What breaks most · 1993 to 2007 model years
Mercedes-Benz S500 problems by year
Owners have filed 155 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz S500 across model years 1993 to 2007. Three years stand out: 2000 for electrical system complaints, 2001 for electrical system complaints and 2002 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 1996, 1993 and 1994.
- Years to check closely: 2000, 2001, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 1996, 1993, 1994
- Complaints on file
- 1551993 to 2007, all trims
- Worst year
- 200051 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 62 fires · 6 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 98kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (2) | |
| 51 | 3 | 0 | Electrical system (27) | |
| 31 | 2 | 0 | Electrical system (19) | |
| 20 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (11) | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | Seat belts (3) | |
| 11 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (6) | |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 53% |
27 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500 |
| Interior Lighting | 24% |
12 | 0 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 16% |
8 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500 |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 12% |
6 | 1 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500 |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 8% |
4 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
3 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500 |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 4% |
2 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500 |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 4% |
2 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S500 |
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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Background illumination of the instrument cluster failed (2000 mercedes benz s500, model # 220.175, VIN# [xxx]). Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
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I have had the car since 2010 in june and i have already had to replace the front driver side ball bearing and joints and they have stopped working once again i was driving last week in traffic at around 5 pm when my entire dashboard went out none of the gauges are working i couldnt see anything.
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Mercedes benz 2002 s430: tele aid sos system malfunction causing vital information on auto to be denied while vehicle is moving. No way to reset. Must go to auto dealer to correct. Dealer will charge to investigate and correct.
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 30, 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 S500 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2000, 2001, 2002 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz S500. The 2000 alone has 51 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz S500 problem?
On the 2000 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 27 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz S500 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz S500 complaints that include mileage is about 98,000 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.