IllustrationFALSE DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. NLM
1997 Mercedes Benz Sl Class
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sl Class years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 2 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
2 reportsDURING VEHICLE COLLISION SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN PROPERLY (BETTER HARNESS CONTROL) AND NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS. MJS
Official recalls
199V327000 · Air Bags:frontal
Nov 22, 1999
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1RQ00013 · Inadvertent Side Impact Airbag Deploymen
Opened Jun 2, 2000 · Closed Jul 20, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (3)
Air Bags:side/window
There is no summary currently available
Air Bags:side/window
There is no summary currently available
Air Bags:side/window
There is no summary currently available