U.S. public vehicle records

Mercedes Benz SL320 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

34 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

139,250 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1994 to 2000 model years. Data updated: 2026-09-30 (September 30, 2026). 18 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 15 of 34 complaints (44.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Electrical and battery issues	18	52.9%
Engine operation	5	14.7%
Braking behavior	1	2.9%
Steering behavior	1	2.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Engine

Electrical System:Wiring

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner

Fuel System, Gasoline

Air Bags

Air Bags:Frontal

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System	15
Engine	3
Electrical System:Wiring	2
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	2
Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner	2
Fuel System, Gasoline	2
Air Bags	1
Air Bags:Frontal	1

Electrical System: 15; Engine: 3; Electrical System:Wiring: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 2; Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner: 2; Fuel System, Gasoline: 2; Air Bags: 1; Air Bags:Frontal: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 10; 150,000 and above: 5

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (10). 16 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2011

2013

2014

2015

2016

2018

2019

1997: 2; 1998: 2; 1999: 2; 2000: 3; 2001: 1; 2002: 1; 2003: 2; 2011: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 4; 2015: 3; 2016: 7; 2018: 2; 2019: 3

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 18 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 5 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10907513 · 2016-09-19 (September 19, 2016)

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. READING ON INTERNET THIS IS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH IF SHOULD SHORT OUT HAS THIS ITEM BEEN ON RECALL AND IF NOT WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE MERCEDES RESPONSIBLE?

Owner-reported narrative. 64,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10907513 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10918590 · 2016-10-24 (October 24, 2016)

WIRING HARNESS FAILURE

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10918590 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10578760 · 2014-04-09 (April 9, 2014)

UPPER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DETERIORATED SHORTING OUT WIRES CONTROLLING ENGINE. CAUSING INTERMITTENT ENGINE STALLING CAUSING REDUCED AND/OR LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 150,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10578760 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10579461 · 2014-04-13 (April 13, 2014)

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS OVERHEATED AND STARTED SMOKING. ENGINE STALLED THIS REDUCED VEHICLE CONTROL. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. *JS

Owner-reported narrative. 140,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10579461 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10885736 · 2016-07-18 (July 18, 2016)

THE ENGINE BAY WIRING HARNESSES HAVE DISINTEGRATED ON THE CAR DUE TO USE OF HEAT SUSCEPTIBLE WIRE INSULATION. THIS HAS CAUSED BARE WIRES TO SHORT OUT IN THE ENGINE BAY. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SPONTANEOUSLY SURGE RESULTING IN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION. SUBSEQUENT TO THE SURGING, IT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO DIE RESULTING IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKING POWER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DIAGNOSE WITH WAS CAUSING THESE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS, ELECTRICAL ARCING AND SMOLDERING OF THE WIRING BECAME APPARENT. THIS IS A SERIOUS…

Owner-reported narrative. 140,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10885736 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

1994: 0; 1995: 0; 1996: 0; 1997: 1; 1998: 0; 1999: 0; 2000: 0

First model yearSecond model year

Year-by-year records

Mercedes Benz SL320 model-year comparison
Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Change in recalls
1994	2	0	Not available
1995	16	0	0
1996	4	0	0
1997	6	1	+1
1998	3	0	-1
1999	2	0	0
2000	1	0	0

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

34 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.

