Total Complaints
7 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ SL · model year
2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL
7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003MERCEDES-BENZSL carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 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 2003 SL is suspension with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic (1) and electronic stability control (esc) (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 2003 SL. 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.
7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
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 |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20140513ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
IGNITION SHUT OFF MULTIPLE TIMES OVER DAYS WHILE DRIVING CUTTING OFF ALL ELECTRICAL RADIO, BRAKES STEERING ETC HAS HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE 2004 OR 2005 WITH BATTERY SUDDENLY BEING DEAD BOTH ACCESSORY BATTERY IN TRUNK AND STARTING BATTERY AND HAS HAD MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SPENT ON VARIOUS PARTS AND COMPUTERS THAT WERE SAID TO BE DRAWING DOWN THE BATTERY, ABOUT A YEAR AGO CONTACTED PRESIDENT OF MB NORTH AMERICA AND GOT NO HELP FROM CUSTOMER REP THEN LAST MONTH CAR LEFT ME IN INTERSECTION ONE TIME AND IN EXPRESSWAY ENTRANCE LANE ANOTHER TOTALLY SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER BRAKES STEERING RADIO LIGHTS ETC AND LUCKILY WASN'T KILLED ALTHOUGH DRIVERS SKIDDED AND BLEW HORN ETC. CAR THEN WOULD THEN CRANK AND FLASH RED EMERGENCY TAKE TO SHOP MESSAGE GOT IT CRANKED AND LIMPED HOME PICKED UP BY DEALER WHO COULD NOT GET IT TO CRANK OR TURN ON ANYTHING ELECTRICAL DEAD AND THEY TOWED OFF BLAMED PROBLEM IN IGNITION KEY ASSEMBLY AND I CALLED PRESIDENT OF MB AGAIN NO HELP BILL OVER 2K HAV
Mileage: 33,000
20121214SUSPENSION
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY ABC LIGHT VISIT WORKSHOP LIGHT CAME ON. OK, THAT'S FINE I'LL TAKE IT TO THE SHOP TOMORROW. WHILE ON MY WAY HOME MY CAR SUDDENLY DROPS IN HEIGHT AND A WARNING SIGN CAME ON SAYING "STOP DRIVING, CAR TOO LOW." I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT MY CAR HAD MAYBE AN INCH OF CLEARANCE IN THE FRONT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF IT FEEL ANY LOWER I WOULD BE DEAD DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I DROVE MY CAR TO THE SHOP AND LEFT IT THERE AND WAITED FOR A FRIEND TO PICK ME UP. I'VE READ MANY FORUMS ON THIS PROBLEM AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAPPENS VERY SUDDENLY AND CAN BE A DEADLY HAZARD. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Mileage: 95,000
20121214STEERING
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY ABC LIGHT VISIT WORKSHOP LIGHT CAME ON. OK, THAT'S FINE I'LL TAKE IT TO THE SHOP TOMORROW. WHILE ON MY WAY HOME MY CAR SUDDENLY DROPS IN HEIGHT AND A WARNING SIGN CAME ON SAYING "STOP DRIVING, CAR TOO LOW." I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT MY CAR HAD MAYBE AN INCH OF CLEARANCE IN THE FRONT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF IT FEEL ANY LOWER I WOULD BE DEAD DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I DROVE MY CAR TO THE SHOP AND LEFT IT THERE AND WAITED FOR A FRIEND TO PICK ME UP. I'VE READ MANY FORUMS ON THIS PROBLEM AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAPPENS VERY SUDDENLY AND CAN BE A DEADLY HAZARD. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Mileage: 95,000
20121214WHEELS
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY ABC LIGHT VISIT WORKSHOP LIGHT CAME ON. OK, THAT'S FINE I'LL TAKE IT TO THE SHOP TOMORROW. WHILE ON MY WAY HOME MY CAR SUDDENLY DROPS IN HEIGHT AND A WARNING SIGN CAME ON SAYING "STOP DRIVING, CAR TOO LOW." I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT MY CAR HAD MAYBE AN INCH OF CLEARANCE IN THE FRONT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IF IT FEEL ANY LOWER I WOULD BE DEAD DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I DROVE MY CAR TO THE SHOP AND LEFT IT THERE AND WAITED FOR A FRIEND TO PICK ME UP. I'VE READ MANY FORUMS ON THIS PROBLEM AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAPPENS VERY SUDDENLY AND CAN BE A DEADLY HAZARD. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Mileage: 95,000
20120811SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
FAILURE OF ACTIVE BODY CONTROL HYDRAULIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM; PUMP AND WHEEL VALVE FAILURES RESULTING IN LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID AND RESULTING LOSS OF ABILITY OF CAR TO MAINTAIN SAFE VEHICLE HEIGHT AND SAFE DRIVABLE. *TR
Mileage: 58,000
20120811SUSPENSION
FAILURE OF ACTIVE BODY CONTROL HYDRAULIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM; PUMP AND WHEEL VALVE FAILURES RESULTING IN LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID AND RESULTING LOSS OF ABILITY OF CAR TO MAINTAIN SAFE VEHICLE HEIGHT AND SAFE DRIVABLE. *TR
Mileage: 58,000
20120811ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
FAILURE OF ACTIVE BODY CONTROL HYDRAULIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM; PUMP AND WHEEL VALVE FAILURES RESULTING IN LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID AND RESULTING LOSS OF ABILITY OF CAR TO MAINTAIN SAFE VEHICLE HEIGHT AND SAFE DRIVABLE. *TR
Mileage: 58,000
Compare 2003MERCEDES-BENZSL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL have?▼
The 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL is SUSPENSION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC and ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC).
Is the 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SL 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.