Mercedes 500sl
Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 2 years from 64 real MOT tests.
Avg Pass Rate
91%
Total Tests
64
Best Year
2002 (100%)
Years Covered
2
How reliable is the Mercedes 500sl?
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About the Mercedes 500sl
The Mercedes 500sl has been tested 64 times in 2024 MOT data across 2 model years (2002 to 2003), with an average pass rate of 91%. That's comfortably above the national average of 82%, making it a reliable choice. Available as petrol.
Best and Worst Years
The 2002 model is the most reliable with a 100% pass rate from 32 tests. The 2003 model has the lowest at 81%. With a 19 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.
Mileage Across Years
The oldest model in our data (2002) averages 47,830 miles, while the newest (2003) averages 85,782 miles.
Compared to the Mercedes brand average of 87%, the 500sl performs 4 points better, making it one of the more reliable options in the Mercedes range.
Click any year in the table above to see detailed running costs, individual reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.