2006 Mercedes-Benz SL500 recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Service brakes

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ASTORG MOTOR COMPANY LOCATED AT 2908 7TH ST, PARKERSBURG, WV 26102, WHO REPLACED THE ABS BRAKE COMPRESSOR. LATER WHILE DRIVING, THE MESSAGE STOP PUMP BRAKES, WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE SAME DEALER. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

  Dec 1, 2020 · 68,000 miles
• Suspension

  THE 2006 MB SL500'S ARE PRONE TO ABC (ACTIVE BODY CONTROL) FAILURES. MERCEDES BENZ IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE IN REPAIRING IT. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS SYSTEM IS APPROX. $4,000. IF THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE DRIVER MAY LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. THE ABC SYSTEM AFFECTS BOTH THE AIR SUSPENSION, AND BRAKING. IT COULD LEAD TO A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT, RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. I WAS FORTUNATE IN THAT I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED.

  Dec 12, 2019 · 65,000 miles
• Service brakes

  ON 04/14/2019 WHILE DRIVING, RED DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON WARNING OF LOST BRAKING AND TO STOP. AT THE SAME TIME TWO SEPARATE WARNING SOUNDS FILLED THE CARS CABIN. I TRIED THE BRAKES, NO RESPONSE, I DOWN SHIFTED, AND STOOD BOTH FEET ON BRAKES AND FINALLY SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP. TURNED CAR OFF WARNING SIGN AND WARNING SOUNDS CONTINUED AFTER ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. OPENED HOOD, CLICKING AND WURLING SOUNDS WERE COMING FROM THE SBC BRAKING SYSTEM. CALL M/B THE FOLLOWING DAY AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO NEAREST M/B DEALER. DEALER FOUND NO FAULTS. AFRAID TO DRIVE. DEALER WILL NOT DO ANY WORK ON CAR W/O CODES TO VERIFY PROBLEM.

  Apr 14, 2019 · 125,000 miles
• Service brakes

  2006 SL 500. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SBC WARNING CLUSTER ILLUMINATED AND BRAKE FAILURE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THE CONSUMER LIMPED THREE BLOCKS HOME. FAULT CODES C25DS, C26DE, C26BB, AND C233D IN THE SBC SYSTEM. *JS

  Dec 13, 2017
• Power train

  722.9 7-SPEED TRANSMISSION HAS KNOWN DEFECT CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOCK UP IN GEAR WHEN DRIVING. LOCKS INTO 3RD GEAR, CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU GO TO PASS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE NO POWER WHEN YOU TRY TO KICK INTO PASSING GEAR. ON MANY OCCASIONS I'VE ALMOST BEEN HIT BECAUSE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT INTO PASSING GEAR. ALSO WILL HAPPEN WHEN COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT THEN, LIGHT CHANGES TO GREEN AND YOU PRESS ACCELERATOR TO GO BUT CAR WILL HARDLY GO. I WAS BUMPED IN THE REAR BUMPER ONCE, LUCKILY NOT CAUSING ANY DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.I'VE ALSO BEEN IN MANY CLOSE CALL ACCIDENTS WHEN ITS HAPPENS. MERCEDES KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF BLOOMFIELD HILLS, SERVICE ADVISOR…

  Jul 2, 2017 · 76,200 miles
• Electrical system

  WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON, THE SRS LIGHT COMES ON, THE ROLLBAR LIGHT ON, COMMAND CENTER OFF/ON/OFF/ON, WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK, SEAT WARMERS/COOLERS INOP, AUTO HEADLIGHTS INOP.....ALL THESE PROBLEMS ARE CONNECTED AND INTERMITTENT. READING THROUGHT THE MB FORUM AND MBWORLD FORUM, MANY SL OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING AND IT ALL SEEMS TO POINT TO THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH. I WROTE A LETTER TO MB IN JANUARY 2015 AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HELP. MY INDEPENDENT DEALER IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH (THEY'VE SEEN IT BEFORE) BUT THEY ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO WORK ON IGNITION SWITCH....IT MUST BE THE DEALER. I TOOK IT ONCE TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T…

  Oct 29, 2015 · 85,000 miles
• Suspension

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MERGED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V405000 (SUSPENSION). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

  Dec 11, 2014 · 29,000 miles
• Suspension

  WE BOUGHT A GOOD CAR SO THE CAR CAN LAST WITH FEW ISSUES BUT WE HAVE HAD LOTS OF MAINTENANCE ON THIS CAR AND LAST ONE WAS THE MALFUNCTION OF THE SUSPENSION AND THIS COST US OVER $1800 TO GET FIX. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM FROM MERCEDES BENZ AS LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX FOR THE CONSUMER. MY CAR ONLY HAS 43K MILES AND WE HAVE REPLACED 3 SETS OF TIRES AND IT IS SO EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. WE HAVE OTHER MAJOR ISSUES WITH TIRE PRESSURE ERRORS AND HAVE TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE MANY TIMES. *TR

  May 11, 2013 · 43,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.