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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz SL (R232).

2021–2026 · Petrol · 2 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Mercedes-Benz SL (R232), real photo of this generation
Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 2 of its engines.

SL 43 AMG (2.0)

Petrol

SL 55 / 63 AMG (4.0 V8)

Petrol

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Mercedes-Benz SL (R232)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
SL 43 AMG (2.0)Petrol22 with conditions1
SL 55 / 63 AMG (4.0 V8)PetrolFewest documented11

According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the SL 55 / 63 AMG (4.0 V8) (Petrol).

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Recall: 80 A main fusesElectrical system

How to check it: Check VIN; replace specified main fuse boxes.

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On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 2 checked

Electrical and electronic systems

  • Look out for: Sudden loss of drive; a battery drained while parked; in the worst case, fire risk.

    Ask them to check: Check by VIN at the dealer that the campaign has been done.

Automatic gearbox

  • Look out for: Harsh 1st-to-2nd, 2nd-to-3rd and 3rd-to-4th shifts, jerky shifting and a jolt when accelerating from a stop.

    Ask them to check: Ask the garage to check the gearbox software level (VGS) and apply note LI27.60-P-076554 (update, oil level and valve flushing) before replacing parts.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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