MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 · model year

2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550

5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008MERCEDES-BENZSL550 carries 5 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 2008 SL550 is engine and engine cooling with 1 filings, followed by seats (1) and service brakes, hydraulic (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 2008 SL550. 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.

5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

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

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
SEATS1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
STEERING1
SERVICE BRAKES1

Recent Complaints

20171205SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE DRIVING AT 50MPH, AUDIBLE AND VISUAL WARNINGS OF BRAKE FAILURE. NO BRAKING AVAILABLE OTHER THAN TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT FOR ENGINE BRAKING.

Mileage: 57,000

20140227SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

THE SUBJECT CAR, A 2008 MERCDES BENZ SL550, THAT HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS STORED IN A GARAGE. THE CAR WAS STARTED AND DRIVEN OUT OF THE GARAGE ON TO THE STREET, APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS LATER WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH, THE BRAKES 100% FAILED AND THE POWER ASSISTED STEERING STOP WORKING. AFTER COASTING TO A STOP AND PLACING THE CAR IN PARK. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE DASH BOARD FLASHED A STOP SIGN SYMBOL AND A MESSAGE THAT INCREASE PEDAL PRESSURE WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. AT FIRST THE BRAKES AND STEERING SEEM NORMAL BUT AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS, AGAIN THE BRAKES AND STEERING FAILED. AT THIS POINT A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE CAR WAS INSPECTED AND THE FAILURE WAS REPEATED. THE SHOP INSPECTED THE CAR AND DIAGNOSED THE CAR WITH A COMPUTER. SEVERAL CODES WERE APPARENT. THE SHOP RECOMMENDED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM BE FLUSHED AND THE COMPUTER RESET. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS INSP

Mileage: 66,550

20140227STEERING

THE SUBJECT CAR, A 2008 MERCDES BENZ SL550, THAT HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS STORED IN A GARAGE. THE CAR WAS STARTED AND DRIVEN OUT OF THE GARAGE ON TO THE STREET, APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS LATER WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH, THE BRAKES 100% FAILED AND THE POWER ASSISTED STEERING STOP WORKING. AFTER COASTING TO A STOP AND PLACING THE CAR IN PARK. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE DASH BOARD FLASHED A STOP SIGN SYMBOL AND A MESSAGE THAT INCREASE PEDAL PRESSURE WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. AT FIRST THE BRAKES AND STEERING SEEM NORMAL BUT AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS, AGAIN THE BRAKES AND STEERING FAILED. AT THIS POINT A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE CAR WAS INSPECTED AND THE FAILURE WAS REPEATED. THE SHOP INSPECTED THE CAR AND DIAGNOSED THE CAR WITH A COMPUTER. SEVERAL CODES WERE APPARENT. THE SHOP RECOMMENDED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM BE FLUSHED AND THE COMPUTER RESET. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS INSP

Mileage: 66,550

20110915SEATS

DRIVER PLACED A PURSE BEHIND THE FRONT SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS POWER SEATS WHICH OPERATE ON A MOTOR. THE STRAP FROM THE PURSE APPARENTLY CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE SEAT IN MOTION CAUSING SMOLDERING AND EVENTUALLY THE SEAT MOTOR TO BURN ITSELF OUT. A FIRE WAS AVOIDED DUE TO A FUSE CAUSING THE MOTOR TO STOP HOWEVER THE MOTOR WHILE IT WAS OPERATING AND PRIOR TO THE FUSE KICKING IN NEARLY CAUSED A FIRE. THE SEAT SHOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH A CONTACT MECHANISM ( SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE WINDOW AND ELEVATOR DOORS OR GARAGE DOORS WHICH CAUSES THE SEAT TO STOP UPON CONTACT. IF MAKEUP OR OTHER FLAMMABLE PRODUCTS HAD BEEN IN THE BAG, THERE SURELY WOULD HAVE BEEN A FIRE. *KB

Mileage: 24,000

20110722ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ SL550. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS LATER, THE RECURRED WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION OR STOPPED. DURING THE RECURRENCES, THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART AFTER STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

Compare 2008MERCEDES-BENZSL550 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 have?
The 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550?
The most-complained component for the 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC.
Is the 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 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.