Mercedes Benz Sl500 1995

Model Sl500 made in 1995 by Mercedes Benz got 25 consumer complains there is 1 recall as well as 18 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to electrical system, electronic stability control and engine. Technical service bulletines regarding electrical system, exterior lighting and seat belts. There was one recall concerning wheels .

Model 1995

Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
WHEELS
06E014000ZF TRADING NORTH AMERICA, LLC E (Equipment)3142201/27/2006MFRMERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC.02/06/200602/13/2006
Defect SummaryCertain zf trading north america aftermarket wheel bearing kits, lemfoerder p/n 1402301, sold for installation on 1992-2001 mercedes benz sl500 (r129) vehicles after april 1, 2005. the caliper mounting bolts used in the wheel bearing kit may be defective, shear off and break. if both caliper mounting bolts break, the brake caliper may become unfixed and, when the vehicle is braked, the brake rotor could drag the caliper, causing the brake hose to rupture and the vehicle's suspension to be damaged.
Consequence SummaryThis could result in a loss of a portion of the vehicle's braking ability, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Corrective SummaryZf trading will notify its owners and repair the wheel bearing kits free of charge. the recall began on january 27, 2006.
NotesThis recall only pertains to aftermarket lemfoerder wheel bearing kits, p/n 14023010 and has no relation to any original equipment installed on mercedes benz sl500 vehicles manufactured by mercedes benz.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
32502903/31/2009PB-32-50-29A10016687Abc visit workshop displayed in instrument cluster and hydraulic fluid leakage. *tt updated 5/14/09. models 215, 220 and 230. model years unknown. *pe09/27/2005
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS
PB-82-10-376F02/06/200910028585Mercedes vehicles: the xenon or bi-xenon headlamp not functioning. a function description can be found in wis document gf8s.10-p-20010 (203), gf82.10-p-0003q (209); gf82.10-p-3002r (230). model years uknown. *pe05/11/2009
SEAT BELTS
40-P-05279404/20/201210044222Mercedes benz: front or rear seat belt does not roll up correctly. dirt deposits on the seat belt guide due to soiled seat belt. also included models 169, f cell, 246, and 231. no model years given. *js05/23/2012
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DIFFERENTIAL PROPORTIONAL VALVE
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - DRUM
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - SHOES/LININGS
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - WHEEL CYLINDERS
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER
TSB-42-10-10906/15/200910030929Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the brake components an12/22/2009
STEERING
PB-46-20-16E02/27/200910028587Mercedes: leaks at steering gear control head connection to high or low pressure lines or leaks at internal steering lines of control head connection to steering gear housing. models 171, 203, 204, 209, 211, 215, 216, 219, 220, 221, and 205/11/2009
STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
PB-46-20-16E02/27/200910028587Mercedes: leaks at steering gear control head connection to high or low pressure lines or leaks at internal steering lines of control head connection to steering gear housing. models 171, 203, 204, 209, 211, 215, 216, 219, 220, 221, and 205/11/2009
SUSPENSION
PB-32-50-35C02/22/200810028626Mercedes: the vehicle's suspension level randomly lowering while driving and/or rapid sporadic level changes shortly after stopping the vehicle, replace the body acceleration sensors. models 215.3, 220, and 230. model years unknown.05/12/2009

