2007 Mercedes-Benz SL550 Owner Complaints

I purchased this vehicle in a private sale in September 2025. The battery Warning light was on and the radio was not working either. I had the vehicle inspected by the Mercedes dealer and was told the batteries were being drained because the BCM (Battery Control Module) I was told there was nothing they can do because Mercedes discontinued the replacement parts. So I started to investigate the BCM issue in this model and come to find out when they go bad the vehicles will get on fire, many owners around the world have posted the burned BCM & cars as well. I manage to take my BCM out and opened for inspection and is burned out, I was lucky the car did not catch fire. I have pictures. This should be a recall, anything that could ignite the vehicle should be a recall

NHTSA ID

11693184

Incident

Oct 7, 2025

The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL550. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH on a slightly bumpy road, the message "ABC System Malfunction” was displayed. The vehicle started shuddering significantly and lost traction and stability control. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to continue driving at slower speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear suspension shocks and ABC system needed to be replaced. The dealer also diagnosed that other unknown repair needed to be completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V168000 (Exterior Lighting, Electronic Stability Control, Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 97,444.

NHTSA ID

11484085

Incident

Sep 5, 2022

Mileage

97,444 mi

THE BRAKES TOTALLY FAILED WITH LITTLE WARNING. IN MID-OCTOBER, 2018 DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH MY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 5 SECONDS ALARMS STARTED SOUNDING AND I TOTALLY LOST ALL BRAKING POWER. MERCEDES OF DENVER REPAIRED. ON DECEMBER 17 SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED AT AN EVEN SLOWER SPEED BUT THIS TIME THE LOSS OF BRAKES WAS INSTANTANEOUS. VERY CONCERNED WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHER SPEED.

NHTSA ID

11162793

Incident

Dec 17, 2018

Mileage

75,083 mi

THE VEHICLES BRAKES STOPPED WORKING DUE TO THE SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL UNIT. I'M TOLD THAT THERE IS A LIMITED SET NUMBER OF HOW MANY ITERATIONS YOU CAN GET OUT OF THIS PART BEFORE IT STOPS WORKING.

NHTSA ID

11084326

Incident

Apr 6, 2018

Mileage

77,150 mi

THIS VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE ON ITS OWN WHILE PARKED IN A LOCKED GARAGE. THE FIRE WAS IN THE TRUNK AND INVOLVED VARIOUS ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL COMPONENTS AND WIRING HARNESSES. THE CAR FILLED WITH DENSE SMOKE WHICH COATED EVERYTHING WITH THICK SOOT. THE SMOKED SEEPED INTO EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE CLOSED CONSOLE COMPARTMENT AND GLOVE COMPARTMENT. I BELIEVE THE FIRE ITSELF DID NOT SPREAD BECAUSE OF A LACK OF OXYGEN AS THE CAR WAS PARKED WITH TOP FOLDING METAL TOP UP AND THE WINDOWS CLOSED. THE FIRE OCCURRED ON FEB. 16, 2018, AND WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE CAR WAS NOT ECONOMICALLY REPAIRABLE, AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY PROVIDED A SETTLEMENT IN EXCHANGE FOR THE CAR, WHICH, I PRESUME, WAS SOLD AT A SALVAGE AUCTION. THIS HAS OCCURRED BEFORE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES. ON YOUTUBE, THERE IS A MERCEDES SL550 CAR THAT SUFFERED EXACTLY THE SAME FIRE. IT IS AT HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=WVT6ZEBJR3A. WHEN THE CAMERA IS AIMED AT THE TRUNK AREA AT 24:10 OR SO INTO THE VIDEO, THE DAMAGE IS PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. THE CAR IN THIS VIDEO WAS NEWER THAN MINE, BUT THE SAME MODEL. ANOTHER YOUTUBE VIDEO OF A 2008 MERCEDES MCLAREN SLR FIRE IS AT HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=E90X636MNZQ. IT DOES NOT SHOW THE TRUNK DETAIL, BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING IN THE VERY SAME AREA AS WHERE THE FIRE IN MY CAR OCCURRED AS WELL AS IN THE OTHER YOUTUBE VIDEO. THIS MCLAREN IS A VERY HIGH-END MERCEDES ROADSTER OF THE SAME GENRE OF THE SL550. I NOTED IN SOME FORUM THAT I CANNOT FIND ANOTHER INSTANCE THAT SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE THIS.

