I went to replace my low beam and high beam bulbs on the passenger side and found that the wiring for the low beam had 0 insulation on it and I installed the new high beam bulb and the wires starting arcing causing the car to turn off the high beams and start smoking from the headlight assembly.
2007 Mercedes Benz S550
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 S550 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
41 reports with mileage · 13 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.
- Power Train. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
11 reportsStruts and braking system have been unstable since I purchased the car. Wiring harness leaks oil and caused ecu to intermintinli turn off and on. Also the heat control timing caused car to over heat . Eventually I replaced the ecu 2 years ago at dealer . Mercedes has parts that are not safe to be in these operating conditions w…
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Struts and braking system have been unstable since I purchased the car. Wiring harness leaks oil and caused ecu to intermintinli turn off and on. Also the heat control timing caused car to over heat . Eventually I replaced the ecu 2 years ago at dealer . Mercedes has parts that are not safe to be in these operating conditions with such heat causeing wiring harness to short out and dealer said that and still put new ecu saying it was oil that damaged ecu. Mechanicly didn’t make sense but now due to recall it all makes sense. Ecu was never programmed correctly causeing unsafe driving hazards .
ERROR CODE P0019 CAM SENSOR BANK B, MANUFACTURERS USED DEFECTIVE PART THAT TIMING SPROCKET TEETH HAVE ERODED DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS USED WHICH HAVE AND WILL CAUSE VEHICLE TO STAHL WHILE RUNNING. BOTH FRONT STRUTS WEAR ON ALL MODELS THAT CAUSE DRIVING CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE DEATH WHILE DRIVER EXCELRATION OR STOPPING CAUSE
WAS DRIVING AND CAR JUST MAKES A JOLT WHILE SHIFTING GEAR THAN I CAN'T ACCELERATE AND IT GETS STUCK IN FIRST GEAR RPM STARTS GOING UP IF I TRY TO ACCELERATE THAN I'LL HAVE TO TURN ENGINE OFF WHICH IS INCONVENIENT WHEN YOUR IN TRAFFIC THAN RESTART IT AND IT'LL BE NORMAL BUT IT HAPPENS EVERY OTHER DAY. NOW THE CAR IS STUCK ON A GE…
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WAS DRIVING AND CAR JUST MAKES A JOLT WHILE SHIFTING GEAR THAN I CAN'T ACCELERATE AND IT GETS STUCK IN FIRST GEAR RPM STARTS GOING UP IF I TRY TO ACCELERATE THAN I'LL HAVE TO TURN ENGINE OFF WHICH IS INCONVENIENT WHEN YOUR IN TRAFFIC THAN RESTART IT AND IT'LL BE NORMAL BUT IT HAPPENS EVERY OTHER DAY. NOW THE CAR IS STUCK ON A GEAR AND WON'T CHANGE GEARS COMPLETELY PARKED IT OVER NIGHT AND STILL DOESN'T CHANGE GEARS WHEN I START CAR AND TRY TO PUT IT IN DRIVE IT MAKES A HARD JOLT AND DOESN'T ACCELERATE PAST 30 MPH. BEEN HAPPENING FOR 2 YEARS NOW...
