Total Complaints
7 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 · model year
1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500
7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1993MERCEDES-BENZSL500 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, 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 1993 SL500 is electrical system with 4 filings, followed by air bags:frontal:sensor/control module (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 SL500. 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
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 | 4 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20180512FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY 1993 MER BENZ FFIRST STARTED TO LOSE ITS POWER KINDA LIKE LIMP MODE CUZ THE RPM WOULDNT GO PAST 2,000 UNTIL ONE DAY IT STARTED SMOKING REALLY BAD THRU THE VENTS AND FROM UNDER THE HOOD UNTIL THE CAR TURNED OFF AND HASNT TURNED BACK ON SINCE I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL. SHOP WHERE I WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE FIRE THE WIRING HARNESS HAD STARTED DUE TO THE WIRES LOSING ITS INSULATION
Mileage: 50
20150909ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BAD WIRING HARNESS. INSULATION DANGEROUSLY DEGRADED WITHIN SHEATHING, CAUSING A SHORT IN MY ENGINE. THIS SHOULD BE A MERCEDES RECALL WITH PARTS AND LABOR REPAIRS PAID BY MERCEDES. THIS PROBLEM IS AS SERIOUS AS THE RECENT IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A MULTIPLE FATALITY WRECK. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP!
Mileage: 55,000
20150909ENGINE
BAD WIRING HARNESS. INSULATION DANGEROUSLY DEGRADED WITHIN SHEATHING, CAUSING A SHORT IN MY ENGINE. THIS SHOULD BE A MERCEDES RECALL WITH PARTS AND LABOR REPAIRS PAID BY MERCEDES. THIS PROBLEM IS AS SERIOUS AS THE RECENT IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A MULTIPLE FATALITY WRECK. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP!
Mileage: 55,000
20110531ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THE INSULATION OVER THE COPPER WIRING HARNESS WHEN IT WAS EXPOSED TO THE HEAT IN THE ENGINE BECAME EXPOSED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,000.
Mileage: 146,000
20100308ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL WIRING INSULATION IS DEGRADING ON WIRING HARNESS(S) IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD WHICH COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE OR SERVE PROPERTY LOSS. I FEEL MERCEDES SHOULD PROVIDE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THESE WIRING HARNESS'S ON AFFECTED MODEL SL500, YEARS 1991 THRU 1996 REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE. *TR
Mileage: 100,000
20100308ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WIRING INSULATION BREAKING DOWN IN THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE ENGINE CONTROLS CAUSING DAMAGE INSULATION HAS COME OFF AND WIRES BARE AND TOUCHING . *TR
Mileage: 60,000
20070609AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
A YEAR AFTER PURCHASING THIS BEAUTY THE AIR BAG LIGHTCOME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. THE PERFORMANCEWAS GREATLY EFFECTED AND IT BROKE MY HEART TO LOSE MY BRAGGING RIGHTS ON THE 1993 500SL , ONLY 68000 MILES. *AK PLEASE FIND A WAY FOR ME TO AFFORDABLY FIX THIS.
Mileage: 72,000
Compare 1993MERCEDES-BENZSL500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 have?▼
The 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 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.