Owners have filed 83 complaints
about the 2007 Mercedes Benz S550 with NHTSA between 2007 and 2024.
The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain.
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
1,000 – 9,999 miles
11.8%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
23.6%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
35.4%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
2442.9%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
712.5%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
1221.4%
150,000+ miles
712.5%
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.
Dec 2007peak 6Sep 2024
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
at 51,000 milesSAN Diego, CAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES S550. THE CONTACT WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT AND NOTICED FLAMES WERE INSIDE THE GRILL AND BEHIND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INSURANCE YARD FOR INSPECTION. THE FIRE CHIEF ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN THE HEADLIGHT UNIT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.
NHTSA complaint #10491444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 64,000 milesAstoria, NYFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY NAME IS [XXX], AND I AM A RESIDENT OF QUEENS, NY. I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 07 MERCEDES BENZ S550 IN JULY OF 2009 FROM THE CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED DEALERSHIP WITH CPO WARRANTY. I HAD IT FINANCED WITH MERCEDES BENZ FINANCIAL. THE CAR HAD 34,000 MILES ON IT INITIALLY. OVER THE TIME SPAN IN WHICH I USED THE CAR, I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR MANY X'S TO THE SHOP. IN APRIL 10 THE TRANS. FAILED, AND IN MAY 2010 THE SUSP (ACTIVE BODY CONTROL/ ABC) SYSTEM FAILED. THESE WERE THE MAJOR ITEMS THAT REQ.'D WORK, BESIDES THAT THERE WERE MANY OTHER PROBLEMS THAT OCCURRED PREVIOUSLY AND AS WELL AS AFTERWARDS, THAT REQUIRED GETTING SERVICE DONE ON THE CAR. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE CAR'S MAINTENANCE HISTORY, YOU WILL SEE A LARGE AMOUNT OF WORK DONE, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE LIKE THAT FOR SUCH A HIGH CLASS AND EXPENSIVE CAR. WELL I WAS DRIVING THE CAR, AND HAD LIL PROB HERE AND THERE. BUT I HAD NO IDEA THAT WAS THE LEAST OF MY PROB. ON JUNE 12, 2010, I HAD TAKEN THE CAR OUT FOR A WORK, AND WAS DRIVING IN HILLSIDE AVE IN NY. MY AIR CONDITIONING IN THE CAR WAS RUNNING, EXCEPT FOR THE CENTRAL FAN, AND WHEN I TRIED TO TURN IT OFF, IT JUST CONTINUED TO RUN. I WAS JUST DRIVING ALONG, WHEN I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, AND DECIDED TO PULL OVER. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS OK. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG UNDER THE HOOD, SO I GOT BACK IN THE CAR, AND WAS ABOUT TO PULL OUT WHEN I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE CENTRAL VENTS ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CAR WAS STILL OFF, BUT THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE CAR BEGAN WORKING BY THEMSELVES. 1 BY 1, THE LIGHTS, THE WIPERS, THE WINDSHIELD CLEANING SOAP, THE DISPLAY, STARTED TO COME ON. I HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF THE CAR, WHEN IT LOCKED AND THE FLAMES ERUPTED. IN A MATTER OF MINUTES THE CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES AND WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED. I CALLED THE FIRE DEPT. AND THEY PUT THE FIRE OUT. THEN I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #10347258 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Winder, GA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I went to replace my low beam and high beam bulbs on the passenger side and found that the wiring for the low beam had 0 insulation on it and I installed the new high beam bulb and the wires starting arcing causing the car to turn off the high beams and start smoking from the headlight assembly.
NHTSA complaint #11616129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Winder, GA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I went to replace my low beam and high beam bulbs on the passenger side and found that the wiring for the low beam had 0 insulation on it and I installed the new high beam bulb and the wires starting arcing causing the car to turn off the high beams and start smoking from the headlight assembly.
