Mercedes-Benz 500 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 93 consumer complaints across the 9 model years of the Mercedes-Benz 500 (1992–2003) that have at least 5 complaints. 1993 has the most, with 23. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (43 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 500 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 11 | 21,750 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 2000 | 9 | 85,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1999 | 7 | 48,500 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1997 | 8 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1996 | 6 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1995 | 8 | 101,116 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1994 | 6 | 140,000 | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1993 | 23 | 100,000 | 1 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1992 | 15 | 99,500 | 1 | 0 | — | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system43 51%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)7 8.3%
- Suspension6 7.1%
- Fuel system6 7.1%
- Equipment6 7.1%
- Engine cooling6 7.1%
- Transmission and drivetrain5 6.0%
- Seat belts5 6.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2003: “I was driving my 2003 mercedes e500 down a hill when the brakes completely failed. This occurred suddenly and simultaneously by dashboard lit up with warnings and admonishing to pull over and not drive. I was amazed to find out that mercedes has a 'program' for this failure but does not tell car owners about it until it occurs. I was able to stop the car with the emergency brake but I had no other braking capability.”
NHTSA complaint #10359673, filed 2010-10, 88,000 miles1995: “On feb 18, I drove my mb s500, 1995 with my family on orange highway 5 at 70m/h and suddenly my car engine stopped without my knowledge, I was almost get hit by the truck in my back. I pulled the car to the side and restart the engine and it still worked but with a red signal check the engine . I drove to the nearby mb repair store and it is a problem called engine wire harness defect. The problem almost get me and brother killed. I am still terrified.”
NHTSA complaint #10312384, filed 2010-02, 79,000 miles1994: “I was driving down the road while my car (1994 mercedes s500)started to smoke a great deal. When I was able to pull off I was stranded for 6 hours until I could get a tow truck. After spending $2000.00 dollars to get fixed it was brought to my attention that the problem that caused all of this to happen was an engine wiring harness and I would need another. I was able to drive from shop but car cut off in traffic. I immediately took it home. …”
NHTSA complaint #10230080, filed 2008-06, 186,000 milesOther Mercedes-Benz models
3,963 complaintsMercedes-Benz E350
2,215 complaintsMercedes-Benz E320
1,164 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML350
952 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLK350
901 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML320
740 complaintsMercedes-Benz C250
725 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLC 300
657 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology