2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 electrical system problems
10 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 — 13% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“To who may this concerned, I have a 2003 Mercedes SL500 and recently found my battery control module caught on fire and burnt a section of my car. I have tried reaching out to Mercedes directly first and they said the car is 20 years ago and it could have not be a manufactured defect. Please I need…”
filed Nov 29, 2023
“I am concerned with the battery control module. I have noticed there has been a lot of incidents out there where the battery control module in the SL 500s have caught fire! I am concerned for my safety due to this defect!”
filed Nov 27, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Complaint During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or interference/background noises are audible to the called party during a call. It becomes increasingly…
LI82.70-P-077433 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 5, 2025
Electrical System problems in other SL500 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 SL500 | 4 | 21% |
| 2004 SL500 | 4 | 9% |
| 1995 SL500 | 18 | 82% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.