52.9%Usable mileage18 / 34 records

97.1%Valid incident date33 / 34 records

100.0%Valid filing date34 / 34 records

97.1%Ordered incident and filing dates33 / 34 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Electrical System	2100.0% ODI 10907513 · 64,000 mi 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. READING ON INTERNET THIS IS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH IF SHOULD SHORT OUT HAS THIS ITEM BEEN ON RECALL AND IF NOT WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE MERCEDES RESPONSIBLE? Look up ODI 10907513 at NHTSA ↗	1168.8% ODI 10578760 · 150,000 mi UPPER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DETERIORATED SHORTING OUT WIRES CONTROLLING ENGINE. CAUSING INTERMITTENT ENGINE STALLING CAUSING REDUCED AND/OR LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *TR Look up ODI 10578760 at NHTSA ↗	250.0% ODI 10412007 · 145,000 mi MY CAR APPEARS TO OVER HEAT, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY JUST THE TEMP GAUGE JUMPING AROUND ERRATICALLY. THE MECHANIC SAYS IT'S THE WIRING HARNESS - A KNOWN PROBLEM IN THESE CARS WHICH IS BEING IGNORED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TT Look up ODI 10412007 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine	150.0% ODI 10918590 WIRING HARNESS FAILURE Look up ODI 10918590 at NHTSA ↗	212.5% ODI 10579461 · 140,000 mi ENGINE WIRING HARNESS OVERHEATED AND STARTED SMOKING. ENGINE STALLED THIS REDUCED VEHICLE CONTROL. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. *JS Look up ODI 10579461 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Electrical System:Wiring	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	233.3% ODI 10015179 BURN SMELL COMING FROM ELECTRICAL HARNESS BOX. MR THE HARNESS BOX WAS LOCATED IN THE TRUNK. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD AN OIL LEAK. *JB Look up ODI 10015179 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	233.3% ODI 10015179 BURN SMELL COMING FROM ELECTRICAL HARNESS BOX. MR THE HARNESS BOX WAS LOCATED IN THE TRUNK. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD AN OIL LEAK. *JB Look up ODI 10015179 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	125.0% ODI 605222 AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. QCAW Look up ODI 605222 at NHTSA ↗	116.7% ODI 523807 A/C FAILURE. Look up ODI 523807 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Fuel System, Gasoline	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	250.0% ODI 10495382 · 138,500 mi WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTERGRATING. CAR RUNS VERY ROUGH. VISIBLE BARE WIRES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF. SMELLS OF BURNING WIRE. Look up ODI 10495382 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Air Bags	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	16.3% ODI 10649751 · 95,000 mi THE SRS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. A DIAGNOSTIC CODE INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE (LOCATED IN THE DASH BOARD, BEHIND THE RADIO) WAS NOT WORKING. THIS IS NOT A SERVICEABLE PART. A NEW MODULE IS $1,400, REPEAT, YES, $1,400, NOT INSTALLED. I THINK AIR BAG EQUIPMENT SHOULD HAVE LIFE TIME WARRANTIES AND CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT BE $1,400. THE WOULD APPEAR TO BE PUTTING PROFITS BEFORE SAFETY. I AM A TEACHER, NOT A STOCK BROKER. I BOUGHT THIS CAR THREE YEARS AGO ( THE VEHICLE WAS17 YEARS OLD). IT WAS IN GOOD SHAPE AND WELL MAINTAINED. IF TH… Look up ODI 10649751 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Air Bags:Frontal	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	133.3% ODI 606840 SEAT BELT FAILED. YH Look up ODI 606840 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
Electrical System	125,207–141,250 mi	136,750 mi	12	ODI 10907513 · 64,000 mi 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. READING ON INTERNET THIS IS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH IF SHOULD SHORT OUT HAS THIS ITEM BEEN ON RECALL AND IF NOT WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE MERCEDES RESPONSIBLE? Look up ODI 10907513 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 10578760 · 150,000 mi UPPER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DETERIORATED SHORTING OUT WIRES CONTROLLING ENGINE. CAUSING INTERMITTENT ENGINE STALLING CAUSING REDUCED AND/OR LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *TR Look up ODI 10578760 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 10689564 · 32,500 mi TODAY, AFTER A ROUTINE LOF SERVICE, MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY SL320 HAD DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT MY CAR WAS UNSAFE. HE CLAIMS THAT THE INSULATION ON THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MADE OF A BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL AND THAT IT HAS NOW BIODEGRADED TO THE POINT THAT THERE NO LONGER IS ANY INSULATION, HE CLAIMS THAT MERCEDES KNOWS THAT THEIR HARNESSES ARE DEFECTIVE BUT THEY WILL TAKE NO ACTION IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM, INDEED FOR MANY YEARS THEY SOLD REPLACEMENT HARNESSES WITH THE SAME DEFECT. WHO KNOWS WHAT THE CURRENT WIR… Look up ODI 10689564 at NHTSA ↗
Engine	Too few reports for a range	126,259 mi	2 (sparse)	ODI 10579461 · 140,000 mi ENGINE WIRING HARNESS OVERHEATED AND STARTED SMOKING. ENGINE STALLED THIS REDUCED VEHICLE CONTROL. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. *JS Look up ODI 10579461 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 10838855 · 112,518 mi MAF CONNECTOR CAUGHT FIRE, WIRING INSULATION DETERIOTED CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THIS HAPPEN IN MY GARAGE WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE, IF I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WOULD HAVE BURNED EVERYTHING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT Look up ODI 10838855 at NHTSA ↗
Fuel System, Gasoline	Too few reports for a range	138,500 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10495382 · 138,500 mi WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTERGRATING. CAR RUNS VERY ROUGH. VISIBLE BARE WIRES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF. SMELLS OF BURNING WIRE. Look up ODI 10495382 at NHTSA ↗
Air Bags	Too few reports for a range	95,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10649751 · 95,000 mi THE SRS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. A DIAGNOSTIC CODE INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE (LOCATED IN THE DASH BOARD, BEHIND THE RADIO) WAS NOT WORKING. THIS IS NOT A SERVICEABLE PART. A NEW MODULE IS $1,400, REPEAT, YES, $1,400, NOT INSTALLED. I THINK AIR BAG EQUIPMENT SHOULD HAVE LIFE TIME WARRANTIES AND CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT BE $1,400. THE WOULD APPEAR TO BE PUTTING PROFITS BEFORE SAFETY. I AM A TEACHER, NOT A STOCK BROKER. I BOUGHT THIS CAR THREE YEARS AGO ( THE VEHICLE WAS17 YEARS OLD). IT WAS IN GOOD SHAPE AND WELL MAINTAINED. IF TH… Look up ODI 10649751 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09 (partial)	None	No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

