IllustrationI HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE 2010 IN JUNE AND I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE BALL BEARING AND JOINTS AND THEY HAVE STOPPED WORKING ONCE AGAIN I WAS DRIVING LAST WEEK IN TRAFFIC AT AROUND 5 PM WHEN MY ENTIRE DASHBOARD WENT OUT NONE OF THE GAUGES ARE WORKING I COULDNT SEE ANYTHING. *TR
2001 Mercedes Benz S500
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 S500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
00–25K
125–50K
250–75K
675–100K
12100–150K
5150K+
26 reports with mileage · 8 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 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Interior Lighting. Review the 6 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 reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
Suspension complaints
6 reportsRIGHT FRONT END CONTINUOUSLY LOWERING FOR MONTHS. TRIED FILTERING ABC FLUID AND CHANGING FILTERS SEVERAL TIMES, FINALLY PUMP FAILED AND REQUIRED REPLACING AT $4,000. OEM PUMP ONLY AVAILABLE. AFTER REPAIR, ADVISED THAT THE VALVE BLOCK MAY STILL NEED REPLACING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $4,000. ALSO NOTICED THAT THE FRONT RIGHT SPRING …
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RIGHT FRONT END CONTINUOUSLY LOWERING FOR MONTHS. TRIED FILTERING ABC FLUID AND CHANGING FILTERS SEVERAL TIMES, FINALLY PUMP FAILED AND REQUIRED REPLACING AT $4,000. OEM PUMP ONLY AVAILABLE. AFTER REPAIR, ADVISED THAT THE VALVE BLOCK MAY STILL NEED REPLACING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $4,000. ALSO NOTICED THAT THE FRONT RIGHT SPRING CONTROL ARM RUBBER MOUNT WAS CRACKED AND GRINDING AGAINST THE FRONT SUBFRAME. SERVICE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDED BOTH ARMS AND SUBFRAME REPLACED AT A COST OF AROUND $3,000. SINCE THE CAR IS NO LONGER VALUED AT THIS TOTAL EXPENSE, I ORDERED PARTS ON-LINE AND MET A FRIEND TO REPAIR BOTH FRONT CONTROL ARMS AS RECOMMENDED. JUST PRIOR TO MAKING THIS REPAIR, MY FRIEND IDENTIFIED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (ORDER # P-B-33. 15/12C/12D, DATED 4 SEPT 2008) ISSUED BY MERCEDES TO REPAIR THIS CONTROL ARM AND RECOMMENDED TO CONTACT MERCEDES TO FIX AT NO CHARGE. TWO MERCEDES DEALERSHIPS WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TSB, TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE NO CURRENT OUTSTANDING RECALLS OR WARRANTY ISSUES, AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY NOT A COVERED REPAIR. HOPING SOMEONE CAN ADVISE IF THIS CONTROL ARM REPLACEMENT IS COVERED BY MERCEDES. *TR
THE AIR SUSPENSION PARTS FAIL (DISBALANCING HEIGHT OF VEHICLE AT FRONT AND REAR ALSO AT EACH SIDE). AS WELL BODY OF THE CAR FELT ON ITS WHEELS. THAT CAUSED IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER CAR, WHICH COULD'VE MAKE AN ACCIDENT, POSSIBLE BODY INJURY OR FATALITY. *TR
I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 S500 CLASS MERCEDES. IT APPEARS THAT OTHER HIGH PRESSURED HOSES ARE LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM THE PUMP TO THE SYSTEM. MERCEDES BENZ IS INFORMING ME THAT THE RECALL #2007060002 COVERS ONLY ONE HOSE. MERCEDES CAN NOT GIVE ME A SPECIFIC HOSE AND TELLS ME THERE IS ONLY ON HOSE IN THE RECALL. THERE ARE HO…
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I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 S500 CLASS MERCEDES. IT APPEARS THAT OTHER HIGH PRESSURED HOSES ARE LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM THE PUMP TO THE SYSTEM. MERCEDES BENZ IS INFORMING ME THAT THE RECALL #2007060002 COVERS ONLY ONE HOSE. MERCEDES CAN NOT GIVE ME A SPECIFIC HOSE AND TELLS ME THERE IS ONLY ON HOSE IN THE RECALL. THERE ARE HOSES ATTACHED TO THE ABC SYSTEM AND PER DANIEL C. SMITH IN HIS LETTER DATED 07/06/2007 TO MERCEDES BENZ, IT PERTAINS TO HYDRAULIC HOSES, PART 573 DEFECT INF. REPORT. *TR
MERCEDES W200 OR S500 MODEL AIRMATIC SUSPENSION PROBLEMS, LEAKING SEALS, STRUTS AND AIR COMPRESSOR. DEALER REPAIRS CAN TOTAL OVER $7000. ALL MERCEDES CARS WITH THIS SUSPENSION FAIL AND MAKE THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS THE TIRES RUB HARSHLY WHEN SUSPENSION FAILS, CAR DROPS TO GROUND. *TR
I RECENTLY AM HEARING KNOCKING SOUNDS IN THE REAR END OF MY 2001 S500 MB. I AM AFRAID TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING BUT IT SOUNDS MAJOR. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 77K MILES AND HAS GIVEN ME SO MANY PROBLEMS. I'VE JUST SPENT 2K TO REPLACE A STRUT A WEEK AGO AND AM WONDERING IF THE VEHICLE IS JUST DEFECTIVE IN THE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS.…
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I RECENTLY AM HEARING KNOCKING SOUNDS IN THE REAR END OF MY 2001 S500 MB. I AM AFRAID TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING BUT IT SOUNDS MAJOR. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 77K MILES AND HAS GIVEN ME SO MANY PROBLEMS. I'VE JUST SPENT 2K TO REPLACE A STRUT A WEEK AGO AND AM WONDERING IF THE VEHICLE IS JUST DEFECTIVE IN THE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. *TR
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
1PE05062 · 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.