FaultScore

FaultScore report

2023 Mercedes Benz EQS 450+ problems

Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 2023 Mercedes Benz EQS 450+ with NHTSA between 2024 and 2026. The largest single group is the electrical system. Across this model's run it ranks 2 of 3 worst.

D

FaultScore 71/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Mercedes Benz EQS 450+.

How this is worked out

The numbers

15

Complaints

3

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

4

Injuries reported

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 54 vs 50 Severity 100 vs 50 Early failure not reported
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 54
Against the median year of the Mercedes Benz EQS 450+. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 100
46.7% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.

How 2023 compares with every other Mercedes Benz EQS 450+

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2023 Mercedes Benz EQS 450+

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Electrical System 6 40.0%

1 crashes, 0 fires

Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance 3 20.0%

Median failure at 8,000 miles

Brakes 2 13.3%

1 crashes, 0 fires

Fuel & Propulsion 1 6.7%
Acceleration & Cruise Control 1 6.7%

1 crashes, 0 fires

Suspension 1 6.7%
Transmission & Drivetrain 1 6.7%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Jun 2024 peak 3 Apr 2026

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Gaithersburg, MD Crash 2 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

While making a left turn at low speed, I applied the brakes, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and instead appeared to drift, surge, or accelerate forward. The vehicle struck a fire hydrant and a bus stop pole before crashing into a tree. Airbags deployed and both occupants sustained injuries. I suspect a possible malfunction involving braking, propulsion, electrical, or speed control systems. No final cause has been determined. The vehicle should still be available for inspection. Mercedes-Benz USA has opened a case regarding this incident.

NHTSA complaint #11731921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gaithersburg, MD Crash 2 injured

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While making a left turn at low speed, I applied the brakes, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and instead appeared to drift, surge, or accelerate forward. The vehicle struck a fire hydrant and a bus stop pole before crashing into a tree. Airbags deployed and both occupants sustained injuries. I suspect a possible malfunction involving braking, propulsion, electrical, or speed control systems. No final cause has been determined. The vehicle should still be available for inspection. Mercedes-Benz USA has opened a case regarding this incident.

NHTSA complaint #11731921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gaithersburg, MD Crash 2 injured

SERVICE BRAKES

While making a left turn at low speed, I applied the brakes, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and instead appeared to drift, surge, or accelerate forward. The vehicle struck a fire hydrant and a bus stop pole before crashing into a tree. Airbags deployed and both occupants sustained injuries. I suspect a possible malfunction involving braking, propulsion, electrical, or speed control systems. No final cause has been determined. The vehicle should still be available for inspection. Mercedes-Benz USA has opened a case regarding this incident.

NHTSA complaint #11731921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Newport Coast, CA 1 injured

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

This afternoon, while I was driving on freeway at a normal speed (75 miles/hour) with an ample distance (30 feet) from the car in front of me , I suddenly felt a huge impact. It was so violent that I immediately thought my car was hit by the car behind me. I stopped the car on freeway and called 911. But from the back mirror, I did not see any damage on the car behind me. I got out to inspect my car but did not see any collision damage. According to my online search, this model - Mercedes-Benz EQS - has a frequently reported issue of "Phantom Braking" from the Forward Collision Avoidance System. It was very startling and dangerous experience for me. Now 5 hours later I still feel the pain in my neck and back from the impact. Please address this issue to save lives.

NHTSA complaint #11702392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Gaithersburg, MD Crash 2 injured

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

While making a left turn at low speed, I applied the brakes, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and instead appeared to drift, surge, or accelerate forward. The vehicle struck a fire hydrant and a bus stop pole before crashing into a tree. Airbags deployed and both occupants sustained injuries. I suspect a possible malfunction involving braking, propulsion, electrical, or speed control systems. No final cause has been determined. The vehicle should still be available for inspection. Mercedes-Benz USA has opened a case regarding this incident.

NHTSA complaint #11731921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gaithersburg, MD Crash 2 injured

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While making a left turn at low speed, I applied the brakes, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and instead appeared to drift, surge, or accelerate forward. The vehicle struck a fire hydrant and a bus stop pole before crashing into a tree. Airbags deployed and both occupants sustained injuries. I suspect a possible malfunction involving braking, propulsion, electrical, or speed control systems. No final cause has been determined. The vehicle should still be available for inspection. Mercedes-Benz USA has opened a case regarding this incident.