1999: 1 complaints · 2000: 1 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
1999	0	1	1
2000	1	1	1

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
1999	2	0	0
2000	1	0	0

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
Component	Electrical System	Engine	Electrical System:Wiring	Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner	Fuel System, Gasoline	Air Bags	Air Bags:Frontal
Electrical System	—	1 ODI 10918590 WIRING HARNESS FAILURE Look up ODI 10918590 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	1 ODI 10495382 · 138,500 mi WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTERGRATING. CAR RUNS VERY ROUGH. VISIBLE BARE WIRES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF. SMELLS OF BURNING WIRE. Look up ODI 10495382 at NHTSA ↗	0	0
Engine	1 ODI 10918590 WIRING HARNESS FAILURE Look up ODI 10918590 at NHTSA ↗	—	0	0	0	0	0	0
Electrical System:Wiring	0	0	—	2 ODI 10015179 BURN SMELL COMING FROM ELECTRICAL HARNESS BOX. MR THE HARNESS BOX WAS LOCATED IN THE TRUNK. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD AN OIL LEAK. JB Look up ODI 10015179 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 10015883 WHILE PARKED IN A GARAGE THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO USE THE KEYLESS ENTRY REMOTE BUT IT DID NOT UNLOCK THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER THEN TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE CONSUMER THEN OPENED THE TRUNK AND AT THAT TIME THE CONSUMER SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR. THE CONSUER THEN NOTICED THAT THE BLACK BOX, IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE BATTER, BURNED. TEH VEHICLE ALSO LEAKED OIL. AK *NLM Look up ODI 10015883 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	0
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	0	0	2 ODI 10015179 BURN SMELL COMING FROM ELECTRICAL HARNESS BOX. MR THE HARNESS BOX WAS LOCATED IN THE TRUNK. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD AN OIL LEAK. JB Look up ODI 10015179 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 10015883 WHILE PARKED IN A GARAGE THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO USE THE KEYLESS ENTRY REMOTE BUT IT DID NOT UNLOCK THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER THEN TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE CONSUMER THEN OPENED THE TRUNK AND AT THAT TIME THE CONSUMER SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR. THE CONSUER THEN NOTICED THAT THE BLACK BOX, IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE BATTER, BURNED. TEH VEHICLE ALSO LEAKED OIL. AK *NLM Look up ODI 10015883 at NHTSA ↗	—	0	0	0	0
Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner	0	0	0	0	—	0	0	0
Fuel System, Gasoline	1 ODI 10495382 · 138,500 mi WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTERGRATING. CAR RUNS VERY ROUGH. VISIBLE BARE WIRES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF. SMELLS OF BURNING WIRE. Look up ODI 10495382 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	0	—	0	0
Air Bags	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	0
Air Bags:Frontal	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

Search patterns

5 patterns with matching reports.

Stalling or loss of power

5 mentions · 14.7% of complaints

Median mileage: 145,000 mi (4 usable records).