NHTSA complaint #11616129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LAS Vegas, NV
STEERING
Vehicle's body movement or damping motion while traveling on highway responds awkwardly. The vehicle has a waddle or a side to side motion instead of an up/down motion while traveling over the highway at 60 mph. My initial thoughts were to replace the vehicle's (air ride) struts. I chose to have Mercedes-Benz of Tyler analyze the vehicle ride problems which at that time involved the self -leveling adjustment (up/down) of the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz of Tyler determined and replaced the air compressor and valve block at 61,000 miles on March 16, 2023 to resolve the problem. Although no recalls were found for this vehicle, I've spoken with other owners who own S-Class vehicles and discovered NHTSA Campaign I.D. 08V405000 with a report date August 01, 2008 was issued. I believe this vehicle should have been included in that campaign. This vehicle has not been in an accident nor do I want to be. I'm seeking resolution to this problem prior to an accident or injury occurs.
NHTSA complaint #11591987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LAS Vegas, NV
SUSPENSION
Vehicle's body movement or damping motion while traveling on highway responds awkwardly. The vehicle has a waddle or a side to side motion instead of an up/down motion while traveling over the highway at 60 mph. My initial thoughts were to replace the vehicle's (air ride) struts. I chose to have Mercedes-Benz of Tyler analyze the vehicle ride problems which at that time involved the self -leveling adjustment (up/down) of the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz of Tyler determined and replaced the air compressor and valve block at 61,000 miles on March 16, 2023 to resolve the problem. Although no recalls were found for this vehicle, I've spoken with other owners who own S-Class vehicles and discovered NHTSA Campaign I.D. 08V405000 with a report date August 01, 2008 was issued. I believe this vehicle should have been included in that campaign. This vehicle has not been in an accident nor do I want to be. I'm seeking resolution to this problem prior to an accident or injury occurs.
NHTSA complaint #11591987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 205,000 milesDallas, TX
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes Benz S550. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, it was discovered that the rear passenger’s side and front driver’s side air suspension had failed, and the vehicle was leaning and was unstable. Additionally, the message "Parking Brake - Check Manual" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted and notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 205,000.
NHTSA complaint #11523291 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 205,000 milesDallas, TX
PARKING BRAKE
The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes Benz S550. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, it was discovered that the rear passenger’s side and front driver’s side air suspension had failed, and the vehicle was leaning and was unstable. Additionally, the message "Parking Brake - Check Manual" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted and notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 205,000.
NHTSA complaint #11523291 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 131,989 milesGraham, NC
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle was bouncing and pulling to the left and the right. The contact stated that the steering wheel was vibrating. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front strut and radial knuckles needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V608000 (Suspension). The failure mileage was 131,989.
NHTSA complaint #11506273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 170,000 milesOrange, NJ
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550. The contact stated that while driving 30-40 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate independently. The contact also stated that he smelled an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after 10 minutes. Additionally, the vehicle had failed to start on several occasions even though there was fuel in the tank. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where an unknown diagnostic test was completed. Additionally, the contact stated that the front suspension was previously replaced but had failed again along with the rear suspension. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
NHTSA complaint #11495843 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 170,000 milesOrange, NJ
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550. The contact stated that while driving 30-40 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate independently. The contact also stated that he smelled an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after 10 minutes. Additionally, the vehicle had failed to start on several occasions even though there was fuel in the tank. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where an unknown diagnostic test was completed. Additionally, the contact stated that the front suspension was previously replaced but had failed again along with the rear suspension. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
NHTSA complaint #11495843 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Daly City, CA
AIR BAGS
Struts and braking system have been unstable since I purchased the car. Wiring harness leaks oil and caused ecu to intermintinli turn off and on. Also the heat control timing caused car to over heat . Eventually I replaced the ecu 2 years ago at dealer . Mercedes has parts that are not safe to be in these operating conditions with such heat causeing wiring harness to short out and dealer said that and still put new ecu saying it was oil that damaged ecu. Mechanicly didn’t make sense but now due to recall it all makes sense. Ecu was never programmed correctly causeing unsafe driving hazards .
NHTSA complaint #11491453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Daly City, CA
SUSPENSION
Struts and braking system have been unstable since I purchased the car. Wiring harness leaks oil and caused ecu to intermintinli turn off and on. Also the heat control timing caused car to over heat . Eventually I replaced the ecu 2 years ago at dealer . Mercedes has parts that are not safe to be in these operating conditions with such heat causeing wiring harness to short out and dealer said that and still put new ecu saying it was oil that damaged ecu. Mechanicly didn’t make sense but now due to recall it all makes sense. Ecu was never programmed correctly causeing unsafe driving hazards .
