2006 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Problems

THE 2006 MB SL500'S ARE PRONE TO ABC (ACTIVE BODY CONTROL) FAILURES. MERCEDES BENZ IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE IN REPAIRING IT. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS SYSTEM IS APPROX. $4,000. IF THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE DRIVER MAY LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. THE ABC SYSTEM AFFECTS BOTH THE AIR SUSPENSION, AND BRAKING. IT COULD LEAD TO A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT, RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. I WAS FORTUNATE IN THAT I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MERGED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V405000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ASTORG MOTOR COMPANY LOCATED AT 2908 7TH ST, PARKERSBURG, WV 26102, WHO REPLACED THE ABS BRAKE COMPRESSOR. LATER WHILE DRIVING, THE MESSAGE STOP PUMP BRAKES, WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE SAME DEALER. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

ON 04/14/2019 WHILE DRIVING, RED DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON WARNING OF LOST BRAKING AND TO STOP. AT THE SAME TIME TWO SEPARATE WARNING SOUNDS FILLED THE CARS CABIN. I TRIED THE BRAKES, NO RESPONSE, I DOWN SHIFTED, AND STOOD BOTH FEET ON BRAKES AND FINALLY SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP. TURNED CAR OFF WARNING SIGN AND WARNING SOUNDS CONTINUED AFTER ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. OPENED HOOD, CLICKING AND WURLING SOUNDS WERE COMING FROM THE SBC BRAKING SYSTEM. CALL M/B THE FOLLOWING DAY AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO NEAREST M/B DEALER. DEALER FOUND NO FAULTS. AFRAID TO DRIVE. DEALER WILL NOT DO ANY WORK ON CAR W/O CODES TO VERIFY PROBLEM.

WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON, THE SRS LIGHT COMES ON, THE ROLLBAR LIGHT ON, COMMAND CENTER OFF/ON/OFF/ON, WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK, SEAT WARMERS/COOLERS INOP, AUTO HEADLIGHTS INOP.....ALL THESE PROBLEMS ARE CONNECTED AND INTERMITTENT. READING THROUGHT THE MB FORUM AND MBWORLD FORUM, MANY SL OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING AND IT ALL SEEMS TO POINT TO THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH. I WROTE A LETTER TO MB IN JANUARY 2015 AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HELP. MY INDEPENDENT DEALER IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH (THEY'VE SEEN IT BEFORE) BUT THEY ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO WORK ON IGNITION SWITCH....IT MUST BE THE DEALER. I TOOK IT ONCE TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER BACK MONTHS LATER TO TRY AND GET IT FIXED, THEY ARGUED WITH ME THAT THEY NEED TO TROUBLE SHOOT IT BEFORE THEY JUST REPLACE THE EIS, EVEN THOUGH THEY COULDNT FIGURE IT OUT THE FIRST TIME I GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY. THERE ARE PAGES AND PAGES OF PEOPLE ON THE FORUMS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FACT THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DONT WORK IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE HEADLIGHTS CAN STILL BE TURNED ON MANUALLY. TO COMPLICATE THIS WHOLE THING, THIS IS INTERMITTENT. SOMETIMES THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS AT ALL, SOMETIMES HALF THE PROBLEMS, SOMETIMES ALL OF THE PROBLEMS. REAL FRUSTRATION FROM DEALER ON THIS ISSUE. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM THE MERCEDES OF SOUTH BAY DEALER IN TORRANCE, CA IN DECEMBER 2013 AND HAVE HAD A PROBLEM EVER SINCE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30MPH, THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCKED AND THE PASSENGER'S DOOR CAME OPEN; HOWEVER NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS.

HID HEADLIGHTS SHOULD BE BANNED FROM THE ROADS. THERE IS NO WAY THE BENEFITS OF ALLOWING ONE CAR TO SUPPOSEDLY SEE BETTER AT NIGHT OUTWEIGH THE RISKS TO EVERY ONCOMING CAR THEY ENCOUNTER. THESE LIGHTS SHOULD AT LEAST BE OUTLAWED AND IDEALLY, MANUFACTURERS SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL VEHICLES AND REIMBURSE THE CONSUMER FOR THE COSTS OF THE LIGHTS. *JB

722.9 7-SPEED TRANSMISSION HAS KNOWN DEFECT CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOCK UP IN GEAR WHEN DRIVING. LOCKS INTO 3RD GEAR, CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU GO TO PASS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE NO POWER WHEN YOU TRY TO KICK INTO PASSING GEAR. ON MANY OCCASIONS I'VE ALMOST BEEN HIT BECAUSE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT INTO PASSING GEAR. ALSO WILL HAPPEN WHEN COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT THEN, LIGHT CHANGES TO GREEN AND YOU PRESS ACCELERATOR TO GO BUT CAR WILL HARDLY GO. I WAS BUMPED IN THE REAR BUMPER ONCE, LUCKILY NOT CAUSING ANY DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.I'VE ALSO BEEN IN MANY CLOSE CALL ACCIDENTS WHEN ITS HAPPENS. MERCEDES KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS, SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME ITS A VERY COMMON ISSUE AND REPAIR IS $2100 TO REPLACE THE VALVE BODY AND SHIFT CONDUCTOR PLATE IN TRANSMISSION.

WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON, THE SRS LIGHT COMES ON, THE ROLLBAR LIGHT ON, COMMAND CENTER OFF/ON/OFF/ON, WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK, SEAT WARMERS/COOLERS INOP, AUTO HEADLIGHTS INOP.....ALL THESE PROBLEMS ARE CONNECTED AND INTERMITTENT. READING THROUGHT THE MB FORUM AND MBWORLD FORUM, MANY SL OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING AND IT ALL SEEMS TO POINT TO THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH. I WROTE A LETTER TO MB IN JANUARY 2015 AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HELP. MY INDEPENDENT DEALER IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH (THEY'VE SEEN IT BEFORE) BUT THEY ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO WORK ON IGNITION SWITCH....IT MUST BE THE DEALER. I TOOK IT ONCE TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER BACK MONTHS LATER TO TRY AND GET IT FIXED, THEY ARGUED WITH ME THAT THEY NEED TO TROUBLE SHOOT IT BEFORE THEY JUST REPLACE THE EIS, EVEN THOUGH THEY COULDNT FIGURE IT OUT THE FIRST TIME I GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY. THERE ARE PAGES AND PAGES OF PEOPLE ON THE FORUMS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FACT THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DONT WORK IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE HEADLIGHTS CAN STILL BE TURNED ON MANUALLY. TO COMPLICATE THIS WHOLE THING, THIS IS INTERMITTENT. SOMETIMES THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS AT ALL, SOMETIMES HALF THE PROBLEMS, SOMETIMES ALL OF THE PROBLEMS. REAL FRUSTRATION FROM DEALER ON THIS ISSUE. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM THE MERCEDES OF SOUTH BAY DEALER IN TORRANCE, CA IN DECEMBER 2013 AND HAVE HAD A PROBLEM EVER SINCE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,500. *TR