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What 11 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-benz Slk-class

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (11)Crash / fire / injury (1)Fuel system (3)Airbags (1)Electrical system (1)Engine (1)Seats (1)Steering (1)Suspension (1)Transmission & drivetrain (1)Wheels (1)

3 of 11 complaints match · Fuel system · clear filters

Oct 6, 2025Fuel system

My mechanic says it's the fuel filter and it has been discontinued. I am a single woman and I am now afraid to drive my car. l am stressed about breaking down or being killed. Please help me. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11691757

Jan 22, 2013Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system

TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR. CAR LOST POWER ON FREEWAY. MANY REPAIRS LAST ONE BEING ELECTRONIC GAS PEDAL. *TR ## VIN PASSED ## MERCEDES SLK350 2012 ##

NHTSA ODI 10494364

Sep 15, 2012Fuel system

I PARKED MY CAR WITH AN ALMOST FULL TANK OF GAS WHILE I WAS AT WORK. AFTER LEAVING WORK, I STARTED THE CAR AND WHILE I WAS DRIVING I SMELLED A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR, AND IN ABOUT 3 MILES THE ENGINE ACTED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL, THEN DIED ON A FREEWAY OFF-RAMP DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. A CALTRANS (OR SAN JOSE) FREEWAY SAFETY CAR CAME BY AND PUT ABOUT 2 GALLONS OF GAS IN MY TANK, BUT AS SOON AS THE ENGINE STARTED WE BOTH SMELLED RAW GASOLINE. I THEN DROVE ABOUT 1/8 OF A MILE TO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT AND STOPPED, AND WE BOTH SMELLED VERY STRONG GASOLINE ODOR AND FOUND FUEL LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND, WHERE IT POOLED IN A LARGE PUDDLE. THERE WAS NO FIRE, BUT EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN. A TOW TRUCK CARRIED THE CAR TO SMYTHE EUROPEAN IN SAN JOSE, WHERE THE NEXT DAY THEY SAY THEY REPAIRED THE LEAK, WHICH THEY DESCRIBED ON THE REPAIR ORDER AS FOLLOWS: 'LOW PRESSURE HOSE CAME OFF HIGH PRESSURE PUMP @ BACK OF CYL HEAD. VERIFIED FUEL IS LEAKING FROM LOW PRESSURE HOSE @ HIGH PRESSURE PUMP CONNECTION. REINSTALLED HOSE & INSTALLED NEW HOSE CLAMP. CLEARED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT & LOW PRESSURE CODES.' NOTE: SUBSEQUENT TO TAKING DELIVERY OF CAR, AN OVERPOWERING GASOLINE ODOR PERSISTED AND WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED IN OUR FARAGE, THE SMELL PENETRATED THE HOUSE. I TOOK CAR BACK TO SMYTHE EUROPEAN THE NEXT DAY, AND WAS MET WITH RESISTANCE TO FURTHER REPAIRS. THEY FINALLY ACCEPTED THE CAR AND WHEN THEY CALLED LATER, SAID THAT GASOLINE HAD SATURATED THE BELLY PAN INSULATION/PADDING AND ANOTHER PART, WHICH THEY ARE ORDERING. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTROUS FIRE. UNKNOWN WHETHER GASOLINE HAS PENETRATED COCKPIT OR OTHER PARTS UNTIL REPAIRS ARE COMPLETED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10475510

Working with the data? Download all 11 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Mercedes-benz Slk-class verdict →