2003 Mercedes-Benz Sl500 Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz Sl500. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 108 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the suspension. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“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 safety due to this defect!”
“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 and they said the car is 20 years ago and it could have not be a manufactured defect. Please I…”
“The contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz sl500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the abc warning light illuminated. Additionally, the message "drive carefully" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the abc tandem pump, struts,…”
“I was driving my car at 45 mph and suddenly, unexpectedly a red light flashed abc do not drive. Smoke was coming from under the car and the front end of the vehicle collapsed downwardly. I had to call for a tow truck to take my vehicle to the mb dealership. I'm I am waiting for the prognosis. I've…”
“The contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz sl500. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the brake pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact depressed the brake pedal firmly however, the vehicle failed to respond. The parking brake was activated however, the…”
“The 2003 sl500 with seemingly no instigating incident or event had the gas tank baffle come apart due to the poor and faulty design of this component. This baffle now is loose and floats on the gas in the gas tank, banging around when there is acceleration or deceleration, even turning sometimes…”
“The contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz sl500. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the following day he noticed that the front of the vehicle was lowered down. The contact stated that the car was too low a warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while starting the vehicle…”
“It has been nearly two years I have stopped driving my 2003 mercedes sl500, although I only have about 80,000 miles on the car. This is due to abc warning light(red display: please drive carefully)comes on intermittently and the car drives very bouncy and it feels the car has no shocks, definitely…”
Defect investigations
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE
THE SUBJECT S-CLASS VEHICLES CONTAIN A COMPRESSED AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT USES AIR STRUTS ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS IN LIEU OF TRADITIONAL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS.THESE AIR STRUTS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTROL RIDE HEIGHT.IN THE EVENT OF THE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE SYSTEM,…
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE
THE SUBJECT S-CLASS VEHICLES CONTAIN A COMPRESSED AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT USES AIR STRUTS ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS IN LIEU OF TRADITIONAL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS.THESE AIR STRUTS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTROL RIDE HEIGHT.IN THE EVENT OF THE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE SYSTEM,…
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE
THE SUBJECT S-CLASS VEHICLES CONTAIN A COMPRESSED AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT USES AIR STRUTS ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS IN LIEU OF TRADITIONAL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS.THESE AIR STRUTS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTROL RIDE HEIGHT.IN THE EVENT OF THE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE SYSTEM,…
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE
THE SUBJECT S-CLASS VEHICLES CONTAIN A COMPRESSED AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT USES AIR STRUTS ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS IN LIEU OF TRADITIONAL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS.THESE AIR STRUTS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTROL RIDE HEIGHT.IN THE EVENT OF THE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE SYSTEM,…
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE
THE SUBJECT S-CLASS VEHICLES CONTAIN A COMPRESSED AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT USES AIR STRUTS ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS IN LIEU OF TRADITIONAL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS.THESE AIR STRUTS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTROL RIDE HEIGHT.IN THE EVENT OF THE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE SYSTEM,…
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE
THE SUBJECT S-CLASS VEHICLES CONTAIN A COMPRESSED AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT USES AIR STRUTS ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS IN LIEU OF TRADITIONAL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS.THESE AIR STRUTS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTROL RIDE HEIGHT.IN THE EVENT OF THE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE SYSTEM,…
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE
THE SUBJECT S-CLASS VEHICLES CONTAIN A COMPRESSED AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT USES AIR STRUTS ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS IN LIEU OF TRADITIONAL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS.THESE AIR STRUTS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTROL RIDE HEIGHT.IN THE EVENT OF THE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE SYSTEM,…
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE
THE SUBJECT S-CLASS VEHICLES CONTAIN A COMPRESSED AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT USES AIR STRUTS ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS IN LIEU OF TRADITIONAL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS.THESE AIR STRUTS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTROL RIDE HEIGHT.IN THE EVENT OF THE LOSS OF AIR FROM THE SYSTEM,…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz Sl500 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.