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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLSProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 4 owner complaints about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, 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 recalls3Lowest repair rate 65%Owner complaints40 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem4Air bags

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 27, 2019. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS has problems

4 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 bags40

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

3 recalls

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS 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.

82%repaired · 2026 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 19V-010 · Jan 9, 2019 · 288,779 vehicles · 237,356 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

71%repaired · 2026 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-017 · Jan 10, 2017 · 104,119 vehicles · 73,436 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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

2012 vs. every other SLS 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 SLS median. How we score

'11'12'13'14
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS, and the recalls they led to.

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

What SLS owners report

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

TAKATA RECALL. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN MERCEDES IS GOING TO HAVE A FIX FOR MY CAR? THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE WORKING ON THE PROBLEM. I HAVE RECEIVED A COUPLE OF NOTICES THAT THEY ARE GOING TO START REPAIRING THEM BUT THEN SEND ANOTHER NOTICE MONTHS LATER THAT IT'S BEEN DELAYED AGAIN.
Complaint 11172384 · Jan 27, 2019
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V081000 (AIR BAGS) AND 17V017000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF…
Complaint 11112111 · Jul 18, 2018
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER 10 MONTHS FOR A SOLUTION TO THIS TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL AND THERE STILL IS NONE. OTHER MANUFACTURERS ARE FIXING THEIRS (BMW)...WHY IS MERCEDES NOT ABLE TO FIX THEIRS? THIS IS A DEADLY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO FIX.
Complaint 10914824 · Oct 7, 2016

Own a 2012 SLS?

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