NHTSA ID

11082147

Incident

Feb 16, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HAD TO COAST THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND APPLY EXTREME FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AN EMERGENCY WARNING INDICATOR FLASHED AND VARIOUS OTHER WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE POWER STEERING BECAME DISABLED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND DISABLED THE ALARM SYSTEM FROM THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER (MERCEDES-BENZ OF CATONSVILLE, 6631 BALTIMORE NATIONAL PIKE, CATONSVILLE, MD 21228, (410) 788-7744) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL (SBC) FAILURE AND THAT THE SBC CONTROL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS WAITING FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO AUTHORIZE THE PART. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD PROVIDE A FOLLOW UP RESPONSE WITHIN 48 HOURS. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED 12 TSBS ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

NHTSA ID

11076437

Incident

Mar 5, 2018

Mileage

42,000 mi

COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER... FUEL GAUGE / ODOMETER / SPEED / TACHOMETER / TURNING SIGNALS / TEMPERATURE

NHTSA ID

11035483

Incident

Oct 8, 2017

Mileage

19,000 mi

2007 MERCEDES BENZ SL 550. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH OUT TO DEALERSHIPS TO REPAIR VEHICLE ENGINE FAILURE. *SMD THE SPARK PLUGS, VALVE, ENGINE, TRANSMISSION MOUNTS AND CAM PLUGS ON THE LEFT CYLINDER HEAD WERE ALL REPLACED. HOWEVER, TWO DAYS LATER, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SAME SHAKE AS BEFORE. AS THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING HOME, THE VEHICLE MADE A POPPING NOISE AND LOST ALL POWER. SHE LATER DISCOVERED THE ENGINE HAD EXPLODED. THE CONSUMER STATED A CLASS ACTION SUIT WAS SENT TO HER HOME REGARDING AN ISSUE WITH SHAFT SPROCKETS AND IDLE GEAR. *JB

NHTSA ID

10838368

Incident

Feb 1, 2016

FREQUENTLY AND INTERMITTENTLY (NOT EVERY TIME) WHEN I START MY CAR'S ENGINE, THE SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT AND "TAKE CAR TO SERVICE FACILITY" MESSAGE DISPLAY APPEAR ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHEN THE SRS WARNING LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK, IRRESPECTIVE OF HOW THE WIPER CONTROLS ARE MANIPULATED (ONE SWIPE ... INTERMITTENT SWIPE ... SLOW SWIPE ... FAST SWIPE ... WINDSHIELD WASHER SQUIRTER). WHEN I TRY TURNING ON THE WIPERS WHILE THE SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED, THE ROLL BAR MALFUNCTION ALERT YELLOW SYMBOL ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND I HEAR AN AUDIBLE CLICKING SOUND FROM SOMEWHERE BEHIND THE SEATS (THIS IS A TWO-SEATER CAR). I TRIED CYCLING THE ROLL BAR ALL THE WAY THROUGH ITS RANGE OF MOTION ... FROM ALL THE WAY STOWED, TO ALL THE WAY DEPLOYED, BACK TO ALL THE WAY STOWED ... BUT THIS DID NOT CLEAR OR CHANGE THE ROLL BAR MALFUNCTION ALERT YELLOW LIGHT, DID NOT CLEAR THE SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING, AND DID NOT ACTIVATE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. MB DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE "PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SWITCH GEAR," BUT THIS DID NOT ELIMINATE THE SRS WARNING PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME I DROVE THE CAR FOLLOWING MB'S REPAIRS, THE SRS MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT REAPPEARED, THE WIPERS REFUSED TO WORK, AND THE ROLL BAR MALFUNCTION ALERT YELLOW SYMBOL ILLUMINATED. I CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR IN THE RAIN IF THE SRS MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED, AS IT FREQUENTLY IS, NOR CAN I DEPEND ON THE SRS SAFETY SYSTEM. I NEED TO HAVE THESE VITAL SAFETY CONDITIONS RESOLVED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10692093