NHTSA complaint #11491453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Daly City, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Struts and braking system have been unstable since I purchased the car. Wiring harness leaks oil and caused ecu to intermintinli turn off and on. Also the heat control timing caused car to over heat . Eventually I replaced the ecu 2 years ago at dealer . Mercedes has parts that are not safe to be in these operating conditions with such heat causeing wiring harness to short out and dealer said that and still put new ecu saying it was oil that damaged ecu. Mechanicly didn’t make sense but now due to recall it all makes sense. Ecu was never programmed correctly causeing unsafe driving hazards .
NHTSA complaint #11491453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Philadelphia, PA
STRUCTURE:BODY
I brought a car from a car dealer in tampa Florida and when i got the car i noticed that the car would not pickup speed after pressing the gas pedal and it was asking me to turn off the engine or it will fail . also when i tried to put in coolant. I seen a milky substance that was coming out of the hoses and in the overflow tank of the coolant reservoir which indicates issues with the heads or head gasket . also the title i got says salvaged which i asked if there was anything wrong with the car and the car dealer told me no . never disclosing that the car has been salvaged . there are other issues with the car that i forget because of so many issues with the car that i cant keep up with and i want to return the car to the car dealer and get my money back and have tried but they refuse to make good on the sale
NHTSA complaint #11430316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Philadelphia, PA
ENGINE
I brought a car from a car dealer in tampa Florida and when i got the car i noticed that the car would not pickup speed after pressing the gas pedal and it was asking me to turn off the engine or it will fail . also when i tried to put in coolant. I seen a milky substance that was coming out of the hoses and in the overflow tank of the coolant reservoir which indicates issues with the heads or head gasket . also the title i got says salvaged which i asked if there was anything wrong with the car and the car dealer told me no . never disclosing that the car has been salvaged . there are other issues with the car that i forget because of so many issues with the car that i cant keep up with and i want to return the car to the car dealer and get my money back and have tried but they refuse to make good on the sale
NHTSA complaint #11430316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Philadelphia, PA
SERVICE BRAKES
I brought a car from a car dealer in tampa Florida and when i got the car i noticed that the car would not pickup speed after pressing the gas pedal and it was asking me to turn off the engine or it will fail . also when i tried to put in coolant. I seen a milky substance that was coming out of the hoses and in the overflow tank of the coolant reservoir which indicates issues with the heads or head gasket . also the title i got says salvaged which i asked if there was anything wrong with the car and the car dealer told me no . never disclosing that the car has been salvaged . there are other issues with the car that i forget because of so many issues with the car that i cant keep up with and i want to return the car to the car dealer and get my money back and have tried but they refuse to make good on the sale
NHTSA complaint #11430316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Orlando, FL
SUSPENSION
ADVISED BY SERVICE ADVISOR NEED TO REPLACE ME CONTROL UNIT(ECM), COSTING $2,000.82. LESS THAN 5 YEARS AGO SUSPENSION COSTING 2,000. ALL WORK DONE AT MERCEDES BENZ OF SOUTH ORLANDO.
NHTSA complaint #11414508 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Orlando, FL
ENGINE
ADVISED BY SERVICE ADVISOR NEED TO REPLACE ME CONTROL UNIT(ECM), COSTING $2,000.82. LESS THAN 5 YEARS AGO SUSPENSION COSTING 2,000. ALL WORK DONE AT MERCEDES BENZ OF SOUTH ORLANDO.
