AI DamageMercedes-Benz S320: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Mercedes-Benz S320 across 3 model years: 11 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 36% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 18% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 18% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 18% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 9% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 9% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (36% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Equipment: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 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 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
Hi can you tell me what force and acceleration can make the airbag deploying on a s320? Now there is a s32o hit the barrier and fell in a ditch with head forward.the head(including bonnet) was damaged, but the vertical structure could not be found backward's out of shape .the belts are broken and the airbags can't…
The consumer stated the vehicle's steering wheel would shake while being driven. The consumer was informed the tie rod assembly, the driveshaft disc, bushing, control arms needed to be replaced. The consumer was informed the vehicle was no longer under warranty.
Smoke coming through the vents while driving.on the highway 87 north december 23, 2017 at 8:45am. I was heading to canada for christmas holiday. Later discovered that alternator wiring and cables caught on fire.
Which making the wire to expose - possibilities of fire in the engine if it short circuit. Do not know what to do know. Not able to find a new engine wire harness for the vehicle . Any help will be highly appreciated.
When the contact attempted to start the vehicle, the air conditioner compressor failed to function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed, but a failure could not be found. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 195,000.
The wiring that controls the electronic throttle actuator has insulation that has disintegrated causing a short in the wiring resulting in an instantaneous loss of power. Vehicle was moving at the time on the highway.
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.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
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.