Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 4 2013 SL-Class vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class failed the safety check 0.53% of the time — 78% less often than the average 2013 passenger car (2.38%). Median odometer at inspection: 34,655 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2013
3,059 new Mercedes-Benz SL-Class cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2013; the largest markets were Germany (1,405), the United Kingdom (1,281), France (95).
- Average mass
- 1,739 kg
- Average power
- 289 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 100%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class cars on Dutch roads are the 3.5 petrol (225 kW, 302 hp) and 4.7 petrol (320 kW, 429 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5 petrol | 225 kW 302 hp | 31 |
| 4.7 petrol | 320 kW 429 hp | 21 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
76 first registered in 2013 are on Dutch roads; 82% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €148,776.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde31
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld12
- Band beschadigd11
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm8
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm6
- Schokdemper aanwezig die lekkage vertoont4
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling4
- Koplamp met afwijkend lichtbeeld onjuist afgesteld3
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
990 cars built in 2013 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 139 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
5 of these cars first registered in 2013 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 49,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
10 2013 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class C RWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.
| 2016617 13 Dec 2016 | Steering On certain vehicles, the electric power steering control unit may have been manufactured with improperly soldered contacts. If the pins of the control unit were… |
| 2013382 4 Nov 2013 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the front passenger seat Occupant Classification System may malfunction and deactivate the front passenger airbag while a person is seated … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Mercedes-Benz is recalling certain model year 2013 SL-Class vehicles manufactured from December 19, 2011, through May 31, 2012 originally equipped with R1234yf refrigerant. Daimler AG (DAG), the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, conducted product testing of a vehicle, not sold in the US, but equipped with the same refrigerant. According to Mercedes-Benz, the testing was designed to replicate worst-case conditions expected in a severe frontal crash that would cause a rupture of the air conditioner refrigerant line. A rupture of a refrigerant line will result in a gaseous mixture of refrigerant being released into the engine compartment.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mercedes-Benz told its dealers about the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10055385 | MERCEDES: SOFTWARE FAILS TO CORRESPOND, ON SOME VEHICLES, TO CURRENT PRODUCTION CONFIGURATION. MODEL 2013 166 (ML), X166 (GL), 204 (C), X204 (GLK), 207 (E-COUPE), 212 (E), 218 (CLS), 231 (SL). *PE |
| 10055333 | XENTRY (MERCEDES): THE FUSE AND RELAY BOXES (SRB) IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR REAR COMPARTMENT HAS A MALFUNCTION AND DISRUPTIONS TO COMMUNICATION PATHS CAUSING A NO START IN VEHICLE. MODEL 2012-2013 204, 207, 212, 218, 231, 246, 176, 117, 172. *PE |
| 10051992 | MERCEDES: DUE TO LEFT AND RIGHT SECONDARY CHAIN TENSIONERS, OF THE CHECK VALVE, BEING INSTALLED AND PRESSED DEEPLY INTO CYLINDER HEADS, THE OIL SUPPLY CAN NOT BE ENSURED FOR CYLINDER HEAD, AND CHECK VALVE, OF LEFT AND RIGHT SECONDARY CHAIN TENSIONERS, MUST BE REMOVED. MODELS 2013 207(E350, 550), 212 (E350, 550, 63), 218 (CLS550, 63), 221(S550, 600, 65, 63, 400, 450, 350), 231 (SL). *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)