NHTSA complaint #11731921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Gaithersburg, MD Crash 2 injured

SERVICE BRAKES

While making a left turn at low speed, I applied the brakes, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and instead appeared to drift, surge, or accelerate forward. The vehicle struck a fire hydrant and a bus stop pole before crashing into a tree. Airbags deployed and both occupants sustained injuries. I suspect a possible malfunction involving braking, propulsion, electrical, or speed control systems. No final cause has been determined. The vehicle should still be available for inspection. Mercedes-Benz USA has opened a case regarding this incident.

NHTSA complaint #11731921 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Santa Clarita, CA

POWER TRAIN

I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has suddenly lost power and completely stopped while driving on the freeway without warning. During these incidents, a red warning symbol appeared on the dashboard (a red turtle icon), indicating a critical malfunction. These failures created extremely dangerous situations, as the vehicle lost the ability to maintain normal driving speed in active freeway traffic. At the time of these incidents, my three children were in the vehicle, which significantly increased the risk of a serious accident. This issue has occurred multiple times, suggesting a serious and recurring defect. The sudden loss of power combined with dashboard warning signals presents a major safety hazard and could lead to severe injury or fatal accidents. I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle and request that this issue be investigated as a potential safety defect.

NHTSA complaint #11725988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Santa Clarita, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has suddenly lost power and completely stopped while driving on the freeway without warning. During these incidents, a red warning symbol appeared on the dashboard (a red turtle icon), indicating a critical malfunction. These failures created extremely dangerous situations, as the vehicle lost the ability to maintain normal driving speed in active freeway traffic. At the time of these incidents, my three children were in the vehicle, which significantly increased the risk of a serious accident. This issue has occurred multiple times, suggesting a serious and recurring defect. The sudden loss of power combined with dashboard warning signals presents a major safety hazard and could lead to severe injury or fatal accidents. I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle and request that this issue be investigated as a potential safety defect.

NHTSA complaint #11725988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Santa Clarita, CA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has suddenly lost power and completely stopped while driving on the freeway without warning. During these incidents, a red warning symbol appeared on the dashboard (a red turtle icon), indicating a critical malfunction. These failures created extremely dangerous situations, as the vehicle lost the ability to maintain normal driving speed in active freeway traffic. At the time of these incidents, my three children were in the vehicle, which significantly increased the risk of a serious accident. This issue has occurred multiple times, suggesting a serious and recurring defect. The sudden loss of power combined with dashboard warning signals presents a major safety hazard and could lead to severe injury or fatal accidents. I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle and request that this issue be investigated as a potential safety defect.

NHTSA complaint #11725988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 8,000 miles Encino, CA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

The contact leases a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS450. While driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped with no other vehicle or object nearby. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact was informed that it was a common failure and that other vehicle owners had sustained injuries due to the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 10-15 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the failure recurred, almost causing the vehicle to be rear-ended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA complaint #11716672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oklahoma City, OK

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The vehicle throws a “charging fault” error when I try to charge my vehicle with a high speed charger. I tried two different chargers and two different locations with the same result. The safety risk is a faulty high voltage battery system. I have not taken it to the dealer yet. This just happened today. My understanding is that this is a fairly widespread issue and MB is denying all warranty claims and blaming the charging station. The only warning is the “charging fault” message on the dash display.

NHTSA complaint #11707193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Spring Valley, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While traveling cross-country from Chicago, IL to San Diego, CA, my Mercedes-Benz EQS experienced a battery and system malfunction in Erick, Oklahoma at approximately 11:17 PM. At the time of the incident, the vehicle displayed approximately 93 miles of remaining range. I stopped to charge the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to initiate charging and subsequently lost power. Following the shutdown, the vehicle doors would not unlock. The vehicle appeared to have no usable electrical power, and there were no visible or audible instructions provided regarding emergency exit procedures. I was unaware of any mechanical emergency door release and could not reasonably locate one during the shutdown. As a result, the vehicle effectively trapped its occupants. Both my phone and my passenger’s phone were fully discharged, leaving us unable to contact roadside assistance, emergency services, or any outside help. We remained confined inside the vehicle for several hours overnight. I eventually fell asleep and woke up around 4:00 AM extremely cold. The outside temperature was approximately 31°F, and the vehicle had no heating capability due to the system shutdown. Extended confinement in freezing temperatures without heat created a serious risk of hypothermia or medical emergency. This situation caused me to experience a panic attack, and I developed a severe cough afterward, which I believe was related to cold exposure. At approximately 4:00 AM, the vehicle briefly powered on for a few seconds, which allowed me to unlock and open the door and exit the vehicle. After exiting, I attempted to have the vehicle’s battery jumped, but this was unsuccessful. The vehicle remained completely inoperable. I then had to pay approximately $700 out of pocket for towing to a Mercedes-Benz dealership, despite the vehicle still being under warranty. In order to continue my trip to California, I was forced to rent a vehicle at my own expense (approximately $400), in addition to incurri

