Total Complaints
3 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 · model year
2001 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500
3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001MERCEDES-BENZSL500 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, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2001 SL500 is electrical system with 2 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2001 SL500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20180805ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE WAS BEING STORED IN MY GARAGE .. I STARTED THE VEHICLE, IT WAS SITTING AT AN IDLE.. I NOTICED THE BATTERY LIGHT ON THE DASH ILLUMINATE. THEN I COULD SMELL BURNING. I NOTICED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SMOKE. I SHUT THE CAR OFF. I OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED MORE SMOKE, BURNT SMELL, THE WIRING HARNESS WAS SHORTING AND BURNING. THE WRAPPING OF THE HARNESS HAD A CRISP FEEL TO IT.. AS IF DETERIORATING. I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE OR FIRE. I COULD HEAR THE WIRING SHORTING. MY CONCERN WAS THE ENGINE BAY WOULD ERUPT IN FLAMES IN THE GARAGE, WHICH THEN COULD SPREADING TO MY HOUSE.
Mileage: 190,000
20100315POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES SL500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED, THE GEAR AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,400. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,700. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Mileage: 86,400
20061109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I HAVE AN 01 S500 MERCEDES BENZ WITH ONLY 44000 MILES ON IT. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT OUT @ 36000 MILES. THE LIGHTS ARE DIMMED ON THE SPEEDOMETER. A LOCAL SHOP TRIED TO REPAIR IT FOR $625 BUT I WAS TOLD, SINCE IT'S A CIRCUIT, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BLOW. THE ENTIRE CIRCUIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $1900. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AS I FIND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE MODEL. *NM
Mileage: 37,678
Compare 2001MERCEDES-BENZSL500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 have?▼
The 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500?▼
The most-complained component for the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2001 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.