Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Suspension. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. 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.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

38 reports

84,000 miles · Jan 14, 2008

Suspension

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ S-600. AFTER BEING PARKED FOR TWO WEEKS, THE SUSPENSION SHIFTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND HE HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT HIS VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V228000 (SUSPENSION). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,420 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

NHTSA ODI #10214790

57,000 miles · May 7, 2007

Engine And Engine Cooling

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ S-600. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAULTY SEAL WAS ALLOWING OIL TO ENTER THE WIRING OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT. THE DEALER ALSO FOUND AN OIL LEAK ON TOP OF THE ENGINE CAUSED BY THE OIL COOLER. THIS FAILURE CAUSED OIL TO LEAK INTO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 57,000.

NHTSA ODI #10189989

60,650 miles · Dec 25, 2006

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

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MERCEDES 2001 S 600. ACTIVE BODY CONTROL SYSTEM HAS A HYDRAULIC LEAK. DEALER (BARRIER MERCEDES OF BELLEVUE, WA) CLAIMS LEAK ORIGINATES FROM HYDRAULIC LINE BEHIND THE ENGINE. ABC HAS LOST ENOUGH FLUID TWICE AND HAS FAILED TWICE. LEAKING FLUID IS COVERING HOT ENGINE PARTS SUCH AS CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FIRE. DEAL QUOTED A PRICE OF $5,800.00 TO REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC LINE. CLAIMING IT WAS ONLY ACCESSIBLE BY "PULLING THE ENGINE." THIS CAR HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO A NHTSA RECALL FOR A ABC HYDRAULIC LEAK PROBLEM. I HAVE A PERSONAL FRIEND WITH THE EXACT SAME CAR AND YEAR. PHIL SMART MERCEDES ON SEATTLE HAS QUOTED A SIMILAR PRICE FOR REPAIR OF THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. CAN YOU ASSIST IN GETTING THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10176894

40,000 miles · Nov 8, 2006

Electrical System

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE DASH LIGHTS BLINKED AND WENT OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10172910

55,000 miles · Nov 6, 2006

Electrical System

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITHOUT WARNING, THE ILLUMINATION ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI #10172749

45,015 miles · Sep 1, 2006

Electrical SystemInterior Lighting

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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FLICKERED AND FAILED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE DEALER ORDERED A NEW CLUSTER FOR THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL # 06V028000 PERTAINING TO THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.*AK UPDATED 10/4/2006 - THE TURNS SIGNAL VISUAL AND AUDIBLE INDICATORS FAILED WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CONSUMER TO KNOW IF/WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL WAS ACTIVATED. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10167216

38,000 miles · Aug 11, 2006

Interior Lighting

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. *AK UPDATED 10/4/2006 - *NM

NHTSA ODI #10165246

Mileage unknown · Sep 10, 2005

Suspension

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SOMETHING IN THE FRONT PART OF THE AUTO MAKES A THROBBING NOISE. IT CAUSES EITHER THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL OR THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO LOSE ITS BALANCE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. IN A ONE HOUR TRIP, IT WILL HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE AND FOR A PERIOD OF FROM 5 MINUTES TO 20 MINUTES. I AM TOLD THAT S600 HAS A COMPUTER THAT BALANCES THE CAR. IT APPEARS THAT THIS COMPUTER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AS I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED BOTH FRONT RIMS, LEFT AND RIGHT, AS WELL AS REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. THE PROBLEM CAUSES THE FRONT TIRES TO BE EATEN UP FROM JUST THE SIDE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 5,000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM RECURS AS I MAKE A ONE HOUR TRIP SEVERAL TIMES DURING EVERY WEEK. MY COMPLAINT: I OWN AN EXTENDED THREE YEAR MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. MY AUTO IS UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE CALLED MERCEDES BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA. THEY TELL ME TO GO TO SEE THE SERVICE DEALER. I HAVE. I HAVE TAKEN MY AUTO TO THREE AUTHORIZED SERVICE DEALERS AND ALL THREE ARE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*JB

NHTSA ODI #10136098

Official recalls

04V228000 · Suspension

May 13, 2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, CORROSION MAY OCCUR IN THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL'S (ABC) HIGH-PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSE DUE TO EXTENSIVE EXPOSURE TO HEAT AND HUMIDITY. OVER TIME, CORROSION MAY DETERIORATE THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE HOSE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS MAY RESULT IN ABC HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE. UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS AND LEAD TO A POSSIBILITY OF FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW, CORROSION RESISTANT ABC HIGH-PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSES. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 31, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

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

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.