VEHICLE BECOMES STUCK IN GEAR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. WILL NOT SHIFT, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO MOVE QUICKLY. FOR EXAMPLE VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN 6TH GEAR AFTER LEAVING THE HIGHWAY. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE TO MOVE THE CAR. I HAD TO SHUT THE CAR OFF TO RESET THE COMPUTER TO GET THE CAR OUT OF 6TH GEAR. THIS HAS HA…
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VEHICLE BECOMES STUCK IN GEAR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. WILL NOT SHIFT, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO MOVE QUICKLY. FOR EXAMPLE VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN 6TH GEAR AFTER LEAVING THE HIGHWAY. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE TO MOVE THE CAR. I HAD TO SHUT THE CAR OFF TO RESET THE COMPUTER TO GET THE CAR OUT OF 6TH GEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 10 TIMES OVER THE PAST 3 MONTH PERIOD. MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS CAR HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE CAR LOSE POWER WHEN IT IS STUCK IN A GEAR. THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS TO SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT. MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ S550. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND UNILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ S550. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND UNILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
I WAS DRIVING MY S550 AND CAME TO A RED LIGHT. I STOPPED AT THE LIGHT AND WHEN IT TURNED GREEN, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKES AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR, BUT THERE WAS TO RESPONSE TO PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. THE CAR RPMS WERE INCREASING BUT THE VEHICLE WAS CRAWLING AT LESS THAN 5MPH. THIS LED TO ME PULLING OVER AND PARKING THE…
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I WAS DRIVING MY S550 AND CAME TO A RED LIGHT. I STOPPED AT THE LIGHT AND WHEN IT TURNED GREEN, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKES AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR, BUT THERE WAS TO RESPONSE TO PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. THE CAR RPMS WERE INCREASING BUT THE VEHICLE WAS CRAWLING AT LESS THAN 5MPH. THIS LED TO ME PULLING OVER AND PARKING THE VEHICLE AND TURNING IT OFF. I WAITED 5 MINUTES AND THEN RESTARTED IT AND IT BEGAN TO WORK NORMALLY. THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND THE CAR WAS REVVING BUT TRAVELING LESS THAN 5 MPH WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC HAVING TO STOP SHORT TO PREVENT CRASHING INTO ME WHILE I WAS MAKING THE LEFT TURN. THIS WAS AGAIN RESOLVED WITH ME PARKING THE VEHICLE, TURNING IT OFF AND THEN RESTARTING IT. AFTER THE SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED OUT OF NO WHERE I DECIDED ITS A VERY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING AND THEN QUIT RUNNING. THE CONDUCTOR PLATE IN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY DEFECT THAT MERCEDES-BENZ HAS IGNORED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES S550. THE CONTACT WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT AND NOTICED FLAMES WERE INSIDE THE GRILL AND BEHIND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TO…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES S550. THE CONTACT WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT AND NOTICED FLAMES WERE INSIDE THE GRILL AND BEHIND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INSURANCE YARD FOR INSPECTION. THE FIRE CHIEF ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN THE HEADLIGHT UNIT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.
THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF FOR A SECOND THE ESP AND ABS LIGHTS WOULD COME ON, THE STEERING WHEEL OF THE VEHICLE WOULD GET STIFF, THE BRAKES GET STIFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF, AND THE COMMAND CENTER WOULD REBOOT. IT SEEMS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING A BRIEF ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING OF TH…
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THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF FOR A SECOND THE ESP AND ABS LIGHTS WOULD COME ON, THE STEERING WHEEL OF THE VEHICLE WOULD GET STIFF, THE BRAKES GET STIFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF, AND THE COMMAND CENTER WOULD REBOOT. IT SEEMS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING A BRIEF ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING OF THIS PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AS A CERTIFIED PREOWNED VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THE REPLACED THE STEERING CONTROL MODULE AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. I NOTIFIED THEM OF THE REOCCURRING PROBLEM AGAIN AND THE CLAIMED THE WHERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY FAULTS. I SET UP A CAMERA IN THE VEHICLE AND VIDEOTAPED THE PROBLEM OCCURRING AND THE FINALLY TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR AN EXTENDED TEST DRIVE AND REPLACED THE CENTRAL GATEWAY WHICH DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED MBUSA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING THE VEHICLE AND THAT I WAS STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AND I WAS BRUSHED OFF SAYING THE WERE SORRY AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A FATAL INCIDENT BECAUSE IT INVOLVES THE VEHICLE CUTTING OF FOR A BRIEF SECOND AND CAUSING MANY COMPONENT NOT TO FUNCTION DURING THAT SECOND AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT INTENDED TO FUNCTION IN THIS MANNER. MERCEDES IS NOT DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TO INVESTIGATE AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM BESIDES THE BASIC DIAGNOSTICS THAT DO NOT YIELD AN ERROR CODE. I WILL GLADLY FURNISH THE VIDEO TAPE WHICH IS EVIDENCE THE ISSUE OCCURS.
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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