Hey guys, I am new here, thinking about purchasing a 2003 sl500, and I did some reasearch and found out they have too much electrical problems. Has your experience with the 03 model been satisfying or it has had too many visits to the dealership. Also Id like to know what the sport option and the designo edition add to the standard sl500 and if their worth the extra money. Thanks to all in advace.

 

I bought a mid-40K miles 'standard' model 03 SL500 not quite a year ago and must admit it has been pretty reliable. It is my daily driver, so I have full sets of Pilot Summer tires and Dunlop Winters. Throughout the Michigan winter, commuting to and from work, every day, I never once was stuck...not once!
Here are all the problems I have noticed with this model...
Tire noise from the Pilots - I find it excessive
Rattling top - Dealer's service dept. fixed it pronto with some lubricant
Fuel Gauge - Needle sometimes sticks on empty; a restart of the car (reboot?) always corrects this
Buzzy noise from the rear end at 2100 RPM when driven - Two mechanics have not found cause
Prone to paint chips from stones and parking lot dingers - paint seems fragile
That's it for my car. I have grown to appreciate the driving experience...a lot! And, I love the appearance. The modern SL is a 'looker'.

 

water in the trunk from bad seals at the trunk, suspension issues with car sagging on one side or one axle, trunk lid close assist and driver and passenger seat lumbar feature sometimes wont work due to broken air line under either seat. these are just the common issues with your car. but still a good car.

 

Hi and welcome,

I purchased an 03 with the Designo edition and sport package with 34K miles. The car as you know is stunning and a real head turner. The only problem I have had is, the remote will not put the top down from the drivers side and is being fixed br MB. My car was a CPO vehicle plusI purchased 2 more years to be safe. I agree that the Michelin tires are very noisy. As with any sports car you will have some issues, but it comes down to, if you like the car, buy it. Check out consumers report and you will see that even the Corvette is no better than the SL500 and I owned a C6 and had no issues. Good luck on your quest. I promise you, take your time and buy from a reputable dealer and you will not be disappointed.

 

Bought my 03 about 4 months ago, it had 63k on it now has 66k. No major problems, I figured the previous owner had all the problems and fixes completed. My key and top combination doesn't work but to me that isnt a big thing as I just put the top up/down from inside. One thing that bugs me is the malfunction indicator because my car doesn't have the phone package, haven't found away to stop the malfunction report, other than that all is good. Best of luck, they are enjoyable cars.

 

I have a 2003 SL 500 that I bought last August with 33,000 miles on it. My test drive was from Milwaukee to Pennsylvania. What a ride. I've owned a lot of cars, but this is my absolute favorite one! It is beautiful and came with every option I wanted or could think of. The only problems I have had is a wiring harness that was burned out when I bought the car and problems with the tire pressure monitors. In addition, I just had a motor replaced in the power top, all covered by the warranty, which I bought with the car from GE. Overall, no other problems. I drive it every day in the summer and have had no major problems. Good Luck! I would say go for it!