1998 Mercedes Benz S Class

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires1
000
Power Train1
000

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
Tires
Filed Sep 11, 200448,000 milesNY

I HAVE HAD THREE TIRE BOLOW OUTS ON MY MERCEDES-BENZ, IN IDENTICAL SITUATIONS, APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS APART. ALL THREE INCIDENTS HAPPENED ON THREE DIFFERENT HIGHWAYS, AT SPEEDS APPROXIMATING 60 MPH, AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS OF DRIVING. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN APRIL 2004, ON I-95 IN NEW HAVEN. THE SECOND OCCURRED IN JULY 2004 ON I-95 IN DELAWARE. THE THIRD OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2004 IN CANADA ON HIGHWAY 401 IN KINGSTON. THESE WERE THE ONLY OCCASIONS WHEN I HAD DRIVEN IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS. IE: FOR MORE THAN 3 HOURS ON A HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF OVER 55 MPH, DURING THIS YEAR. ON ALL OTHER OCCASIONS THE TRIPS WERE SHORTER THAN 3 HOURS. THE WHEELS ARE DIFFERENT AT EACH OCCASION. THE FIRST WAS PASSENGER SIDE FRONT. THE SECOND WAS DRIVER SIDE REAR, AND THE THIRED WAS DRIVER SIDE FRONT. ON EACH OCCASION, AFTER RETURNING HOME I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN POUGHKEEPSIE, AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I THEN CONTACTED MICHELIN TIRES, AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THERE ARE NO REPORTED INCIDENTS SIMILAR TO MINE. THE FIRST TWO TIRES WERE DISCARED. THE THIRD WAS INSPECTED BY SEARS AUTO CENTER. THERE ARE NO HOLES FOUND. THE TIRES ACCORDING TO SEARS HAD COME OFF THE RIM. THE TIRES INVOLVED BELONG TO A SET OF 4 THAT I BOUGHT FROM TIRE-RACK, AND MOUNTED BY MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN 2002. SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT, I HAVE DILIGENTLY CHECKED TIRE PRESSURES WEEKLY, IN ADDITION TO VISUALLY INSPECTING THE TIRES BEFORE DRIVING. T

Power Train
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

THE ODOMETER SENSOR FAILED. YH

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20121100Routine
20092100Routine
20052100Routine
200415410Routine
200328200Routine
200248200Routine
200136510Routine
200081540Routine
19999100Routine
1998 — this page2100Routine
19972100Routine
19966200Routine
199527110Routine
199412100Routine

Compare every S Class year →

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.