1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 problems & reliability
34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK230. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting → | 14 | 41% |
| Structure | 6 | 18% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 12% |
| Power Train | 4 | 12% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 6% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 6% |
| Visibility | 2 | 6% |
| Steering | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving, the steering column shaft sheared off completely leaving the car with no steering control. Thanks to god this occurred right after a highway exit and while turning into my driveway. If this shaft had sheared 10 minutes before on a highway at 60mph speed, it would have lead to a possible fatalities and…”
Steering · filed Mar 15, 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mercedes benz slk230. While driving at various speeds, the brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the base of the rear passenger side tail lamp melted and diagnosed that the brake light assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Jun 26, 2015
“The gray interior of the mercedes benz 1998 slk230 was peeling off the console and most of the rest of the interior. It seemed to be a gray plastic film which was put over what looked like black leather. The car's interior was awlful looking with these black places showing through the gray throught most of the…”
Structure · filed Jul 12, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- BRAKE LAMP FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE05051 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Dec 2, 2005 · led to recall 05V505000
Technical service bulletins
11 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK230. The 10 most recent:
iPhone mobile phone: Various complaints after software update to iOS8
LI82.70-P-060004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 14, 2014
Pneumatic comfort systems with insufficient performance, entirely inoperative or leaky.
LI91.25-P-059380 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2014
Apple products (iPhone or iPod) are not charged via the serial USB interface of the COMAND Online control unit (A40/3) in the stowage compartment of the center console.
LI82.85-P-058582 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2014
Creaking noise when making vertical or longitudinal adjustment to electrical steering column
LI46.15-P-058505 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2014
Water entry through front section of retractable hardtop with the following localization: - Partial water entry in the area of the side seals to the A-pillar (for area see Fig. 1) when accelerating/braking the vehicle.
LI77.30-P-056644 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 25, 2013
Customer experiences low battery conditions, resulting in jump starts, and eventually requiring battery replacement.
LI82.95-P-056655 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2013
The COMAND unit does not start or the COMAND display remains dark. The COMAND unit cannot be operated. Note: The problem disappears after a lengthy idle period (>6h) or after interrupting the power supply (circuit 30).
LI82.85-P-055695 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 8, 2013
Malfunctions of various control units and/or on-board power supply problems caused by water in the control unit tray under the driver/front passenger seat (dislocated, pinched or leaking condensation hose)
LI83.00-P-052510 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2013
Xentry (mercedes): engine warning lamp is currently on or was on and a delay fault of the camshaft adjust to current or stored in the engine control unit. Models 171, 203, 209, 211, 219, 221, 216, 230, 164, 251, and…
LI-58-40 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2009
Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. Once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the…
TSB-42-10-109 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2009
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Mercedes-Benz SLK230?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.