AI Damage2002 Mercedes-Benz S 500: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz S 500 filed 25 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 25
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 56% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 24% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 4% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 4% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 14 complaints (56% of all).
- Suspension: 6 complaints (24% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (8% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (8% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (4% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 25 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 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 5 | 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.
The air bags did not deploy. The contact's daughter did not sustain any injuries. The person that crashed into the contact's daughter was not injured. There was no need for medical attention. A police report was made.
The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the instrument panel and dashboard lights were off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that his daughter was able to drive the vehicle since the exterior lights were working properly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercedes-benz s500. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle heard an abnormal noise coming from the center of the vehicle. A warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an abc hydraulic fluid leak, which was not repaired.
While driving approximately 65 mph, the instrument panel cluster burned out and all the warning lights illuminated. The contact observed an abnormal burning odor. The contact shut off and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was undetermined.
My airmatic suspension madey my car go down real low, I pay a lot of money to get the two air matic suspension fix. My rear end is still going down and now the rear is lower than the front. I am just lije the rest of the people that has complaint about this . Nhtsa action number ped7042.
Twice since I've had this car I've had to replace the suspension first the back then at my fathers funeral the front both resulting in a lot of money, and there is no recall on the suspension? Why?
It caused the car to run really horrible and stall out many times. Manufacturer doesn't want to be responsible for the repair, even if the vehicle only has 65000 miles. It won't pass the california emission testing. Updated 12/17/14.
The contact stated that they had to take the vehicle to the dealer twice for the check engine light and for an alignment in the past two years. The contact had to replace the aromatic struts on the vehicle twice because of a failure, the exhaust pipe and general ring for the check engine failure.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,448 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the S 500 has 11 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 25, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- 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.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercedes-Benz S 500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, suspension, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 25. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (24%), stalls while driving (12%), airbags did not deploy (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz S 500?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 Mercedes-Benz S 500 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
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.