If you are checking a used Mercedes-Benz S-Class, this hub is the starting point. It is built to gather the practical questions a buyer or owner actually has: what usually goes wrong, which year windows deserve caution, what warning signs matter, and what to check before money changes hands.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is tracked here as a large luxury sedan coverage hub. This page is a researched coverage page, not a final reliability verdict. Specific defect claims should come from sourced child pages, not guesswork.
Before buying or ignoring symptoms, verify open recalls by VIN, scan for stored OBD codes, check service history, and use any linked CarFaultIQ fault or symptom pages to decide the next practical step.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class 1995–1999
No verified model-specific fault records for 1995–1999 yet.
Evidence-backed model intelligence
Mercedes-Benz S-Class diagnostic overview
Structured coverage spans 1995-2026. Use the exact model year and symptoms when narrowing a fault.
Vehicle coverage
- Powertrain evidence: Diesel, Electricity and Premium Gasoline
- Electrification: Electric and Hybrid
- Drivetrain coverage: 4WD, 4WD/AWD, AWD, FWD and RWD
Start with the evidence you have
A symptom and an OBD code are separate evidence channels. Use either one; do not assume a stored code proves a particular repair.
Official evidence for this model
Coverage below spans the explicitly mapped model years. Records do not apply to every model year or configuration.
US safety recalls
65 distinct official identifiers · US
Campaigns matched to recorded model years. Only an official VIN check can confirm whether an individual vehicle is affected.
- 26V216000 — model years 2018, 2019, 2020
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018 E 400 4MATIC Sedan, E 400 4MATIC Wagon, E 400 4MATIC Cabriolet, E 400 4MATIC Coupe, 2018-2020 Maybach S 560 4MATIC, S 560 4MATIC Coupe, S 450 4MATIC, 2019-2020 E 450 4MATIC Sedan, E 450 4MATIC Wagon,…
- 25V366000 — model years 2025
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2025 S-Class, EQE SUV, EQE, EQS SUV and EQS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. Software in the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) may cause an incorrect external pedestrian warning sound while…
- 25V255000 — model years 2023
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023-2024 C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL, GLC, EQE SUV, EQE, EQS SUV, and EQS vehicles that were incorrectly repaired under recall 24V-115. An incorrect fuse box that was not designed for the vehicle may have been installed.
Manufacturer communications / TSBs
755 distinct official identifiers · US
Manufacturer service communications are not safety recalls and do not prove that every vehicle has the described condition.
- 11035490 — model years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
This NCU replaces the prior NCU issued on May 15, 2025, and contains additional MY 2023 and MY 2024 vehicles which are highlighted below. In our continuing efforts to ensure the proper performance of Mercedes-Benz products and to enhance the satisfaction of our customers, Mercedes-Benz…
- 11035234 — model years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025, 2026
Complaint Check Engine Light ON with DTC P012800 "The Coolant Temperature is Below the Specified Temperature" active and/or stored in the ME (N3/10). There are no drivability concerns related to this complaint. Cause Root cause varies Remedy Prior to performing any repairs for this complaint:…
- 11035238 — model years 2019, 2020, 2021
Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz, has determined that on certain MY 2019-2021 C-Class, G-Class, GLC, GT, S-Class (205, 463, 253, 190 & 222 platforms) vehicles, the engine control unit software does not correspond to current production specifications. It is therefore possible that on-board…
US defect investigations
5 distinct official identifiers · US
An investigation records a regulator review of a suspected defect. It is not automatically a finding or a recall.
- DP22005 — model years 2016, 2017, 2020
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141…
- PE21001 — model years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
On January 8, 2021, after ongoing review with Mercedes Benz, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-001 to assess allegations of front roof panel detachments while driving at highway speeds in certain 2015 Mercedes-Benz (Mercedes) C-Class vehicles.The subject…
- PE07042 — model years 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
THE SUBJECT S-CLASS VEHICLES CONTAIN A COMPRESSED AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT USES AIR STRUTS ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS IN LIEU OF TRADITIONAL SPRINGS AND SHOCK ABSORBERS.THESE AIR STRUTS USE COMPRESSED AIR TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND CONTROL RIDE HEIGHT.IN THE…
Canadian recalls
52 distinct official identifiers · CA
Canadian-market records remain separate from US campaigns. Confirm applicability with Transport Canada and the manufacturer.
- 2026168 — model years 2018, 2019, 2020
Issue: On certain vehicles, the driveshaft may not have been manufactured properly. Over time, the driveshaft could wear and the universal joint could break. If this happens, there could be a loss of power to the wheels. Safety Risk: A loss of power to the…
- 2025213 — model years 2023, 2024
Multiple source assertions are retained for this identifier. Consult the official record for configuration-specific details.
- 2025098 — model years 2024, 2025
Multiple source assertions are retained for this identifier. Consult the official record for configuration-specific details.
US owner complaint reports
1,043 distinct reports · US
Distinct ODI complaint identifiers, deduplicated across component and product rows. Reports are allegations, not confirmed defects, failure rates or reliability scores.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 253 reports
- SUSPENSION: 122 reports
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL: 84 reports
A report can name several components. Do not add component totals together.
Evidence is served from a locally stored official-source snapshot. No external API is called to render this page. These records do not replace inspection or diagnosis. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.