NHTSA complaint #11705086 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Newport Coast, CA 1 injured

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

This afternoon, while I was driving on freeway at a normal speed (75 miles/hour) with an ample distance (30 feet) from the car in front of me , I suddenly felt a huge impact. It was so violent that I immediately thought my car was hit by the car behind me. I stopped the car on freeway and called 911. But from the back mirror, I did not see any damage on the car behind me. I got out to inspect my car but did not see any collision damage. According to my online search, this model - Mercedes-Benz EQS - has a frequently reported issue of "Phantom Braking" from the Forward Collision Avoidance System. It was very startling and dangerous experience for me. Now 5 hours later I still feel the pain in my neck and back from the impact. Please address this issue to save lives.

NHTSA complaint #11702392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Paradise Valley, AZ

SUSPENSION

Two weeks ago, I returned back from work and later on in the evening was driving to go to grocery store when the car seemed to get pulled to one side and started shaking when driving around 40MPH. Not knowing what was going on, I turned back and slowly drove it back home. Next morning, I thought may be there is low tire pressure ( even though it was in range), I slowly drove to get air filled. After that coming home the car started pulling on the left side and shaking around 40MPH speed. So I slowly drove it back home with flashers on and then towed it to the dealership not knowing what was going with it. Car has only 6700 miles on it. Dealership looked at it and said that the left rear strut was broken and right rear strut is damaged. No other damage to the car. They think I might have drove over 'some object'. I have the same drive to work for 10 years, I drive about 2 to 3 times a week to work. There is no major trenches or big bumps on the road. Majority of drive is freeway driving of about 25 miles plus. This is brand new luxury vehicle, and I would know if I drove over some thing so big to cause such a major damage. At no point I drove over any thing major - otherwise I would not have thought of 'tire problem' initially. I am really shocked that driving for 40 years, I have never encountered such an issue. My concern is that the car is so smooth driving that it had such a major damage without driving over any large potholes etc. Not sure if other Mercedes EQS has had similar issues. Dealership states that this is not covered under warranty. I just want to make sure that there is no significant manufacturers defect in these parts to cause such a mjaor damage to the struts without any other damage to the underside of the car. I am glad that I did not get into any major accident but dealing with such breakage of car part is beyond my understanding of how such a thing can happen without one realizing that it had happened. Thank you for your attention

NHTSA complaint #11618816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Arlington, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2023 Mercedes EQS 450 Normal Recuperation driving around 40 mph suddenly the brakes were applied and seat belts engaged with no apparent reason or obstacle. It was for a second and released so no damage except the scare and jolt of the brake. The internet is full of discussions about this Phantom Braking with electric and non-electric vehicles of all brands. This is the first incident in the 3 months that we have owned this sedan and we will be taking it to the Mercedes dealership soon. This car is always giving warning lights and sounds with so many safety features.

NHTSA complaint #11616685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Arlington, TX

SERVICE BRAKES

2023 Mercedes EQS 450 Normal Recuperation driving around 40 mph suddenly the brakes were applied and seat belts engaged with no apparent reason or obstacle. It was for a second and released so no damage except the scare and jolt of the brake. The internet is full of discussions about this Phantom Braking with electric and non-electric vehicles of all brands. This is the first incident in the 3 months that we have owned this sedan and we will be taking it to the Mercedes dealership soon. This car is always giving warning lights and sounds with so many safety features.

NHTSA complaint #11616685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Arlington, TX

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

2023 Mercedes EQS 450 Normal Recuperation driving around 40 mph suddenly the brakes were applied and seat belts engaged with no apparent reason or obstacle. It was for a second and released so no damage except the scare and jolt of the brake. The internet is full of discussions about this Phantom Braking with electric and non-electric vehicles of all brands. This is the first incident in the 3 months that we have owned this sedan and we will be taking it to the Mercedes dealership soon. This car is always giving warning lights and sounds with so many safety features.

NHTSA complaint #11616685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Nashville, TN

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car stopped abruptly on a two lane highway and a flashing warning came up that said electrical failure. Car jerked to a stop. Had to be towed to the dealership. Very dangerous. A friend has the same car and it happened to him twice. The cars do not need to be on the road until absolutely corrected. Needs a recall.

NHTSA complaint #11592833 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.