Vehicle stall - engine cut off - on highway at speed (50-55miles/hr) posing driver and passenger safety. No OBD error code or ECU error Similar incidents reported by Mercedes owners S500 model across USA As posted on Mercedes forums.
2006 Mercedes-Benz S 500
Owners filed 12 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsSafety issues 1. Engine shuts off while driving. No error codes. Starts again with key and drives fine. 2. Steering locks while driving - maneuvering a turn. Stopped the car. Turn ignition off. Turn ignition on Everything works fine.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ S500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POSITION SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,085. UPDATED 01/11/2017*CT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S500. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE JERKED BEFORE COMING TO A HALT. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE FRONT END DROPPED MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. HAD TO SLOWLY MOVE TO THE RIGHT LANE WHILE TRAFFIC IS GOING 70. THIS COULD HAVE KILLED ME.
THIS PROBLEM HAPPEN THREE TIMES IN ABOUT 6 MINUTES IN ONE NIGHT. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. THE ENGINE CUT OFF, ALMOST BEFORE I KNEW WHAT HAPPEN THE ENGINE STARTED BACK RUNNING. IN LESS THAN A MINUTE IT HAPPEN AGAIN. THE ENGINE CUT OUT THEN STARTED BEFORE I COULD DO ANYTHING. THE THIRD TIME IT CUT OUT COMPLETE AND STAYED OFF. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP AND RESTART THE CAR. IT WAS VERY SCARY, ALL THE LIGHTS WERE OFF AND I WAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT NIGHT. IT'S HAPPEN BEFORE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I MENTION IT TO THE DEALER, THEY ACTED AS IF IT WAS NOTHING THEY WERE AWARE OF. *TR
WENT OUT TO THE CAR TO GO TO THE PHARMACY TO GET MY ASTHMA MEDS AND THE CAR WAS DOWN ON THE GROUND,TOTALLY DEFLATED SHOCKS. START CAR AND RISES TO HEIGHT BUT SINKS WHEN CAR IS OFF, THIS IS A DANGER IF DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH, I HAVE A WIFE AND A YOUNG SON. I FEEL THAT THE DEALERS SHOULD RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM CORRECTLY, AND NOT HAVE PEOPLES LIVES IN DANGER ON THE ROADS OF AMERICA, ANY HELP WOULD GREATLY BE APPRECIATED. THANK YOU , A CAUTIOUS DRIVER. *TR
MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR. I TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON AND IT DID NOT CLEAR. I GOT A "PRE-SAFE UNAVAILABLE" MESSAGE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND LEARNED THIS IS A "TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE" FAILURE. IT IS VERY UNSAFE IN THAT THE CAR CANNOT KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC AND IS A DANGER TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ S500 WITH YOKOHAMA ADVANCE S4 TIRES, TIRE SIZE P265/40R18. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT REPLACED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE CONTACTS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE INSTALLED THE SPARE TIRE AND THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE TIRE WITH ANOTHER BRAND BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL BRAND WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT IT WOULD TAKE SIX WEEKS FOR THE TIRE TO ARRIVE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
THE TELEMATICS DEVICE IN MY 2006 MB S500 SPONTANEOUSLY MALFUNCTIONED. NO KNOWN EVENTS LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE, TOTAL LOSS OF INFORMATION AND SAFETY UPLINK, TOTAL LOSS OF NEW $300 MBRACE SUBSCRIPTION VALUE, AS OF 21 MAR 2011, NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT OTHER THAN CALL TO DEALER. WAS A PRIOR RECALL DONE THAT WOULD HAVE IMPACTED THE VEHICLE TELEMATICS UNIT OR THE ASSOCIATED VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM? *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLS 500. THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE MANUFACTURED BY CONTINENTAL, SIZE 245-40R1893Y DOT CUUYP3HK AND 375-35R1895Y DOT CUBLT3HK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND FOUND A BLISTER ON THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER TIRES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7300. *UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07
DT: THE CALLER SAID VEHICLE SEEMED TO SHIFT INTO A LOWER GEAR WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH. WHEN THIS HAPPENED VEHICLE BUCKED FORWARD. THE CALLER PULLED OVER AS SOON AS SHE COULD BECAUSE SHE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED 5 TIMES, TWO TIME IN JUNE, ONCE IN JULY AND TWICE IN AUGUST. THE DEALER SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK *NM
12 of 12 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 2000| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2022 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 0 | Do not drive |
| 2021 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2006 — this page | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2005 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2004 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2003 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2002 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2001 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2000 | 55 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1999 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1995 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
Reading this record
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.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.