What breaks most · 1993 to 2007 model years
Mercedes-Benz S600 problems by year
Owners have filed 74 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz S600 across model years 1993 to 2007. Three years stand out: 2001 for engine and cooling complaints, 2002 for engine and cooling complaints and 2003 for suspension complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1994 and 1997.
- Years to check closely: 2001, 2002, 2003
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1994, 1997
- Complaints on file
- 741993 to 2007, all trims
- Worst year
- 200138 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 16 fires · 1 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 69kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 4Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Steering (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Seats (1) | |
| 38 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (17) | |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | Suspension (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Engine (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Tires (1) | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (3) |
What fails on the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S600
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 45% |
17 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S600 |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 26% |
10 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S600 |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 16% |
6 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S600 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
5 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S600 |
| Interior Lighting | 8% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
2 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S600 |
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.
-
2001 mercedes benz s600 with 50,000 miles on it. Engine oil cooler leaking since 40k miles, now it is leaking profusely, mercedes benz wants $4000 to fix problem.
-
Massive oil leak. I have been told that it's everything from oil pressure valves to the oil cooler. Mb... What's the problem?? I need help and none of the san diego mb dealers can fix properly.
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 S600 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2001, 2002, 2003 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz S600. The 2001 alone has 38 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz S600 problem?
On the 2001 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 17 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz S600 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz S600 complaints that include mileage is about 69,000 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.