AI Damage2015 Mercedes-Benz S 550: common problems
Owners of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S 550 filed 41 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 41
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 17% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 12% of all complaints
- 4 Wheels 12% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 10% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 7% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 7 complaints (17% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 5 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Wheels: 5 complaints (12% of all).
- Air bags: 4 complaints (10% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 41 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 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.
My wife's head whipped violently to the right towards the crash, then whipped back violently to the left hitting the large seat belt retractor protrusion built into the b-pillar. She was briefly unconscious and suffered a severe concussion and maybe more as medical tests are still on going.
The air bags partially deployed and the seat belt did not tighten. A police report was filed. The contact sustained bulging disc and severe nerve damage to the left hand and legs. The contact was recommended to have surgery for the nerve damage. The contact's mother suffered bruising and a concussion.
Eb on burbank bl-speed limit 50mph--in center lane of 3 eb- mbz salesman reached across driver and set cruise at 40mph and encouraged driver to test the collision prevention system---traffic ahead was stopped at light---salesman continued to tell driver to not apply brakes--driver did not apply brakes---collision…
Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. There was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine, and the brakes squeaked while turning. While refueling the vehicle, there was fuel leaking from the vehicle.
The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag warning light remained illuminated, with the message "Front Drivers Air Bag Malfunction - Service Required" displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined.
Brought my vehicle to my mechanic because of noise that recently appeared in my car. To my surprise the mechanic stated that my engine is completely failing and would require an entire new engine. I purchased this car less than two years ago with an estimated 79,000 miles.
Roof panel between windshield and panoramic sunroof has developed fine hairline fractures on the polycarbonate panel. Why wasn't my vehicle included in recall 21V-197? Thanks for your time.
The steering wheel became difficult to control.Also,steering wheel module waring light came on.
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 5,891 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the S 550 has 16 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 41, above average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S 550?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, electrical system, structure. Total complaints: 41. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (20%), warning lights, check engine (17%), windows, sunroof (15%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S 550?
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 2015 Mercedes-Benz S 550 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 2015 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.