2004 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

No photo available — body style shown for reference.

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Visibility & Lighting

Visibility & Lighting leads by volume: 3 of 7 complaints (43%) mention it.

Complaints filed fell from 16 in 2003 to 7 in 2004.

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 5 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.
Category	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	vs. 2004 Two Seaters
Annual fuel cost ($)	3,350–4,300	3,500–4,550	3,500–4,550	4,100–4,850	3,700–4,850
Combined MPG	18–23	17–22	17–22	16–19	16–21
City / Highway MPG	15–20 / 22–27	15–19 / 21–26	15–19 / 21–26	14–17 / 20–23	14–18 / 20–25
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)	386–494	404–523	404–523	468–555	423–555
Complaints filed	41	16	7	27	34	Not compared
Recalls issued	2	1	1	1	1	Not compared
Crash-involved complaints	1	0	0	3	1	Not compared
Fire-involved complaints	0	0	0	1	1	Not compared
Injuries reported	0	0	0	4	2	Not compared
Deaths reported	0	0	0	0	0	Not compared
Configurations compared	5	5	5	3	5

1 NHTSA recall campaign as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.

Visibility & Lighting: 3 of 7 NHTSA complaints (43%) mention it.

EPA rates it 17–22 MPG combined across 5 configurations.

EPA estimates $3,500–$4,550 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
Configuration	Transmission	Cylinders	Displacement	Drivetrain	Fuel Type	Vehicle Class	City	Highway	Combined	Annual Fuel Cost	CO₂
Configuration 1	Automatic 5-spd	4	2.3L	Rear-Wheel Drive	Premium	Two Seaters	19 mpg (high)	26 mpg (high)	22 mpg (high)	$3,500 (low)	404 g/mi (low)
Configuration 2	Manual 6-spd	4	2.3L	Rear-Wheel Drive	Premium	Two Seaters	19 mpg (high)	26 mpg (high)	21 mpg	$3,700	423 g/mi
Configuration 3	Automatic 5-spd	6	3.2L	Rear-Wheel Drive	Premium	Two Seaters	15 mpg (low)	21 mpg (low)	17 mpg (low)	$4,550 (high)	523 g/mi (high)
Configuration 4	Automatic 5-spd	6	3.2L	Rear-Wheel Drive	Premium	Two Seaters	18 mpg	24 mpg	20 mpg	$3,900	444 g/mi
Configuration 5	Manual 6-spd	6	3.2L	Rear-Wheel Drive	Premium	Two Seaters	17 mpg	24 mpg	19 mpg	$4,100	468 g/mi

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
Category	Complaints	Crash-Involved	Fire-Involved	Injuries	Deaths
Engine	2	0	0	0	0
Transmission & Drivetrain	1	0	0	0	0
Fuel System	0	0	0	0	0
Electrical	2	0	0	0	0
Brakes	0	0	0	0	0
Steering	0	0	0	0	0
Suspension, Wheels & Tires	0	0	0	0	0
Airbags & Restraints	0	0	0	0	0
Driver Assistance & Speed Control	0	0	0	0	0
Body, Seats & Latches	0	0	0	0	0
Visibility & Lighting	3	0	0	0	0
Other	1	0	0	0	0

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS · Campaign 05V505000 · Nov 7, 2005
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.