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Mercedes-Benz SLK320Model year report

2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 Problems

Complaints
26filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
79,861miles, 19 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 3.2L 6-cyl RWD · 18 city / 25 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 26 consumer complaints for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320. The part named most often is brakes, with 14 complaints (54% of the total), followed by electronic stability control (10) and exterior lighting (8). 19 of the complaints include a mileage, and 26% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 79,861 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 1 a fire, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 21 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

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 do not know what this is involving, but from what I have read it may be a sensor and everybody that has had this problem could not easily get a mechanic that understood what to do. This is a very dangerous issue. This has happened now three times and I cannot drive the car now. I have low mileage on this car. I was driving about 55 miles and hour and suddenly my car braked, made a scraping noise & swerved to the right. This lasted 20 seconds. It scared me since someone was behind me and about ran into my rear end, not to mention other cars around me. …”

NHTSA complaint #11058422, filed 2018-01, 79,861 miles

Electronic stability control: “While driving it, the car will act like I slammed on the brakes and the bas/esp light will come on. I am not hitting the brakes when this happens, I am just driving along. Initially, these events happened at low speeds, more recently it happened at 50mph in the rain. There seems to be no connection to speed, acceleration, turning, or anything other than random faults. Dealer read an esp code c1120-004, 016 esp yaw sensor plausibility occurred 1 time and erased code. They could not duplicate the condition in a short test drive. …”

NHTSA complaint #10681952, filed 2015-02, 40,900 miles

Exterior lighting: “Rear break lights were repalced in 2006 recall (05v05000). Same problem in jan of 2015. No chance of dealer standing behind the recall again. Now I have to pay out of pocket the cost to fix the lights that were recalled prior. Over $600. When they just replaced the recall with the same faulty lights. Turns out their c-class is now having the same recall problem.”

NHTSA complaint #10670551, filed 2015-01, 88,000 miles

Electrical system: “I own a 2001 SLK320 mercedes bought it a second owner, it had no brakes light in the rear passenger side, electric seats not working either. Replaced the relay for seats but can't get tail lights to work check on recall was not honored what the heck. Mercedes should fix these continual problems that continue to cost us big bucks to fix $600.00 each time becomes to much, last mercedes for me or friends and family. …”

NHTSA complaint #10934304, filed 2016-12

Mileage when problems were reported

26% of the 19 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 49,500 and 110,000 miles.

0%0–105%10–2521%25–5021%50–7521%75–10026%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (19 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 79,861 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’11’134’154’17’20’23’25
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 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 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
SLK320 RWD3.2L 6-cyl5-speed automatic182521$3,900
SLK320 RWD3.2L 6-cyl6-speed manual162519$4,350

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 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 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. 21 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 21 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz SLK320

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20021168,0000—20—Not enough data
20012679,8610—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Mercedes-Benz SLK320 model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 have?

NHTSA recorded 26 consumer complaints for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 14 complaints (54% of the total), followed by electronic stability control with 10.

Has the 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 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 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 get?

The EPA rates the 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 (SLK320, 3.2L 6-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 25 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK320 reported?

Among the 19 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 79,861 miles and the middle half falls between 49,500 and 110,000 miles; 26% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. 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.