Total Complaints
5 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 · model year
1997 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997MERCEDES-BENZSL600 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 1997 SL600 is visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:exterior with 1 filings, followed by visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:interior (1) and engine (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 1997 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.
5
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 |
|---|---|
| VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20200122SEAT BELTS
WE TOOK A ROAD TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO, TX, ON 10/15/2019, AND WERE RETURNING HOME ON 10/17/2019 WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. SAN ANTONIO IS ABOUT 2 HOURS AWAY FROM LLANO, TX, WHERE WE LIVE. WE HAD DRIVEN IN SAN ANTONIO TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND STOPPED FOR BREAKFAST AT IHOP AROUND 10:30 AM. AFTER LEAVING IHOP, WE HEADED NORTH ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD OF HIGHWAY 281. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE LANE. AS SOON AS WE PULLED AWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT. MY HUSBAND, GLEN, WAS DRIVING AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. MY SEATBELT RETRACTED AND I SAW AND SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HARNESS AREA BY MY RIGHT SHOULDER. GLEN MERGED OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND WE PULLED OVER ON A SIDE ROAD. WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND I GOOGLED "MERCEDES SEATBELT EXPLOSION" AND FOUND THAT IT HAD HAPPENED TO OTHERS IN THE PAST WHICH ACTUALLY MADE ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT CONTINUING ON WITH OUR DRIVE HOME. I COULD NOT WEAR MY SEATBELT. I THOUGHT
Mileage: 93,361
20200122SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
WE TOOK A ROAD TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO, TX, ON 10/15/2019, AND WERE RETURNING HOME ON 10/17/2019 WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. SAN ANTONIO IS ABOUT 2 HOURS AWAY FROM LLANO, TX, WHERE WE LIVE. WE HAD DRIVEN IN SAN ANTONIO TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND STOPPED FOR BREAKFAST AT IHOP AROUND 10:30 AM. AFTER LEAVING IHOP, WE HEADED NORTH ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD OF HIGHWAY 281. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE LANE. AS SOON AS WE PULLED AWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT. MY HUSBAND, GLEN, WAS DRIVING AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. MY SEATBELT RETRACTED AND I SAW AND SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HARNESS AREA BY MY RIGHT SHOULDER. GLEN MERGED OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND WE PULLED OVER ON A SIDE ROAD. WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND I GOOGLED "MERCEDES SEATBELT EXPLOSION" AND FOUND THAT IT HAD HAPPENED TO OTHERS IN THE PAST WHICH ACTUALLY MADE ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT CONTINUING ON WITH OUR DRIVE HOME. I COULD NOT WEAR MY SEATBELT. I THOUGHT
Mileage: 93,361
20150416ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 (NA) MERCEDES BENZ SL600. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.
Mileage: 113,000
20071231VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCEDES BENZ SL600. THE DRIVER SIDE AND REARVIEW SELF DIMMING MIRRORS FAILED. THE MIRRORS APPEARED TO HAVE AN OILY SURFACE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRES FAILED, BUT WAS UNSURE WHICH WIRE FAILED AND WHAT REPAIRS WERE NEEDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 112,000.
Mileage: 112,000
20071231VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCEDES BENZ SL600. THE DRIVER SIDE AND REARVIEW SELF DIMMING MIRRORS FAILED. THE MIRRORS APPEARED TO HAVE AN OILY SURFACE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRES FAILED, BUT WAS UNSURE WHICH WIRE FAILED AND WHAT REPAIRS WERE NEEDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 112,000.
Mileage: 112,000
Compare 1997MERCEDES-BENZSL600 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 have?▼
The 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 is VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR and ENGINE.
Is the 1997 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.