Incident

Feb 12, 2015

Mileage

34,700 mi

ALMOST EXACTLY ONE YEAR AFTER DEALERSHIP "FIXED" THE SAME PROBLEM, THE BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE TOTALLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING. AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURE IN 2013, I WAS ASSURED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS FIXED. I WAS VERY RETICENT, BUT DROVE THE CARE AGAIN. HOWEVER, BASED ON THE SECOND TOTAL FAILURE OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM, THE VEHICLE IS WORTHLESS. MERCEDES BENZ SAYS THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT IT IS THE SAME ASSURANCE THEY GAVE ME THE FIRST TIME. THE CAR IS 2007 SL 550 WITH APPROXIMATELY 60K MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10671361

Incident

Nov 28, 2014

Mileage

60,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ SL550. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE FAILED TO ENGAGE WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED THAT DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM EXPERIENCED A TOTAL FAILURE. THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

NHTSA ID

10554964

Incident

Nov 22, 2013

Mileage

57,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES CL550. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS WHEN A LOUD POP WAS HEARD UNDER THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THIS HAPPENED 3 WEEKS AFTER THE DEALER SAID THAT THE ABS SUSPENSION UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT JUST AS THEY PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THERE WAS ANOTHER LOUD POP AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED AT THE SHOCK UNDER THE WHEEL BASE OF THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THE FIRE AND FILED A REPORT. THE FIRE CONTINUED TO SPREAD VERY QUICKLY AND THE VEHICLE WAS SET TO BE INSPECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES 42,000.

NHTSA ID

10496498

Incident

Jan 26, 2013

Mileage

42,000 mi

THE INCIDENT I AM REPORTING IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE COMPLAINT I READ ON YOUR WEB PAGE. I WAS ENROUTE TO THE MERCEDES DEALER SHIP TO PURCHASE A SWITCH FOR MY ELECTRIC WINDOWS. I HAD NOTICED ENROUTE THAT THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO NOT BE SHIFTING. I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE IF I HAD SOMEWAY MANUALLY SHIFTED DOWN. I HAD NOT AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE IT SEEMED I WAS IN SECOND GEAR. I WAS APPROX THREE BLOCKS FROM THE DEALERSHIP SO I SLOWED TO ABOUT 20 MPH. I STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DEALERSHIP AND WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED--THE VEH WOULD NOT MOVE. SOMEWHAT PANICKED I TRIED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR BUT WAS UNABLE TO. THE VEH STALLED AND EACH TIME I RESTARTED AND ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WOULD "JERK" BUT NOT MOVE. FINALLY AFTER MUCH OF DOING I DON'T KNOW WHAT, I WAS ABLE TO LIMP INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THE YOUNGMAN WHO CHECKED ME IN SAID IT WAS PROBABLY THE TRANSMISSION. THEY KEPT MY CAR AND SEVERAL HOURS LATER TOLD ME SOMETHING IN THE TRANSMISSION WENT HAYWIRE AND IT WOULD BE APPROX $1700.00 TO FIX. THEY ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS NOT A DEFECT. I DON'T MISTREAT MY VEHICLE, RACE IT OR DO QUICK TAKE OFFS SO I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN. I AM EVEN MORE CONVINCED AFTER READING ALMOST AN IDENTICAL COMPLAINT THAT MERCEDES BENZ SPEAKS WITH FORKED TONGUE. I HOPE MY COMPLAINT WILL LEAD TO A RECALL BEFORE SOME OTHER SAP GETS BURNT FOR SOMETHING NOT THEIR FAULT. *KB

NHTSA ID

10437905

Incident

Sep 20, 2011

Mileage

20,000 mi

POWER ASSIST HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10339966

Incident

Jun 17, 2010

Mileage

10,500 mi

DEFECTIVE BRAKES AND ROTORS ON MERCEDES S550 WEAR AT UNACCEPTABLE RATE RESULTING IN THE MERCEDES BENZ OF SARASOTA SERVICE CENTER ADVISING THE S550 IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10263273

Incident

Jul 30, 2008

Mileage

25,298 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ SL550. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. TWO MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT NO LONGER WANTED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT ONLY HAD 80 MILES AND THE DEALER PROVIDED HIM WITH A NEW ONE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80.

NHTSA ID

10204387

Incident

Mar 29, 2007

Mileage

80 mi