Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Complaints

47 consumer complaints on file.

#11771774October 17, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
At the end of a drive on XXX as i was pulling into the parking spot i smelled smoke in cabin. After parking and exiting the car i noticed smoke from left rear quarter panel above the wheel roughly. i opened the trunk and saw flames jut in wiring hole ahead of the trunk in rear left area. called the [XXX] and within a minute the acr was engulfed in flames and the whole back area and cabin burned down before the fire department turned off the fire. I beleive this might be related to safety recalls but all safety recalls on the vehicle were done by MBUSA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716315February 6, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I do Own a Mercedes-Benz 2020 SL-550. On August 27, 2025, I was stopped at the curb adjacent to my house at [XXX] . When I gently tried to go right into driveway of my house, the tire hit the curb. When I gently again tried to release the tire from the curb, the car all of the sudden jump into the air with high speed, and hit the corner of my garrage destroying the roll-up door. I could not control the car and the car was deemed to be a total loss. My position is that the incident happened due to malfunction of the Engine & Power Train which is a "Product-Defect" issue, causing me substantial damages. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11692149October 8, 2025
ENGINE
The contact leased a 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL55. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally and was later driven to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on another occasion and the vehicle stalled and was restarted. The vehicle was later towed to a different dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with engine misfire. The contact was provided a loaner due to the failures. The cause of the engine misfire was not yet determined. No further information was available. The contact had experienced extreme mental distress caused by the engine failures. The manufacturer was notified of the failures, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11686246September 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The electrical systems drains the two batteries after the car sits idle for a few hours. If it can be started, many of the safety features are inoperable until the car is driven for 30 or 40 minutes. I've had it to multiple Mercedes dealers and all they do is re-charge the battery and told me to get a trickle charger. Even after being on the charger, it failed to start. I was the third owner. No one had owned this car for more that a year. Service records indicate that previous owners had same issues. I purchased it in Nov of 2024 from Mercedes Benz of Clearwater, FL. I took it back and traded it in for a different car on September 6, 2025. Three days later they had the same car back on the lot for sale for $96K, which was over $10K more than what they gave me as a trade-in.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663920May 30, 2025
POWER TRAIN
When pulling into an intersection after stopping at a 3-way stop the car unexpectedly went into neutral gear. An oncoming car had to stop suddenly to avoid a collision. I was able to shift the car back to drive and got it home. Now the car will not start and there's a warning message on the dash saying to get the car to a dealer. The car is now at the Mercedes dealer. Apparently the problem exists on other Mercedes models.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651239March 28, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving on a country road when all of a sudden my car lost power all the warning lights camo on the dashboard. Smoke started billowing out from the back and front of the car. It turned off and I only coasted about a 100 feet. I could not safely pull off to the side of the road as the car had no power. Thankfully the road was not very busy and the tow truck collected the vehicle. Upon further inspection I saw a lot of oil on the road and the mechanics were able to confirm that the engine block was cracked and there were 2 large holes. Upon further research I was able to find a lot of similar cases with this specific M278 Mercedes engine and premature failures that happen because of bad cylinder coating. In later engines they update the cylinder lining to a more durable steel sleeves. I think this is a very well documted issue and a huge safety risk. There is a class action lawsuit running about the M278 engine and I think you need to get involved and hold Mercedes accountable for their poor design.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646137March 4, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
MBUX system would not turn on. Warnings of Blind Spot in operatable, Parktronic not operatable. Was not able to access any features through MBUX. Climate Control, Operation of Covertable Top, Maps, all options run through MBUX. It was a safety issue because the battery light comes on, after being on charge, and without access to MBUX, you do not know if the car will stall on the freeway, or at a stop light. Safety issues also around front lift without cameras access. The vehicle was inspected at the Mercedes Benz Dealer and they fixed it, but after a day, the battery still isn't charging after numerous attempts and recalls on 12v rewiring. Since I have bough the vehicle, many warning lights have always come on, been ficed and then come back on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643982February 20, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, POWER TRAIN
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11637467January 21, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
My mom and I were in her car brand new Mercedes adaptive cruise was on the car started to act up with all the warning lights again, which shut all safety systems down air back seatbelts, adaptive cruise, Tronics and the engine wall between 18 wheeler and the freeway wall slammed the vehicle into the freeway hall causing about $5000 worth of damage tires and wheels. Both on the left side had to be towed is horribly scary on another incident about three weeks prior. The gas pedal broke while she was getting off the freeway and braking trying to brake with part cars during rush-hour. The car is going and braking at the same time she had to go up on the curb come to find out the gas pedal broke off and lunged hinged itself between the brake and the gas pedal so when she was trying to break, the car was accelerating at the same time scared her to death. She’s almost [XXX]. She bought this car and I almost killed her twice Not to mention all the issues we’ve had going into the shop six weeks at a time three different dealerships we’ve only have the car in our possession maybe two months out of the eight months they’ve done nothing and they can’t fix it. Brand new. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629693December 9, 2024
STEERING
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V899000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11609466August 19, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:IMMOBILIZER/PROXIMITY:KEY/SENDER
