Mercedes-Benz SLK230 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 156 consumer complaints across the 6 model years of the Mercedes-Benz SLK230 (1998–2003) that have at least 5 complaints. 1999 has the most, with 59. Across all years, the part named most often is exterior lighting (51 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All SLK230 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 5 | 87,400 | 0 | 29 | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 5 | 120,400 | 0 | 31 | — | Not enough data |
| 2001 | 31 | 61,320 | 0 | 24 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 22 | 50,000 | 0 | 16 | — | Rising |
| 1999 | 59 | 65,000 | 0 | 11 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 34 | 40,998 | 0 | 11 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Exterior lighting51 34%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)33 22%
- Electrical system21 14%
- Body and structure10 6.7%
- Brakes10 6.7%
- Electronic stability control9 6.0%
- Transmission and drivetrain8 5.3%
- Fuel system8 5.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2001: “My vehicle would would suddenly come to an abrupt stop without applying the brakes. It would do this at any speed. It was happening everyday. We had to stop driving it. We towed it to the dealer and they told us the yaw sensor was bad. There are many complaints about this on the internet. It is dangerous and could cause a deadly accident. The cost to repair was $1000.”
NHTSA complaint #10914998, filed 2016-10, 80,000 miles1999: “This vehicle stops dead in the road while driving and will not restart until it sits several minutes or more. It does not do this every time it is driven but this is very dangerous. After doing research, we find this is a common problem with this model, as well as a few other models of mercedes. We have contacted the NHTSA but they will not respond as promised. We have called numerous mercedes dealers and they offer no solution except to bring it in and they will check it out for a big price. …”
NHTSA complaint #11406379, filed 2021-04, 115,000 miles2002: “I was driving on the freeway doing about 55 MPH when all of the sudden the car brakes by it self with no warning whats so ever , that was a very scary situation I had vehicles behind me and they had to brake too, that was for about 3 to 5 seconds , I was shaking and scare because I didn't know what happen, another time around the corner from my house as I was turning it did it again for like two seconds, this is very scary because you don't know when is it going to do it again.”
NHTSA complaint #11022603, filed 2017-09, 120,000 milesOther Mercedes-Benz models
3,965 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
659 complaints
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. Methodology