NHTSA complaint #11414508 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 157,320 milesSicklerville, NJ
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
MY PANORAMA ROOF
NHTSA complaint #11341554 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 74,800 milesMobile, AL
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE CONTACT STATED THAT I PURCHASED A USED MERCEDES FROM BMW OF MOBILE. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IT LOSES POWER. I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND IT LOSS POWER. I ALMOST HAD A PANIC ATTACK BECAUSE THE CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON. I HAD TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE RIGHT LANE TO GET OFF THE ROAD. THE CARS WERE DRIVING 70 AND 80 MPH. THEY COULD HAVE RAMMED INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR NOT KNOWING MY CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED DRIVING THIS DEFECTIVE VEHICLE!!! I INFORMED BMW AND THEIR TECHNICIAN SAID IT WAS THE BATTERY AND A STARTER. I PAID $600 FOR THE REPAIR. THEY WERE WRONG THE CAR STILL LOSES POWER. I HAD TO BEG AND PLEAD WITH THEM TO HAVE MERCEDES OF MOBILE DIAGNOSE THE CAR. THEY SAID THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS BUT NOT THE REPAIRS. IF I TRADED THE CAR BACK TO THEM THEY WOULD DEDUCT THE REPAIRS FROM THE CAR. THE OTHER OPTIONS WERE TO LET IT GO BACK TO THE FINANCE COMPANY OR TAKE IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND NOT TELL THEM WHAT GOING ON WITH THE CAR. THEY PAID MERCEDES OF MOBILE TO DIAGNOSIS IT AND THEY IMMEDIATELY STATED THE ISSUE. I WENT TO BMW TO ASK FOR A REFUND AND REPAIR BUT THEY REFUSE TO DO ANY ABOUT THE CAR LOSING POWER. CONTACTS ALSO STATES THAT THE MERCEDES WOULD PAY FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT NOT TO REPAIR. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS DEALERSHIP TO ANYONE. THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS CAR CHECKED OUT THOROUGHLY AT MERCEDES IF THEY DID NOT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE CAR. *LN
NHTSA complaint #11318960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 144,000 milesSheldon, NC
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ODOR OF FUMES EMITTED THROUGH THE VEHICLE AND MADE THE CONTACT NAUSEOUS. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE CONTACT CALLED OLYMPIA PRE OWNED AUTO (1806 WAKE FOREST RD, RALEIGH, NC 27608, (919) 301-8551) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD CALL HER BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000.
NHTSA complaint #11265870 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 144,000 milesSheldon, NC
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ODOR OF FUMES EMITTED THROUGH THE VEHICLE AND MADE THE CONTACT NAUSEOUS. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. THE CONTACT CALLED OLYMPIA PRE OWNED AUTO (1806 WAKE FOREST RD, RALEIGH, NC 27608, (919) 301-8551) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD CALL HER BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000.
NHTSA complaint #11265870 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 100,000 milesSaint Louis, MO
POWER TRAIN
MY 2007 MB S550 BASE MODEL STALLED AS I WAS MERGING ON TO THE EXPRESSWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. AFTER SITTING ON SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR 20MINS, I STARTED THE CAR AND IT WAS MAKING A WHINING NOISE AND WHEN I ACCELERATE THE NOISE GETS LOUDER. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST MERCEDES-BENZ DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED WITH MERCEDES AND ONLY HAS 100K MILES. THIS WILL COST $7,800.00 THE SERVICE GUY STATED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ON THIS CAR BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE STATED THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE.
NHTSA complaint #11204093 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 51,500 milesKnoxille, TN
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE LEAKED FUEL. THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT KNOXVILLE MERCEDES-BENZ (10131 PARKSIDE DR, KNOXVILLE, TN 37922, (865) 777-2222) AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,500.
NHTSA complaint #11163543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 109,234 milesBowie, MD
SUSPENSION
ERROR CODE P0019 CAM SENSOR BANK B, MANUFACTURERS USED DEFECTIVE PART THAT TIMING SPROCKET TEETH HAVE ERODED DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS USED WHICH HAVE AND WILL CAUSE VEHICLE TO STAHL WHILE RUNNING. BOTH FRONT STRUTS WEAR ON ALL MODELS THAT CAUSE DRIVING CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE DEATH WHILE DRIVER EXCELRATION OR STOPPING CAUSE
NHTSA complaint #11144132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 109,234 milesBowie, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ERROR CODE P0019 CAM SENSOR BANK B, MANUFACTURERS USED DEFECTIVE PART THAT TIMING SPROCKET TEETH HAVE ERODED DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS USED WHICH HAVE AND WILL CAUSE VEHICLE TO STAHL WHILE RUNNING. BOTH FRONT STRUTS WEAR ON ALL MODELS THAT CAUSE DRIVING CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE DEATH WHILE DRIVER EXCELRATION OR STOPPING CAUSE
NHTSA complaint #11144132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.