2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Fuel system Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 20%of 45 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 103,310miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the fuel system of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500, 20% of the 45 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 103,310 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I experience a strong odor of fuel when entering my vehicle and when driving the vehicle, also when driving the vehicle I heart a loud thumping sound coming from the trunk area. Sounds to me as though something is floating inside gas tank. This odor has sickened me and has severely upset my stomach to the point that I'm unable to drive my vehicle except for a short distance. The thumping sound is created when vehicle is moving or coming to a stop but happens continuously while driving.”
NHTSA complaint #11326987, filed 2020-06, 88,620 miles“Baffle in my fuel tank on my 2004 mercedes sl 500 has broken. Causes a loud knocking sound. Entire fuel tank has to be replaced. Researching many blogs and forums found many of sl owners has same experienced. I believe this should be handled under a recall from the manufacturer.”
NHTSA complaint #10393097, filed 2011-03, 80,000 miles“Baffle in my fuel tank on my 2004 mercedes sl 500 has broken. Causes a loud knocking sound and the only remedy is to spend $3000 to have the entire fuel tank replaced. This is happening to hundreds of mercedes benz sl owners. I believe this should be handled under a recall from the manufacturer.”
NHTSA complaint #10364000, filed 2010-11, 50,000 miles“On july 22, 2020 the vehicle (2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500 (r230)began making a loud banging noise in the rear when stopping and turning. I delivered the vehicle to a local shop where the vehicle was diagnosed as having a broken baffle in the fuel tank. The only solution is to replace the entire fuel tank. Many other owners of this model have experienced the same issue and is clearly a manufacturer defect; this cannot be caused by excess wear on the vehicle. …”
NHTSA complaint #11342296, filed 2020-07, 118,000 miles“The contact owns a 2004 mercedes benz SL500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a knocking noise emitted from the rear driver's side. The dealer diagnosed that fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10644773, filed 2014-10, 78,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10016670May 1, 2009Mercedes: the fuel level indicated in the instrument cluster does not match the actual fill level. This may be caused by a fault in the fuel level sensor function chain…
Fuel system: other model years
Other parts of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500
21 complaintsBrakes
11 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
3 complaintsWheels
3 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology