Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
13 mpgcombined; city 11, highway 16; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$30,960U.S. average; Ohio $29,170 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 2006 SLR. 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 1 recall campaign for the 2006 SLR 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.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, UNDER HARD OPERATING CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TEMPERATURE CAN INCREASE TO A LEVEL WHICH EXCEEDS THE DESIGN PARAMETERS FOR THE ALTERNATOR TO NOT FUNCTION AND IT WILL BECOME DAMAGED.
Risk: THIS WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL IMPROVE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ALTERNATOR COOLING, INSTALL A MODIFIED CONTROL UNIT AND A NEW ALTERNATOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 23, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 34 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2006 SLR, the latest on Sep 22, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: exterior lighting (6), power train (6), service brakes (6), structure (4), engine and engine cooling (3).
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 2006 SLR.
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 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