RoadVitals

2000 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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 6, 2025
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
2
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

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2000 Mercedes-Benz SL500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

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

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Brakes150.0%
  • Interior & seats150.0%

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

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 1999 N/A Mercedes-Benz SL500. The contact purchased the rear brake rotors and pads from R1 Concepts, who sells auto parts on Amazon. When the contact installed the brake parts, the rotors could not be adjusted since the rotors were missing the opening that needed to be pre-drilled. The contact stated that when the rear brakes were adjusted, the defect was found. In addition, the contact stated that while parking the vehicle and setting the parking brake, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the parking brake failed to engage. After several attempts, the parking brake was set. No warning lights were illuminated. A dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the companies were selling defective products. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but denied assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID 11691658 · filed Oct 6, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT INQUIRED WITH THE DEALER IN REGARDS TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING) AND WAS ADVISED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE RECALL. THE CONTACT'S WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT HIS EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID 10343213 · filed Jul 14, 2010

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .