2003 Mercedes-Benz S500 Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 2about this part
- Share
- 20%of 10 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 108,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the electrical system of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S500, 20% of the 10 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 108,500 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.
“Special acquisition module (sam) my car would not start the mercedes roadside came out and started the car and I took it to the dealership for diagnostic. Upon review the dealer stated the sam module plastic cover had water drops on it. They also stated the male and female connectors to the module was corroded, and I would need a new special acquisition module (sam) at the cost of $1590.00. …”
NHTSA complaint #10547686, filed 2013-10, 55,000 miles“The contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz S500. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the speedometer lights flashed and there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the front panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated he was mechanic and the instrument cluster failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 162,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10778800, filed 2015-09, 162,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 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…
- 10186141Dec 10, 2020NTG5.5: Incorrect time shown on instrument cluster, COMAND display, and analog clock
- 10135604Mar 31, 2015Vehicle cannot be opened via Keyless-Go and radio remote control
- 10205233Aug 5, 2013Mobile phone cotacts are not transferred completely.
Electrical system: other model years
Other parts of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S500
4 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S500
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