Worst years for a Mercedes Benz S500
Owners have filed 274 complaints about the Mercedes Benz S500 with NHTSA across model years 1993 to 2007. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.
Avoid
2000 Mercedes Benz S50085 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly electrical system.
Cleanest on record
1999 Mercedes Benz S50012 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.
Every Mercedes Benz S500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 2006 | A | 16 | 0 | 0 | 87,042 | Engine & Cooling |
| 2005 | A | 19 | 0 | 0 | 55,000 | Electrical System |
| 2004 | C | 24 | 3 | 0 | 98,000 | Electrical System |
| 2003 | A | 12 | 0 | 0 | 59,125 | Seat Belts |
| 2002 | C | 36 | 1 | 1 | 62,000 | Electrical System |
| 2001 | C | 55 | 2 | 2 | 114,000 | Electrical System |
| 2000 | D | 85 | 3 | 1 | 84,000 | Electrical System |
| 1999 | A | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | Engine & Cooling |
| 1996 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1995 | — | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1994 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
| 1993 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | Electrical System |
What breaks on a Mercedes Benz S500
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 2000
Worst in 2000
Worst in 2000
Worst in 2001
Worst in 2000
Worst in 2003
Worst in 2000
Worst in 2004
Worst in 2001
Worst in 2002
Complaints filed over time
Every complaint about every Mercedes Benz S500, by the month it reached NHTSA.
Compare the Mercedes Benz S500
Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.