Total Complaints
6 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ SL SERIES · model year
1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL SERIES
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1993MERCEDES-BENZSL SERIES carries 6 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 1993 SL SERIES is air bags:frontal with 1 filings, followed by tires (1) and electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash (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 1993 SL SERIES. 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.
6
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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20101210VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATED TO 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY ACTUATOR, WIRING HARNESS AND ECU. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.
Mileage: 80,000
20061201ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF THE TIME, THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.
Mileage: 81,000
20061201ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF THE TIME, THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.
Mileage: 81,000
20050913ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT ON 1993 MERCEDES 500 SEL ENGINE WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT. THE INSULATION ON THE WIRING CRUMBLED OFF. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULD REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT CONSUMER'S COST. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Mileage: 124,000
20050504TIRES
CONTACT STATES: THE TIRES ARE EGG SHAPED NOT ROUND. THERE IS NO WAY TO ALIGN THE TIRES. THE METAL CORDS SEPARATED FROM THE TIRES. THE TIRES ARE 1 YEAR OLD. THE TIRES CAN NOT BE BALANCED... THE TIRES WERE STORED DURING THE WINTER, AND THERE WAS NO USE WITH THESE TIRE DURING THIS TIME. THE TIRE ACTUALLY ABOUT 6 MONTHS WEAR ON THEM, AND THEY WERE EXPENSIVE. THESE WERE BOUGHT FROM THE MANUFACTURER DEFECTIVE.*AK
Mileage: 90,000
19970918AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
OWNER WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DISCONNECT THE AIR BAG IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE (600 SL) WHEN YOUNG CHILD IS RIDING UP IN THE FRONT. POSSIBILITY OF VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT.
Compare 1993MERCEDES-BENZSL SERIES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL SERIES have?▼
The 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL SERIES has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL SERIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL SERIES is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH.
Is the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL SERIES 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.