2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 10about this part
- Share
- 63%of 16 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 80,504miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the electrical system of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400, 63% of the 16 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,504 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving, trying to get off the highway, I took exit which is a 270 degree circle with sharp turns, I am not driving fast at all but the car just stalled while driving, steering wheel locked and I almost fall down the hill, I almost died, this product has serious quality issues. …”
NHTSA complaint #10749166, filed 2015-08, 101,000 miles“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. The car stalls at a stop position.”
NHTSA complaint #10891643, filed 2016-07, 61,000 miles“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. Mbusa forum chat and several social media groups all around the world has the same problem with this model and it comes down to an electronics power module that cost more than what the car is worth to repair. Please advise!”
NHTSA complaint #11286606, filed 2019-12, 47,426 miles“S400 is a hybrid from mercedes benz and when driven over 40 miles in distance then the AC will turn on no matter what. We tried to turn it off but can not. Mb dealer told us it is normal operations but this is a major issue as in the winter the AC also turns on. This has happened many times and mb dealer has not addressed it.”
NHTSA complaint #10585468, filed 2014-04, 42,000 miles“The computer control unit for the hybrid motor has failed on my and many s400s. This causes car to stall out at stoplights or while driving. This is a safety issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11375214, filed 2020-11, 100,009 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11033185May 26, 2026Complaint After successful commissioning of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis DVD 03/2026, the message "SOS - service not activated" appears on the…
- 11015640Mar 5, 2025Complaint During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or interference/background noises are audible to the called party…
- 11008091Sep 28, 2024Complaint During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or interference/background noises are audible to the called party…
- 10248173Dec 11, 2023Mercedes-Benz AG ("MBAG"), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain Model Year (âÂÂMYâÂÂ) 2009-2012 GL-Class, ML-Class, R-Class, and…
- 10186141Dec 10, 2020NTG5.5: Incorrect time shown on instrument cluster, COMAND display, and analog clock
- 10135871Jun 8, 2015Check engine light with DTC 256809: PremAir sensor has a malfunction
- 10135604Mar 31, 2015Vehicle cannot be opened via Keyless-Go and radio remote control
- 10135639Oct 17, 2014Vehicle cannot be unlocked (CL), engine does not start - 12V starter battery discharged
- 10166098Jul 10, 2014Multicontour system fails during air release procedure. The system becomes operational again after an ignition change. Fault code 9E8900 is stored.
- 10167006Feb 12, 2014Engine diagnosis warning lamp active. Fault code 20BE1B and/or 20BD1B (The heating element of the AdBlue tank has a malfunction) is logged in the Blue-Tec control unit.
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 | 40% |
| 2010 | 10 | 63% |
Other parts of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology