AI Damage2004 Mercedes-Benz SL600: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL600 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 50% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 50% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (50% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (50% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 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 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 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 safety component that is covered under the SBC warranty is the entire brake master cylinder specifically the part that is bad is the brake pedal position sensor The car is undriveable without it, they have a 25-year warranty on it yet they have no parts and no way to fix it which is obviously unacceptable they've…
Mercedes SL600 BCM has electrical issues leading to a fire it is available for inspection. The car can burn down in a garage putting me and all others in or near the dwelling at risk. Yes the problem has been confirmed independently. No BCM issues lead to red light on dash.
The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician diagnosed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 40,100.
Knocking noise begin to appear behind the driver's seat. At first, believed to be loose item in the trunk but check and can't find. Looked at forum and found that many 2003/2004 mercedes benz sl class has the same problem with defective gas tank baffle.
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 15,524 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the SL600 has 2 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 4, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL600?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel system, service brakes. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (50%), jerking, harsh shifts (25%), knocking, grinding or other noise (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL600?
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 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL600 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 2004 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 2026-11-06.