2003 Mercedes-Benz SL 5.4L Petrol · CM02 AMG

A 23 year old Mercedes-Benz SL with this DVSA history tells a story of broadly consistent roadworthiness punctuated by a cluster of advisories in early 2023 that warrant attention from any prospective buyer. Across the eight recorded tests since December 2018 the vehicle has passed every examination, with the most recent pass issued on 25 June 2026 carrying no recorded advisories or minors. The intervening years, however, are not entirely clean. The February 2023 test alone produced four advisories covering both front tyres being worn to the legal limit on the edges, both rear brake discs showing pitting and scoring, and play in the steering rack inner joint. The 2022 test added both rear tyres worn on the inner edge and discoloured front direction indicators, while windscreen damage has been flagged as a minor in three consecutive tests from 2020 through 2022. The advisory pattern therefore suggests progressive wear to consumables and steering geometry rather than any single acute failure, and the absence of advisories on the latest pass should be read as a snapshot rather than a reversal of those trends. The recorded mileage of 78,868 against an approximate 23 year vehicle age equates to an average accumulation of around 3,400 miles per year, which is low for a car of this type. The MOT record itself shows tests in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, with no recorded odometer readings supplied in the data to confirm whether mileage has been steady or punctuated by longer periods of standing. With an SL of this vintage, light annual use is not unusual, but a buyer should be mindful that prolonged standing can bring its own issues with seals, brake calipers binding, dry rot in suspension bushes, and fuel system deterioration, none of which would necessarily be captured by a standard MOT. Equally, the relatively high test frequency in recent years suggests the car has been in regular use during that period, which is generally a positive indicator for the health of the major drivetrain components. Given the 2023 advisory on steering rack inner joint play, this is an area that demands particular scrutiny on any physical inspection. On a test drive, listen for clonks or knocking from the front end over uneven surfaces, pay attention to any vagueness or self-centring deficiency in the steering, and watch for uneven tyre wear reappearing on the front pair, which would be consistent with renewed movement in the inner tie rods or rack mounting. The 2023 advisories on both rear brake discs being pitted and scored mean the discs may have been skimmed or replaced since, but if not, expect a gritty or pulsating sensation through the brake pedal under firm application and visually inspect the disc surfaces for a deep ridged lip at the outer edge. Binding rear calipers are a known SL issue and would manifest as a dragging sensation, uneven pad wear, or one rear disc running visibly hotter or cleaner than the other after a drive. The recurring edge wear on the tyres, particularly the inner edge wear flagged on both rear tyres in 2022, is worth probing as it can indicate either alignment geometry outside tolerance or worn rear suspension components such as trailing arm bushings, which are a recognised wear item on the R230 chassis. Request confirmation of any geometry work carried out since 2022 and inspect the inner shoulders of the current tyres for feathering. The persistent windscreen damage noted across three tests is unlikely to have worsened structurally but is worth confirming has not propagated into the driver's primary line of sight. Finally, given the age of the vehicle, a thorough underside examination on a ramp is advisable to check for the corrosion to underbody panels, brake pipe unions, and subframe mounting points that older SLs can suffer, as MOT testing only assesses structural integrity at a prescribed standard and may not flag early surface corrosion before it becomes a deeper concern.