AI DamageMercedes-Benz S Series: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Mercedes-Benz S Series across 1 model years: 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 56% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (56% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (33% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 9 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 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
Tl contact owns a 1995 mercedes s500. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the engine suddenly locked up and the vehicle stopped. The passenger side air bag deployed suddenly. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the driveshaft flex disk caused the failure.
Disconnected battery to avoid further fire. Diagnosed as faulty engine wiring harness.
While driving approximately 35 mph the engine stalled without warning. After several attempts the vehicle was able to be restarted. However she noticed the "asr" warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle has not been repaired at this time. The failure 137,150. The current mileage was 137,341.
Engine wiring harness failure. Engine stalling and misfiring.
1995 mercedes s420 engine wiring harness-insulation and wire disintergration causing engine to stall and false indicators and overheating sudden loss of power and stalling while driving.
When driving on highway asr light came on, and caused the vehicle to slow down. Right away had to press the pedal all the way to the floor in order to keep moving. Contacted dealer, and dealer made 5 attempts to repair it. But was unable to resolve problem. Problem still exists.
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.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
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 2026-11-06.