Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500 vs 2004 Nissan 350Z

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric2004 Mercedes-Benz SL5002004 Nissan 350Z
NHTSA complaints44144
Recall campaigns01
Service bulletins (TSBs)4884
Investigations10
Crash reports46
Fire reports30
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)1719–20
Median reported incident mileage76,000 mi16,500 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentMercedes-Benz SL500Nissan 350Z
Suspension2132
Tires032
Fuel System, Gasoline518
Power Train316
Air Bags118
Engine and Engine Cooling19
Service Brakes90
Structure18

Symptoms owners describe

Clunking / rattling50
Stalling08
Airbag warning light07
2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500

Compare all Mercedes-Benz SL500 vs Nissan 350Z years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.