729
Incident
Mar 8, 2010
Mileage
60,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Mar 8, 2010

ELECTRICAL WIRING INSULATION IS DEGRADING ON WIRING HARNESS(S) IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE OR SERVE PROPERTY LOSS. I FEEL MERCEDES SHOULD PROVIDE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THESE WIRING HARNESS'S ON AFFECTED MODEL SL500, YEARS 1991 THRU 1996 REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10317711
Incident
Jan 1, 2010
Mileage
100,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 9, 2007

A YEAR AFTER PURCHASING THIS BEAUTY THE AIR BAG LIGHTCOME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. THE PERFORMANCEWAS GREATLY EFFECTED AND IT BROKE MY HEART TO LOSE MY BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE 1993 500SL , ONLY 68000 MILES. *AK PLEASE FIND A WAY FOR ME TO AFFORDABLY FIX THIS.

NHTSA ID
10192826
Incident
May 14, 2007
Mileage
72,000 mi

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .