AI Damage1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500 filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 44% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 11% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 11% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 11% of all complaints
- Air bags: 4 complaints (44% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 9 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 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.
The air bags did not deploy and the vehicle was destroyed. As a result, the contact suffered broken ribs and a shattered spine. The contact was wearing the seat belt during the failure. The contact was taken to the hospital to treat the injuries. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
Dt: contact stated while driving a 1997 mercedes sl-500 it was involved in an accident where the driver, passenger, and side air bags did not deploy. Consumer was driving approximately 15-20 mph, when the vehicle was struck (t-boned) on the passenger side door. The impact caused the vehicle to hit other vehicles.
Very loud bang heard inside cabin, both seatbelts immediately tightened and both driver and passenger felt strong air blast; that each described as being hit in chest. Sound/airblast followed immediately by a burning/gunpowder smell and slight white smoke in cabin. Srs light on dashboard went on.
Wiring insulation for lights and power steering deteriorated to the point of causing massive shorts in multiple systems, draining the battery and resulting in engine failure at highway speeds. I maneuvered in heavy traffic onto an off ramp that provided a safe exit from the 6 lane beltway and had to be towed.
I had a wiring harness fire in my vehicle a 1997 mercedes benz sl 500, it is due to a defect in the wire harness but mercedes benz is declining any involvement, I know of 129 other failures in like vehicles, it's costing me $10,000 to fix and I will not have my car back until july 2007.
While driving at 40-50 mph and trying to slow down consumer could not stop vehicle. Contacted dealer ,and the dealer was not willing to do anything.
Whenever vehicle runs over a bumps or a pothole, it causes door locks to pop open. Dealer notified, and problem still ccurring. Feel free to provide any any further information.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).
On average one model year of the SL500 has 14 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (33%), airbag warning light (22%), airbags did not deploy (22%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
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.