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2001 Mercedes Benz S430

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2001 Mercedes Benz S430 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 23.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

52 reports with mileage · 21 unknown

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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Interior Lighting. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports4 fire reports2 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

2 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2007
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingExterior Lighting

CONSUMER OF A 2001 S430 V FAULTY SUNROOF, LED SIDE MIRRORS, AND TURN SIGNALS. CUSTOMER STATES THE VEHICLE HAS COST HIM A LOT OF MONEY TO REPAIR AND WOULD LIKE IT TO BE FIXED AND BE REPAID IN SOMEWAY. **NAR**KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS SUCH AS PERSISTENT TAIL LIGHT AND HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAIL…

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CONSUMER OF A 2001 S430 V FAULTY SUNROOF, LED SIDE MIRRORS, AND TURN SIGNALS. CUSTOMER STATES THE VEHICLE HAS COST HIM A LOT OF MONEY TO REPAIR AND WOULD LIKE IT TO BE FIXED AND BE REPAID IN SOMEWAY. **NAR**KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS SUCH AS PERSISTENT TAIL LIGHT AND HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILURES, ENGINE, FUEL, ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY, ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, VACUUM DOOR PUMP, ELECTRICAL, FRONT SUSPENSION FAILURES SUCH AS THE AIRMATIC SHOCKS, THE THRUST ARMS, BALL JOINTS AND THE AIRMATIC PUMP/RELAY. THE TRANSMISSION SEALS LEAKED, THE WASHER FLUID HOSE HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE BLOWER MOTOR HARNESS, FAN BELT, DIMMER SWITCH, TRUNK SPRINGS WERE ALL REPLACED. THE PLASTIC TRIM ON THE FRONT SEAT WAS REPLACED DUE TO CRACKING. THE FRONT DOOR SILL STRIP COVER WAS REPLACED. THE THRESHOLD BELLOWS WERE COMING APART, THE SIDE MARKER LIGHT WAS REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10202668

Mileage unknown · Apr 10, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER AND SURGES OUT OF CONTROL DUE TO AN ELETRONIC ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED NHTSA SHOULD DO A FULL INVESTIGATION. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK

NHTSA ODI #8007245

Official recalls

0

No 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

1

PE05062 · Instrument Cluster Failure

Opened Nov 10, 2005 · Closed Feb 8, 2006

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Interior Lighting

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON SEVEN REPORTS INDICATING THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2000-2001 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS VEHICLES FAILED IN THAT CONSUMERS WERE UNABLE TO READ ANY OF THE GAUGES WHILE OPERATING THEIR VEHICLES AT ANY SPEED DURING THE DAY OR NIGHT.IN ITS 573 REPORT TO NHTSA DATED FEBRUARY 1, 2006, MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC (MERCEDES-BENZ)STATES THAT THERE ARE THREE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE MODES THAT WOULD RESULT IN UNDESIRABLE OPERATION.THESE THREE FAILURE MODES ARE SPECIFIC TO CERTAIN DATES OF PRODUCTION (SEE BELOW) FOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLE, AND MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING THOSE VEHICLES WITHIN THOSE DATES.SPECIFIC INFORMATION REGARDING THE FAILURE MODES IS DESCRIBED IN MERCEDES-BENZ'S REPORT (SEE NHTSA RECALL 06V028).THREE OF THE ODI COMPLAINTS SUBMITTED TO MERCEDES-BENZ INVOLVE VEHICLES THAT WERE PRODUCED BEFORE THE DATES OF PRODUCTION OF VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THE THREE FAILURE MODES.BASED ON REVIEW OF THOSE THREE COMPLAINTS, MERCEDES-BENZ WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A RELATION OF THOSE THREE TO THE DEFECTS IDENTIFIED IN THE RECALLED VEHICLES.ALL OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ COMPLAINTS WITH VINS IDENTIFIED WERE WITHIN THE RECALL POPULATION (ONLY 2 VEHICLE VINS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO POSITIVELY IDENTIFY VEHICLE BUILD DATE).THE RECALL POPULATION WILL INCLUDE 36,911 S CLASS AND CL CLASS MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES BUILT IN THE PRODUCTION DATES RANGING FROM JUNE 2000 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2000, JANUARY 2002 THROUGH APRIL 2002, AND MAY 2004 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2004.THESE DATES OF PRODUCTION COVER VEHICLES FROM THE 2000-2002 MY AND THE 2004-2005 MY.TO CORRECT THE CONDITION, MERCEDES-BENZ WILL REPLACE ALL AFFECTED INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS WITH IMPROVED ONES THAT ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE FAILURE MODES.MERCEDES-BENZ WILL BEGIN OWNER NOTIFICATION DURING THE 1ST QUARTER OF 2006.