2000 Mercedes Benz S Class complaints

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL ON MY S500 2000 MERCEDES BENZ LOST ITS LIGHTING AND THEN LOST ALL ITS FUNCTIONS. MERCEDES HAS RECALLED 36,000 S500 2000 FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. BY THEIR OWN ADMISSION, THIS PROBLEM CONSTITUTES A SAFETY ISSUE AND COSTS APPROXIMATELY 2000 DOLLARS TO CORRECT. I HAD TO PAY THE MONEY BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL. OBVIOUSLY, IT SHOULD BE. I HAD THE CLUSTER REPLACED AS IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE UNDER THE CONDITIONS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WENT OUT AND CAME BACK ON UNEXPECTEDLY WITHOUT WARNING. EVENTUALLY THE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AT ALL. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THEY WERE NOT SURE WHICH VIN NUMBERS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH WENT OUT. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.*AK UPDATED 10/25/2006 - ON TWO OCCASION THIS ALMOST CAUSED AND ACCIDENT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL# 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.*AK

1) THE CAR WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE FOR ONE WEEK WHILE I WAS AWAY. 2) UPON RETURN, THE WHOLE SUSPENSION SYSTEM HAD FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO REST ONLY 3 INCHES FROM THE GROUND. FORTUNATELY THE CAR WAS PARKED WHEN THIS HAPPENED! 3) OUTCOMES: MILEAGE: 46120 REPAIRED: $2050.84: REPLACED BOTH FRONT AIR SUSPENSIONS, REPLACED HYDROPNEUMAT RELIEF VALVE AND COMPRESSOR FOR SIR SUSPENSION CAR VALUE: APPROX. $25,000 4) FOLLOW-UP: TODAY, AUGUST 21, 2006 THERE ARE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH THAT THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM HAS 3 FAILURES. WILL TAKE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITHOUT WARNING THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.*AK

MERCEDES BENZ IS IGNORING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER, 06V028000. I HAVE CALLED THEM AT LEAST 5 TIMES AND THEY HAVE SAID THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO IT AND HAVE NO PLANS TO COMPLY WITH THE CAMPAIGN. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I ALMOST CRASHED WHEN MY LIGHT PANEL WENT OUT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INTERIOR LIGHTING OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE CAUSE WAS AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. A RECALL WAS FOUND ON THE MANUFACTURER'S WEBSITE THAT MATCHED THE SAME PROBLEMS THE VEHICLE HAD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

ON 7/16/06 THE INSTRUMENT PANEL OF MY MERCEDES 2000 S500 [XXX] WENT COMPLETELY BLANK. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED AFTER DRIVING OFF FROM SMYTHE EUROPEAN DEALERSHIP (SAN JOSE, CA) FOR A/C REPAIR AND TO REPROGRAM A REMOTE KEY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR $ 2400.00. I QUOTED RECALL NUMBER 06V028000 FROM THE NHTSA AND I AM NOT GETTING A FAVORABLE RESPONSE. *NM UPDATED 07/12/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2000 S-500 MERCEDES, WE NOTICED THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD BEGIN TO FLICKER ON & OFF?! AT CERTAIN MOMENTS, THE LIGHTS WHICH ILLUMINATE THE GAUGES WOULD ACTUALLY GO OFF COMPLETELY BRIEFLY SO IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE INFOS ON THE DASH BOARD. WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC WHOM INFORMED US THAT THERE IS ACTUALLY A RECALL FOR THE DEFECT OUR CAR IS EXPERIENCING UNDER NHTSA'S CAMPAIGN ID #06V028000. WE CALLED MERCEDES @ 800-367-6372 & WAS INFORMED BY PATRICIA ROSADO THERE IS NO RECALL BUT MERELY A "SERVICE ISSUE" THEY'RE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE ON CERTAIN VEHICLES WITH QUALIFYING VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE MALFUNCTION WE ARE EXPERIENCING WITH THE LIGHTS ON OUR DASH BOARD CORRESPOND TO THE RECALL PROBLEM AS IDENTIFIED BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION. IF OUR VEHICLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM IS NOT BEING RECOGNIZED BY MERCEDES UNDER THEIR QUALIFYING VIN, THEN THERE MUST BE THOUSANDS OF OTHER 2000 S-CLASS MERCEDES VEHICLES OUT THERE WITH THIS DEFECT UNBEKNOWNST BY THE OWNERS! THE COST TO REPAIR IS VERY EXPENSIVE & MERCEDES SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO CURE THIS PROBLEM. DUE TO THIS DEFECT, MERCEDES IS NOT ONLY JEOPARDIZING THE LIVES OF THE CAR OWNERS & THEIR FAMILIES BUT ALSO OTHER DRIVERS & THEIR FAMILIES ON THE ROAD! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS OVERHEATING WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER AS RELATED TO RECALL #00V141000. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERS WHO DETERMINED THAT THE BLOW MOTOR AND THE REGULATOR NEEDED REPAIRS HOWEVER THE PROBLEMS WERE NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THE DEALER DID NOT CHECK THE VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER TO CONFIRM THE ANALYSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO ALERTED WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE STILL PERSIST. THE DEALER STATED A BLOWER MOTOR WAS NEEDED FOR THE AIR CONDITION. UPDATED 07/25/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DASHBOARD FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN ALERTED WHO DETERMINED THE DASHBOARD PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED. ALSO THE KEY SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED. THE SENSOR PREVENTED THE KEY FROM TURNING THE ENGINE ON AND OFF. AS A RESULT OF THE MALFUNCTION THE VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED AND THE KEY SENSOR WAS REPLACED WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE MODEL IS A S430.THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF, RESULTING IN THE INABILITY TO READ ANY OF THE GAUGES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL # 10160766 PERTAINING TO THE THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN DIMMING INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL IT WAS COMPLETELY DARK. AS A RESULT, NONE OF THE GAUGES ARE ILLUMINATED. THERE IS AN NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *AK

