2021 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class Problems

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Complaints Reported

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Complaints by Component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

4 complaints

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V704000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Dec 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz. The contact stated while driving at 10 MPH, the vehicle stalls until the contact engages the vehicle in sport mode. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V704000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The failure mileage was 20,700.

Dec 04, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 580. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V704000(Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormal ticking sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Nov 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V843000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall; however, the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had also been notified of the recall but offered no assistance. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Dec 13, 2021

WHEELS

3 complaints

I purchased this vehicle used at a dealer in Virginia. I drove it home to Chelsea Alabama, outside Birmingham. After a couple of days, my front right tire went flat. I took it to the dealer and they said the flat tire was caused by a cracked rim and required both to be replaced. Almost $3,000 for tire and rim. I continued to drive the car, maybe 4,000-5,000 miles and I had another tire go flat. This was the drivers side rear tire. This was a Pirelli 285/35 R20 run flat tire. Again when I took it to the dealer, this rim was cracked and also needed to be replaced along with the tire. $2,790. The car has 55,000 miles and is meticulously maintained. And I do not drive on rough roads. The dealer consistently states it was due to “hitting a pot hole” which a) is not the case in both these incidents, and b) a rim should not break from running into regular small imperfections in the road. I’ve been in the auto manufacturing business for 38 years and have never, ever had a rim fail, not once but twice in 4 months on the same vehicle. After investigating, this is happening all over. My feeling is the rim has not been sufficiently designed to support the weight of this vehicle. And now, every time I take the car out, I fear for my life and my families life. Frankly, the car is not safe because the rims can and will crack and split under regular driving conditions! This can cause a blowout and possible injury or death. This cost and the cost of my safety should be covered by Mercedes. They should replace these rims with stronger, more properly designed rims to ensure my families future safety!

Feb 20, 2025

I’ve had to replace six tires due to blowouts from hitting small potholes, something I’ve never experienced in the past 40 years of driving other vehicles! This seems to be a manufacturing defect in the vehicle, as the tires can’t support the weight of the car, and any pressure on them causes them to blow out. I’m now hesitant to drive long distances, fearing that one or more tires could blow out at any time. Without a spare tire in the trunk, I’m left stranded. Below are answers to your question: 1. The tires failed, yes they are available for inspection. Also have photos of the damaged tires. 2. The safety of myself and my passengers is at risk, as a tire blowout while driving at 55 mph could potentially cause the vehicle to lose control and result in a serious accident.. 3. The problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. 4. The vehicles tires have been inspected by an insurance representative and independent service center 5. NO

Feb 18, 2025

I have had one tire blow out after traveling over a moderate pot hole, and 3 other tires that have been damaged with "bubbles" due to excessive stress from normal driving. In addition to the damaged tires, I have had 3 bent wheels all due to normal driving because the 21 inch wheels/tires on this vehicle cannot tolerate the loads during normal driving. This is a well-known defect by Mercedes and I believe it is a design defect and that it is dangerous.

Jun 12, 2023

WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2 complaints

Excessive Tire failure on "AMG" 21 inch wheel and tires. Pirelli tires have replaced 4 tires in four months. cracks in side wall bubbling.

Jun 25, 2025

I have had 3 tire failures(blowouts)when I have hit potholes with my 21” wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires. I read on a MBZ Forum for my specific make of car - 2021/2022 MBZ S580 - that many others have experienced the same failures with these Pirelli tires. Those that have Michelin have had none. With such a small area between the road and the rim afforded by super low profile 21” setups, a tire like Pirelli with a weak sidewall will fail when the car strikes a pothole or obstruction. Another owner on the Forum said when he contacted Mercedes, they said it was not their problem, but Pirelli’s. Meanwhile, there are thousands of owners with this combination, many of which have already experienced failures. Something needs to be done before there are injuries, or worse.

Jul 26, 2022

TIRES

2 complaints

I purchased this car as a certified pre-owned vehicle from Mercedes Benz in December 2024 with 14,000 miles on the odometer. This vehicle has factory 21-inch AMG rims. Since that time, I have had to replace 5 tires on this vehicle, all from Mercedes Benz dealerships. I purchased an additional $2,000 tire insurance policy from Mercedes Benz due to this recurrent issue. Due to the size of this rim, these tires are extremely prone to blowing and flats. Furthermore, this vehicle does not come with a spare tire or even with a storage compartment which can accommodate a spare tire. I was under the impression that this is because Mercedes Benz equips these vehicles with run-flat tires, however I recently learned that Mercedes does not offer run-flat tires on the 21 inch rim, leaving customers with no choice to but have the vehicle towed each time a flat tire occurs. I have been stranded on the side of the road 3 times within the past 3 weeks alone. Other customers have experienced and reported similar issues with this vehicle.

