Mercedes Benz SLK
Owners filed 74 complaints across 12 model years of the Mercedes Benz SLK. The 2002 drew the most (25); the 2009 the fewest (2).
Model years12
Complaints74
Recalls16
Fires0
Deaths0
Every Mercedes Benz SLK model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | — | — | Tires | Routine | |
| 2008 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2007 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2006 | 2 | 1 | — | — | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2005 | 6 | 1 | — | 1 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Routine | |
| 2004 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2003 | 9 | 1 | — | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2002 | 25 | 2 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2001 | 19 | 2 | — | — | Visibility | Routine | |
| 2000 | 3 | 3 | — | — | Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights | Routine | |
| 1999 | 6 | 1 | — | — | Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights | Routine | |
| 1998 | 2 | 1 | — | — | Electronic Stability Control (esc) | Routine |
Which Mercedes Benz SLK years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2002 is the weakest year on record, with 25 complaints concentrated in the electrical system. It carries 2 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.