AI DamageMercedes-Benz SL320: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Mercedes-Benz SL320 across 7 model years: 34 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 53% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 6% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 18 complaints (53% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 3 complaints (9% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (6% of all).
- Equipment: 2 complaints (6% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 34 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Rpms increase aat 20mph. Driver has to put vehicle into neutral to stop. Dealer has inspected vehicle. Consumer states he was advised by dealership that vehicle is operating as designed,the prolonged stopping distance caused consumer to hit another vehicle, consumer also reports that engine fails to shut down.
Vehicle was sitting on small incline & slipped out of gear. Rolled back, jumped a curve and went into a street, rearending another vehicle. Dealer will be contacted.
At a slow 5 mph parking lot speed the seat belt tensioning devices ignited. The srs system malfunctioned. There were no impacts, previous collisions, or any reason for these pre-tensioning devices to activate. It was starting and my wife's chest hurt for a few days after.
On several occasions, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the wiring harness to the computer cluster was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure, but the manufacturer was not.
The contact stated that the check engine indicator illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the plastic on the wiring harness was peeling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.
My mb sl320, 1994 only has 65,000 miles and the sensior wire harness is all frailed and copper wiring exposed do to recycled covering mb used witch should of never been used and should of been recalled for replacement.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.