Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL600, most frequently naming the engine, seat belts and visibility categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 12 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
WE TOOK A ROAD TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO, TX, ON 10/15/2019, AND WERE RETURNING HOME ON 10/17/2019 WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. SAN ANTONIO IS ABOUT 2 HOURS AWAY FROM LLANO, TX, WHERE WE LIVE. WE HAD DRIVEN IN SAN ANTONIO TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND STOPPED FOR BREAKFAST AT IHOP AROUND 10:30 AM. AFTER LEAVING IHOP, WE HEADED NORTH ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD OF HIGHWAY 281. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE LANE. AS SOON AS WE PULLED AWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT. MY HUSBAND, GLEN, WAS DRIVING AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. MY SEATBELT RETRACTED AND I SAW AND SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HARNESS AREA BY MY RIGHT SHOULDER. GLEN MERGED OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND WE PULLED OVER ON A SIDE ROAD. WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND I GOOGLED "MERCEDES SEATBELT EXPLOSION" AND FOUND THAT IT HAD HAPPENED TO OTHERS IN THE PAST WHICH ACTUALLY MADE ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT CONTINUING ON WITH OUR DRIVE HOME. I COULD NOT WEAR MY SEATBELT. I THOUGHT GLEN'S HAD ALSO LOCKED UP BECAUSE I CHECKED IT WHEN WE STOPPED BUT LATER IN THE TRIP HE TRIED IT AND HE WAS ABLE TO WEAR HIS. ONE THING WE NOTICED: THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON THAT MORNING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE DECEMBER 2017 WHEN WE HAD THE CAR SERVICED. IT WENT OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EXPLOSION BUT THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 (NA) MERCEDES BENZ SL600. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCEDES BENZ SL600. THE DRIVER SIDE AND REARVIEW SELF DIMMING MIRRORS FAILED. THE MIRRORS APPEARED TO HAVE AN OILY SURFACE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRES FAILED, BUT WAS UNSURE WHICH WIRE FAILED AND WHAT REPAIRS WERE NEEDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 112,000.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
POWER TRAIN
Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
iPhone mobile phone: Various complaints after software update to iOS8
SUSPENSION
The noise comes from the front axle. Vehicles without code B07 (AMG ceramic high-performance composite brake system)
STEERING
Height adjustment of electric steering column adjustment is nonfunctional.
EQUIPMENT
Message in instrument cluster "DISTRONIC PLUSCurrently Unavailable - See Owner's Manual"
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.