What breaks most · 2021 to 2023 model years
Mercedes-Benz S 580 problems by year
Owners have filed 63 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz S 580 across model years 2021 to 2023. Three years stand out: 2021 for electrical system complaints, 2022 for brakes complaints and 2023 for tires complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2021, 2022, 2023
- Complaints on file
- 632021 to 2023, all trims
- Worst year
- 202133 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 21 fires · 4 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 4kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 28Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 2 | 16 | Electrical system (10) | |
| 24 | 0 | 7 | Brakes (7) | |
| 6 | 0 | 5 | Tires (3) |
What fails on the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 580
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 30% |
10 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 18% |
6 | 0 | — |
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 15% |
5 | 1 | Shop all forward collision system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 12% |
4 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 580 |
| Unknown or other | 12% |
4 | 0 | — |
| Lane departure systemCamera sensors | 9% |
3 | 0 | Shop all lane departure system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 9% |
3 | 1 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 9% |
3 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 580 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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2021 mercedes benz s580. Consumer writes in regards to obstructed view thru front windshield. The consumer stated the dashboard reflects onto the windsheild. The dealer and manufacturer were notified, but did not offer any assistance.
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Was driving the car at 3:00 P.M. and all of a sudden thr dash display when total black out nothing on the display screen. Speed,fuel,turnning singles nothing total black out. Took it to the dealership to fix as this can and would be a life threathing at loss of life could and can happen in a traffic sistiution
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The "distronic" cruise control is so abrupt in its acceleration and declaration that vehicles behind me tend to take evasive action. The car doesn't sense vehicles far enough ahead to take smooth action, resulting in a jarring, favorite, and fearful ride.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercedes-Benz S 580 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2021, 2022, 2023 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz S 580. The 2021 alone has 33 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz S 580 problem?
On the 2021 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 10 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz S 580 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz S 580 complaints that include mileage is about 4,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.