Suspension complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The 2006 mb SL500's are prone to abc (active body control) failures. Mercedes Benz is aware of this issue, but they will not offer any assistance in repairing it. The cost to repair this system is approx. $4,000. If the vehicle is in motion, it is very possible that the driver May lose control of the car. The abc system affects both the air suspension, and braking. It could lead to a catastrophic accident, resulting in injury or death. I was fortunate in that I was not on the highway when the failure occurred.
We bought a good car so the car can last with few issues but we have had lots of maintenance on this car and last one was the malfunction of the suspension and this cost us over $1800 to get fix. I believe this should be a recall item from Mercedes Benz as lots of people are having the same problem and this is a very expensive fix for the consumer. My car only has 43K miles and we have replaced 3 sets of tires and it is so expensive to replace. We have other major issues with tire pressure errors and have taken in for service many times.
I submitted via fax earlier this week a formal letter to mr. Exler the president & ceo of mbusa and, cc'd mr. King of the NHTSA that included information about known critical safety issued these vehicles had prior to mbusa importing them to the united states. Mbusa failed to disclose these known issues and, chose to importation these vehicles violating vehicle importation rules. Yesterday-January 31, 2019 I received a call from a representative of mbusa stating he was calling on behalf of mr. Exlers office concerning my letter. I will not be intimidated by mbusa while seeking the truth on why mbusa allowed these vehicles to enter the USA knowing these critical safety issues existed while misleading consumers and, the NHTSA. On January 21, 2019 my vehicle had what is described by mbusa as a catastrophic failure when the entire brake system failed. …
Addendum info to original complaint #10308437 shows that mb service advisor j. Steach advised m .b. Not responsible as driver should "miss" potholes. Engineering analysis shows that it is not possible for driver to steer around potholes. At 70mph mb SL500 travels 103 ft/sec and it is not possible to observe the pothole hazard and categorize as safety risk at speeds of 70mph(103ft/sec) react physiologically and actuate steering system -all in less than one second-one half second each for human response and same for mechanical actuation-insufficient time to avoid pot hole hit. Dark or low light conditions render pothole miss impossible. In any case, the improperly engineered soft low strength alloy wheel design leads any prudent vehicle driver into a crash trap. Wheel,tire, suspension damage evident-needs corrected immediately at expense of mercedez-Benz.. …
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 and taking his foot off the brake pedal, the vehicle would raise up independently and would be able to drive to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front strap suspension to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,500.
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, and hoses needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they did not provide service for older vehicles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
NHTSA 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, an alert will flash on the instrument cluster warning the driver to either drive carefully or to stop…
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercedes-Benz SL500 years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (34) and 2004 (21) model years. Suspension complaints make up 43% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Mercedes-Benz SL500 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for any Mercedes-Benz SL500 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz SL500 suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles; 27% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front (2 mentions), followed by the rear (1).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.