2001 Mercedes-Benz S500 Vehicle speed control Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 15%of 34 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 106,340miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500, 15% of the 34 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 106,340 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
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.
“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 miles“I was driving the vehicle on the highway when all of a sudden the entire dash gauge cluster flickered and went totally dark and stopped working. I was so distracted that I almost ran into the car that was in front of me. The interior lighting went out as well. Now, there is no way of knowing the speed of the vehicle or of seeing any of the other important gauges including gear selection. It is impossible to drive the car safely. The mercedes dealer in manhattan and north america mercedes center in nj says the car is not covered and that the extended warranty for this issue has expired. …”
NHTSA complaint #10480149, filed 2012-10, 62,100 miles“While driving on the freeway, the back lights in the instrument cluster that illuminate the speed markings started to flicker for a few seconds and then turned off and went dark. Then after a few minuets, the whole instrument cluster went dark and the speedometer stopped working completely. It was impossible to know what speed you are going at.”
NHTSA complaint #10694437, filed 2015-03, 114,000 miles“When driving my car makes noises like I'm pulling a trailer and I'm not.. In july my right shock went out so I repaired it.. Then prior to that the alternator was detected so I repaired that and just last week my instrument cluster went out. My suspension is really messed up and I can't shift at all”
NHTSA complaint #11365685, filed 2020-10Vehicle speed control: other model years
Other parts of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500
21 complaintsExterior lighting
9 complaintsInterior lighting
6 complaintsSuspension
6 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsSteering
2 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
2 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 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