Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the tires. It has been recalled 1 time.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Air Bags › Frontal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defect. BOLTS USED FOR THE BRAKE STRUT SUPPORT DO NOT MEET SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY BREAK.
Risk. THE FAILURE OF THE BOLTS MAY RESULT IN A DETERIORATION OF VEHICLE STEERING AND BRAKING WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy. REPLACE HEX NUT BOLTS WITH BOLTS THAT MEET SPECIFICATIONS.
2001 MERCEDES BENZ S600 - OIL LEAK AND CAR FIRE - THAT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. DOES THERE HAVE TO BE A DEATH OR INJURY BEFORE MERCEDES IS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEM. JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT AS MANY OF THESE CARS ON THE ROAD, IS THAT THE REASON THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL? I WAS SITTING IN THE CAR WHILE PARKED, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, PICKING UP MY GRANDSON FROM SCHOOL. WITHIN MINUTES I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE AROUND THE CAR. I THOUGHT IT WAS EXHAUST FROM THE CAR EITHER IN FRONT OR IN BACK OF ME, AS THEY WERE BOTH WAITING FOR CHILDREN, MOTORS IDLEING AS MINE WAS. SUDDENLY, MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN SMOKE AND I COULD SMELL SOMETHING AND THOUGHT IT WAS COMMING FROM MY CAR AND THAT I SHOULD GET OUT AND SEE FOR SURE WHERE IT WAS COMMING FROM. AT THAT MOMENT, BEFORE I COULD EXIT THE CAR, FLAMES SHOT OUT OF THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE HOOD OF MY CAR. STILL SITTING IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, THEY SHOT UP HIGHER THAN I COULD SEE. I FLEW OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN FAR FROM IT, AS THE GAS TANK WAS FULL AND I FEARED AN EXPLOSION. UPON EXITING THE CAR, THE FLAMES CONTINUED TO SOAR, ABOUT 13 TO 15 FEET INTO THE AIR AND FLAMES WERE ALSO SHOOTING DOWN, UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND ON TO THE PAVEMENT. PEOPLE HAD IMMEDIATLY CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED WITHIN A FEW MINUTES AND PUT OUT THE FLAMES. THEY THEN TOOK A HUGE SAW AND CUT THE HOOD OPEN, FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER. THE ENGINE WAS A MASS OF MOLTEN METAL. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE FREEWAY AND ALL OF THE FL
CAR WAS IDLING AT A STOP SIGN, I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE AND THOUGHT IT WAS EXHAUST FROM THE CARS IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND ME. I SUDDENLY BECAME ENGULFED IN SMOKE AND SAW IT SPEWING FROM THE FRONT OF MY CAR. AS I REACHED TO TURN OFF MY ENGINE, FLAMES SOARED FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR, HIGHER THAN I COULD SEE, FROM SITTING INSIDE. I IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN AWAY FROM IT, AS I HAD A FULL TANK OF GAS AND WAS AFRAID OF AN EXPLOSION. FROM A SAFE DISTANCE I COULD SEE THE FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE THE ENGINE AND SHOOTING ABOUT 15 FEET INTO THE AIR FROM MAINLY THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND TOOK A CHAINSAW TO THE HOOD. WHEN THEY OPENED THE HOOD THE ENGINE WAS A MELTED MASS OF METAL. UPON 'GOOGLING" MERCEDES ENGINE FIRES, I HAVE FOUND THAT THEY ARE A HAZARD IN S600'S DUE TO OIL LEAKS. THERE WERE PICTURES OF SOME OF THOSE FIRES ON U-TUBE AND LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ON DIFFERENT FORUMS. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TOLD BY MERCEDES MECHANICS THAT THERE WAS A BIG DESIGN FLAW IN THE ENGINES OF THESE CARS IN REGARDS TO OIL LEAKS. LOTS OF FIRES AS A RESULT. IF YOU HAVE AN OIL LEAK, THEY HAVE TO PULL THE ENGINE TO GET AT IT TO FIX IT. I KNOW FIRST HAND, I HAD ONE AND IT WAS A $ 9,500 CHARGE FOR THAT OIL LEAK!!!! *JS
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM BENEATH THE HOOD AND INTO THE VEHICLE. THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM DEVELOPED SEVERE SHORTS, STALLED THE ENGINE, DISABLED THE ABS AND THE OTHER ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEMS. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, OPENED THE HOOD, AND SAW FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. AFTER EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE, THE CAR NO LONGER STARTED. UPON INSPECTION, MOST OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HAD MELTED, WHILE THE SHORT HAS IRREVERSIBLY DAMAGED THE CAR'S COMPUTER, WHICH DOES NOT OPERATE AND IT SMELLS BURNED. IT CAN BE SEEN THE TIME ALTERED WIRE INSULATION ON THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESS. THIS CAUSES ALL KINDS OF SHORTS WITHIN THE ELECTRONICS OF THE VEHICLE AND PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC THROTTLE SYSTEM IN THIS CAR. THE CAR DOS NOT RUN. *TR
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH BOTH OF THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER WAS INJURED BY THE DEPLOYED AIR BAG ON DRIVER'S SIDE. INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED ON THE LEFT ARM/STOMACH AND THE PENIS.*AK
THE VEHICLE'S ORIGINAL TIRES (PIRELLI P6-205/65/R15) WERE ALL REPLACED AFTER A TIRE BLOWOUT, CONSUMER REPLACED TIRE TO AVOID FURTHER PROBLEMS, TIRES HAVE PERFORMED POORLY AND EXPERIENCED PREMATURE WEAR. *MJS
5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Jan 26, 1990. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.