1992 Mercedes Benz 500Sl

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the tires. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip1
000
Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust1
001
Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist93V067000
Filed Apr 28, 199314,300 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Inc.

Defect. DURING THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION OF THE AIR FILTER HOUSING WHILE SERVICING THE VEHICLE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO MISROUTE THE PREFORMED VACUUM HOSE AND DAMAGE THE CHECK VALVE IN THE VACUUM HOSE. IF THE CHECK VALVE IS DAMAGED, LOSS OF SUFFICIENT BRAKE POWER ASSIST WILL OCCUR.

Risk. LACK OF SUFFICIENT BRAKE POWER ASSIST WILL INCREASESTOPPING DISTANCE AND COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy. REPLACE THE PREFORMED VACUUM HOSE WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED PREFORMED HOSE WITH A RELOCATED CHECK VALVE WHICH WILL ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CHECK VALVE BEING DAMAGED.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood
Filed Nov 19, 2005161,500 milesAZ

UPON DISASSEMBLY OF THE INTAKE SYSTEM OF MY CAR, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED - THE INSULATION USED ON THE WIRING HAD BECOME HARD AND BRITTLE, CAUSING MULTIPLE SHORTS AND PREVENTING IT FROM BEING RE-INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE ENGINE HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. TOTAL COST APPROXIMATELY $1100. *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jul 19, 20048,913 milesMA

PROBLEMS WITH MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER AND ACCELERATION SKID CONTROL.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS LOW AND SPONGY. A MASTER CYLINDER HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY BEEN INSTALL MAY 2003. IN ADDITION THE ARS LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER. THE ENGINE WOULD IMMEDIATELY RESTART ITSELF AND THE TACHOMETER WOULD RISE FROM ZERO TO THE CORRECT SETTING. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL COMPLETELY BUT WHEN THE CONSUMER REMOVED THE KEY AND RESTARTED IT AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THERE WOULD BE NO REPEAT PROBLEM WITH THE ASR (ACCELERATION SKID CONTROL). *NM

Tires
Filed Nov 5, 2003MI

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 3 TIRE BLOW OUTS.*MR (NAR) APPROX 3 OUT OF 4 TIRES HAVE FAILED. CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT COST. *CB23.505 *JB

Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust1 injured
Filed Jul 1, 2003VA

SEAT CONTROL ADJUSTER ENGAGED SPONTANEOUSLY AND MOVED COMPLETELY FORWARD WHILE THE VEHICLE (1992 MERCEDES BENZ, 500 SL) WAS TRAVELLING AT 65 MPH ON BELTWAY EN ROUTE TO BWI, PINNING MY WIFE AGAINST STEERING WHEEL, ANFD FORCING HER TO DRIVE ONTO THE FAST LANE SHOULDER. *AK

Tires
Filed Aug 11, 2000CA

THE FIRST TIRE WAS REPLACED WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASE DUE TO A BUBBLE ON THE SIDE. THE TIRES WERE THEN ONLY USED FOR SHORT CITY TRIPS. WHEN THE TIRES WERE DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR TWO HOURS THE THREAD SEPERATED COMPLETELY FROM THE SIDEWALLS..( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 245-45Z-17 )

5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1992
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
1992 — this page5100Routine
19913110Routine
19903100Routine

Compare every 500Sl year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 28, 1993. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.