Mar 05, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580 equipped with Pirelli tires, Tire Line: P Zero MO-S, Tire Size: P255/35/R21 (Front tires) and P285/30/R21 (Rear Tires), DOT Number: (Unavailable). The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the drove over a pothole and the driver’s side front tire experienced a blowout. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the contact was informed that there was a bubble on the side shoulder of the tire, and the tire needed to be replaced. The tire was replaced. The contact stated that a similar failure reoccurred with the front passenger’s side tire and the rear driver’s side tire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer both times and the contact was informed that the sidewalls on the tires were thin causing the blowouts. The failure mileage was 3,000.

Jul 28, 2022

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2 complaints

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the "Camera System Unavailable" and "Camera Dirty" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the failure was caused by a bumper guard placed on the front license plate, rendering the driving assist sensor inoperable. Despite the removal of the bumper guard, the failure persisted. Recently, the contact received text from the dealer that stated that several other owners of the model year vehicle had experienced the same failure. The letter stated that a defective camera lens hood had caused the failure; however, the parts for the repair were on backorder. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

Apr 30, 2024

Upon startup, the back up camera will not display when putting the car in reverse. I could not see if any pedestrians were behind me when backing out of a parking spot. This problem has happened 2 times in the last 2 weeks. So far, the camera resumes working after the car has been turned off and restarted. I called the Mercedes dealership service center and they suggested I make a service appointment to repair the camera system. The car is 3 months old. I will make an appointment to have the car serviced soon.

Nov 11, 2021

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,COMMUNICATION

2 complaints

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V365000 (Electrical System, Communication) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not available. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving or while the vehicle was idling, several warning lights and computer screen intermittently illuminated and malfunctioned. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that a system software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the part was not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

Oct 18, 2022

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V365000 (Electrical System, Communication) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not yet made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Jul 20, 2022

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 complaint

Car was in for recall Dec 7,2025 to Mercedes Benz of Rockville Centre service 110 Graham Avenue Hempstead Ny they are having difficulties with the recall it is now Dec 30, 2025 still not repaired they told me it was a parts problem they ordered parts twice now they are saying it might be a software problem they are not sure they do not know when i will get my vehicle back they dont even know the reason why its not taking the recall

Dec 31, 2025

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

1 complaint

Adaptive High Beam Assist function on vehicle with Multibeam LED headlights with Digital Light System fail to detect ambient lighting properly. Consequently hi-beam lights operate erratically and unpredictably, switching between high and low beams too frequently. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Sep 20, 2025

VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

1 complaint

While on the freeway, going approximately 70 mph, the vehicles onboard cameras all failed and I got a warning that said “camera dirty/unavailable/traffic sign assist currently unavailable”. Because of this failure, I almost crashed the car in Front of me. I cleaned all the cameras. The message continues to appear. The dealer said “it’s a known malfunction with this particular model, based on the chip shortage, during Covid”. My car has 57000 miles and apparently several owners of this model, are experiencing the same issue. Dealer wants to charge $1,800.00 to fix a vehicle safety feature, that shouldn’t fail this soon.

Jan 18, 2025

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE

1 complaint

Every Mercedes Benz manufactured in 2021 has a defective hood lens which prevents the adaptive driver assistance system from working properly. You can have it on and it will work intermittently which can easily cause a major crash. Mercedes Benz says the part is not available in USA or Germany. Every Mercedes is affected. I’ve been waiting over 2 months for the part. My brother, who owns the same car, has been waiting over one month. It’s a major problem because the car is suppose to self drive on the highway and it’s not staying in lane because of this defective hood lens. Hey [XXX] , I apologize for the inconvenience. There have been a few S classes with a similar message to yours. We have to order the camera lens hoods for your vehicle, but they are in back order. We don't have one in stock in the USA or Germany. I could have you stop by the dealership and clean the camera lens hood to temporarily remove the message on the dashboard. I can also order the part while the vehicle is here, and we would have to wait a few months for the part to arrive. When do you have time to stop by the dealership for a few hours? --Karen Hubschmitt - Mercedes-Benz of Brooklyn Sent from my iPhone INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Jun 01, 2024

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

1 complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V445000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Sep 08, 2023

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

1 complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle inadvertently activated the Forward Collision Avoidance feature and briefly applied the brakes hard enough for the ABS to be activated. The contact stated that there were no objects near or around the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality but had since become a regular failure. The Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 23,500.

Aug 22, 2023

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE

1 complaint

Similar to recall campagn #2017020018 or 17V-078. My car may have a damaged steering column-mounted shift lever module. If the internal circuit board is damaged, moving the shift lever will not select a transmission gear. Both the auto-P function and automatic parking brake will continue to operate as intended and prevent the vehicle from moving forward or rearward. The problem could also be the Mercedes Benz Intelligent Servo Module(ISM) module installed on the transmission side. Brought my car to dealer to fix, the 1st time on 4/14/2023 they simply replaced 48V battery. Today 6/19/2023, the same issue happens again.

Jun 19, 2023

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

1 complaint

Driving on highway at about 50 mph when the brakes suddenly slammed on and brought car to a sudden, near stop. The stop was so sudden our seatbelts engaged and we thought we were struck in the rear by another car. Electrical module issues that cause battery to drain while vehicle is turned off have been ongoing since I purchased the car in October, 2021. Car has been in for service related to this problem 6 times and for over 60 days.

