1993 Mercedes Benz SL500

Routine

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

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System4
010
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Wheels06E014000
Filed Feb 6, 200631,422 vehiclesZf Trading North America, Llc

Defect. CERTAIN ZF TRADING NORTH AMERICA AFTERMARKET WHEEL BEARING KITS, LEMFOERDER P/N 1402301, SOLD FOR INSTALLATION ON 1992-2001 MERCEDES BENZ SL500 (R129) VEHICLES AFTER APRIL 1, 2005. THE CALIPER MOUNTING BOLTS USED IN THE WHEEL BEARING KIT MAY BE DEFECTIVE, SHEAR OFF AND BREAK. IF BOTH CALIPER MOUNTING BOLTS BREAK, THE BRAKE CALIPER MAY BECOME UNFIXED AND, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BRAKED, THE BRAKE ROTOR COULD DRAG THE CALIPER, CAUSING THE BRAKE HOSE TO RUPTURE AND THE VEHICLE'S SUSPENSION TO BE DAMAGED.

Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF A PORTION OF THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING ABILITY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. ZF TRADING WILL NOTIFY ITS OWNERS AND REPAIR THE WHEEL BEARING KITS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 27, 2006.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical SystemFire
Filed May 12, 201850 milesCA

MY 1993 MER BENZ FFIRST STARTED TO LOSE ITS POWER KINDA LIKE LIMP MODE CUZ THE RPM WOULDNT GO PAST 2,000 UNTIL ONE DAY IT STARTED SMOKING REALLY BAD THRU THE VENTS AND FROM UNDER THE HOOD UNTIL THE CAR TURNED OFF AND HASNT TURNED BACK ON SINCE I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL. SHOP WHERE I WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE FIRE THE WIRING HARNESS HAD STARTED DUE TO THE WIRES LOSING ITS INSULATION

Electrical System
Filed Sep 9, 201555,000 milesVA

BAD WIRING HARNESS. INSULATION DANGEROUSLY DEGRADED WITHIN SHEATHING, CAUSING A SHORT IN MY ENGINE. THIS SHOULD BE A MERCEDES RECALL WITH PARTS AND LABOR REPAIRS PAID BY MERCEDES. THIS PROBLEM IS AS SERIOUS AS THE RECENT IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A MULTIPLE FATALITY WRECK. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP!

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed May 31, 2011146,000 milesMA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THE INSULATION OVER THE COPPER WIRING HARNESS WHEN IT WAS EXPOSED TO THE HEAT IN THE ENGINE BECAME EXPOSED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 8, 2010100,000 milesVA

ELECTRICAL WIRING INSULATION IS DEGRADING ON WIRING HARNESS(S) IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE OR SERVE PROPERTY LOSS. I FEEL MERCEDES SHOULD PROVIDE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THESE WIRING HARNESS'S ON AFFECTED MODEL SL500, YEARS 1991 THRU 1996 REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Mar 8, 201060,000 milesMI

WIRING INSULATION BREAKING DOWN IN THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE ENGINE CONTROLS CAUSING DAMAGE INSULATION HAS COME OFF AND WIRES BARE AND TOUCHING . *TR

Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module
Filed Jun 9, 200772,000 milesNY

A YEAR AFTER PURCHASING THIS BEAUTY THE AIR BAG LIGHTCOME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. THE PERFORMANCEWAS GREATLY EFFECTED AND IT BROKE MY HEART TO LOSE MY BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE 1993 500SL , ONLY 68000 MILES. *AK PLEASE FIND A WAY FOR ME TO AFFORDABLY FIX THIS.

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20092000Routine
200613000Routine
200519020Routine
200445031Fatalities reported
200380030Routine
20013100Routine
20002100Routine
19992110Routine
19986100Routine
19979210Routine
19966110Routine
199522130Routine
19948120Routine
1993 — this page6110Routine
19922100Routine

Compare every SL500 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: Feb 6, 2006. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.