The 1996 Mercedes-Benz Sl Class has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 29,023 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
IF ONE OF THE HEADLAMP WIPER ARMS BECOMES MISALIGNED, THE WIPER BALDE CAN LODGE IN THE GROOVE UNDER THE HEADLAMP. IF THE WASHERS ARE ACTIVATED WITH THE WIPER BLADE IN THE MISALIGNED AND LODGED POSITION, THE WASHER PUMP WILL RUN CONTINUOUSLY EXPELLING ALL AVAILABLE FLUID.
PUMP OPERATION IN THE ABSENCE OF FLUID CAN CAUSE THE PUMP TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLAMP WASHER PUMP ON THESE VEHICLES.
THE DRIVE BELT PULLEY ON THE ENGINE CAN DEVELOP FATIGUE CRACKS IN THE METAL AND BREAK. IF THE DRIVE PULLEY BREAKS, THE CAR WOULD NOT HAVE ENGINE COOLING, BATTERY CHARGING, AND/OR POWER STEERING.
LOSS OF THESE SYSTEMS CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO OVER HEAT, LOSE POWER FROM THE BATTERY, AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT DAMPER-PULLEY ON THESE VEHICLES.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“My 1996 mercedes sl600 failed emissions testing because the obdii system check reported 5 monitors were "not ready". After great expense attempting to fix the problems indicated by this output, I discovered through internet searches and communications with illinois epa that this is a known problem…”
“1996 mercedes benz sl 600 wiring harness failure authorized dealer reports that this is a typical failure of an older mercedes with only 60,000 miles. This failure is know through out the industry but it has never been recognized by mb consequently no recall. The car runs sluggishly and I have…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 Mercedes-Benz Sl Class as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.