2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Recalls, Complaints & Specs
No safety recalls list the 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500, and owners have filed 80 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
No safety recalls on record
NHTSA's recall database lists no safety campaigns that include the 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500. That is good news, with two caveats: recalls can be issued at any time (this page refreshes daily), and a recall filed under a related model name may not appear here. The VIN check above queries NHTSA directly for your exact vehicle.
80 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 have filed 80 complaints with NHTSA; 2 describe a crash and 3 describe a fire. Reports cite 1 injury and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 67,037 miles. Complaints peaked in 2014 with 12 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“To who may this concerned, I have a 2003 Mercedes SL500 and recently found my battery control module caught on fire and burnt a section of my car. I have tried reaching out to Mercedes directly first”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 29, 2023 · Electrical system
“I am concerned with the battery control module. I have noticed there has been a lot of incidents out there where the battery control module in the SL 500s have caught fire! I am concerned for my safet”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 27, 2023 · Electrical system
Compare Mercedes-Benz SL500 model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Mercedes-Benz SL500 model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 2 |
| 1993 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 6 |
| 1994 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 8 |
| 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 22 |
| 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 6 |
| 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 1 | 9 |
| 1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 6 |
| 1999 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 2 |
| 2000 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 2 |
| 2001 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 3 |
| 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 80 |
| 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 45 |
| 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 19 |
| 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 13 |
| 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL500 | 0 | 2 |
Checking a specific 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500
How do I know if my 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number.
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
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- ML350952 complaints
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- C250726 complaints
- C230657 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.