The dash board lights lose their ability to illuminate the dashboard and the back airbags on the suspension keep deflating
2004 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
Limited mileage data: 11 of 12 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
12 reportsSUSPENSION PROBLEM
SYSTEMATIC WATER INTRUSION BY AIR COWL DISABLED ELECTRONICS WHILE DRIVING AND ALSO LONG TERM CAUSED A HEALTH ISSUE RESPIRATORY NEUROLOGICAL - TWO YEARS HOMEBOUND AFTER WAS FINALLY DIAGNOSED W/UNKNOWN CANCER
THE TRUNK WIRING HARNESS HAVE WIRES THAT THE PROTECTIVE COVERING HAS SHRED AND ALL COME APART. CAUSING WRITERS TO TOUCH. LOCKS NOT TO LOCK. TRUCK WON'T OPEN AND LICENSE PLATES LIGHTS ARE OUT
LICENSE PLAYE LIGHT OUT SHORT CAUSES SRS LIGHT TO COME ON AND HAVE TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THERE IS NOW AN SIS DEFECTIVE LIGHT DUE TO THE WIRING. MY TRUCK DOES NOT POWER CLOSE. HAPPENS AT ALL TIMES. AND WHILE TURNING IT CAUSED AN ERROR FOR TURN LIGHTS
DURING RAIN STORM, WATER SEEPEED INO AIR COWL INTO CABIN-PASSENGER SIDE- FLOODED FLOOR EVENTUALLY SAM ELECTRONIC MODULE UNDER FLOOR WAS DAMAGED AND SHUT OFF ELECTRONICS IN AUTOMOBILE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED ON FREEWAY- WITH OUT POWER CONTROLS OPERATING IT MADE DRIVING AND STOPPING THE CAR A VERY DANGEROUS FEAT EVENTUALLY WEN…
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DURING RAIN STORM, WATER SEEPEED INO AIR COWL INTO CABIN-PASSENGER SIDE- FLOODED FLOOR EVENTUALLY SAM ELECTRONIC MODULE UNDER FLOOR WAS DAMAGED AND SHUT OFF ELECTRONICS IN AUTOMOBILE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED ON FREEWAY- WITH OUT POWER CONTROLS OPERATING IT MADE DRIVING AND STOPPING THE CAR A VERY DANGEROUS FEAT EVENTUALLY WENT OFF ROAD INTO GUARDRAIL AND STOPPED. MERCEDES BENZ HAS BEEN AWARE (A LAWSUIT WAS FILED IN CA) OF DESIGN DEFECT OF AIR COWL DRAIN CLOGGING AND FLOODING CABIN BUT HAS KEPT THIS DANGEROUS FLAW FROM OWNERS EVEN THOUGH WE LEARNED THEY HAVE FOR SALE AN UPDATE KIT TO PREVENT THIS AT OWNERS EXPENSE. OUR CASE FORTUNATELY DID NOT CAUSE A FATALITY BUT IT COULD HAVE EASILY HAD IF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEING DRIVEN BY AN EXPERT DRIVER- LOOSING POWER CONTROLS ON A RAIN STORM/ WET ROAD WITH NO POWER ACCESORIES / BRAKES IS NOT A SAFE CONDITION WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP FOLLOWING THIS MISHAP WE CONTACTED LOCAL MERCEDS DEALERSHIP IN PLANO,TX AUTOHAUS WHO RESPONDED BEING UNAWARE AND HAD NO HISTORY OF SUCH PROBLEM- APPARENTLY MERCEDES IS BEING WRONGFULLY SECRETIVE OF THIS SERIOUS FLAW NOT ONLY TO CONSUMERS BUT THEIR OWN PEOPLE 9
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ S500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VENT CONTROLS FAILED TO ACTIVATE THE AIR CONDITIONING AND THE HEATING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR REGULATOR AND THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ S500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VENT CONTROLS FAILED TO ACTIVATE THE AIR CONDITIONING AND THE HEATING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR REGULATOR AND THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
ON MAY 16, 2014, I PURCHASED A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ S500 WITH 61,649 MILES FROM CAR CREDIT NATION.AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND VISITING WITH THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE INSPECTIONS, WE FOUND FURTHER ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE, THAT WE FELT WERE LIFE THREATENING AND HAZARDOUS TO THE ROAD, OTHER DRIVERS,…
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ON MAY 16, 2014, I PURCHASED A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ S500 WITH 61,649 MILES FROM CAR CREDIT NATION.AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND VISITING WITH THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE INSPECTIONS, WE FOUND FURTHER ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE, THAT WE FELT WERE LIFE THREATENING AND HAZARDOUS TO THE ROAD, OTHER DRIVERS, AND OUR SAFETY. MERCEDES BENZ STATED THAT THE ROTORS AND BRAKES WERE EXTREMELY BAD ON THE VEHICLE, WHICH THEY NOTICE AT THE TIME OF THEIR INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE.WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE, WHERE THE LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT CUTOFF,THE ALARM SYSTEM WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS CUT OFF AND LOCKED, THE COMMAND CENTER SHUTTING OFF WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, AND THE SRS AND TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT DISPLAYING ON THE DASHBOARD CENTER. ALSO WHILE OUT ONE NIGHT AT A FAMILY EVENT, HAS WE WERE LEAVING THE EVENT DRIVING HOME WE APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP,THE BREAKS WERE TOUCHING THE FLOOR AND WE STOPPED SEVERAL FEET THROUGH THE LIGHT NEARLY CROSSING THE INTERSECTION. THIS WAS LIFE THREATENING AND FRIGHTENING FOR ALL PASSENGERS.ON JANUARY 29, 2015 THE VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC COMPLETELY SHUTTING OFF, CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED FURTHER DAMAGES TO THE VEHICLE, OUR SAFETY AND OTHERS. FORTUNATELY WE WERE WITHIN DISTANCE OF THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP WHO IMMEDIATELY ASSISTED US. HE STATED THAT THE CAUSE FOR THE SHUT OFF MAY BE CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL FAILURES, SUCH AS THE ALARM SYSTEM, AND OTHER ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE 2004 MERCEDES BENZ THAT WE PURCHASED ON MAY 16, 2014 IN OUR ESTIMATION IS A TOTAL LEMON AND IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY WE HAVE PAID. OUR VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE REPAIR FACILITY FOR 30 DAYS, BEFORE BEING REPOSSESSED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ S500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACT…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ S500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000. UPDATED 12/2/14*CN UPDATED 08/30/2017*CT
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE THE LUG WRENCH ITSELF FAILED. THE LUG WRENCH CAME APART LEAVING THE HEAD STILL ATTACHED TO THE LUG NUT WITHOUT THE HANDLE CAUSING FORWARD MOMENTUM INJURY TO HEAD AND SHOULDER. *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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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