2007 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 2007 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
- Airbags975.0%
- Engine216.7%
- Interior & seats18.3%
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
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V081000 (AIR BAGS). THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE REMEDY AND PART WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME. THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF JACKSON (455 STEED RD, RIDGELAND, MS 39157, (601) 956-4211) A SECOND TIME AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED. AFTER WAITING FOR OVER TWO HOURS, THE DEALER RESCHEDULED THE APPOINTMENT MORE THAN ONCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO THE SEAT BELT INDICATOR ILLUMINATING, THE FAILURE NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE THE RECALL REPAIR COULD BE PERFORMED. THE DEALER INITIALLY STATED THAT THE PART WAS AVAILABLE AND THEN INDICATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THEIR SYSTEM WAS DOWN AND WOULD FOLLOW-UP TO DETERMINE WHEN THE REMEDY AND PARTS WOULD BE SUPPLIED TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V081000 (AIR BAGS). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AS THE RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED OVER A YEAR AGO. THE DEALER (FELDMANN IMPORTS, 4901 AMERICAN BLVD W, BLOOMINGTON, MN 55437, (952) 837-6300) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A POSTCARD FROM TK HOLDINGS, ALERTING HER THAT THEY FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
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 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350. WHILE DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HENDRICK MOTORS OF CHARLOTTE-MERCEDES BENZ (5201 E INDEPENDENCE BLVD, CHARLOTTE, NC 28212) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BALANCE SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 115,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
EXITED ONTO FREEWAY OFFRAMP AND CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF (THERE WAS A LITTLE SHAKING PRIOR AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON). WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND DRIVE 1/2 MILE TO LOOK FOR PARKING SPOT. WHEN BACKING INTO PARKING SPOT, CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF AGAIN. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR BACK HOME - ON FREEWAY - AND DROP AT REPAIR SHOP - BUT, WE WERE SCARED TO DEATH. AFTER RESEARCHING WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED, WE LEARNED OUR CHOICE TO DRIVE WAS NOT WISE AS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED DUE TO THIS TYPE OF DEFECT - 13 DEATHS. SEE HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/CRO/NEWS/2014/03/WHAT-TO-DO-IF-YOUR-ENGINE-DIES-WHEN-YOU-RE-DRIVING/INDEX.HTM. I LOCATED A FINAL APPROVAL OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT RELATED TO THIS DEFECT - FOR WHICH OUR VEHICLE QUALIFIES - HOWEVER - MANY PEOPLE DO NO KNOW ABOUT IT AND/OR CANNOT AFFORD THE HIGH COST OF THE REPAIR AS THE SETTLEMENT COVERS NOTHING FOR OLDER CARS AND THE REPAIR CAN BE AS MUCH AS $9,000. OTHER COVERAGE AMOUNTS ARE LIMITED TO 70% OR 37.5%. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS DEFECT THAT COULD EASILY CAUSE INJURY AND/OR LOSS OF LIFE. A RECALL IS NEEDED. HERE IS A QUOTE FROM ANOTHER OWNER: "FOR APPROXIMATELY A YEAR NOW, MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN OPERATING CORRECTLY. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE DONE SOME REPAIR WORK THAT SEEMS TO CORRECT THE ISSUE FOR AWHILE ONLY TO HAVE IT REOCCUR. RECENTLY, THE ISSUES ARE MANIFESTING THEMSELVES MORE OFTEN. GEARS SHIFT ON THEIR OWN WHILE THE CAR IS IN OPERATION. I HAVE LOST COMPLETE POWER WHILE ON THE FREEWAY AND MAJOR SURFACE STREETS. MY CAR IS A 2006 SLK 350 WITH 65,000 MILES. SOMEONE IS GOING TO LOSE THEIR LIFE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM" OTHER QUOTES CAN BE FOUND HERE: HTTP://GOTACLASSACTION.COM/MERCEDES-BENZ-NAMED-IN-CLASS-ACTION-OVER-SAFETY-ISSUES-RELATED-TO-ITS-M272-OR-M273-ENGINES/
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ SLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BECAME INOPERABLE. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.
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 .