Mercedes-Benz SLK gen-1997
1997 to 2007
Based on 1 source, each with its own reference date
No documented known problems found. That does not mean the car is problem free
Key points to know
- Insurance loss
2 results · IIHS/HLDI, data up to and including 2007
Recalls
Our EU Safety Gate feed only goes back to 17 July 2026
We could not check NHTSA for this model
No recall found in EU Safety Gate, checked up to and including 2007
Safety rating
American crash test (NHTSA)
No safety rating found at NHTSA SafetyRatings, checked through 2007
Insurance loss
Compared with the US average. Not a chance of defects
IIHS/HLDI loss index: SLK class convertible
According to IIHS/HLDI, the "all coverages combined" loss index for SLK class convertible is 100. Basis 100 is the US national average for all passenger cars under this coverage. Note: this is an index figure or rating class, an insurance statistic about the whole model. It is not a chance of defects and not a prediction for this car.
IIHS/HLDI loss index: SLK class convertible
According to IIHS/HLDI, the "all coverages combined" loss index for SLK class convertible is 104. Basis 100 is the US national average for all passenger cars under this coverage. Note: this is an index figure or rating class, an insurance statistic about the whole model. It is not a chance of defects and not a prediction for this car.
Inspection statistics for these model years
- 15 to 19 years: 5,401 inspections
- 20 to 24 years: 3,734 inspections
- 25 to 30 years: 1,231 inspections
15 to 19 years: 5,401 inspections
Official inspection point: Chassis and chassis attachments
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 982 of the 5401 Czech inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
Official inspection point: Axles, wheels, tyres, suspension
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 699 of the 5401 Czech inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking equipment
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 665 of the 5401 Czech inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 662 of the 5401 Czech inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
Official inspection point: Steering
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 253 of the 5401 Czech inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
Show more age groups (2)
20 to 24 years: 3,734 inspections
Official inspection point: Chassis and chassis attachments
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 922 of the 3734 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 682 of the 3734 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking equipment
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 615 of the 3734 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Axles, wheels, tyres, suspension
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 548 of the 3734 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Steering
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 282 of the 3734 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
25 to 30 years: 1,231 inspections
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 278 of the 1231 Czech inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking equipment
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 195 of the 1231 Czech inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
Official inspection point: Chassis and chassis attachments
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 193 of the 1231 Czech inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
Official inspection point: Steering
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 162 of the 1231 Czech inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
Official inspection point: Axles, wheels, tyres, suspension
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 87 of the 1231 Czech inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
- 18 to 20 years: 11,267 inspections
- 21 to 23 years: 4,926 inspections
- 24 to 26 years: 4,264 inspections
18 to 20 years: 11,267 inspections
Official item from DVSA MOT-statistiek
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 3697 of the 11267 British MOT statistics, age 18-20 yr.
Show more age groups (2)
21 to 23 years: 4,926 inspections
Official item from DVSA MOT-statistiek
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 1490 of the 4926 British MOT statistics, age 21-23 yr.
24 to 26 years: 4,264 inspections
Official item from DVSA MOT-statistiek
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 1275 of the 4264 British MOT statistics, age 24-26 yr.
- 15 to 19 years: 6,777 inspections
- 20 to 24 years: 8,339 inspections
- 25 to 30 years: 6,150 inspections
20 to 24 years: 8,339 inspections
Official inspection point: Axles, wheels, tyres, suspension
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 1663 of the 8339 Dutch inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 1401 of the 8339 Dutch inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking equipment
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 532 of the 8339 Dutch inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Visibility
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 322 of the 8339 Dutch inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Chassis and chassis attachments
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 222 of the 8339 Dutch inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Show more age groups (2)
15 to 19 years: 6,777 inspections
Official inspection point: Axles, wheels, tyres, suspension
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 1384 of the 6777 Dutch inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 864 of the 6777 Dutch inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking equipment
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 343 of the 6777 Dutch inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
Official inspection point: Visibility
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 207 of the 6777 Dutch inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
Official inspection point: Chassis and chassis attachments
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 135 of the 6777 Dutch inspection data, age 15-19 yr.
25 to 30 years: 6,150 inspections
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 1491 of the 6150 Dutch inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
Official inspection point: Axles, wheels, tyres, suspension
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 1110 of the 6150 Dutch inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking equipment
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 394 of the 6150 Dutch inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
Official inspection point: Visibility
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 282 of the 6150 Dutch inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
Official inspection point: Steering
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 175 of the 6150 Dutch inspection data, age 25-30 yr.
