Mercedes Benz R500
Owners filed 29 complaints across 3 model years of the Mercedes Benz R500. The 2006 drew the most (26); the 2008 the fewest (1).
Model years3
Complaints29
Recalls4
Fires4
Deaths0
Which Mercedes Benz R500 years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2006 is the weakest year on record, with 26 complaints concentrated in the steering. It carries 2 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.