2002 Mercedes Benz Slk problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility (5) · Electrical System (4) · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mercedes Benz Slk model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (2)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder 2009-06-15 · TSB-42-10-109 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
mercedes: 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 and or hardware can begin to corrode. include all models an
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine 2008-04-24 · 033008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
check engine light on / fault codes fc1200 / fc1208 stored in me-sfi control unit. mercedes-benz model c230, c280, c350, slk280, slk350, clk350, clk550, e350, e550, cls550, s600, and sl550. equipped with m272 engine or m273 engine. *nj updated 8/28/08. *pe
What owners report
2013-10-21 · Visibility/Wiper · 61,714 mi“the auto dimming rear view mirror turned black and i cannot see out of it dealer wants like $800 to replace it. there are many people on the forums with the same problem, also the auto dimming drivers side mirror has a similar problem and can't see out of that either, again many people on the forums complain about this too. at one time the manufa…”
2011-05-31 · Visibility · 34,986 mi“visual impairment due to "lava lamp/ distorted bubble" effect in auto-dimming rearview and side mirror. i never realized so many other people were having this problem and didn't realize that this website existed. i would have filed my complaint a long time ago. i've never heard of replace a rearview mirror before. one day i was driving and i notice…”
2011-01-31 · Visibility · 56,200 mi“the inside rear view mirror in my 2002 mercedes-benz slk32 is a self-dimming mirror that has malfunctioned. the mirror contains some kind of fluid that leaked out onto my center console and then the dimming effect no longer worked, leading to an unsafe condition at night. there is no manual backup with this mirror, it is electric and once it fail…”
2010-12-06 · Vehicle Speed Control · 69,500 mi“2002 mercedes slk320 fails to accelerate randomly and at critical moments. gas pedal can be pushed all the way to the floor but the car remains at idol so the car doesn't have enough power to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. no warning or check engine diagnostics are generated. power is slow to recover but leaves the car limping along at i…”
2010-09-09 · Traction Control System · 52,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercedes benz, slk 320. the contact stated while driving at 60 mph , the brakes locked up and the bas/esp (traction control light) came on causing the vehicle to slow down to 10 mph almost causing a crash while on the freeway. suddenly the brakes unlocked and the contact was able to drive the vehicle home. the conta…”
2010-08-10 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 87,000 mi“i bought a slk 320 2002 model and while driving the right side brakes so violently the tires squeal, i am afraid to get on an interstate, and reading a lot of reviews i see i am not the only one. this is a tremendous safety concern. *tr…”
2010-06-29 · Visibility · 61,000 mi · 💥 crash“mb should recall rearview mirrors for 1998-2003 slk. looking at articles over the internet, lots of slk owners have experienced this problem, so this is a known common issue for the car. the problem is that the rearview has an auto dim feature, and this mirror usually leaks making the mirror very dark where your cannot use it anymore. *tr…”
2009-09-07 · Visibility:rearview Mirrors/Devices“the inside rear view mirror in my 2002 mercedes-benz slk 230 (r170 model) is an electro chromic self-dimming mirror that has no manual backup. the mirror contained a fluid which leaked out causing the self-dimming mirror to fail to provide dimming against rear approaching headlights resulting in the driver to either be blinded or to have to turn th…”
2009-01-06 · Visibility · 40,000 mi“the inside rear view and the exterior rear view mirrors in my 2002 mercedes-benz slk 32 amg (r170 model) are electro chromic self-dimming mirrors that have no manual backup. the mirrors contained a fluid which leaked out causing the self-dimming mirror to fail to provide dimming against rear approaching headlights resulting in the driver to either…”
2008-12-03 · Visibility · 35,000 mi“visibility summary: vehicle type is 2002 mercedes benz slk230 (r170 model). the inside rear view mirror is an electrochromic self dimming mirror that has no manual backup. the mirrors fail losing their ability to provide dimming against rear approaching headlights causing the driver to either be blinded or to have to turn the mirror up and have…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.