Total Complaints
39 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 · model year
1995 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500
39 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1995MERCEDES-BENZSL500 carries 39 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 6 fires, 4 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 1995 SL500 is electrical system with 14 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring (4) and engine (4). 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 1995 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.
39
Complaints
0
Crashes
6
Fires
4
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 | 14 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 4 |
| ENGINE | 4 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 2 |
| STEERING | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20190408UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ENGINE WIRE HARNESS HAS DETERIORATED DUE TO MERCEDES' CHOICE TO USE BIODEGRADABLE WIRE INSULATION. WIRES ARE SHORTING WHICH ALMOST LED TO AN ACCIDENT, COULD LEAD TO A FIRE AND HAVE CAUSED THE ANTI SLIP REGULATOR SAFETY SYSTEM TO FAIL AND THE CAR TO RUN IN LIMP MODE WITH SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED POWER. CAR WAS IN MOTION WHEN I LOST POWER INITIALLY AND AT THE TIME WAS SURPRISED BY THE LOSS OF POWER. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO CONTROL ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT SINCE THE GAS PEDAL STOPPED FULLY RESPONDING TO INPUT. I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND AM SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN PUT OUT AS A RECALL ITEM.
Mileage: 100,000
20181220AIR BAGS
CAR CAN HARDLY RUN--WITHOUT STALLING-HARD TO START MERCEDES DEALER SAID TO SELL IT BECAUSE OF WIRING PROBLEMS.
20181220ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CAR CAN HARDLY RUN--WITHOUT STALLING-HARD TO START MERCEDES DEALER SAID TO SELL IT BECAUSE OF WIRING PROBLEMS.
20181220ENGINE
CAR CAN HARDLY RUN--WITHOUT STALLING-HARD TO START MERCEDES DEALER SAID TO SELL IT BECAUSE OF WIRING PROBLEMS.
20170818FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
91-96 MERCEDES ENGINE WIRE HARNESS DISINTEGRATES COMPLETELY TO SHORTING OUT ALL GAUGES AND ENGINE OPERATIONS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS... DEADLY DANGEROUS . THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A MASS GROUP TO FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE NHTSA FOR NOT DEMANDING MERCEDES TO IMPLEMENT A RECALL ON ITS DEADLY MISTAKE. ( WE HAVE NOT LOST A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TODAY FROM 1989... THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.
Mileage: 1,000
20170818FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER
91-96 MERCEDES ENGINE WIRE HARNESS DISINTEGRATES COMPLETELY TO SHORTING OUT ALL GAUGES AND ENGINE OPERATIONS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS... DEADLY DANGEROUS . THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A MASS GROUP TO FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE NHTSA FOR NOT DEMANDING MERCEDES TO IMPLEMENT A RECALL ON ITS DEADLY MISTAKE. ( WE HAVE NOT LOST A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TODAY FROM 1989... THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.
Mileage: 1,000
20170318ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I HAVE 1995 SL500 LAST 8 YEARS HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES, RELATED TO WIRING HARNESS ,MISFIRE ,STEERING PUMP,AIR PUMP AND MORE. I AM THE FIRST OWNER.ALL THE WIRES ARE DETERIORATING,I THNIK WE NEED NHTSA TO INSPECT THESE CAR MANUFACTURERS.IF MANUFACTURER INSTALLED THE FAULTY WIRING THEY SHOULD STAND UP AND OFFER REPAIRS AT THE MERCEDES DEALERS.FREE. REGARDS
Mileage: 145,000
20170318FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I HAVE 1995 SL500 LAST 8 YEARS HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES, RELATED TO WIRING HARNESS ,MISFIRE ,STEERING PUMP,AIR PUMP AND MORE. I AM THE FIRST OWNER.ALL THE WIRES ARE DETERIORATING,I THNIK WE NEED NHTSA TO INSPECT THESE CAR MANUFACTURERS.IF MANUFACTURER INSTALLED THE FAULTY WIRING THEY SHOULD STAND UP AND OFFER REPAIRS AT THE MERCEDES DEALERS.FREE. REGARDS
Mileage: 145,000
20170318STEERING
I HAVE 1995 SL500 LAST 8 YEARS HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES, RELATED TO WIRING HARNESS ,MISFIRE ,STEERING PUMP,AIR PUMP AND MORE. I AM THE FIRST OWNER.ALL THE WIRES ARE DETERIORATING,I THNIK WE NEED NHTSA TO INSPECT THESE CAR MANUFACTURERS.IF MANUFACTURER INSTALLED THE FAULTY WIRING THEY SHOULD STAND UP AND OFFER REPAIRS AT THE MERCEDES DEALERS.FREE. REGARDS
Mileage: 145,000
20161031AIR BAGS
MERCEDES BENZ WIRING HARNESS PROBLEMS 1993 ' 1995 CAR DOES NOT RUN CORRECT
Mileage: 135,000
20161031SERVICE BRAKES
MERCEDES BENZ WIRING HARNESS PROBLEMS 1993 ' 1995 CAR DOES NOT RUN CORRECT
Mileage: 135,000
20161031ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MERCEDES BENZ WIRING HARNESS PROBLEMS 1993 ' 1995 CAR DOES NOT RUN CORRECT
Mileage: 135,000
20150611ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CAR IMMEDIATELY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE. DRIVING VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN TO STALL. WAS NOT ABLE TO EVEN PULL TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. WAS LATER ABLE TO JUMP START VEHICLE, HOWEVER STILL HAD ISSUES WITH STALLING AND NO ACCELERATION. HAVE BEEN INFORMED IT IS A "HARNESS WIRING ISSUE".
