Total Complaints
4 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 · model year
2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2009MERCEDES-BENZSL500 carries 4 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 2009 SL500 is unknown or other with 1 filings, followed by structure (1) and structure:body (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 2009 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.
4
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 |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20220918STRUCTURE:BODY
Yesterday 9/17/2022, while driving my 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550 on the expressway with my wife as passenger, we heard and felt a very loud explosion. Shattered glass was entering the vehicle. I managed to pull off the expressway at the next exit. The retractable hardtop panoramic glass roof had exploded. Shattered glass fragments were all over the vehicle interior. Glass fragments also damaged the paint of the rear deck lid and spoiler of the vehicle. Fortunately, my wife and I did not suffer major injury. I called my auto insurance company and filed an auto damage claim. Since this incident was on a Saturday, the insurance adjuster would not contact me until the next business day. My auto was drive-able, I was still able to retract the convertible roof and the weather was nice for our 15 mile ride home.
20220918VISIBILITY/WIPER
Yesterday 9/17/2022, while driving my 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550 on the expressway with my wife as passenger, we heard and felt a very loud explosion. Shattered glass was entering the vehicle. I managed to pull off the expressway at the next exit. The retractable hardtop panoramic glass roof had exploded. Shattered glass fragments were all over the vehicle interior. Glass fragments also damaged the paint of the rear deck lid and spoiler of the vehicle. Fortunately, my wife and I did not suffer major injury. I called my auto insurance company and filed an auto damage claim. Since this incident was on a Saturday, the insurance adjuster would not contact me until the next business day. My auto was drive-able, I was still able to retract the convertible roof and the weather was nice for our 15 mile ride home.
20100519UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN SUNNY WEATHER, THE SHIFTER WOULD HEAT UP TO TEMPERATURES IN EXCESS OF 150 DEGREES MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SAFELY OPERATE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000. UPDATED 11/03/10 *BF UPDATED 11/04/10 THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM IS NOT ISOLATED. UPDATED EVOQ 11/09/10
Mileage: 15,000
20100519STRUCTURE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES SL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN SUNNY WEATHER, THE SHIFTER WOULD HEAT UP TO TEMPERATURES IN EXCESS OF 150 DEGREES MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SAFELY OPERATE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000. UPDATED 11/03/10 *BF UPDATED 11/04/10 THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM IS NOT ISOLATED. UPDATED EVOQ 11/09/10
Mileage: 15,000
Compare 2009MERCEDES-BENZSL500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 have?▼
The 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500?▼
The most-complained component for the 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE and STRUCTURE:BODY.
Is the 2009 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.