2009 Mercedes-Benz Slk 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 2009 Mercedes-Benz Slk, 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
- Brakes125.0%
- Driver assistance125.0%
- Steering125.0%
- Tires & wheels125.0%
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON 3/22/2012 WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FEET OF LEAVING A DRIVEWAY, THE RIGHT WHEEL SLOWLY SEIZED (WITHIN 100 FEET), ABS AND ESC WARNINGS APPEARED AND THE CAR BECAME IMMOBILIZED. THE CAR WAS FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE RIGHT STEERING KNUCKLE AND RELATED WHEEL/PARTS WERE REPLACED. ON 6/23/2012 AT ABOUT 25 MPH, THE ABS, ESC WARNINGS SHOWED, THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT ON BRAKING. THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER AND PARKED, AND AGAIN FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER. THE LEFT STEERING KNUCKLE AND RELATED PARTS WERE REPLACED. IN SHORT, THE RIGHT STEERING KNUCKLE FAILED, AT LOW SPEED FORTUNATELY, AND THREE MONTHS LATER THE RIGHT FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER. HAD THESE FAILURES OCCURRED AT HIGHER SPEED, THEY WOULD HAVE PRESENTED A SERIOUS STEERING CONTROL PROBLEM. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON 3/22/2012 WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FEET OF LEAVING A DRIVEWAY, THE RIGHT WHEEL SLOWLY SEIZED (WITHIN 100 FEET), ABS AND ESC WARNINGS APPEARED AND THE CAR BECAME IMMOBILIZED. THE CAR WAS FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE RIGHT STEERING KNUCKLE AND RELATED WHEEL/PARTS WERE REPLACED. ON 6/23/2012 AT ABOUT 25 MPH, THE ABS, ESC WARNINGS SHOWED, THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT ON BRAKING. THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER AND PARKED, AND AGAIN FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER. THE LEFT STEERING KNUCKLE AND RELATED PARTS WERE REPLACED. IN SHORT, THE RIGHT STEERING KNUCKLE FAILED, AT LOW SPEED FORTUNATELY, AND THREE MONTHS LATER THE RIGHT FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER. HAD THESE FAILURES OCCURRED AT HIGHER SPEED, THEY WOULD HAVE PRESENTED A SERIOUS STEERING CONTROL PROBLEM. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON 3/22/2012 WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED FEET OF LEAVING A DRIVEWAY, THE RIGHT WHEEL SLOWLY SEIZED (WITHIN 100 FEET), ABS AND ESC WARNINGS APPEARED AND THE CAR BECAME IMMOBILIZED. THE CAR WAS FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE RIGHT STEERING KNUCKLE AND RELATED WHEEL/PARTS WERE REPLACED. ON 6/23/2012 AT ABOUT 25 MPH, THE ABS, ESC WARNINGS SHOWED, THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT ON BRAKING. THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER AND PARKED, AND AGAIN FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER. THE LEFT STEERING KNUCKLE AND RELATED PARTS WERE REPLACED. IN SHORT, THE RIGHT STEERING KNUCKLE FAILED, AT LOW SPEED FORTUNATELY, AND THREE MONTHS LATER THE RIGHT FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER. HAD THESE FAILURES OCCURRED AT HIGHER SPEED, THEY WOULD HAVE PRESENTED A SERIOUS STEERING CONTROL PROBLEM. *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
NOT A FAILURE, BUT I NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT LABELING DISCREPANCY ON MY 2009 MERCEDES BENZ SLK300. THE TIRE LABEL ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR INCORRECTLY LISTS THE OEM TIRE SIZE AS 205-55-16 FRONT AND 225-50-16 REAR. THE VEHICLE IN REALITY IS FITTED WITH 225-45-17 FRONT AND 245-40-17 REAR; THESE ARE NOT OPTIONAL TIRES/WHEELS EITHER - THEY ARE THE STANDARD SIZE AND WERE LISTED ON THE WINDOW STICKER AS SUCH. THEREFORE, IT IS ALSO NOT CLEAR TO ME IF THE SIZE DISCREPANCY ON THE LABEL ALSO MAY MEAN THAT THE LISTED TIRE PRESSURE DO OR DO NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE. *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 .