2004 Mercedes-Benz SL

Typical pattern

3.9% of complaints about the 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2004 vehicle — around the middle of the 236 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 10.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is suspension (26 complaints), typically at 10.6 yr or about 56,000 miles.

Covers 3 variants: SL500 (64), SL CLASS (6), SL600 (5)

Complaints: 76
Median age at failure: 10.8 yr
Median mileage: 61,000 n=54
Crash / fire / tow: 10.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Suspension 29,000 mi 8.6 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING 30MPH, SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED ROCKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. I HELD THE STEERING WHEEL FIRMLY, BUT THE CAR STARTED MOVING TO THE RIGHT, SO I STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. IT APPEARED TO BE A SUSPENSION PROBLEM. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, IT WAS OKAY. WITHIN A WEEK OR SO, THE SAME THING HAPPENED, AGAIN. LUCKILY, BOTH TIMES, I WAS DRIVING LOCALLY AT A LOW SPEED, RATHER THAN AT A HIGH SPEED ON THE FREEWAY, WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 65MPH. *JS

Suspension mileage not reported 8.3 yr in service

SOMETHING CALLED AN ABC PUMP AND BLOCK HAS FAILED AND CAR DROPS DOWN ON FRAME. SPENT $3200 ON THE PUMP TO DRIVE 2 MONTHS BEFORE THEY WANT $3800 TO REPAIR THE VALVE BLOCK. BOTH TIMES THE VEHICLE DROPS AND IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO A BAFFLE COMING LOOSE IN THE GAS TANK THAT HAS METAL BASHING METAL INSIDE THE GAS CELL. *TR

Suspension 21,800 mi 10.6 yr in service

THE LEFT SIDE (DRIVER'S SIDE) OF MY VEHICLE SUSPENSION SYSTEM WILL LOWER ITSELF. THE WILL OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED FOR A PROLONG PERIOD OF TIME AND ON ANY TYPE OF SURFACE OR GRADE. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY VEHICLE HAS ZERO DEFECTS. TO RAISE THE SUSPENSION, I AM REQUIRE TO PRESS THE ABC SUSPENSION BUTTON AND THE SUSPENSION RAISED TO THE PROPER HEIGHT. *TR

Other SL model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2004 Mercedes-Benz SL

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other SL model years

How to read this