ODI 10578760 · 150,000 mi

UPPER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DETERIORATED SHORTING OUT WIRES CONTROLLING ENGINE. CAUSING INTERMITTENT ENGINE STALLING CAUSING REDUCED AND/OR LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *TR

Look up ODI 10578760 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 10579461 · 140,000 mi

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS OVERHEATED AND STARTED SMOKING. ENGINE STALLED THIS REDUCED VEHICLE CONTROL. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. *JS

Look up ODI 10579461 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 10644918

HELLO MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I OWN A 1995 SL320. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER OF IMPORTANCE OF LIFE AND DEATH. THE MERCEDES BENZ ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DEFECTIVE AND MB KNOWS THIS. LISTED BELOW IS AN ARTICLE I FOUND WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF REPLACING AND THE IGNORANCE ON MERCEDES BEHALF. THIS HARNESS CONTAINS HUNDREDS OF WIRES BUNDLED INSIDE TIGHTLY WRAPPED TAPE. THE WIRES COMMUNICATE INFORMATION FROM THE MANY SENSORS OF THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE AND ACCESSORIES BACK TO THE COMPUTER MODULES. THE MODULES USE THIS I…

Look up ODI 10644918 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b

Warning lights and dashboard alerts

3 mentions · 8.8% of complaints

Median mileage: 138,500 mi (3 usable records).

ODI 10649751 · 95,000 mi

THE SRS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. A DIAGNOSTIC CODE INDICATED THAT THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE (LOCATED IN THE DASH BOARD, BEHIND THE RADIO) WAS NOT WORKING. THIS IS NOT A SERVICEABLE PART. A NEW MODULE IS $1,400, REPEAT, YES, $1,400, NOT INSTALLED. I THINK AIR BAG EQUIPMENT SHOULD HAVE LIFE TIME WARRANTIES AND CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT BE $1,400. THE WOULD APPEAR TO BE PUTTING PROFITS BEFORE SAFETY. I AM A TEACHER, NOT A STOCK BROKER. I BOUGHT THIS CAR THREE YEARS AGO ( THE VEHICLE WAS17 YEARS OLD). IT WAS IN GOOD SHAPE AND WELL MAINTAINED. IF TH…

Look up ODI 10649751 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11063069 · 140,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ SL320R. 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. THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF AUGUSTA AT [phone removed] (LOCATED AT 3061 WASHINGTON RD, AUGUSTA, GA 30907) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER CON…

Look up ODI 11063069 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 10495382 · 138,500 mi

WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTERGRATING. CAR RUNS VERY ROUGH. VISIBLE BARE WIRES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF. SMELLS OF BURNING WIRE.

Look up ODI 10495382 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(warning light\w*|check engine|dashboard warning\w*|malfunction indicator)\b

Battery drain and no-start mentions

2 mentions · 5.9% of complaints

Median mileage: 130,000 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 11066993 · 130,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ SL320. 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 FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. *TT

Look up ODI 11066993 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 10015883

WHILE PARKED IN A GARAGE THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO USE THE KEYLESS ENTRY REMOTE BUT IT DID NOT UNLOCK THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER THEN TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE CONSUMER THEN OPENED THE TRUNK AND AT THAT TIME THE CONSUMER SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR. THE CONSUER THEN NOTICED THAT THE BLACK BOX, IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE BATTER, BURNED. TEH VEHICLE ALSO LEAKED OIL. *AK *NLM

Look up ODI 10015883 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

Fuel smell or leak mentions

1 mentions · 2.9% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 813109

FUEL : JUNE 07. GAS LEAKED FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE NEAR BACK WHEEL ON PASSENGER'S SIDE. JUNE 11, TOOK TO MERCEDES DEALER TO HAVE CHECKED AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. *AKTHEY STATED THAT IT IS AN UNDERCOATIING THAT IS LEAKING AND NOT OIL. *AK

Look up ODI 813109 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(fuel leak\w*|gas leak\w*|gas(?:oline)? smell|smell\w* (?:of )?(?:fuel|gas))\b

Steering assistance concerns

1 mentions · 2.9% of complaints

Median mileage: 140,000 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 10885736 · 140,000 mi

Look up ODI 10885736 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(power steer\w*|steering assist\w*|steering lock\w*|steering wheel lock\w*)\b