1997 Mercedes Benz S Class

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › wiring. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails

Component	Reports		Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Electrical System › Wiring	1		0	0	0
Electrical System	1		0	0	0

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports

Exterior Lighting09E012000

Filed Apr 7, 200916,270 vehiclesSabersport

Defect. SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Risk. DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

What owners reported

Newest filings

Electrical System

Filed Mar 3, 2010140,000 milesFL

THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE ENGINE OF A 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ S500 HAS DISINTEGRATED DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE MERCEDES MANUFACTURER SEEMED TO HAVE USED AN INFERIOR AN UNSUITABLE INSULATION FOR THE WIRES, WHICH, FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN TIME, DETERIORATE ALLOWING THE WIRES TO SHORT AND PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS CREATING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION SUCH AS FIRE IN ENGINE AND ETC. THE MERCEDES MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT BUT REFUSES TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION OR TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY. *TR

Electrical System › Wiring

Filed Mar 4, 200883,000 milesMA

MULTIPLE FAILURES, WITH DEGRADATION OF INSULATION ON WIRING IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Assessment
2012	1	1	0	Routine
2009	2	1	0	Routine
2005	2	1	0	Routine
2004	15	4	1	Routine
2003	28	2	0	Routine
2002	48	2	0	Routine
2001	36	5	1	Routine
2000	81	5	4	Routine
1999	9	1	0	Routine
1998	2	1	0	Routine
1997 — this page	2	1	0	Routine
1996	6	2	0	Routine
1995	27	1	1	Routine
1994	12	1	0	Routine

Compare every S Class year →

Other Mercedes Benz models

All Mercedes Benz models →

C300 3,958 E350 2,210 E320 1,164 ML350 951 GLK350 904 ML320 742 C250 725 C230 657 GLC 300 650 E500 460

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.

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: Apr 7, 2009. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.