Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
30–25K
625–50K
1150–75K
1175–100K
12100–150K
9150K+
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
What owners actually said
73 reports
78,000 miles · Oct 23, 2006
Electrical System
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE …
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10171611
60,000 miles · Sep 20, 2006
Electrical SystemFire
IP STARTED TO SMOKE, FILLING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FORCING THE DRIVER TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10168751
29,031 miles · Sep 12, 2006
Electrical System
COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THUS LEAVING ME WITH NO INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO THE FUNCTIONS OF THE AUTOMOBILE. "IN THE DARK. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10168099
63,000 miles · Aug 11, 2006
Electrical System
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER.
NHTSA ODI #10165222
56,900 miles · Jun 30, 2006
Interior Lighting
THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON MY 2001 MERCEDES S 430 WENT COMPLETELY BLACK AS I WAS TRAVELING AT NIGHT, SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM MY HOME. THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO DETERMINE MY GAS AMOUNT, AND NO WAY FOR ME TO DETERMINE THE SPEED AT WHICH I WAS DRIVING. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10161136
70,000 miles · Jun 13, 2006
Electrical System
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS HAVING ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS. THE GAUGES ARE UNREADABLE DURING THE DAY AND AT NIGHT. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10159754
92,000 miles · May 24, 2006
Interior Lighting
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DASHBOARD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND THE GAUGES NO LONGER REGISTER THE SPEED OR FUEL LEVEL. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.
NHTSA ODI #10158159
42,000 miles · Apr 18, 2006
Electrical System
THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THIS LEFT ME WITH NO SPEEDOMETER NOR ANY OTHER INSTRUMENTATION. EVEN THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS WERE INOPERATIVE. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10155622
100,700 miles · Mar 10, 2006
Interior Lighting
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INTERIOR LIGHTING IS INOPERABLE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.
NHTSA ODI #10152404
Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2005
Electrical System
DT: CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MALFUNCTIONED. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS /INDICATOR WERE NOT WORKING. CONSUMER HAD THE INSTRUMENT PANEL REPLACED. WHEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FIRST WENT OUT THE GAUGES WOULD NOT WORK EITHER. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THIS WAS A INSTRUMENTATION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER THE MANU…
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DT: CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MALFUNCTIONED. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS /INDICATOR WERE NOT WORKING. CONSUMER HAD THE INSTRUMENT PANEL REPLACED. WHEN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FIRST WENT OUT THE GAUGES WOULD NOT WORK EITHER. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THIS WAS A INSTRUMENTATION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY, BUT DID HAVE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. *AK THE REPLACEMENT CLUSTER FAILED SEVERAL MONTHS LATER. *JB PHONE INTERVIEW (SEPTEMBER 23, 05) UPDATE: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS FLICKERED FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES BEFORE IT BLACKOUT COMPLETELY. AFTER THAT, THE CONSUMER COULDN'T READ THE GAUGES AND THERE WAS NO TURN SIGNAL INDICATION. THE CONSUMER SAID THAT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER.
NHTSA ODI #10131693
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.
2001 Mercedes Benz S430 Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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