Jan 12, 2023

Injuries: 1

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

1 complaint

Issue: STARTER BATTERY Repetitive online and dashboard screen message notices stating, "BATTERY CHARGE Status Critical," at all hours of day and night requesting immediate 30-60-min. of driving or car will not start. Have had to wake up from nightime sleep to drive car in middle of night so it would start the next morning to drive to work. Also, multiple electrical problems related to this issue ensue. Unreliable vehicle start up; too great a demand on electrical system. Vehicle taken in to dealer for service five times in six months since new purchase. Dealership Service Department found battery has malfunction. System restricted. Code stated, ". . . battery voltage may drop significantly under or at 45% due to listed operations on document. Most operations are for using vehicle ignition on (on ignition) and screen operation. Battery can be (can) drop due to using these functions." (See attached documentation.) BATTERY MAINTAINER (CHARGER) should be basic part of vehicle included in purchase price given battery drain on excessive electrical component demand not additional cost for Battery Maintainer (Charger) part and installation.

Jan 28, 2022

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE

1 complaint

Background: This is a V-8, gas vehicle.The 12-volt battery gives CRITICAL CHARGE notifications constantly. Incident: Dry pavement, 400-mile, January winter night, highway driving in Wisconsin Northwoods at posted 70 mph; some with cruise control, some without cruise control. Seat belt was in use. On four occasions, car independently, without any warning, dropped from 70 mph to 35 mph, projecting me forward. No reduction in speed signage No small town drive through. With car and semi-truck traffic behind me, luckily no rear end collisions, injury or death occurred. During dealership repair service 12/09/2021 - 12/17/2021, along with mailed pending recall from manufacturer for ENGINE CONTROL SOFTWARE UPDATE, was told December 28, 2021 it would occur. When car returned for service on 01/18/2022 (and is still in for service today - 01/26/2022), I was told 01/14/2022 was the update release. I have not received any updated manufacturer notifications. Dealership (Illinois) says CONTROL MODULE on order from West Coast. (Photo - Portion of text response from Dealership Service Writer on 01/26/2022 is attached.) Dangerous vehicle. This newly designed model has engineering problems. Should not have been released to sales market. Numerous ELECTRICAL Problems have occurred since my August 5, 2021 purchase.

Jan 27, 2022

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1 complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact stated that while driving, the navigation system became inoperable. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V843000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. VIN tool confirms parts are not available. The approximate failure mileage was 600.

Jan 05, 2022

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

1 complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the brakes failed to function as needed while the brake pedal was being depressed. The failure resulted in a crash. There were no injuries sustained. The contact stated that the accident occurred due to the failure in the braking system as well as the intelligent driving feature. The contact stated that the vehicle inadvertently shutoff and restarted without driving input. The brake assist feature did not engage because the driver was already actively depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was test-driven for two miles however, the contact was yet to receive any information on a possible cause for the failure. The contact was concerned that it was only a matter of time before an even more serious accident would occur. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact requested to be provided the diagnostic report, the Event Data Recorder (EDR) info, and the front camera info. The contact was informed that if she provided any videos or subsequent pictures prior to the crash, she would be provided the information that she requested. The contact later received a letter stating that she would not be provided the information requested. The contact was provided with no further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,194.

Dec 16, 2021

Crash: 1

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,POWER TRAIN

1 complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, the contact pressed a button on the steering wheel to engage the cruise control function on the vehicle. The contact stated when driving past a mileage sign stating 40 MPH, the vehicle suddenly reduce in speed to 40 MPH, while the contact was on the highway in the fast lane. The contact was able to move the vehicle over to the side of the road waited a few minutes took off the cruise control function and reapplied it back on and continued to drive the vehicle again. After a few minutes when the contact was exiting off the highway and the contact drove past a sign that said 60 MPH when suddenly the vehicle automatically accelerated on its own which caused the contact to rear-end a parked vehicle in front of them. The air bags did not deploy or the S.O.S. signal did not turn on. The contact was injured where they broke two bones in the right foot, left knee injury, and whiplash on their neck due to the seat belt. There was medical treatment at the scene. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was inspected but could not diagnose the caused the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 976.

Nov 29, 2021

Crash: 1

Injuries: 1

VISIBILITY

1 complaint

2021 MERCEDES BENZ S580. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO OBSTRUCTED VIEW THRU FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DASHBOARD REFLECTS ONTO THE WINDSHEILD. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE.

Sep 02, 2021

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE

1 complaint

UNKNOWN

Jul 26, 2021

Injuries: 1

4.6/5.0

49 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

How many problems does the 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class have?

The 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class currently has 30 owner-reported complaints according to NHTSA database. These complaints are organized by component to help identify common issues.

What are the most common problems with 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class?

The most common problems reported for the 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class are organized by component above. Each component section shows owner-reported issues, crash reports, and fire incidents to help identify patterns and problem areas.

Where does this 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class problem data come from?

All problem and complaint data for the 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class comes directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) database. These are real complaints submitted by actual vehicle owners.