MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 · model year

1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1993MERCEDES-BENZSL600 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.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1993 SL600 is electrical system with 1 filings, followed by engine (1) and fuel/propulsion system (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 SL600. 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
ENGINE1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20160908ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I AM FURIOUS THAT MERCEDES WOULD BUILD A OVER $100K VEHICLE AT ITS TIME WITH DEGRADABLE WIRING IN THE ENGINE AND FUEL COMPARTMENT. I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE TODAY WHEN I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TO PULL OVER BECAUSE SMOKE WAS BELLOWING OUT UNDER THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. I SMELLED A RICH ODOR FUEL AND THE IDLE ON THE VEHICLE WENT HAYWIRE. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS GOING TO CATCH FIRE AND BLOW UP! I LATER LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD WHEN I FINALLY ARRIVED AT HOME TO FIND THAT THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS THAT CONTROLS EVERYTHING FOR THIS VEHICLE IS ALMOST COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED. WIRES ARE EXPOSED WHICH CONTROL THE FUEL MIXTURE TO THE FIRING OF PISTONS AND EXHAUST. KEEP IN MIND THIS VEHICLE HOLDS OVER 30 GALLONS OF GAS. IT IS A MONSTER OF CAR. IT IS BEYOND ME HOW MERCEDES WOULD NOT RECALL THIS TIME BOMB! AND TO TOP IT OFF THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR THIS VEHICLES PROBLEM. THIS IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ENGINE MERCEDES HAS EVER BUILT. V12 .. .IT IS A HUGE TIME BOMB WAITING TO GO

Mileage: 160,000

20160908ENGINE

I AM FURIOUS THAT MERCEDES WOULD BUILD A OVER $100K VEHICLE AT ITS TIME WITH DEGRADABLE WIRING IN THE ENGINE AND FUEL COMPARTMENT. I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE TODAY WHEN I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TO PULL OVER BECAUSE SMOKE WAS BELLOWING OUT UNDER THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. I SMELLED A RICH ODOR FUEL AND THE IDLE ON THE VEHICLE WENT HAYWIRE. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS GOING TO CATCH FIRE AND BLOW UP! I LATER LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD WHEN I FINALLY ARRIVED AT HOME TO FIND THAT THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS THAT CONTROLS EVERYTHING FOR THIS VEHICLE IS ALMOST COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED. WIRES ARE EXPOSED WHICH CONTROL THE FUEL MIXTURE TO THE FIRING OF PISTONS AND EXHAUST. KEEP IN MIND THIS VEHICLE HOLDS OVER 30 GALLONS OF GAS. IT IS A MONSTER OF CAR. IT IS BEYOND ME HOW MERCEDES WOULD NOT RECALL THIS TIME BOMB! AND TO TOP IT OFF THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR THIS VEHICLES PROBLEM. THIS IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ENGINE MERCEDES HAS EVER BUILT. V12 .. .IT IS A HUGE TIME BOMB WAITING TO GO

Mileage: 160,000

20160908FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I AM FURIOUS THAT MERCEDES WOULD BUILD A OVER $100K VEHICLE AT ITS TIME WITH DEGRADABLE WIRING IN THE ENGINE AND FUEL COMPARTMENT. I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE TODAY WHEN I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TO PULL OVER BECAUSE SMOKE WAS BELLOWING OUT UNDER THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. I SMELLED A RICH ODOR FUEL AND THE IDLE ON THE VEHICLE WENT HAYWIRE. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS GOING TO CATCH FIRE AND BLOW UP! I LATER LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD WHEN I FINALLY ARRIVED AT HOME TO FIND THAT THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS THAT CONTROLS EVERYTHING FOR THIS VEHICLE IS ALMOST COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED. WIRES ARE EXPOSED WHICH CONTROL THE FUEL MIXTURE TO THE FIRING OF PISTONS AND EXHAUST. KEEP IN MIND THIS VEHICLE HOLDS OVER 30 GALLONS OF GAS. IT IS A MONSTER OF CAR. IT IS BEYOND ME HOW MERCEDES WOULD NOT RECALL THIS TIME BOMB! AND TO TOP IT OFF THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR THIS VEHICLES PROBLEM. THIS IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ENGINE MERCEDES HAS EVER BUILT. V12 .. .IT IS A HUGE TIME BOMB WAITING TO GO

Mileage: 160,000

Compare 1993MERCEDES-BENZSL600 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 have?
The 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600?
The most-complained component for the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Is the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 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.