AI Damage2010 Mercedes-Benz S400: common problems
Owners of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 16
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 63% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 19% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 19% of all complaints
- 4 Electronic stability control 6% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 6% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 6% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 10 complaints (63% of all).
- Engine: 3 complaints (19% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 3 complaints (19% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (6% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (6% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 16 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 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 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.
Airmatic Suspension sprung a leak and could not be driven safely due to the vehicle getting severely low where the tire and rim tucked into the wheel well. When the airmatic suspension fails the vehicle can get so low that it can scrape the roadway, hit bumps and damage parts under which can dislodge and cause an…
This needs to also include the 2010 s400 hybrids vehicle has only 87,000 miles on it, and cannot be driven due to possible fuel ingition and the possibility of a catastrophic fire. Please respond with the utmost of haste, lives are at stake. Death by fire is horrific.
When coming to a complete stop, the hybrid system shuts down the engine and fails to restart. This places the driver, passenger and others at risk of collision as vehicle will remain stopped in traffic. This issue has been known to mercedes-benz as if is a failure of the power electronics module.
2010 s400 hybrid wont start first instance was less than 24 hour of purchasing car from local dealer. Lights all on but no crank. Started after and two weeks later it had to be towed because it completely wont start.
The s400 hybrid has a habit of stalling when in a stop position. This requires a complete re-start at a stop light or after having come to a complete stop. In addition the air conditioning shuts off and does not come back on until you stop for a few minutes and re-start the vehicle. The car stalling is very un-safe.
Car stalls constantly, loose fuel cap warning comes on, check engine light comes on. I have replaced the fuel cap, checked vehicle codes, but cannot get the issue identified.
Eventually the vehicle would not start at all. When taken to the dealer, I was informed that the power control module was bad and the cost to replace was upward of $11,000.
First trouble: engine did not start on 11/13/2010. The trouble happened within the first month after delivery. Two repairmen on the road service showed and could not fix the problem. Third repairman who said as the number-one repairman on the road service finally fixed the problem, taking about 3 hours.
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 9,042 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the S400 has 6 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 16, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: won't start (25%), stalls while driving (25%), A/C or heater (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400?
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 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 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 2010 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 2026-11-06.