Total Complaints
3 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 500SL · model year
1991 MERCEDES-BENZ 500SL
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991MERCEDES-BENZ500SL carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1991 500SL is electrical system:wiring:front underhood with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and electrical system (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 1991 500SL. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20091029ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE, MULTIPLE SYSTEMS AFFECTED. CAR WILL SPUTTER, STALL, NOT RESTART. HAPPENS WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD, TURNING CORNERS, COMING TO A STOP, WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP.... THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAS BARE WIRES ALL OVER THE PLACE. MB REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS, ALTHOUGH I'VE SPOKEN WITH MANY MERCEDES OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS. CALLS TO MERCEDES BENZ NEVER GET ME ANYWHERE. THEY ARE RUDE AND ONLY SAY THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANOTHER BENZ WITH AN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM BEFORE. I CANNOT DRIVE THIS CAR, PERIOD. I WOULDN'T DRIVE IT TO THE CORNER FOR MILK EVEN IT WOULD START AND RUN CONSISTENTLY. THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MADE WITH "BIODEGRADABLE" INSULATION ON ALL THE WIRES. WHEN CAN I EXPECT THE AIR BAGS ON MY NEWER MERCEDES TO FAIL DUE TO SOME TYPE OF "BIODEGRADABLE" MATERIALS BEING USED? *TR
Mileage: 212,000
20070805VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING, MY 1991 500SL CONVERTIBLE FOR NO APPARENT REASON WILL NOT ACCELERATE AND THE ASR LIGHT COMES ON. IF I SHUT DOWN AND RESTART IT GOES AWAY BUT WILL COME RIGHT BACK IF I GOOSE THE GAS AT ALL. THIS HAPPENS A LOT! LOOKS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING WITH 91-96 VARIOUS MODELS WITH THEIR WIRING HARNESSES. *TR
Mileage: 138,000
20070207FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
TERRIBLE CRACKING OF MAIN WIRE HARNESS!!!!!!*JB
Mileage: 98,000
Compare 1991MERCEDES-BENZ500SL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 MERCEDES-BENZ 500SL have?▼
The 1991 MERCEDES-BENZ 500SL has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 MERCEDES-BENZ 500SL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 MERCEDES-BENZ 500SL is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1991 MERCEDES-BENZ 500SL safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.