Brake response concerns
1 mentions · 33.3% of complaints
Median mileage: 17,600 mi (1 usable records).
Matching rule
\b(brake fail\w*|brakes fail\w*|brake pedal|braking distance|unintended braking|phantom braking)\bU.S. public vehicle records
2005 Mercedes Benz SL55 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
3 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
35,300 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2005 model year. Data updated: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 3 complaints (33.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 2 | 66.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 33.3% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 33.3% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 |
Electrical System: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline: 1; Service Brakes, Electric: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 1 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
2007: 1; 2021: 1; 2024: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns 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 10202047 · 2007-09-06 (September 6, 2007)
TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE
Owner-reported narrative. 17,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10202047 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11573482 · 2024-02-22 (February 22, 2024)
The BCM in the SL class (Mercedes chassis code r230) fails very often. It catches fire and burns down vehicles in MANY instances. Mercedes is not selling a replacement part because they want to save money. THIS VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC ASSISTED BRAKING SYSTEM!!! The BCM balances battery loads in the vehicle. When it fails it can make any electronic system in the car malfunction or simply not work. This could be as simple as the car not starting or as severe as it burning down your ENTIRE HOME. I would be okay if they simply sold a repla…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11573482 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11422829 · 2021-06-29 (June 29, 2021)
The contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL55. The contact stated that the odor of fuel was present inside the cabin of the vehicle and inside the garage. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the fuel tank was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The cause of the crack was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11422829 at NHTSA ↗
Explore the data
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
3 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
66.7%Usable mileage2 / 3 records
100.0%Valid incident date3 / 3 records
100.0%Valid filing date3 / 3 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates3 / 3 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.
| Component | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 218.2%ODI 11519614It appears the BCM (Battery Control Module) caught fire and burned a significant portion of the trunk and associated wiring. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 11573482The BCM in the SL class (Mercedes chassis code r230) fails very often. It catches fire and burns down vehicles in MANY instances. Mercedes is not selling a replacement part because they want to save money. THIS VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC ASSISTED BRAKING SYSTEM!!! The BCM balances battery loads in the vehicle. When it fails it can make any electronic system in the car malfunction or simply not work. This could be as simple as the car not starting or as severe as it burning down your ENTIRE HOME. I would be okay if they simply sold a repla… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10496582 · 31,200 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ SL55. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON MANY OCCASIONS BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,200. |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 218.2%ODI 10289028 · 23,285 miDEFECTIVE FUEL TANK BAFFLES. FUEL TANK BAFFLE(S) COME LOOSE AND BOUNCE AROUND INSIDE TANK BANGING THE SIDES OF THE FUEL TANK. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 11422829 · 53,000 miThe contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL55. The contact stated that the odor of fuel was present inside the cabin of the vehicle and inside the garage. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the fuel tank was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The cause of the crack was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension | 19.1%ODI 10266038 · 60,000 miABC SUSPENSION SYSTEM AND INTERCOOLER PUMP FOR TURBO FAILED ON 2003 SL55 AMG. VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES AS EVIDENCED ON THE MB BOARDS. RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 133.3%ODI 10205311 · 8,700 miSINCE I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY BRAND NEW MERCEDES-BENZ SL-55, I NOTICED SEVERE PULLING TO ONE SIDE TO THE POINT THAT, AFTER MORE THAN 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING, I WILL HAVE TO SWITCH ARMS TO CONTINUE APPLYING COMPENSATING WEIGHT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS, THE PULLING DECREASED BUT NEVER DISAPPEARED. HOWEVER, OTHER SYMPTOMS STARTED SURFACING, SUCH AS SEVERE UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT AND DEVELOPMENT OF RIDGES, LUMP OR DEFORMITIES THAT CAUSE NOISE AND CREATE A "LIMPING" EFFECT. AS MORE MONTHS PASSED BY AND TIRE(S) CONTIN… | 150.0%ODI 11719481 · 168,000 miThe contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL55. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Service Active Body Control" was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that prior to receiving the Active Body Control message, several fluid stains were found on the ground. The contact believed that the stains were hydraulic fluid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with active body control failure, which caused the leak of the hydraulic fluid. The local dealer provided t… |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 19.1%ODI 102037872003 MERCEDES SL-55 ENGINE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS. *KB | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 11719481 · 168,000 miThe contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz SL55. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Service Active Body Control" was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that prior to receiving the Active Body Control message, several fluid stains were found on the ground. The contact believed that the stains were hydraulic fluid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with active body control failure, which caused the leak of the hydraulic fluid. The local dealer provided t… |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 218.2%ODI 10227665 · 22,000 miI WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKES, I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK INTO THE SHOP 3 TIMES TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE BRAKES WERE FAILING - ONCE I ALMOST RAN A PEDESTRIAN OVER AS I TRIED TO STOP AND THE VEHICLE BRAKES APPEARED TO NOT WORK AT ALL - THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM THEY SAY DOES NOTHING. ANOTHER TIME PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE NO BRAKES AGAIN AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE CONCRETE BLOCK I WOULD HAVE RUN INTO THE STORE FRONT. THE LAST TIME WAS AT MY HOME - PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY. AFTER BRINGING THE CAR INTO THE MERCEDES DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES … | 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. |
| Steering | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 266.7%ODI 10205311 · 8,700 miSINCE I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY BRAND NEW MERCEDES-BENZ SL-55, I NOTICED SEVERE PULLING TO ONE SIDE TO THE POINT THAT, AFTER MORE THAN 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING, I WILL HAVE TO SWITCH ARMS TO CONTINUE APPLYING COMPENSATING WEIGHT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS, THE PULLING DECREASED BUT NEVER DISAPPEARED. HOWEVER, OTHER SYMPTOMS STARTED SURFACING, SUCH AS SEVERE UNEVEN TIRE WEAR ON THE FRONT AND DEVELOPMENT OF RIDGES, LUMP OR DEFORMITIES THAT CAUSE NOISE AND CREATE A "LIMPING" EFFECT. AS MORE MONTHS PASSED BY AND TIRE(S) CONTIN… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | 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 10353524 · 45,000 miSPEEDOMETER APPEARS TO BE DISPLAYING/INDICATING INACCURATE SPEED COMPARE TO ACTUAL SPEED OF THE CAR. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10452881 · 50,578 miACTIVE BODY CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. HYDRAULIC FLUID SPRAYED THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE RISES AND LOWERS UNEXPECTEDLY. IF THE VEHICLE SITS FOR LONGER THAN TWO WEEKS, IT WILL DROP AT ONE SIDE OR TIRE. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 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 | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | Too few reports for a range | 53,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 11422829 · 53,000 miThe contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL55. The contact stated that the odor of fuel was present inside the cabin of the vehicle and inside the garage. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the fuel tank was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The cause of the crack was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000. |
| Service Brakes, Electric | Too few reports for a range | 17,600 mi | 1 (sparse) |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
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
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | 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.
2006: 1 complaints · 2007: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 2 | 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 | Electrical System | Fuel System, Gasoline | Service Brakes, Electric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | — | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 0 | — | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 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.
1 patterns with matching reports.