AI Damage2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK320: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 45% of all complaints
- 2 Exterior lighting 27% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 4 Electronic stability control 18% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 18% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 9% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (45% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (27% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Visibility: 2 complaints (18% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 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.
The cars ignition switch locks up and prevents the car from starting, it can also cause the car to stall when running creating a very dangerous situation. Mercedes is aware of this problem with the ignition switch.
Previous recall 05V505 has been completed but the issue has returned the issue has been intermittent for a fee months but the tail light has been non op for a few months, i have tried different sockets and bulbs to no avail.
Upon inspection, it was discovered that while depressing the brake pedal, the driverâs side brake light failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the rear lamp module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.
The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as it went into Limp mode. Several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that he had replaced the spark plugs and the accelerator pedal; however, the failure persisted, and the engine was misfiring.
The bas/esp light and sudden braking just occurred today(10.11.16) on our 2002 mercedes benz slk 320. This happened three times in about an hour of driving on city streets between 15 and 45 mph. One occurrence was while driving straight, the other two happened while changing lanes in moving traffic.
The contact stated that the tail lights failed and an unknown error message illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was previously serviced under a manufacturer satisfaction campaign; however, the failure recurred.
The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the vehicle stalled and unknown warning lights illuminated. In addition, the brake automatically engaged causing the vehicle to restart. In addition, the rear and driver side mirrors automatically dimmed in lighting causing it harder to view the road when driving.
Fast moving traffic, dry weather. All of a sudden car applied brakes, thought I was having one of the tires breaking into pieces. This lasted until I pulled over and stopped, never experienced anything like this. An inexperienced driver in this fast traffic surely would have had an accident, maybe even fatally.
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 10,521 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the SLK320 has 8 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 11, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, exterior lighting, electrical system. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (27%), stalls while driving (18%), warning lights, check engine (18%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK320?
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 2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 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 2002 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.