Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
18–23 mpgcombined; city 15–20, highway 23–28; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$17,500–$22,360U.S. average; Ohio $16,490–$21,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 0 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 SL-Class. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2019 SL-Class over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Communication: auto crash notification; Electrical system: software
NHTSA campaign 22V365000 · reported May 20, 2022 · 242,722 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: The communication module software will be updated through an Over-the-Air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on July 8, 2022, May 17, 2024, July 29, 2024, and September 27, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers are for this recall is 2022060005 and 2023110006.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2022 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, AMG GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL-Class, GLC-Class, CLS-Class, GLB-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. An error in the communication module's SIM card software can cause a mobile network connection failure, disabling the emergency call (eCall) system.
Risk: A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting the emergency services call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.
Communication: auto crash notification; Electrical system: software
NHTSA campaign 21V058000 · reported Feb 5, 2021 · 1,292,258 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and the communication module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. The recall began March 12, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021020025.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 - 2021 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS-Class, SL-Class, B-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to the Part 573 report for specific vehicle model details. The software design of the communication module may fail to communicate the correct vehicle location for the emergency call system (eCall) in the event of a crash.
Risk: Failure of the eCall system may result in emergency responders being dispatched to the wrong location, increasing the risk of injury following a crash.
NHTSA campaign 19V768000 · reported Oct 25, 2019 · 36 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front-left mounting point of the rear axle carrier. If a defect in the bolt connection of the rear axle carrier is found, MBUSA will contact the owner and offer a repurchase of the vehicle. The recall began November 22, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019100018.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2019 SL450, SL63 AMG, and SL550 vehicles. Over time, the bolt connection at the front-left mounting point on the rear axle carrier casting may fail, possibly affecting the vehicle's handling.
Risk: Unexpected changes in the vehicle's handling can increase the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 19V571000 · reported Aug 2, 2019 · 457 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019100016.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018 SL65 AMG, 2019 SL63 AMG and 2018-2019 SL450 and SL550 vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been improperly sewn, allowing the seam to tear during deployment.
Risk: A tear in the air bag may decrease performance and increase the risk of injury.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 106 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2019 SL-Class, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: power train (28), electrical system (22), exterior lighting (12), service brakes (11), suspension (9).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2019 SL-Class.
EPA class: two seaters. EPA greenhouse gas score: 3–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
AMG SL63 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.5 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic 7-spd
Premium Gasoline
15 / 23 / 18
SL450 Rear-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
20 / 28 / 23
SL550 Rear-Wheel Drive
4.7 L, 8 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
17 / 25 / 20
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data