AI Damage2003 Mercedes-Benz S600: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S600 filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 67% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- Suspension: 4 complaints (67% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (33% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 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.
While my daughter driving my car abc light came on and suddenly lost control and had accident. Car went over the center line, climbed over barricade and destroyed the car. Insurance company totlaled the car because it was too expensive to repair.
The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the instrument panel went blank and the contact was not able to see neither the fuel gauge nor the speedometer. The contact mentioned that due to the failure he ran out of fuel. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz s600. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the distribution hose failed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact inquired about nhtsa campaign id number: 07v263000 (engine and engine cooling) but his advised that his vin was not included in the recall.
Mercedes benz, s-600 (model 2003), it was very difficult to control the car in the highway and the car almost lost control after it's active body control (abc) light flashed on suddenly in the dashboard and the car body came down grinding against the wheel/tires on 11/16/2009.
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 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the S600 has 6 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 6, about average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S600?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (33%), fuel system, fuel smell (17%), rust, corrosion (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S600?
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 2003 Mercedes-Benz S600 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 2003 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.