2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 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 SLK350, 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
- Powertrain (other)535.7%
- Driver assistance214.3%
- Engine214.3%
- Exterior lighting17.1%
- Airbags17.1%
- Visibility17.1%
- Body & structure17.1%
- Electrical17.1%
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
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LACK OF ENGINE POWER AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE MANUALLY RESTARTED TO BE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,038.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE POWER CAN BE LOST & VEHICLE CAN BE STUCK IN 1ST GEAR OR NO GEAR AT ALL CAUSING BLOCKAGE TO TRAFFIC AND POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. ONCE YOU TURN CAR OFF IT APPEARS THE CAR RESETS ITSELF AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPEN. WHEN REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP IT WAS STATED NO CODES POP UP SO I MUST BE HITTING THE SHIFT. NOT KNOWING ANY BETTER & NOT BEING A MECHANIC, WHO AM I TO CONTINUE TO QUESTION THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP? NO CODE NO ACTION. (1ST REPORTED WITH 8446 MILEAGE NEVER SHOWED A CODE). AT 63,000 MILES THE ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY COMES ON INDICATING A PROBLEM. 63038 FOUND CODE IN SYSTEM FOR SPEED SENSOR NOT READING CORRECTLY. TEST DROVE CAR & STUCK IN LIMP HOME. THE ODD THING IS THE CODE KICKED IN AT 61400 MILES & THE LIGHT CAME ON 2000 MILES LATER. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY REFUSED TO FIX MY CAR UNDER THE WARRANTY I PURCHASED DUE THE "DATA FREEZE' SHOWING PROBLEM EXISTED PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THAT WARRANTY BUT I WAS UNAWARE OF THAT SINCE THE ENGINE LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON AT 61400. AT ANY RATE IT APPEARS TO BE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THESE VALUE BODIES WITH LOW MILEAGE. PEOPLE BUY MERCEDES THINKING IT WILL BE A WHILE BEFORE THE START HAVING THESE PROBLEMS YET COMPLAINTS ON THIS VALUE BODY IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. ... FOUND BELOW ON INTERNT. I PAID $1800 FOR THIS REPAIR. OCT 29, 2012 - PLAINTIFFS BROUGHT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST MERCEDES BENZ ON BEHALF ... AN ENTIRE VALVE BODY REPLACED THAT ONLY THE MERCEDES DEALER CAN REPAIR. .... 61,000 MILES, OUT OF WARRANTY, AND JUST NOW THEY SAID, THEY WILL NOT COVER AND NOW THE MB 722.9 VALVE BODY - COBRA TRANSMISSION ... COBRATRANSMISSION.BLOGSPOT.COM/.../AND-NOW-MB-7229-VALVE-BODY.HTML O DEC 2, 2010 - THIS BLOG COVERS AUTOMATIC AND STANDARD TRANSMISSION PARTS AS WELL AS TRANSFER CASE PARTS. VALVE ... THE VALVE BODY IS ONE OF THE LARGER ONES WE HAVE SEEN AROUND HERE. BIGGER .