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
03/01/2011102300
 Mercedes benz engineered their 1995 sl500 with faulty wiring. i have experienced times when the car would not idle at a stop light. there have been times when i have crossed an intersection and the car stalled, had not power and just would not run. this has almost been the cause of more than one accident. several hours has been spent by mechanics working on the car doing research to diagnosis the issues. we became aware of the faulty wiring that mercedes benz used and in turn has caused several componets to fail. there has been $1,000.00's of dollars spent on my vehcile for diagnosing the problem,replacing modules, wiring harnesses, mass air flow sensor, fuel pump just to name a few. i have photo's of the faulty wiring used for the engine management harness and of the wiring leading from the eta (throttle body) to the computer. mercedes benz has not notified registered owners of this known problem, nor released any service bulletins to qualified mechanics. i would have expected a company with a reputation for providing outstanding and dependable vehicles to provide a solution to this and accept responsibility. instead they have been allowed to ignore the costly mistake and have passed it on to the owners. fortunatly for me, it has only been a monetary. i wonder if or how many have paid the price by injury.
03/03/2008100000
 1995 mercedes sl500 with 105,000 miles. i had to replace three wiring harnesses: fuel injection/engine management, alternator/lower electrical harnesses, and had to have the electronic throttle body wiring rebuilt. all of the wiring insulation was brittle and exposed causing driveability issues and the inability to run or accelerate. the repairs cost $2,000 plus and mercedes says there is no defect. baloney
11/08/2009830001
 1995 sl500 had the sar light go on and the car went into limp mode and barely ran enough to get it to the service garage. the mechanic diagnosed a faulty engine wiring harness and showed me how the insulation on the wires was literally breaking away from the electrical wiring. this he said was shorting out the control module. he told me his was very common on the mercedes of this vintage and that it was a hazard. the car only has 83,000 miles on it and my wife baby it's like her own child. it is garaged each night and i do not believe the wiring harness should have desintegrated with so few miles. it is my belief that the product is defective. *tr
06/24/2008550001
 My 1996 mercedes sl500 with less than 55,000 miles has crumbling wire insulation on the engine controls which has resulted in shorted wiring in the engine controls. the poor quality of the insulation on the wires is the problem, yet the car maker or the dealer has not done a recall to replace this wiring harness for this safety problem. i am told the cost to replace all the defective parts will be thousands of dollars. this is a known safety issue within the mercedes community for this car through 1990-1995. there must be thousands of cars involved with this potential safety hazard. this car was sold to me without any mention of this hazard. became aware of it when presented to repair shops. *tr
09/23/20081410001
 I have a 1995 mercedes benz and the wiring harness caught fire while was driving on the road and almost had a wreck trying to stop the car so i could get out, was choking from the fumes. should i have waited until i had a wreck and killed someone. since i have read on line that 500 people have had similar problems that they reported to you. *tr
04/25/20085630001
 My 1995 sl500 recently lost power while traveling down the road. the diagnosis was a faulty alternator but, while the mb dealership was looking the car over, the ea wiring harness was found to be degraded in several places. i was told that it would need to be replaced which also involved replacing the ea control unit and throttle valve actuator. these parts apparently come as kit for about $4,000.00! i opted to not have that repaired at this time but, i will be having it repaired very very soon! it is quite remarkable that a biodegradable wiring harness has never been recalled or even acknowledged as faulty by the manufacturer. this should truly be addressed. *tr
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING
11/05/200750
 Car goes into limp mode also causing additional error codes on my computer. *tr
02/13/200756871103/20/2006
 My 1996 mercedes sl500 with less than 55,000 miles has crumbling wire insulation on the engine controls which has resulted in shorted wiring in the engine controls. the poor quality of the insulation on the wires is the problem, yet the car maker or the dealer has not done a recall to replace this wiring harness for this safety problem. i am told the cost to replace all the defective parts will be thousands of dollars. the car must be rewired before it can be driven. *jb
10/04/2006119750107/04/2002
 Car stalled in traffic due to wiring harness failure. started small fire that was extinguished before any significant damage. i replaced the wiring harness and cleaned engine compartment. wiring harness insulation had turned to powder in many locations shorting fuel injectors, mass sensor and cam magnets. *nm
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL
09/06/20081310001
 I have a 1995 sl500 mercedes benz and the wires going to the brake switch caught fire, if i had not had a fire extinguisher the hole car might have caught fire also i was no going fast when the fumes started choking me and my eyes burned. i could have killed my self or someone on the road. *tr
ENGINE
04/02/2012630001
 Took my car in for service as it wasn't running properly (computer codes, stalling, etc) found out that in 1995 the mercedes benz company put biodegradable wiring. had to send to germany for a new wiring harness ($1500) may have to purchase the other wiring harness in the near future ($3000). what kind of car company puts biodegradable wiring in their cars?? a mercedes is known to last up to several hundred thousand miles, but not when the wiring starts disintegrating!! i have since found there are hundreds if not thousands of class action suits for this same matter against the mercedes benz company. they refuse to acknowledge the issue or the problem. had i known of this, i would not have purchased the car in the first place! *tr
04/02/201263000
 Took my car in for service as it wasn't running properly (computer codes, stallling, etc) found out that in 1995 the mercedes benz company put biodegradable wiring. had to send to germany for a new wiring harness ($1500) may have to purchase the other wiring harness in the near future ($3000). what kind of car company puts biodegradable wiring in their cars?? a mercedes is known to last up to several hundred thousand miles, but not when the wiring starts disintegrading!! i have since found there are hundreds if not thousands of class action suits for this same matter against the mercedes benz company. they refuse to acknowledge the issue or the problem. had i known of this, i would not have purchased the car in the first place!
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
09/06/20081310001
 I have a 1995 sl500 mercedes benz and the wires going to the brake switch caught fire, if i had not had a fire extinguisher the hole car might have caught fire also i was no going fast when the fumes started choking me and my eyes burned. i could have killed my self or someone on the road. *tr
TIRES
06/21/201043182
 Leaving williamsburg va on i64 for newport news 6-21-2010 at 4:30 pm the right rear tire explosively failed. the car was stopped and brought to the shoulder. before this the traction control light would come on at times. the pavement was dry, the temperature was 80-99f. the blow out looked to be caused by the rim spinning in the tire and the ply stock delaminating from the bead, then the side wall split. there was several ounces of ground rubber in the tire when removed from the rim. the tires had the pressure checked the week before when the right front tire developed a slow leak and was replaced. the tires were returned to the purchase location and replaced due to road hazards. the tires were purchased in january. the tires are michlien pilot sport a/s plus, 225/50zr16 92y dir bsw. the car is a mercedes sl500 1995. i have photographs of the damaged tire. retailer kept tire to be reimbursed.
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
11/08/2009830001
 1995 sl500 had the sar light go on and the car went into limp mode and barely ran enough to get it to the service garage. the mechanic diagnosed a faulty engine wiring harness and showed me how the insulation on the wires was literally breaking away from the electrical wiring. this he said was shorting out the control module. he told me his was very common on the mercedes of this vintage and that it was a hazard. the car only has 83,000 miles on it and my wife baby it's like her own child. it is garaged each night and i do not believe the wiring harness should have desintegrated with so few miles. it is my belief that the product is defective. *tr
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
09/06/20081310001
 I have a 1995 sl500 mercedes benz and the wires going to the brake switch caught fire, if i had not had a fire extinguisher the hole car might have caught fire also i was no going fast when the fumes started choking me and my eyes burned. i could have killed my self or someone on the road. *tr

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