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Mercedes-Benz S500Model year report

2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 Problems

Complaints
13filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
68,042miles, 10 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
17 mpgcombined, 5.0L 8-cyl RWD · 14 city / 22 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 13 consumer complaints for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500. The part named most often is electrical system, with 4 complaints (31% of the total), followed by engine (4) and transmission and drivetrain (4). 10 of the complaints include a mileage, and 20% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 68,042 miles. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 61 technical service bulletins for this model year. Electrical system complaints overlap with 11 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Engine complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Electrical system: “The telematics device in my 2006 mb S500 spontaneously malfunctioned. No known events lead up to the failure, total loss of information and safety uplink, total loss of new $300 mbrace subscription value, as of 21 mar 2011, nothing done to correct other than call to dealer. Was a prior recall done that would have impacted the vehicle telematics unit or the associated vehicle electrical system?”

NHTSA complaint #10392405, filed 2011-03, 68,000 miles

Engine: “This problem happen three times in about 6 minutes in one night. While driving at 70 miles per hour. The engine cut off, almost before I knew what happen the engine started back running. In less than a minute it happen again. The engine cut out then started before I could do anything. The third time it cut out complete and stayed off. I was able to move the side of the road and stop and restart the car. It was very scary, all the lights were off and I was on a busy highway at night. It's happen before about a year ago. …”

NHTSA complaint #10653075, filed 2014-11, 106,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Dt: the caller said vehicle seemed to shift into a lower gear when driving between 30 and 40 MPH. When this happened vehicle bucked forward. The caller pulled over as soon as she could because she did not know what was causing this problem. It happened 5 times, two time in june, once in july and twice in august. The dealer said not to worry about it. Manufacturer has not been contacted yet.”

NHTSA complaint #10132468, filed 2005-09, 100 miles

Suspension: “Went out to the car to go to the pharmacy to get my asthma meds and the car was down on the ground,totally deflated shocks. Start car and rises to height but sinks when car is off, this is a danger if driving on the highway at 55 MPH, I have a wife and a young son. I feel that the dealers should recall and fix this problem correctly, and not have peoples lives in danger on the roads of america, any help would greatly be appreciated. Thank you , a cautious driver.”

NHTSA complaint #10562229, filed 2014-01, 125,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

20% of the 10 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 50,000 and 114,343 miles.

20%0–100%10–250%25–5040%50–750%75–10040%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (10 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 68,042 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

20072201322015220242026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
S500 RWD5.0L 8-cyl7-speed automatic142217$4,850
S500 4matic 4WD/AWD5.0L 8-cyl5-speed automatic142016$5,150

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 61 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 61 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz S500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20061368,0420—17—Not enough data
20051198,3070—17—Not enough data
20041298,0000—17—Not enough data
20031059,1250—16—Not enough data
20022573,9630—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200134112,0000—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20005587,8780—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Mercedes-Benz S500 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 have?

NHTSA recorded 13 consumer complaints for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 4 complaints (31% of the total), followed by engine with 4.

Has the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 get?

The EPA rates the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 (S500, 5.0L 8-cyl) at 17 mpg combined, 14 city and 22 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,850 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2006 Mercedes-Benz S500 reported?

Among the 10 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 68,042 miles and the middle half falls between 50,000 and 114,343 miles; 20% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.