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
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE POWER CAN BE LOST & VEHICLE CAN BE STUCK IN 1ST GEAR OR NO GEAR AT ALL CAUSING BLOCKAGE TO TRAFFIC AND POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. ONCE YOU TURN CAR OFF IT APPEARS THE CAR RESETS ITSELF AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPEN. WHEN REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP IT WAS STATED NO CODES POP UP SO I MUST BE HITTING THE SHIFT. NOT KNOWING ANY BETTER & NOT BEING A MECHANIC, WHO AM I TO CONTINUE TO QUESTION THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP? NO CODE NO ACTION. (1ST REPORTED WITH 8446 MILEAGE NEVER SHOWED A CODE). AT 63,000 MILES THE ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY COMES ON INDICATING A PROBLEM. 63038 FOUND CODE IN SYSTEM FOR SPEED SENSOR NOT READING CORRECTLY. TEST DROVE CAR & STUCK IN LIMP HOME. THE ODD THING IS THE CODE KICKED IN AT 61400 MILES & THE LIGHT CAME ON 2000 MILES LATER. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY REFUSED TO FIX MY CAR UNDER THE WARRANTY I PURCHASED DUE THE "DATA FREEZE' SHOWING PROBLEM EXISTED PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THAT WARRANTY BUT I WAS UNAWARE OF THAT SINCE THE ENGINE LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON AT 61400. AT ANY RATE IT APPEARS TO BE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THESE VALUE BODIES WITH LOW MILEAGE. PEOPLE BUY MERCEDES THINKING IT WILL BE A WHILE BEFORE THE START HAVING THESE PROBLEMS YET COMPLAINTS ON THIS VALUE BODY IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. ... FOUND BELOW ON INTERNT. I PAID $1800 FOR THIS REPAIR. OCT 29, 2012 - PLAINTIFFS BROUGHT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST MERCEDES BENZ ON BEHALF ... AN ENTIRE VALVE BODY REPLACED THAT ONLY THE MERCEDES DEALER CAN REPAIR. .... 61,000 MILES, OUT OF WARRANTY, AND JUST NOW THEY SAID, THEY WILL NOT COVER AND NOW THE MB 722.9 VALVE BODY - COBRA TRANSMISSION ... COBRATRANSMISSION.BLOGSPOT.COM/.../AND-NOW-MB-7229-VALVE-BODY.HTML O DEC 2, 2010 - THIS BLOG COVERS AUTOMATIC AND STANDARD TRANSMISSION PARTS AS WELL AS TRANSFER CASE PARTS. VALVE ... THE VALVE BODY IS ONE OF THE LARGER ONES WE HAVE SEEN AROUND HERE. BIGGER .
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ SLK250. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO APPROACH A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. THERE WAS A SUDDEN INCREASE IN RPM'S AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO CRASH. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES FROM THE CRASH AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. HE HAS ACCESS TO OBTAINING A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT AND PICTURES. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 14,000. UPDATED 3/3/09 *CN UPDATED 03/04/09. *JB
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
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LACK OF ENGINE POWER AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE MANUALLY RESTARTED TO BE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,038.
3 ISSUES--CAMSHAFT SELENOID; DEFECTIVE GEAR IN THE BALANCE SHAFTS OF THE ENGINE; TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY DEFECT. ALL THREE OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED BY MERCEDES INTERNAL DOCUMENTS AND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT ON GOING FOR THE DEFECTIVE GEAR IN THE BALANCE SHAFTS OF THE ENGINE RIGHT NOW. THESE ARE CRITICAL ISSUES AS THE CAR CAN LOSE POWER. WITH REGARD TO THE BALANCE SHAFT ISSUES, METAL FROM THE SHAFT DETERIORATES AND THAT INFILTRATES THE OTHER ENGINE PARTS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO PREMATURELY FAIL. ALMOST ALL OF THE REPORTS ON THIS ISSUE ARE FOR SLK350'S WITH LESS THAN 80,000 MILES.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING, THE HEADLAMPS BECAME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE HEADLAMPS MELTED AND LEFT THE WIRES EXPOSED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 30 APR 10 - 2006 MERCEDES BENZ SLK350; THE VEHICLE HAS 31,000 MILES ON IT AND RECENTLY HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A LEFT REAR TURN SIGNAL LIGHT OUT. HAD SERVICE DONE UNDER WARRANTY AND ALSO HAD BRAKES AND FRONT ROTORS REPLACED. 1 MAY 10 THE SRS RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION VISIT WORKSHOP MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. 