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Mercedes-Benz SL500Model year report

2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Problems

Complaints
19filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
40,282miles, 17 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
17 mpgcombined, 5.0L 8-cyl RWD · 14 city / 21 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 19 consumer complaints for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500. The part named most often is brakes, with 7 complaints (37% of the total), followed by electrical system (4) and transmission and drivetrain (3). 17 of the complaints include a mileage, and 65% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 40,282 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 59 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 6 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 7 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Brakes: “I drove out of my drive and tried to brake the car and a warning light came on saying that my brakes were malfunctioning. The car would not brake. The brakes on the car were dead.fortunately there is a hill at the bottom of the road where I live and by going up the hill the car came to a stop. Fortunately there were no other cars or pedestrians on the road otherwise I would not have been able to stop. When I brought my car to the dealer, they said that it was a software problem and they would fix it for free. …”

NHTSA complaint #10565365, filed 2014-02, 42,000 miles

Electrical system: “My mercedes benz has a faulty electrical wiring in the command navigation unit in my SL500. The vehicle has only 16,385 miles on it, though it is a 2005 model, and has been housed in a high-end garage with no trauma, no damage, and very little wear and tear. I purchased the car used about 6 weeks ago. Within the last 3 weeks the unit has gone from working intermittently to not working at all, simply providing a screen message: system unavailable. On march 5, 2012 I took my sl 500 the authorized dealer here, and contacted the service manager . …”

NHTSA complaint #10452934, filed 2012-03, 16,385 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “While driving in traffic at approximately 40 MPH the transmission disengaged (slipped) so much so that the RPM's shot up and the car no longer had power to the drive wheels. I needed to move over 2 lanes through traffic to pull over to the curb and get out of traffic. Once I stopped the car at the side of the road the transmission engaged and the car regained power the the rear wheels and I was able to drive the car off the road to safety with some minimal slipping of the transmission. Once I got the car home I checked for error codes even though there was no check engine light on. …”

NHTSA complaint #10981247, filed 2017-04, 60,000 miles

Suspension: “The contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz 500sl. The contact stated that the vehicle sat abnormally low to the ground. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the hydraulic system had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 37,000. The VIN was unavailable.”

NHTSA complaint #10533280, filed 2013-08, 37,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

65% of the 17 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 22,000 and 65,000 miles.

18%0–1018%10–2529%25–5012%50–7518%75–1006%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (17 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 40,282 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’09’122’1422’16’1822’20’23
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
SL500 RWD5.0L 8-cyl7-speed automatic142117$4,850

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 59 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 59 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz SL500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20061354,0000—17—Not enough data
20051940,2820—17—Falling
20044575,0000—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20038062,8590—16Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1998645,0000—17—Not enough data
19979122,0001—16—Not enough data
1996685,0000—17—Not enough data
19952297,5000—16—Stable
1994890,0000—16—Not enough data
1993666,0000———Not enough data

All Mercedes-Benz SL500 model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 have?

NHTSA recorded 19 consumer complaints for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 as of Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 7 complaints (37% of the total), followed by electrical system with 4.

Has the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 get?

The EPA rates the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 (SL500, 5.0L 8-cyl) at 17 mpg combined, 14 city and 21 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,850 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 reported?

Among the 17 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 40,282 miles and the middle half falls between 22,000 and 65,000 miles; 65% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.