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.
9
Latest Jan 23, 2020
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.
3
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 Oct 31, 2001
What this page shows
Our database holds 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 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 1–9 of 9
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Jan 23, 2020
VEHICLE HAS APPROX. 209K MILES. SUNDAY 1/19/20 DRIVING WB ON MONTAUK HIGHWAY (NYS 27A?) AT QUOGUE NY. SPEED APPROX. 35-40 MPH. SLIGHT TURN/BEND IN ROAD TO THE RIGHT. SUNNY, DRY PAVEMENT. NO OTHER CARS FOLLOWING OR AHEAD, EITHER DIRECTION. VERY LOUD BANG HEARD INSIDE CABIN, BOTH SEATBELTS IMMEDIATELY TIGHTENED AND BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER FELT STRONG AIR BLAST; THAT EACH DESCRIBED AS BEING HIT IN CHEST. SOUND/AIRBLAST FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A BURNING/GUNPOWDER SMELL AND SLIGHT WHITE SMOKE IN CABIN. SRS LIGHT ON DASHBOARD WENT ON. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND OBSERVED NO OBJECTS IN ROAD BEHIND VEHICLE. ALSO, NO POTHOLES OR ROAD DEFECTS, ONLY SMOOTH PAVEMENT. NO DAMAGE TO FRONT OR SIDE OF VEHICLE OBSERVED. PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT RETRACTED BUT LOCKED. DRIVER'S SEATBELT RETRACTED AND FUNCTIONED AFTER INCIDENT. ASSUMED BOTH AIRBAGS (DRIVER AND PASSENGER ) ACTIVATED BUT DID NOT DEPLOY. CAR WAS DRIVEN HOME WITH SRS LIGHT AND NON WORKING PASSENGER SEATBELT. MB DEALER SERVICE DEPT. (HUNTINGTON MB) DENIES THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED (AIRBAG ACTIVATION AND/OR NO DEPLOYMENT). SAYS PROBABLY SEATBELT.
NHTSA ID
11301461
Incident
Jan 19, 2020
Mileage
209,000 mi
EngineSteering
Filed Jun 27, 2013
WIRING INSULATION FOR LIGHTS AND POWER STEERING DETERIORATED TO THE POINT OF CAUSING MASSIVE SHORTS IN MULTIPLE SYSTEMS, DRAINING THE BATTERY AND RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I MANEUVERED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ONTO AN OFF RAMP THAT PROVIDED A SAFE EXIT FROM THE 6 LANE BELTWAY AND HAD TO BE TOWED. TURN SIGNALS, BRAKE LIGHTS, POWER STEERING, HALF OF THE INSTRUMENTS (INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER), BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM ARE INOPERABLE DUE TO BARE WIRES SHORTING OUT THE WIRING HARNESSES. ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS BEGINS WITH REPLACING THE LIGHTING WIRING HARNESS AT A COST OF $4000, WITH NO GUESS AS TO WHAT THE FINAL COSTS MIGHT BE, PROVIDED THEY CAN FIND A WIRING HARNESS. THE SHOP HAS SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH MERCEDES OF THIS VINTAGE AND IS AWARE THAT MERCEDES HAS NOT PROVIDED A VOLUNTARY RECALL TO DEAL WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS. *TR
NHTSA ID
10522165
Incident
Jun 12, 2013
Mileage
137,452 mi
Airbags
Filed Jul 8, 2011
Crash reported1 injury reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ SL 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED UP TO 70 MPH AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT SUFFERED BROKEN RIBS AND A SHATTERED SPINE. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING THE SEAT BELT DURING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL TO TREAT THE INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
NHTSA ID
10411530
Incident
Mar 28, 2011
Mileage
130,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Apr 30, 2007
Fire reported
I HAD A WIRING HARNESS FIRE IN MY VEHICLE A 1997 MERCEDES BENZ SL 500, IT IS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE WIRE HARNESS BUT MERCEDES BENZ IS DECLINING ANY INVOLVEMENT, I KNOW OF 129 OTHER FAILURES IN LIKE VEHICLES, IT'S COSTING ME $10,000 TO FIX AND I WILL NOT HAVE MY CAR BACK UNTIL JULY 2007. THIS NEEDS TO STOP MERCEDES IS DEINYING ALL INVOLVMENT.*AK
NHTSA ID
10189295
Incident
Jan 27, 2007
Mileage
114,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 4, 2005
Crash reported3 injuries reported
DT: CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING A 1997 MERCEDES SL-500 IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE DRIVER, PASSENGER, AND SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK (T-BONED) ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE IMPACT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HIT OTHER VEHICLES. THE CONSUMER WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN IN ANY PREVIOUS ACCIDENTS. THERE WAS A RECALL TO HAVE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG REPLACED. THE CONSUMER DID HAVE THIS RECALL SERVICE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE AIRBAGS WERE NOT INTENDED TO DEPLOY IN THIS TYPE OF ACCIDENT. *AK
NHTSA ID
10131538
Incident
Jan 19, 2002
Mileage
40,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jan 5, 2005
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, AND THE AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THEY'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS, AND WAS TELLING THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TO HAVE HIT SOMETHING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. VEHICLE WAS NOT HIT. *AK *NM
NHTSA ID
10103740
Incident
Dec 7, 2004
Mileage
56,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 18, 2003
WHEN THE GEARS WERE SHIFTED, THEY BECAME STUCK. *AK
NHTSA ID
10024364
Brakes
Filed Jun 20, 2002
WHILE DRIVING AT 40-50 MPH AND TRYING TO SLOW DOWN CONSUMER COULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
NHTSA ID
8012243
Incident
Jun 2, 2002
Body & structure
Filed Oct 31, 2001
WHENEVER VEHICLE RUNS OVER A BUMPS OR A POTHOLE, IT CAUSES DOOR LOCKS TO POP OPEN. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND PROBLEM STILL CCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
NHTSA ID
898611
Incident
Jan 31, 2001
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.