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2006 Mercedes Benz SL500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

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: 11 of 13 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.

  • Suspension. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. 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 reports0 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

1 reports
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85,000 miles · Oct 29, 2015
Electrical SystemVisibility/wiper

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 THI…

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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 FIGURE IT OUT. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER BACK MONTHS LATER TO TRY AND GET IT FIXED, THEY ARGUED WITH ME THAT THEY NEED TO TROUBLE SHOOT IT BEFORE THEY JUST REPLACE THE EIS, EVEN THOUGH THEY COULDNT FIGURE IT OUT THE FIRST TIME I GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY. THERE ARE PAGES AND PAGES OF PEOPLE ON THE FORUMS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FACT THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DONT WORK IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE HEADLIGHTS CAN STILL BE TURNED ON MANUALLY. TO COMPLICATE THIS WHOLE THING, THIS IS INTERMITTENT. SOMETIMES THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS AT ALL, SOMETIMES HALF THE PROBLEMS, SOMETIMES ALL OF THE PROBLEMS. REAL FRUSTRATION FROM DEALER ON THIS ISSUE. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM THE MERCEDES OF SOUTH BAY DEALER IN TORRANCE, CA IN DECEMBER 2013 AND HAVE HAD A PROBLEM EVER SINCE.

NHTSA ODI #10787102

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.