1997 Mercedes Benz SL320

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › wiring. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Wheels › Multi Piece1
000
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer1
000
Seat Belts › Pretensioner1
000
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Electrical System › Wiring1
010

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
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
Seat Belts › Pretensioner
Filed Apr 9, 2019150,000 milesOR

AT A SLOW 5 MPH PARKING LOT SPEED THE SEAT BELT TENSIONING DEVICES IGNITED. THE SRS SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. THERE WERE NO IMPACTS, PREVIOUS COLLISIONS, OR ANY REASON FOR THESE PRE-TENSIONING DEVICES TO ACTIVATE. IT WAS STARTING AND MY WIFE'S CHEST HURT FOR A FEW DAYS AFTER.

Electrical System › WiringFire
Filed Apr 22, 2003DE

WHILE PARKED IN A GARAGE THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO USE THE KEYLESS ENTRY REMOTE BUT IT DID NOT UNLOCK THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER THEN TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE CONSUMER THEN OPENED THE TRUNK AND AT THAT TIME THE CONSUMER SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR. THE CONSUER THEN NOTICED THAT THE BLACK BOX, IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE BATTER, BURNED. TEH VEHICLE ALSO LEAKED OIL. *AK *NLM

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 31, 2003DE

BURN SMELL COMING FROM ELECTRICAL HARNESS BOX. MR THE HARNESS BOX WAS LOCATED IN THE TRUNK. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD AN OIL LEAK. *JB

Wheels › Multi Piece
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

CHROME TIRE WHEEL IS LOOSE. YH

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Sep 30, 1998IL

SINGLE WIPER BLADE HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIME IN 1 YR. DEALER STATES THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH BLADES NOT LASTING.

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Oct 15, 1997VA

A/C FAILURE.

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20001000Routine
19992000Routine
19983000Routine
1997 — this page6110Routine
19964000Routine
199516020Routine
19942000Routine

Compare every SL320 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: Nov 22, 1999. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.