3 MAY 10, TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER FOR SERVICE AND A SHORT TEST WAS PERFORMED RESULTING IN CODE 40 WM07. AIRBAG LINE TO STEERING COLUMN MODULE, REPLACE ELECTRIC LINE, CABLE CONNECTION, SCREW W/HEXA. VEHICLE HAD NO SRS RELATED REPAIRS, TECH TO CHECK FOR CODES IN SRS SYSTEM AND ADVISE; FOUND CODE 9123. REPAIR AIRBAG SA PER BULLETIN #P-B-91.60/78D. FOUND NO SRS RELATED REPAIRS IN HISTORY, TECH WILL INSPECT AND ADVISE. FOUND CODE 9123 BULLETIN #P-B-91.87D OUTLINES REPAIR RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS CONDITION. FOUND UNRELATED TO RECENT SERVICE OF BRAKES/ROTORS. VIN# [XXX] DLR:[XXX]ENG: 3.5_LITER AXLE: 171...THANK YOU! *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON OCTOBER 19TH 2015 , PURCHASED THIS CAR FORM MERCEDES BENZ OF WALNUT CREEK CALIFORNIA . THE CAR WAS DELIVERED TO ME ON 27TH OCTOBER 2015 BY THE DEALERSHIP STATING THAT THE CAR IS CHECKED ACCORDING TO THE SAFETY STANDARDS AND IS GOOD TO DRIVE. BUT AS SOON AS I REACHED HOME WITH THE CAR THERE WAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT . MY HOUSE IS 140MILES FROM THE DEALER SHIP . I CALLED THEM THE VERY NEXT DAY , THEY CALLED ME IN THE NEXT WEEK , KEPT THE CAR FOR 4 DAYS . AGAIN WHEN I TOOK THE CAR FROM THEM THEY SAY EVERYTHING WORKS FINE . A WEEK AFTER THAT AGAIN I HAVE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT . I TRY CALLING THEM THEY JUST GIVE ME A RUNAROUND , EVEN THE FRONT WIND SCREEN OF THE CAR IS CHIPPED MAJORLY . I STILL CAN'T FIGURE HOW DID MY CAR PASS THE CALIFORNIA INSPECTION FOR USED CAR . I NEED SOMEONE TO HELP ME . THIS IS MY FIRST CAR . THANK YOU WOULD APPRECIATE . [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was traveling on I20 going about 60mph. Car suddenly started fish tailing and thought I had a flat tire. Pulled over, no flats but back driver's side wheel was crooked. Had car towed to service center. Back frame is extremely rusted. My whole wheel could have come off which would have been extremely serious. My car only has 46000 miles and garage kept. No warning signs. I don't drive in wintry conditions. My car has only been inspected by the service mechanic and myself.
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
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE POWER CAN BE LOST & VEHICLE CAN BE STUCK IN 1ST GEAR OR NO GEAR AT ALL CAUSING BLOCKAGE TO TRAFFIC AND POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. ONCE YOU TURN CAR OFF IT APPEARS THE CAR RESETS ITSELF AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPEN. WHEN REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP IT WAS STATED NO CODES POP UP SO I MUST BE HITTING THE SHIFT. NOT KNOWING ANY BETTER & NOT BEING A MECHANIC, WHO AM I TO CONTINUE TO QUESTION THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP? NO CODE NO ACTION. (1ST REPORTED WITH 8446 MILEAGE NEVER SHOWED A CODE). AT 63,000 MILES THE ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY COMES ON INDICATING A PROBLEM. 63038 FOUND CODE IN SYSTEM FOR SPEED SENSOR NOT READING CORRECTLY. TEST DROVE CAR & STUCK IN LIMP HOME. THE ODD THING IS THE CODE KICKED IN AT 61400 MILES & THE LIGHT CAME ON 2000 MILES LATER. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY REFUSED TO FIX MY CAR UNDER THE WARRANTY I PURCHASED DUE THE "DATA FREEZE' SHOWING PROBLEM EXISTED PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THAT WARRANTY BUT I WAS UNAWARE OF THAT SINCE THE ENGINE LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON AT 61400. AT ANY RATE IT APPEARS TO BE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THESE VALUE BODIES WITH LOW MILEAGE. PEOPLE BUY MERCEDES THINKING IT WILL BE A WHILE BEFORE THE START HAVING THESE PROBLEMS YET COMPLAINTS ON THIS VALUE BODY IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. ... FOUND BELOW ON INTERNT. I PAID $1800 FOR THIS REPAIR. OCT 29, 2012 - PLAINTIFFS BROUGHT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST MERCEDES BENZ ON BEHALF ... AN ENTIRE VALVE BODY REPLACED THAT ONLY THE MERCEDES DEALER CAN REPAIR. .... 61,000 MILES, OUT OF WARRANTY, AND JUST NOW THEY SAID, THEY WILL NOT COVER AND NOW THE MB 722.9 VALVE BODY - COBRA TRANSMISSION ... COBRATRANSMISSION.BLOGSPOT.COM/.../AND-NOW-MB-7229-VALVE-BODY.HTML O DEC 2, 2010 - THIS BLOG COVERS AUTOMATIC AND STANDARD TRANSMISSION PARTS AS WELL AS TRANSFER CASE PARTS. VALVE ... THE VALVE BODY IS ONE OF THE LARGER ONES WE HAVE SEEN AROUND HERE. BIGGER .
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 .