2006 Mercedes-Benz SL55 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL55, 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
- Steering228.6%
- Suspension228.6%
- Electrical114.3%
- Other / unspecified114.3%
- Tires & wheels114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
STEERING (OVERALL FOR CAR AND STEERING WHEEL) FEELS VERY UNSTABLE WHEN GOING OVER UNEVEN ROAD SURFACES OR SMALL BUMPS. THIS IS SPECIALLY TRUE WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS HIGHER THAN 40MPH. *TR
SINCE I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY BRAND NEW MERCEDES-BENZ SL-55, I NOTICED SEVERE PULLING TO ONE SIDE TO THE POINT THAT, AFTER MORE THAN 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING, I WILL HAVE TO SWITCH ARMS TO CONTINUE APPLYING COMPENSATING WEIGHT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS, THE PULLING DECREASED BUT NEVER DISAPPEARED. HOWEVER, OTHER SYMPTOMS STARTED SURFACING, SUCH AS SEVERE UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT AND DEVELOPMENT OF RIDGES, LUMP OR DEFORMITIES THAT CAUSE NOISE AND CREATE A "LIMPING" EFFECT. AS MORE MONTHS PASSED BY AND TIRE(S) CONTINUED WEARING UNEVENLY, THE RIDE GOT WORSE; TO THE POINT THAT I LOSS CONTROL OF VEHICLE AT 55MPH+ A COUPLE OF TIMES FORTUNATELY WITHOUT CRASHES OR INJURY. AFTER THOSE INCIDENTS, I MINIMIZED THE USE OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE SLOWER AND MORE CAREFUL; BUT EVEN AT REDUCED SPEEDS HANDLING IS AFFECTED EVEN ON EVERYDAY ON-ROAD CONDITIONS, BUT MORE NOTICEABLE ON CURVY ROADS OR RAINY WEATHER. AFTER THAT, THE CAR CONTINUED RECEIVING SERVICE UNTIL A DEFECT NOTIFICATION WAS SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED AND BALANCED 2 FRONT TIRES, FRONT THRUST ARMS (2) AND BEARING BUSHES; ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED TOO. APPROX. 5000 MILES LATER, THE SAME PROBLEMS WERE BACK AND INTENSIFIED GRADUALLY. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS AS OF 10/10/2007. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
STEERING (OVERALL FOR CAR AND STEERING WHEEL) FEELS VERY UNSTABLE WHEN GOING OVER UNEVEN ROAD SURFACES OR SMALL BUMPS. THIS IS SPECIALLY TRUE WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS HIGHER THAN 40MPH. *TR
SINCE I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY BRAND NEW MERCEDES-BENZ SL-55, I NOTICED SEVERE PULLING TO ONE SIDE TO THE POINT THAT, AFTER MORE THAN 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING, I WILL HAVE TO SWITCH ARMS TO CONTINUE APPLYING COMPENSATING WEIGHT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS, THE PULLING DECREASED BUT NEVER DISAPPEARED. HOWEVER, OTHER SYMPTOMS STARTED SURFACING, SUCH AS SEVERE UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT AND DEVELOPMENT OF RIDGES, LUMP OR DEFORMITIES THAT CAUSE NOISE AND CREATE A "LIMPING" EFFECT. AS MORE MONTHS PASSED BY AND TIRE(S) CONTINUED WEARING UNEVENLY, THE RIDE GOT WORSE; TO THE POINT THAT I LOSS CONTROL OF VEHICLE AT 55MPH+ A COUPLE OF TIMES FORTUNATELY WITHOUT CRASHES OR INJURY. AFTER THOSE INCIDENTS, I MINIMIZED THE USE OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE SLOWER AND MORE CAREFUL; BUT EVEN AT REDUCED SPEEDS HANDLING IS AFFECTED EVEN ON EVERYDAY ON-ROAD CONDITIONS, BUT MORE NOTICEABLE ON CURVY ROADS OR RAINY WEATHER. AFTER THAT, THE CAR CONTINUED RECEIVING SERVICE UNTIL A DEFECT NOTIFICATION WAS SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED AND BALANCED 2 FRONT TIRES, FRONT THRUST ARMS (2) AND BEARING BUSHES; ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED TOO. APPROX. 5000 MILES LATER, THE SAME PROBLEMS WERE BACK AND INTENSIFIED GRADUALLY. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS AS OF 10/10/2007. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
SPEEDOMETER APPEARS TO BE DISPLAYING/INDICATING INACCURATE SPEED COMPARE TO ACTUAL SPEED OF THE CAR. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
STEERING (OVERALL FOR CAR AND STEERING WHEEL) FEELS VERY UNSTABLE WHEN GOING OVER UNEVEN ROAD SURFACES OR SMALL BUMPS. THIS IS SPECIALLY TRUE WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS HIGHER THAN 40MPH. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
SINCE I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY BRAND NEW MERCEDES-BENZ SL-55, I NOTICED SEVERE PULLING TO ONE SIDE TO THE POINT THAT, AFTER MORE THAN 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING, I WILL HAVE TO SWITCH ARMS TO CONTINUE APPLYING COMPENSATING WEIGHT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS, THE PULLING DECREASED BUT NEVER DISAPPEARED. HOWEVER, OTHER SYMPTOMS STARTED SURFACING, SUCH AS SEVERE UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT AND DEVELOPMENT OF RIDGES, LUMP OR DEFORMITIES THAT CAUSE NOISE AND CREATE A "LIMPING" EFFECT. AS MORE MONTHS PASSED BY AND TIRE(S) CONTINUED WEARING UNEVENLY, THE RIDE GOT WORSE; TO THE POINT THAT I LOSS CONTROL OF VEHICLE AT 55MPH+ A COUPLE OF TIMES FORTUNATELY WITHOUT CRASHES OR INJURY. AFTER THOSE INCIDENTS, I MINIMIZED THE USE OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE SLOWER AND MORE CAREFUL; BUT EVEN AT REDUCED SPEEDS HANDLING IS AFFECTED EVEN ON EVERYDAY ON-ROAD CONDITIONS, BUT MORE NOTICEABLE ON CURVY ROADS OR RAINY WEATHER. AFTER THAT, THE CAR CONTINUED RECEIVING SERVICE UNTIL A DEFECT NOTIFICATION WAS SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED AND BALANCED 2 FRONT TIRES, FRONT THRUST ARMS (2) AND BEARING BUSHES; ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED TOO. APPROX. 5000 MILES LATER, THE SAME PROBLEMS WERE BACK AND INTENSIFIED GRADUALLY. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS AS OF 10/10/2007. *TR
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .