Owners have filed 598 complaints on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, covering 2002–2024. The system named most often is Electrical System (22 reports). Worst years by volume: 2002, 2003, 2007; cleanest: 2020, 2024, 2023. 26 reports describe a crash, 23 a fire. On average the car was 7.0 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 598 S-Class complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Electrical System 22 Read
Check engine light came on few occasions. Took to the dealer and told it’s just a false alarm no problems. On the night of sept 12th 2024, I’m my way home I lost the ac cooling all of a sudden. I was only 5 mts from home. Once inside my garage I saw to my horror some smoke coming from under yhe hood. Upon opening saw…
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz S560. The contact stated that while parking their vehicle, a burning-leather odor entered the cabin, and they noticed smoke in the cabin. The contact noticed a small fire beneath the driver's seat. The fire was extinguished with nearby snow. At which time the vehicle's engine…
2015 mercedes benz s-550. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle security systems mechanical and electrical failure accident. *smd
Steering 21 Read
Vehicle cut on fire while sitting lucky outside, the corner of engine passenger side bellow the headlight stores the suspension air pump and electric hydraulic steering pump.. Base on my inspection the ehps heated and set on fire.someone saw the car on fire and called fire dept.. Car was lock and store after hours
From day one delivery, car technology didn't work. A couple of months, more problems began: odd security warnings - car wouldn't let me put into park, nor neutral, nor reverse. This occurred 3 times, setting still, in 3 rural locations. Instead the shifter operated the central navigation map directions! Two dealers…
The steering shifter would not change the car into park nor new ram, from drive. Aff'l, the shifter instead began operating the navigation map cursor. The vehicle was stationary each of the 3 times it happened in one day
Structure 15 Read
The car was designed too low. When parked at a supermarket, Publix in surfside Miami Beach, when ready to leave the parking bumper pulled at the front bumper and disconnected it partially. A north miami Mercedes Benz service department said this is not unusual as this car is very low. A claim was filed with…
The sunroof shattered suddenly while driving. There was no external impact to the vehicle
Subject: Report of Spontaneous Sunroof Explosion - Mercedes S580 2022 Model Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am writing to report a concerning incident that occurred on [XXX] at approximately [XXX] while I was driving my 2022 Mercedes S580 to work on [XXX] N. During my drive, I experienced a…
Wheels 14 Read
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…
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…
Excessive Tire failure on "AMG" 21 inch wheel and tires. Pirelli tires have replaced 4 tires in four months. Cracks in side wall bubbling
Engine 13 Read
The consumer owned a 2018 mercedes-benz s560. After driving the vehicle for approximately three minutes, the contact parked the vehicle. The consumer was alerted by someone that there was smoke under the hood of the vehicle. Within thirty seconds to a minute, the vehicle became engulfed in flames. The fire department…
The contact owns a 2011 mercedes-benz s550. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while parked. The contact was able to extinguish the fire which started from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine harness leading to the oxygen sensor was…
The vehicle lost acceleration and the check engine light came on. I took the vehicle to Mercedes dealership. They quoted that the Camtronic actuator has failed and needs to be replaced. Cost $9000. I have now seen online a recall for 2021 mercedes s580's for CAMTRONIC actuator failure issue. However- my VIN is not…
Fuel/propulsion System 11 Read
Upon refuling my automobile full I could smell a strong odor of gas fumes. Earlier that day I had an impact of my tire over a curb. Gas fumes could be smelled not so much on the outside of the auto but inside without abatement. Upon inspection by mercedes benz of stockton ca it was determined a fuel leak was present…
The fuel pump My car stopped on the highway [XXX] on [XXX] with my children in the car with no warning at all. I was so lucky nobody hit us and it took 20 minutes of trying to start it to get off of the highway to a gas station where it cut off again The dealer said it is a known problem however my vin number was…
When the car is lifted in the front (to change both tires) there is a strong odor of fuel coming from the rear of the car when walking around the back. The tank was 50%full and this occurs whenever the car is lifted in the front
Suspension 11 Read
While driving my 2024 Mercedes-Benz S580, I have experienced multiple serious safety issues affecting both the power train and the wheels/tires. 1.Power Train / Transmission Failure: On two separate occasions at freeway speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost all power and came to a complete stop in the middle of the lane.…
Mechanical and safety-related failures observed in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, specifically involving the suspension system, wheels, and braking components. Despite extensive repair efforts—including replacement of all four wheels and tires, complete AWD four-wheel alignment, and diagnostics performed at authorized…
Mercedes-Benz S580 equipped with 21-inch wheels has experienced numerous tire blowouts over the course of ownership — too many to count. The blowouts occurred during normal driving on typical roads. Several blowouts caused rim damage and created a dangerous situation, including moments where I nearly lost control of…
Tires 11 Read
255/35R21 Unknown Bump on tire causing it to run flat
I had 9985 miles on my 2023 Mercedes S580V when the front passenger tire experienced a blowout earlier this year. The tire failed right after I had my first A service which did not show an issue with tires. Today is 10/30/2024 and I have 13978 miles on my vehicle. The driver side front tire Pirelli 255/35-R21/98Y has…
On [XXX] I had a blowout on the passenger front side of my vehicle. The vehicle was towed to Sugarland MB and a new Pirelli 255/35 R21 purchased. The blowout happened after I hit a bump (not pothole) in the road on [XXX] at [XXX] . My 2023 MB 580V had 9701 miles on it and had just had it's first "A" service with no…
S-Class years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Electrical System,vehicle Speed Control,unknown Or Other | — | — | |
| 2023 | Electrical System,vehicle Speed Control,forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | — | |
| 2022 | Electrical System | — | 1 | |
| 2021 | Electrical System,exterior Lighting | — | — | |
| 2020 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2019 | Air Bags,seat Belts | 1 | 1 | |
| 2018 | Electrical System,communication | — | 1 | |
| 2017 | Air Bags,unknown Or Other | — | — | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2015 | Air Bags | 5 | 3 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | 4 | — | |
| 2013 | Electrical System,wheels | — | 1 | |
| 2012 | Electrical System,electronic Stability Control (esc),engine | — | 1 | |
| 2011 | Electrical System,engine | 1 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2009 | Electrical System,engine | 3 | 1 | |
| 2008 | Air Bags,seats | 1 | — | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | — | 4 | |
| 2006 | Electrical System | 3 | 1 | |
| 2005 | Air Bags,seat Belts | 2 | 1 | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | 2 | 2 | |
| 2003 | Air Bags | 1 | 2 | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | 1 | 2 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 379 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.6 |
| Worst single series | 9 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 7.0 years |
A model average of 1.6 hides a worst series at 9. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the S-Class?
By complaint volume, 2002, 2003, 2007 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which S-Class years are the cleanest?
2020, 2024, 2023 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Mercedes-Benz S-Class have?
598 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2002–2024. Of those, 26 describe a crash and 23 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.