Mercedes-Benz has a sterling reputation for designing and manufacturing high class, high performance, luxury vehicles. This would certainly include their popular Mercedes-Benz SL Class line, which is now in the sixth generation with their 2012 R231. As much as Benz owners love the look and feel of their SLs, they do experience mechanical issues occasionally.
Owners of the Mercedes-Benz SL Class have noted issues with the car's gear shift. They have reported that at times the gear shift can feel shaky as they downshift. Sometimes, while driving at speeds in the 30 mile per hour range, they have felt the car shake as the downshift to a lower gear. This certainly would seem like a cause for concern at any speed.
In addition to problems Benz drivers have noticed with downshifting, some have also experienced issues with not being able to shift out of reverse. Sometimes, one driver reported, when idling in reverse, the car will not shift back into park or drive. The only solution available to them is to turn the ignition off and restart the engine. This is certainly something that needs to be looked into.
If you are the owner of a Mercedes-Benz SL Class and are experiencing the problems listed above, or any problem with the vehicles transmission, you should bring your car in for an inspection by an authorized German import technician. The answer to the problem could be something as simple as resetting the transmission control unit, or TCU. If this is all it takes to resolve the issue, then that will save you quite a bit of money in transmission repair bills.
Search for a local, independent Mercedes-Benz repair shop with Mercedes-Benz mechanics that have dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the expense.