Mercedes-Benz SL550 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 48 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the Mercedes-Benz SL550 (2007–2013) that have at least 5 complaints. 2013 has the most, with 17. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (15 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All SL550 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 17 | 31,000 | 3 | 87 | — | Stable |
| 2009 | 15 | 8,580 | 0 | 58 | — | Falling |
| 2007 | 16 | 42,000 | 1 | 54 | — | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes15 28%
- Wheels7 13%
- Transmission and drivetrain6 11%
- Steering6 11%
- Electrical system6 11%
- Tires5 9.4%
- Engine5 9.4%
- Suspension3 5.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2007: “The brakes totally failed with little warning. In mid-october, 2018 driving about 15 MPH my brake light came on and then within approximately 5 seconds alarms started sounding and I totally lost all braking power. Mercedes of denver repaired. On december 17 same exact thing happened at an even slower speed but this time the loss of brakes was instantaneous. Very concerned what would have happened had this happened at higher speed.”
NHTSA complaint #11162793, filed 2018-12, 75,083 miles2013: “Traveling on I-5 in stop and go traffic 0- 60 MPH when transmission started shifting roughly. It then shifted to neutral and would not respond to shifter inputs. I was in the second lane from the right doing 10 or 15 MPH. I was able to force my way into the right lane and off to the shoulder. I put the transmission in sport and paddle shifter mode with no response from the shift selector. Thinking this is a computer problem I rebooted by shutting car off and restarting. All functions returned to normal. …”
NHTSA complaint #11021314, filed 2017-09, 28,000 miles2009: “My car was parked and I attempted to open the driver's door as I was seated in driver's seat and I heard a loud popping noise. The door lock mechanism has failed such that the driver's door can not be opened from the interior which presents a serious safety issue. Despite being covered by an extended a mercedes cpo warranty mercedes refuses to cover the cost of the repair. This is a well known issue across many mercedes models including the r230 SL550. Part of the door handle actuation mechanism is made of fragile plastic and, or nylon that wears prematurely.”
NHTSA complaint #10945750, filed 2017-01, 92,000 milesOther Mercedes-Benz models
3,963 complaintsMercedes-Benz E350
2,215 complaintsMercedes-Benz E320
1,164 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML350
952 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLK350
901 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML320
740 complaintsMercedes-Benz C250
725 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLC 300
657 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology