2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 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 2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK230, 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
- Driver assistance333.3%
- Brakes222.2%
- Powertrain (other)222.2%
- Electrical111.1%
- Engine111.1%
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
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY GEAR SHIFTER IS DEFECTIVE AS I HAVE PROBLEM TAKING IT OUT OF GEAR STATIONARY TO DRIVE AND ALSO THE CAR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT GEAR I SHIFT INTO CAUSING HIGH ENGINE REVIVE IN THE ENGINE AND SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL NOT DRIVE AS IT WON'T MOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC ON THE LOCAL ROADS AND HIGHWAY WHILE IN MOTION FROM DRIVING.ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY DOING ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE CAR BRAKES BY IT SELF WITH NO WARNING WHATS SO EVER , THAT WAS A VERY SCARY SITUATION I HAD VEHICLES BEHIND ME AND THEY HAD TO BRAKE TOO, THAT WAS FOR ABOUT 3 TO 5 SECONDS , I WAS SHAKING AND SCARE BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPEN, ANOTHER TIME AROUND THE CORNER FROM MY HOUSE AS I WAS TURNING IT DID IT AGAIN FOR LIKE TWO SECONDS, THIS IS VERY SCARY BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN IS IT GOING TO DO IT AGAIN.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY DOING ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE CAR BRAKES BY IT SELF WITH NO WARNING WHATS SO EVER , THAT WAS A VERY SCARY SITUATION I HAD VEHICLES BEHIND ME AND THEY HAD TO BRAKE TOO, THAT WAS FOR ABOUT 3 TO 5 SECONDS , I WAS SHAKING AND SCARE BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPEN, ANOTHER TIME AROUND THE CORNER FROM MY HOUSE AS I WAS TURNING IT DID IT AGAIN FOR LIKE TWO SECONDS, THIS IS VERY SCARY BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN IS IT GOING TO DO IT AGAIN.
BRAKES ARE APPLIED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE TRAVELING DIFFERENT SPEEDS. I HAVE HAD THE CRAP SCARED OUT OF ME THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 50MPH. THE CAR LEFT SKID MARKS FOR ABOUT 50FT AND ALMOST CAUSED SOMEONE TO REAR END ME AS WELL AS MY CAR ALMOST GOING SIDEWAYS INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. SOMETHING N EDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE. MERCEDES CORPORATE WILL NOT DO ANYTHING NOR WILL THE DEALERSHIP. I AM SO SCARED TO DRIVE IT. I NOW HAVE IT PARKED UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HAVE ME FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN. I HAVE ATTACHED A PICTURE OF THE SKID MARKS. I HAVE ADDITIONAL BUT IT WON'T ALLOW ME TO ATTACH MORE THAN ONE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The transmission on my 26700 miles car did not shift and the car wouldn’t move on the intersection as well as on the highway where the car would just roll without accepting the gas pedal. Most dangerous on the intersection where cars behind mine would just go without making sure my mercedes is moving(which it didn’t). The mechanic mentioned that transmission fluid may have contaminated other parts of the engine and contaminated various sensors giving erroneous readings error codes all related to electrical issues. There are fault codes suggesting that the ECU, PCM, SRS, and ABS are not correctly working. In addition, common problem occurring in MB vehicles are the radios are faulty and not working. The car has until 2020 been almost exclusively serviced by Mercedes Benz in Fort Washington / PA where at the crfax report one can see that the radio, ECU have been meddled with before at this service location. This should proof the longstanding assertion as expressed in different MB forum that there are many existing electrical and transmission problems with this model throughout the build of this series.
MY GEAR SHIFTER IS DEFECTIVE AS I HAVE PROBLEM TAKING IT OUT OF GEAR STATIONARY TO DRIVE AND ALSO THE CAR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT GEAR I SHIFT INTO CAUSING HIGH ENGINE REVIVE IN THE ENGINE AND SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL NOT DRIVE AS IT WON'T MOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC ON THE LOCAL ROADS AND HIGHWAY WHILE IN MOTION FROM DRIVING.ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON.
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
The transmission on my 26700 miles car did not shift and the car wouldn’t move on the intersection as well as on the highway where the car would just roll without accepting the gas pedal. Most dangerous on the intersection where cars behind mine would just go without making sure my mercedes is moving(which it didn’t). The mechanic mentioned that transmission fluid may have contaminated other parts of the engine and contaminated various sensors giving erroneous readings error codes all related to electrical issues. There are fault codes suggesting that the ECU, PCM, SRS, and ABS are not correctly working. In addition, common problem occurring in MB vehicles are the radios are faulty and not working. The car has until 2020 been almost exclusively serviced by Mercedes Benz in Fort Washington / PA where at the crfax report one can see that the radio, ECU have been meddled with before at this service location. This should proof the longstanding assertion as expressed in different MB forum that there are many existing electrical and transmission problems with this model throughout the build of this series.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY GEAR SHIFTER IS DEFECTIVE AS I HAVE PROBLEM TAKING IT OUT OF GEAR STATIONARY TO DRIVE AND ALSO THE CAR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT GEAR I SHIFT INTO CAUSING HIGH ENGINE REVIVE IN THE ENGINE AND SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL NOT DRIVE AS IT WON'T MOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC ON THE LOCAL ROADS AND HIGHWAY WHILE IN MOTION FROM DRIVING.ALSO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON.
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 .