AI DamageMercedes-Benz R-Class: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Mercedes-Benz R-Class across 2 model years: 6 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
| Year | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) | YouTube repair videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 50% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 17% of all complaints
- 5 Child seat 17% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 17% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 17% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 17% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (50% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (33% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (33% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Child seat: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl 2006–2013
- 5 L · petrol · 8 cyl 2006–2007
- 6.2 L · petrol · 8 cyl 2007
- 3 L · diesel · turbo · 6 cyl 2007–2008
- automatic, 7-speed 2006–2013
Drive: AWD, 4WD, RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Child seat | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
We thought that our car was burning out the rear bulbs really fast or that there was a short. Turns out that when we took it in for repairs to the balance shaft, we found out that there is indeed a short in the harness. Apparently, the c-class is not the only model having this problem.
While driving car the check engine light came on and started running very rough. I took it to the dealer where they told me it was some sort of balance shaft/cam gear problem. They said it was a terrible design flaw that affected many, many cars. They said driving it was risky.
What I thought was a bug biting my rear side, ending up being the seat on fire! I had turned on the seat warmer and not even a minute or two later, the wire in the seat was on fire when I pulled over and left a hole in my seat. Car is not under warranty anymore and I feel as though I should not have to pay for this.
Radian xtsl by sunshine kids....super latch mechanism coming loose very easily by 2 1/2 year old. (related vehicle information: model year=2007, make=mercedes, model=r class).
2006 mercedes benz r350 3.5 272 engine constant cel for p0016 p0017 cam balance shafts for left side intake and exhaust cam balancers worn gears due to incorrectly hardened gears during manufacture.
A 2 month old 2007 mercedes r320 cdi rear tire explodes in private driveway on january 20, 2007 during a colorado blizzard. The car was purchased new from mercedes of colorado springs. We have found out by a forensic expert that a defect in the car caused the explosion.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.