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2008 Mercedes-Benz SLK55Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 2 owner complaints about the 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLK55, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 16V-081 the manufacturer reports only 65% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 65%Owner complaints20 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage20kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 22, 2017. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 has problems

2 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags20

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2008 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

65%repaired · 2026 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 16V-081 · Feb 11, 2016 · 711,159 vehicles · 464,166 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mercedes-Benz.

Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other SLK55 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the SLK55 median. How we score

'06'07'08'14
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLK55, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What SLK55 owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

CAR HAS BEEN UNDER RECALL FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS AND THEY STILL HAVE NO RESOLUTION. THEY CONTINUE TO SAY THAT THEY CANNOT PREDICT WHEN THE AIR BAGS WILL BE AVAILABLE
Complaint 11056105 · Dec 22, 2017
TAKATA RECALL: RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE FROM MERCEDES BENZ IN FEBRUARY, BUT THEY HAVE NO REPLACEMENT PART AT THIS TIME. I NEED THE USE OF VEHICLE, BUT AM AFRAID TO USE BECAUSE OF THE RECALL. MERCEDES BENZ IS NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AS THEY ARE SAYING THE CAR SHOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE. IS…
Complaint 10883965 · Jul 11, 2016 · 20,000 miles

Own a 2008 SLK55?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.