IllustrationFRONT SEAT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FULLY EXTENDED AND FAILED TO RETRACT.*AK
1997 Mercedes Benz S320
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all S320 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 6 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Equipment. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
2 reportsHI CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT FORCE AND ACCELERATION CAN MAKE THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING ON A S320? NOW THERE IS A S32O HIT THE BARRIER AND FELL IN A DITCH WITH HEAD FORWARD.THE HEAD(INCLUDING BONNET) WAS DAMAGED, BUT THE VERTICAL STRUCTURE COULD NOT BE FOUND BACKWARD'S OUT OF SHAPE .THE BELTS ARE BROKEN AND THE AIRBAGS CAN'T DEPLOY.THE D…
Read full complaint
HI CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT FORCE AND ACCELERATION CAN MAKE THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING ON A S320? NOW THERE IS A S32O HIT THE BARRIER AND FELL IN A DITCH WITH HEAD FORWARD.THE HEAD(INCLUDING BONNET) WAS DAMAGED, BUT THE VERTICAL STRUCTURE COULD NOT BE FOUND BACKWARD'S OUT OF SHAPE .THE BELTS ARE BROKEN AND THE AIRBAGS CAN'T DEPLOY.THE DRIVER IS DEAD.MB SAID THE AIRBAG SYSTEM NO PROBLEM.SORRY THE VIN AND ZIP CODE AND THE DEALER INFORMATION ARE WRONG.I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!! *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.