2002 Mercedes Benz SLK Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other SLK years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 25 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Mercedes Benz SLK. That is the most of any SLK model year in the database (13 years). The most reported problem area is visibility (7 complaints, 28%), typically at around 37,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 25owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Mercedes Benz SLK problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 7 | 28% | 37,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 5 | 20% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 16% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 12% | 10,892 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 8% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 4% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 4% | 28,319 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 4% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 4% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 4% | 61,714 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Mercedes Benz SLK recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, failure of one of the side brake lights can occur. The base of the socket can be subject to thermal deformation over time.
Risk: This deformation can cause movement in the socket-to-bulb connection, which could lead to a loosening of the electrical contacts in the socket, and failure of the bulb to illuminate.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear lamp modules. The recall began on september 12, 2006, to approximately 8,200 owners. Phase ii mailing is schedule on or about november 3, 2006, and phase iii mailing is schedule for january 2007 for the remaining owners. Owners of vehicles with the updated trim (post-face lift) will get an interim notice during november 2006, asking them to schedule an appointment for rear tail lamp replacement later in 2007. However, if they experience an actual rear lamp failure before they receive that notice, they should come to their dealer immediately for a free repair. Owners may contact mercedes-benz at 1-800-367-6372.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the owner's manual does not contain the proper headlamp aiming instructions.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Owners will be provided with headlamp aiming instructions, and directions for affixing these inserts to the operator's manual. Owner notification began july 15, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free instructions within a reasonable time should contact mercedes-benz at 1-201-573-0117.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Brake lamp failure (PE05051) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Dec 2, 2005, led to recall 05V505000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Other Mercedes Benz SLK years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 SLK | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 SLK | 2 | 1 |
| 2008 SLK | 0 | 1 |
| 2007 SLK | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 SLK | 2 | 1 |
| 2005 SLK | 6 | 1 |
| 2004 SLK | 0 | 1 |
| 2003 SLK | 9 | 1 |
| 2002 | 25 | 2 |
| 2001 SLK | 19 | 2 |
| 2000 SLK | 3 | 2 |
| 1999 SLK | 6 | 1 |
| 1998 SLK | 2 | 1 |
See all Mercedes Benz SLK problems by year, every Mercedes Benz model, or the Mercedes Benz VIN decoder.
Similar Mercedes Benz models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercedes Benz SLK?
Owners most often report visibility, electrical system, exterior lighting problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 7 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Mercedes Benz SLK?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Mercedes Benz SLK a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other SLK model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.