There are 3 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL-Classin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON, THE SRS LIGHT COMES ON, THE ROLLBAR LIGHT ON, COMMAND CENTER OFF/ON/OFF/ON, WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK, SEAT WARMERS/COOLERS INOP, AUTO HEADLIGHTS INOP.....ALL THESE PROBLEMS ARE CONNECTED AND INTERMITTENT. READING THROUGHT THE MB FORUM AND MBWORLD FORUM, MANY SL OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING AND IT ALL SEEMS TO POINT TO THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH. I WROTE A LETTER TO MB IN JANUARY 2015 AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HELP. MY INDEPENDENT DEALER IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH (THEY'VE SEEN IT BEFORE) BUT THEY ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO WORK ON IGNITION SWITCH....IT MUST BE THE DEALER. I TOOK IT ONCE TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER BACK MONTHS LATER TO TRY AND GET IT FIXED, THEY ARGUED WITH ME THAT THEY NEED TO TROUBLE SHOOT IT BEFORE THEY JUST REPLACE THE EIS, EVEN THOUGH THEY COULDNT FIGURE IT OUT THE FIRST TIME I GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY. THERE ARE PAGES AND PAGES OF PEOPLE ON THE FORUMS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FACT THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DONT WORK IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE HEADLIGHTS CAN STILL BE TURNED ON MANUALLY. TO COMPLICATE THIS WHOLE THING, THIS IS INTERMITTENT. SOMETIMES THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS AT ALL, SOMETIMES HALF THE PROBLEMS, SOMETIMES ALL OF THE PROBLEMS. REAL FRUSTRATION FROM DEALER ON THIS ISSUE. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM THE MERCEDES OF SOUTH BAY DEALER IN TORRANCE, CA IN DECEMBER 2013 AND HAVE HAD A PROBLEM EVER SINCE.
I WAS DRIVING A 2006 SL65. THE CAR HAD AN ELECTRONIC BRAKING SYSTEM. THUS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS CONNECTED TO A SENSOR WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO A PUMP WHICH TURNED THE BRAKES ON. SOMETHING FAILED. THERE WERE NO BRAKES! LUCKILY I DID NOT CRASH DESPITE BEING ON A CHICAGO CITY STREET. I WAS PROBABLY ON THE ONLY STREET WHERE I WOULD NOT HAVE CRASHED. THERE WAS A PRIOR RECALL ON OLDER SLS FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY REMEDIED BUT THIS SHOULD BE A NEVER EVENT. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I GOT RID OF THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AND THE DEALER BOUGHT IT BACK, BUT THE CAR WAS SOLD AGAIN. IT IS A LOW VOLUME CAR AND THERE MIGHT BE CRASHES OR FATALITIES. *TR
SPEEDOMETER APPEARS TO BE DISPLAYING/INDICATING INACCURATE SPEED COMPARE TO ACTUAL SPEED OF THE CAR. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026