20150611FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
CAR IMMEDIATELY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE. DRIVING VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN TO STALL. WAS NOT ABLE TO EVEN PULL TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. WAS LATER ABLE TO JUMP START VEHICLE, HOWEVER STILL HAD ISSUES WITH STALLING AND NO ACCELERATION. HAVE BEEN INFORMED IT IS A "HARNESS WIRING ISSUE".
20150611ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
CAR IMMEDIATELY STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE. DRIVING VEHICLE AND IT BEGAN TO STALL. WAS NOT ABLE TO EVEN PULL TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. WAS LATER ABLE TO JUMP START VEHICLE, HOWEVER STILL HAD ISSUES WITH STALLING AND NO ACCELERATION. HAVE BEEN INFORMED IT IS A "HARNESS WIRING ISSUE".
20140907SEAT BELTS
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR HAS WEAKENED OVER TIME AND DOESN'T RETRACT THE BELT. BELT FITS LOOSE OVER TORSO AND GETS SHUT IN DOOR EASILY SINCE IT DOESN'T RETRACT POSSIBLY CAUSING FURTHER DAMAGE TO THIS SAFETY CRITICAL INSTALLATION. *TR
Mileage: 95,000
20130522ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THIS VEHICLE HAS A BIO-DEGRADABLE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THESE HARNESSES ARE DETERIORATING. MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER, NO POWER STEERING, NO NOTHING ON A FREEWAY AND I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT KILLED. MERCEDES AND THE DEALERSHIPS BOTH KNOW THAT VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE HARNESS ARE DEATH TRAPS. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN KILLED, BUT WIRING HARNESS WAS NEVER INVESTIGATED AS CAUSE OF ACCIDENT. WHY ARE YOU NOT TAKING ACTION AGAINST MERCEDES? EVERY VEHICLE STILL ON THE ROAD SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY IF IT HAS A BIO-DEGRADABLE WIRING HARNESS. *TR
Mileage: 103,000
20130522ENGINE
THIS VEHICLE HAS A BIO-DEGRADABLE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THESE HARNESSES ARE DETERIORATING. MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER, NO POWER STEERING, NO NOTHING ON A FREEWAY AND I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT KILLED. MERCEDES AND THE DEALERSHIPS BOTH KNOW THAT VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE HARNESS ARE DEATH TRAPS. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN KILLED, BUT WIRING HARNESS WAS NEVER INVESTIGATED AS CAUSE OF ACCIDENT. WHY ARE YOU NOT TAKING ACTION AGAINST MERCEDES? EVERY VEHICLE STILL ON THE ROAD SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY IF IT HAS A BIO-DEGRADABLE WIRING HARNESS. *TR
Mileage: 103,000
20130522STEERING
THIS VEHICLE HAS A BIO-DEGRADABLE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THESE HARNESSES ARE DETERIORATING. MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER, NO POWER STEERING, NO NOTHING ON A FREEWAY AND I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT KILLED. MERCEDES AND THE DEALERSHIPS BOTH KNOW THAT VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE HARNESS ARE DEATH TRAPS. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN KILLED, BUT WIRING HARNESS WAS NEVER INVESTIGATED AS CAUSE OF ACCIDENT. WHY ARE YOU NOT TAKING ACTION AGAINST MERCEDES? EVERY VEHICLE STILL ON THE ROAD SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY IF IT HAS A BIO-DEGRADABLE WIRING HARNESS. *TR
Mileage: 103,000
20130513FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
WAS DRIVING CAR AND ENGINE STARTED TO MISFIRE, STUMBLE AND LOSE POWER AS I WAS CROSSING TRAFFIC INTO A SIDE ROAD. ALMOST WAS HIT FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE BY A LARGE TRUCK THAT WAS MOVING AT ME AT OVER 50MPH. I HAD LEFT PLENTY OF TIME/SPACE TO DO THIS CROSSING PROPERLY. HOWEVER, THE CAR ALMOST STALLED OUT MID WAY ACROSS AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY TO GET OUT OF THE WAY IN A TIMELY MANNER.. ENGINE GOT SLIGHT SURGE JUST IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO LIMP HOME. STARTED IT UP A FEW LATER AND RAN FINE AS I CAREFULLY DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR EVALUATION. DEALER MECHANIC FOUND THE WIRE INSULATION ON THE ENGINE HARNESS AND THE GAS ACTUATOR WHERE SERIOUSLY DETERIORATED AND EXPOSING BARE WIRES INSIDE. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS COSTING OVER $3,300.00 PARTS AND LABOR FOR THESE 2 REPAIRS ALONE.. I THINK THIS DEFECT WOULD HAVE SHOW UP MUCH SOONER ON MY VEHICLE EXCEPT THAT I ONLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE SEASONALLY AND THE CAR HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE AT 44K.
Mileage: 43,890
Compare 1995MERCEDES-BENZSL500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 have?▼
The 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 has 39 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 6 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 14 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING and ENGINE.
Is the 1995 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.