Worst years for a Mercedes Benz S Class
Owners have filed 338 complaints about the Mercedes Benz S Class with NHTSA across model years 1994 to 2012. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.
Avoid
2000 Mercedes Benz S Class101 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly electrical system.
Cleanest on record
1994 Mercedes Benz S Class14 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.
Every Mercedes Benz S Class year, graded
The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.
| Year | Grade | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Median miles | Most reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 2009 | — | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | Airbags |
| 2005 | — | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 2004 | C | 17 | 1 | 1 | 51,477 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 2003 | C | 43 | 0 | 0 | 55,000 | Suspension |
| 2002 | B | 56 | 0 | 0 | 80,000 | Suspension |
| 2001 | B | 46 | 0 | 1 | 79,000 | Electrical System |
| 2000 | D | 101 | 3 | 5 | 84,000 | Electrical System |
| 1999 | B | 10 | 1 | 0 | 96,500 | Airbags |
| 1998 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1997 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1996 | — | 6 | 0 | 0 | 121,000 | Engine & Cooling |
| 1995 | B | 32 | 0 | 2 | 127,000 | Electrical System |
| 1994 | A | 14 | 0 | 0 | 113,100 | Electrical System |
What breaks on a Mercedes Benz S Class
Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.
Worst in 2000
Worst in 2002
Worst in 2004
Worst in 2002
Worst in 2000
Worst in 2000
Worst in 2003
Worst in 2000
Worst in 1995
Worst in 2003
Worst in 2003
Exactly what failed on a Mercedes Benz S Class
The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.
Complaints filed over time
Every complaint about every Mercedes Benz S Class, by the month it reached NHTSA.
Compare the Mercedes Benz S Class
Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.