20 to 24 years: 233 inspections
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 65 of the 233 Norwegian inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Axles, wheels, tyres, suspension
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 64 of the 233 Norwegian inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking equipment
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 59 of the 233 Norwegian inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Chassis and chassis attachments
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 19 of the 233 Norwegian inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Nuisance
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 11 of the 233 Norwegian inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
20 to 24 years: 236 inspections
Official inspection point: Axles, wheels and suspension
Note: these are fail items, not tests. One car can fail on several items in the same test. This figure can therefore be higher than the share of cars that failed. 50 fail items across 236 Finnish inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Lighting and electrical equipment
Note: these are fail items, not tests. One car can fail on several items in the same test. This figure can therefore be higher than the share of cars that failed. 34 fail items across 236 Finnish inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Environmental nuisance
Note: these are fail items, not tests. One car can fail on several items in the same test. This figure can therefore be higher than the share of cars that failed. 29 fail items across 236 Finnish inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking systems
Note: these are fail items, not tests. One car can fail on several items in the same test. This figure can therefore be higher than the share of cars that failed. 15 fail items across 236 Finnish inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
20 to 24 years: 210 inspections
Official inspection point: Steering, suspension, wheels and tyres
Note: these are fail items, not tests. One car can fail on several items in the same test. This figure can therefore be higher than the share of cars that failed. 79 fail items across 210 Irish inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking equipment
Note: these are fail items, not tests. One car can fail on several items in the same test. This figure can therefore be higher than the share of cars that failed. 44 fail items across 210 Irish inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system
Note: these are fail items, not tests. One car can fail on several items in the same test. This figure can therefore be higher than the share of cars that failed. 43 fail items across 210 Irish inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Steering
Note: these are fail items, not tests. One car can fail on several items in the same test. This figure can therefore be higher than the share of cars that failed. 40 fail items across 210 Irish inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Chassis and chassis attachments
Note: these are fail items, not tests. One car can fail on several items in the same test. This figure can therefore be higher than the share of cars that failed. 21 fail items across 210 Irish inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
See the inspection statistics for all generations of SLK
Go to SLKInspections by country and age
This table shows, per age, how many cars of this model fail inspection, by country. An index of 100 is that country's average for that age.
| Age | Netherlands | United Kingdom | Czechia | Ireland | NO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-19 years | 33.5% failed (2269 of 6777) | 32.3% failed (6340 of 19603) | No data | Too few inspections | Too few inspections |
| 20-24 years | 37.6% failed (3132 of 8339) | 30.3% failed (1490 of 4926) | No data | No data | No data |
| 25-30 years | 40% failed (2459 of 6150) | 29.9% failed (1275 of 4264) | No data | No data | No data |
Czechia only counts serious defects, severity B or C. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway count every inspection with a real defect.
Finland is not in this table. Finland counts defect points, not cars with a defect.
Buyer knowledge and checklist
Before you buy: the inspection requirement in this country, plus a checklist for the test drive.
Periodic inspection: APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring, the Dutch periodic roadworthiness test): from 2 to 8 years old: every 2 years; diesel: annually from the first test onwards; other fuels: annually from 8 years old
Read the guideFrequently asked questions
What are the known problems with a Mercedes-Benz SLK gen-1997?
Insurance loss: 2 results (IIHS/HLDI, data up to and including 2007). Each point is worked out below with its source and reference date.
Which defects are found most often at inspection for a Mercedes-Benz SLK?
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system. Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 1491 of the 6150 Dutch inspection data, age 25-30 yr. Dutch inspection data, data up to and including 13/09/2026. More age groups and categories are available in the inspection statistics on this page.
Where does this data come from?
CZ STK (data up to and including 03/07/2026), DVSA MOT-statistiek (data up to and including 2025), IIHS/HLDI (data up to and including 2007), GDV Typklassenverzeichnis (data up to and including 2024), Dutch inspection data (data up to and including 13/09/2026), Norwegian inspection data (data up to and including 31/12/2025), Finnish inspection data (data up to and including 31/12/2025), Irish inspection data (data up to and including 31/12/2025). Every fact here has its own source and reference date.