The 2002 Mercedes-Benz Slk has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 97,141 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, FAILURE OF ONE OF THE SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS CAN OCCUR. THE BASE OF THE SOCKET CAN BE SUBJECT TO THERMAL DEFORMATION OVER TIME.
Consequence
THIS DEFORMATION CAN CAUSE MOVEMENT IN THE SOCKET-TO-BULB CONNECTION, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A LOOSENING OF THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE SOCKET, AND FAILURE OF THE BULB TO ILLUMINATE.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR LAMP MODULES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2006, TO APPROXIMATELY 8,200 OWNERS. PHASE II MAILING IS SCHEDULE ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 3, 2006, AND PHASE III MAILING IS SCHEDULE FOR JANUARY 2007 FOR THE REMAINING OWNERS. OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH THE UPDATED TRIM (POST-FACE LIFT) WILL…
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE OWNER'S MANUAL DOES NOT CONTAIN THE PROPER HEADLAMP AIMING INSTRUCTIONS.
Consequence
THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Remedy
OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH HEADLAMP AIMING INSTRUCTIONS, AND DIRECTIONS FOR AFFIXING THESE INSERTS TO THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 15, 2002. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE INSTRUCTIONS WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-201-573-0117.
Complaints by component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
5
VISIBILITY
5
1crashes
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
3
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1
EQUIPMENT
1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
1
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1
Total complaints30
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The auto dimming rear view mirror turned black and I cannot see out of it dealer wants like $800 to replace it. There are many people on the forums with the same problem, also the auto dimming drivers side mirror has a similar problem and can't see out of that either, again many people on the…”
“The auto dimming rear view mirror turned black and I cannot see out of it dealer wants like $800 to replace it. There are many people on the forums with the same problem, also the auto dimming drivers side mirror has a similar problem and can't see out of that either, again many people on the…”
“2002 mercedes slk320 fails to accelerate randomly and at critical moments. Gas pedal can be pushed all the way to the floor but the car remains at idol so the car doesn't have enough power to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. No warning or check engine diagnostics are generated. Power is…”
“The inside rear view mirror in my 2002 mercedes-benz slk32 is a self-dimming mirror that has malfunctioned. The mirror contains some kind of fluid that leaked out onto my center console and then the dimming effect no longer worked, leading to an unsafe condition at night. There is no manual backup…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercedes benz, slk 320. The contact stated while driving at 60 mph , the brakes locked up and the bas/esp (traction control light) came on causing the vehicle to slow down to 10 mph almost causing a crash while on the freeway. Suddenly the brakes unlocked and the…”
“I bought a slk 320 2002 model and while driving the right side brakes so violently the tires squeal, I am afraid to get on an interstate, and reading a lot of reviews I see I am not the only one. This is a tremendous safety concern. *tr”
“I bought a slk 320 2002 model and while driving the right side brakes so violently the tires squeal, I am afraid to get on an interstate, and reading a lot of reviews I see I am not the only one. This is a tremendous safety concern. *tr”
“Mb should recall rearview mirrors for 1998-2003 slk. Looking at articles over the internet, lots of slk owners have experienced this problem, so this is a known common issue for the car. The problem is that the rearview has an auto dim feature, and this mirror usually leaks making the mirror very…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE05051 Opened 2005-09-22 · closed 2005-12-02
BRAKE LAMP FAILURE
IN ITS LETTER DATED OCTOBER 28, 2005, MERCEDES-BENZ USA STATED THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REMEDY DEFECTIVE BRAKE LAMP ASSEMBLIES IN MODEL YEAR 1998 THROUGH 2004 MERCEDES BENZ SLK VEHICLES.THE BASE OF THE BRAKE LAMP SOCKET CAN BE SUBJECT TO THERMAL DEFORMATION OVER TIME.THIS DEFORMATION CAN CAUSE…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz Slk as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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