2005 Mercedes Benz SL500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE FAILED TO ENGAGE AND THE WARNING MESSAGE TO STOP THE VEHICLE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000. UPDATED 02/19/16*LJ UPDATED 02/22/16.*JB

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

I DROVE OUT OF MY DRIVE AND TRIED TO BRAKE THE CAR AND A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SAYING THAT MY BRAKES WERE MALFUNCTIONING. THE CAR WOULD NOT BRAKE. THE BRAKES ON THE CAR WERE DEAD.FORTUNATELY THERE IS A HILL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ROAD WHERE I LIVE AND BY GOING UP THE HILL THE CAR CAME TO A STOP. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS OR PEDESTRIANS ON THE ROAD OTHERWISE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP. WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM AND THEY WOULD FIX IT FOR FREE. A FEW MONTHS BEFORE, I HAD TAKEN THE CAR IN TO THE SAME MB DEALER FOR GENERAL MAINTENANCE. WHY DIDN'T THE DEALER REPAIR THE SOFTWARE BRAKE ISSUE? DO I HAVE TO GET KILLED OR DAMAGE OTHER CARS BEFORE THEY AUTOMATICALLY REPAIR THE BRAKE SOFTWARE, THAT THEY OBVIOUSLY KNEW TO BE DEFECTED AND A POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS? THE ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ITEM, DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE MATTER. THE SAME CAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHICH APPEARS TO BE ANOTHER SOFTWARE ISSUE. WHY DOESN'T THE DEALER AUTOMATICALLY FIX THE SOFTWARE ISSUE BEFORE I HAVE AN ACCIDENT? THE "FIX-IT" COST HAS TO BE MINIMAL AND THE PREVENTION OF DAMAGE HAS TO BE HUGE. THE MB DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE ANYTHING THAT ISN'T RIGHT. THEY REPLACED MY ENGINE MOUNTS AT 42,000 MILES FOR $1,600 WHETHER THEY NEEDED IT OR NOT, BUT THEY WON'T FIX SOME SIMPLE SOFTWARE ISSUES THAT COULD KILL OR DAMAGE PROPERTY? IF THE MB DEALER DOESN'T WANT TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY, THEN HOPEFULLY THE DOT WILL FORCE THEM TO DO IT. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THESE ARE SERIOUS ISSUES WHICH I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ 500SL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SAT ABNORMALLY LOW TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHOCKS FELT AS IF THEY HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V133000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,060.

MY MERCEDES BENZ HAS A FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING IN THE COMMAND NAVIGATION UNIT IN MY SL500. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 16,385 MILES ON IT, THOUGH IT IS A 2005 MODEL, AND HAS BEEN HOUSED IN A HIGH-END GARAGE WITH NO TRAUMA, NO DAMAGE, AND VERY LITTLE WEAR AND TEAR. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO. WITHIN THE LAST 3 WEEKS THE UNIT HAS GONE FROM WORKING INTERMITTENTLY TO NOT WORKING AT ALL, SIMPLY PROVIDING A SCREEN MESSAGE: SYSTEM UNAVAILABLE. ON MARCH 5, 2012 I TOOK MY SL 500 THE AUTHORIZED DEALER HERE, AND CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER . AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE OUT OF COMMISSION FOR TWO DAYS, I READ THE DIAGNOSIS/REPAIR REPORT AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT AN ERROR BY ME OR THE PREVIOUS OWNER BUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED SOMEWHERE IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, PROBABLY ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE, AS THE SOUND AMPLIFIER HAD AN INTERNAL ELECTRICAL FAULT. ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE BEEN TO TWO INDEPENDENT MERCEDES BENZ DEALERS AND THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT I CANNOT SIMPLY REPLACE THE STEREO WITH A WORKING MODEL FROM ANY ELECTRICAL STORE (LIKE BEST BUY OR CAR STEREO GUYS). IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT TO REPLACE THE COMMAND UNIT WOULD COST SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT WHILE THE CAR IS NOT WITHIN A TYPICAL FIVE OR SIX YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD (I JUST MISSED THAT PERIOD) IT IS CLEARLY A CAR THAT HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF, BARELY DRIVEN, PROPERLY HOUSED, AND MAINTAINED. GIVEN THE FINDINGS FROM YOUR AUTHORIZED TECHNICIANS, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT CAME WITH THE CAR THAT WOULD HAVE SURFACED AT SOME POINT. LUCKY ME THAT IT IS SURFACING NOW. I AM HOPING THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION WILL CONTACT MERCEDES ABOUT THIS FAULTY COMMAND UNIT. THERE ARE MANY OTHER MERCEDES OWNERS WHO HAVE AND ARE EXPERIENCING THIS ELECTRICAL NIGHTMARE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ SL-500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, HE FELL ASLEEP BEHIND THE WHEEL AND CRASHED INTO TWO PARKED VEHICLES. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO FLIP OVER,HOWEVER THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SEVERE ARM AND SHOULDER INJURIES. THE TWO VEHICLES HE CRASHED INTO WERE TOTALED AS WELL AS THE CONTACTS VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 7,800. UPDATED 8/4/10 *CN UPDATED 08/09/10*JB

MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 (2005), 4000 MILES. BRAKES FAILED. IT WOULD SEEM TO BE AN ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER FAILURE OF SOME KIND. AUTO WAS SERVICED A WEEK AGO. HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH ELECTRICAL AND/ORL FEATURES FROM FIRST DAY OF PURCHASE. THE MOST DANGEROUS WAS TODAY'S BRAKE FAILURE. HAD TO PLACE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THEN IN PARK TO MAKE IT STOP. *NM