Mercedes-Benz S500 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 160 consumer complaints across the 7 model years of the Mercedes-Benz S500 (2000–2006) that have at least 5 complaints. 2000 has the most, with 55. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (85 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All S500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 13 | 68,042 | 0 | 61 | — | Not enough data |
| 2005 | 11 | 98,307 | 0 | 59 | — | Not enough data |
| 2004 | 12 | 98,000 | 0 | 39 | — | Not enough data |
| 2003 | 10 | 59,125 | 0 | 40 | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 25 | 73,963 | 0 | 51 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 34 | 112,000 | 0 | 30 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 55 | 87,878 | 0 | 21 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system85 43%
- Suspension26 13%
- Interior lighting24 12%
- Exterior lighting21 11%
- Transmission and drivetrain13 6.6%
- Vehicle speed control12 6.1%
- Engine9 4.5%
- Brakes8 4.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2000: “Last night we had tropical storm eta in florida. We had about 10 inches of rain. The temperature was between 70f and 80f. The car was parked on high ground but in the rain. The inside of the car flooded with water under the carpet. I have not determined the source of the leak or the source of the short yet but the car is in my shop. I drilled holes in the floor to drain the water for now. The entire electrical system went crazy. …”
NHTSA complaint #11373750, filed 2020-11, 120,000 miles2004: “On may 16, 2014, I purchased a 2004 mercedes benz S500 with 61,649 miles from car credit nation.after a few weeks of driving the vehicle, and visiting with the mercedes benz dealership for routine inspections, we found further issues with this vehicle, that we felt were life threatening and hazardous to the road, other drivers, and our safety. …”
NHTSA complaint #10692762, filed 2015-03, 68,000 miles2001: “While driving on a 400 mile trip home in the dark, the entire cluster lighting turned off and speedometer began to fluctuate. The situation was extremely hazardous and I was forced to pull over on a major highway to find out what is wrong. As no fuses or relays were blown out, I had to use a small flashlight to illuminate the cluster to get home.”
NHTSA complaint #10621393, filed 2014-08, 106,340 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