Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1997 Mercedes Benz SL Class

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage1
000
Air Bags › Frontal1
001

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting09E012000
Filed Apr 7, 200916,270 vehiclesSabersport

Defect. SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Risk. DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

Air Bags › Frontal99V327000
Filed Nov 22, 19994,402 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Inc.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CORROSION OF THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION FILAMENT OF THE AIR BAG GAS GENERATOR MODULE CAN OCCUR IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN AREAS OF FREQUENTLY HIGH HUMIDITY.

Risk. CORROSION OF THE IGNITION FILAMENT CAN RESULT IN THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG BEING DEPLOYED UNINTENTIONALLY.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MODULE.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags › Frontal1 injured
Filed Mar 15, 2000CA

FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. NLM

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Jun 16, 1999CA

DURING VEHICLE COLLISION SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN PROPERLY (BETTER HARNESS CONTROL) AND NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS. MJS

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1998
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20130100Routine
20090100Routine
20060100Routine
20052100Routine
20043300Routine
20039310Routine
20021000Routine
199812000Routine
1997 — this page2200Routine
19962300Routine

Compare every SL Class year →

Other Mercedes Benz models

All Mercedes Benz models →
C300 3,958E350 2,210E320 1,164ML350 951GLK350 904ML320 742C250 725C230 657GLC 300 650E500 460

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 7, 2009. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.