The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL55. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the vehicle failed to detect the presence of the key, after which the vehicle failed to start. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11609568August 19, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Had some issues with turn signals and a check engine light. My car is a 2013 SL63 AMG with 22700 miles. It sits in garage 95 percent of the time under cover. Took car to dealer and they replaced both batteries it fixed al of the lights except my turn signal. I asked the dealer why didn't you check the turn signal I got no response. I had to drive to Louisville the next day and on the way home I noticed my headlights were out and had to drive 75 miles with only fog lights. I took it to another mechanic who took the bumper off and was shocked and how much water was in my headlights and in my electrical components. He said I'm lucky the car didn't shut down or catch fire and sent me pictures of water and a brown sludge he said was some kind of manufacture fix to absorb water in the lens. He said he has never seen anything this bad on such a nice low mile car. I told him I have complained to dealer many times over the years about fog and water in my headlights and every time they would say its normal it will evaporate out of the lenses. But it also left spots and dirt inside the lenses you cant get to clean. It was so frustrating they would do NOTHING about it when I was under warranty. I researched online and found many other similar complaints with jerry rig fixes the dealers would try as they never want to replace the defective headlamp as the cost to much. This is a manufacture issue and they know about it and they just push it under the rug because they don't want to pay for the recall to fix all these cars. Its sad where is the quality anymore and the safety for consumers. I read a blog where the water shorted out his computer and he lost all controls of car steering and everything. Sad that they take profit of safety for it customers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593875June 12, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Car reports low or critical battery while having car doors open to detail. This is a known issue for this vehicle. There is a campaign to fix this issue but I am not on the list of cars to be fixed.There have been reports that these cars die on the street and this could be very dangerous. Since I am still having these issues I am asking that my car receive the fix and my family can be safe from this issue. My car just sitting for a few days also receives a critical battery notice. Please assist me in this manner. Thanks in advance for your help. The cause is coming from the key fob as stated in the campaign.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593024June 7, 2024
SUSPENSION
The rear subframe experienced excessive levels of rust which caused the rear left side to suddenly collapse. After the collapse, the car would fish tail at low speeds (i.e., less than 15 miles per hour). I am thankful that the collapse did not happen when traveling at higher speeds such as an expressway, which would have certainly caused an accident. The Mercedes Benz dealer refused to cover the cost of the work to replace/repair the subframe. The dealer stated that they would cover the cost under an “extended warranty” if the car was manufactured for the US, but, as I found out, the car was made for Canada based on the VIN #. This is the case even though the subframe in this model had the same rusting issue in the US and in Canada. Additionally, I purchased the car in Florida. I am surprised that there had not been a full recall on this issue especially since it appears to impact over 500,000 Mercedes cars. Drivers are on the road with this issue and are unaware of this issue unless they happen to bring their car in for service specifically for this issue. Additionally, not honoring the recall for the car because it was made for Canada even though I am a US Citizen, the car was purchased in the US, and the car operates in the US does not make sense. This issue is a hazard on US roads, and should be proactively communicated and remediated. Not doing so poses a safety issue. I am further surprised that the Department of Transportation has not taken an active role in this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592322June 4, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
When driven on the highway, speed drops abruptly down (65 mph to 40 mph) stuck on 4 or 3rd gear in this automatic 9 speed transmission and gear won't shift up causing engine rpm rise over 3000 & gas pedal won't have effect even it was pushed down to floor all the way. Almost rear ended in multiple occasion & it is extremely dangerous to change lane to get off to safety as car does not respond to throtle up or gas pedal to speed up. Dealer was not able to duplicate issue in two service visit & this already happened third time in a raw and car is back in dealership for diagnostic. No warning nor malfunction light at all when this happen
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589219May 17, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Initially got a transmission malfunction warning and to turn car off. The cars battery keeps dying at only 1500 miles. Constantly needs to be on trickle charger. Recently the car died, charged battery. Car turned over for 3 seconds then stalled. Now car even with full battery with turn over but will not start whatsoever. Has to be towed. Multiple people ok forms reported this same issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11582692April 12, 2024
POWER TRAIN
Started the vehicle and used the gear selector to shift to Drive. Car did not go into gear. Towed to dealer. Dealer found faulty “ism module.” Apparently a very common issue with these cars. So common that the part is in an “indefinite back order.” The replacement part is also revised because Mercedes knows there was a manufacturer defect with the existing part. I am being charged more than $1600 on a part that the manufacturer has already acknowledged was faulty and created a replacement for it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577112March 13, 2024
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
See attached document for complaint
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11508924February 24, 2023
WHEELS:RIM
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz SL550. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the dashboard suddenly illuminated red indicating that the tire air pressure was alarming. The contact also felt an imbalance with the weight of the vehicle as if one side of the vehicle was lower than the other. The contact discovered that the rims had fractured. The failure had occurred while driving on roads with rough surfaces. The contact had taken vehicle to a body shop to repair the rims by welding the fractures a total of 4 times. The contact was told that the fractures occurred due to the factory rims being fragile, causing the rims to fracture easily. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11490757October 25, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
The whole dashboard leather has come apart. The seam around the vent is peeling up, the top part is looking really bad. The top part of the instrumental console, the leather cloth has fell and you cannot see the face of the panel. This car should not be falling apart like that. The color is great, just coming aprt from the seams.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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