VEHICLE WAS HIT BY A SEMI-TRUCK ON DRIVER SIDE THROWING DRIVERS HEAD AND BODY INTO SIDE DOOR/GLASS WINDOWS. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED! CAR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND WAS REPAIRED BY FARMERS INSURANCE REPAIR. AIR BAGS WERE NOT REPLACED!!!! DRIVER SUFFERED UPPER BODY TRAUMA, PARTICULARLY RIB CAGE. TOTAL AIR BAG FAILURE. *NM

2000 MERCEDES BENZ S500 EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL CONTACT TOURING 22560HR16 TIRES HAD STEEL BELTING PROTRUDING BETWEEN TREAD AND NEXT LAYER AT 18000 MI. REPLACED ALL 4 WITH NEW IDENTICAL TIRES. REPLACED AGAIN AFTER 20000 MI DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. IN JANUARY 2006, AFTER 10000 MI, A BLOWOUT ON THE HIGHWAY 101 "GRAPEVINE". WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR, USED SPARE TO GET HOME, AND HAD THE TIRE REPLACED DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. HAD THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO AN UNUSUAL VIBRATION, AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD 2 DEFECTIVE TIRES IN THE FRONT WHICH WERE REPLACED FEBRUARY 21ST 2006. ON FRIDAY MARCH 3RD, ON A DRY COOL STRAIGHT FREEWAY, A CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUT ON THE FRONT DRIVERS TIRE CAUSED THE CAR TO VEER LEFT INTO A BRIDGE CURB CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE. THESE TIRES HAVE GOT TO BE DANGEROUS! TO MANY FAILURES FOR NEW TIRES. *NM

2000 MERCEDES S500V STEERING WHEEL WAS REPLACED. UPON INSPECTION OF VEHICLE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAD BEEN WORKED ON BEFORE. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 69 MILES. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER HE WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN OWNED BY ANOTHER PERSON FOR THREE MONTHS. THE CONSUMER WAS THEN TOLD THAT WARRANTY WORK HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE AND THAT AT THAT TIME THE MILEAGE WAS 128 MILES. A DAY LATER, MORE WARRANTY WORK WAS DONE AND THE MILEAGE WAS 220+ MILES. A LAW SUIT HAS BEEN FILED. *NM UPDATED 02/24/06. *JB

2000 S500 INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGAN TO FAIL AFTER 58,000 MILES, TOTAL FAILURE OF ILLUMINATION OCCURRED AT 63,000 MILES. IN ADDITION TO ALL GAUGE FAILURE, MOST IMPORTANTLY THE SPEEDOMETER, IN DOOR TRUNK RELEASE FAILED AS WELL AS THE KEYLESS REMOTE FOR THE TRUNK FAILED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD BY SERVICE THAT "GOOD THING THIS DIDN'T GO BAD ON A SL500, IT WOULD COST YOU $7,500.00. YOURS IS ONLY $2,000.00 DOLLARS." DIAGNOSED AS AN ELECTRONIC FAILURE TO THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE CONSEQUENCES WERE A SPEEDING TICKET ON 11/17/05, I RAN OUT OF GAS ON THE SIDE OF A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY, AND WAS NEARLY HIT BY ANOTHER MOTORIST ON OCTOBER 1, 2005. *JB

MY 200 S430 PANEL WAS BLACK OUT EVEN THE ENGINE WAS TURN ON. AFTER A FEW TRIES AND RESET, IT WENT BACK TO NORMAL. *JB

200 MERCEDES S430 POWER STEERING FAILED. *TS THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE STEERING RACK LEAKED AND NEEDED TO BE ALIGNED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A REFUND SINCE THE CHARGES RELATED TO A DEFECT. *SC

FAILURE: 2000 MERCEDES S CLASS INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE. ALL ELECTRONIC GAUGES, INCLUDING MPH, RPMS, FUEL GAUGE, HEAT SENSOR, ETC., CEASED WORKING ON APPROXIMATELY SEPTEMBER 10, 2005, AND HAVE NOT WORKED SINCE. I HAVE CALLED DEALERSHIP AND WILL BE TAKING CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I HAVE ALSO CALLED MERCEDES DIRECTLY. I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE OF CAR. I CONSIDER THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *NM

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF MY CAR DROP. *NM

AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE US280, AT 65 MPH, THE FRONT END OF MY 2000 MERCEDES S430 SUDDENLY DROPPED ALMOST 12 INCHES. A MESSAGE APPEARED ON MY DASH SAYING SOMETHING LIKE: CAR TOO LOW, STOP IMMEDIATELY. *AK AS I TURNED THE STEARING WHEEL TO EXIT TO THE ROAD'S SHOULDER, A LOAD SQUEALING SOUND BEGAN BECAUSE MY WHEELS WERE STRIKING THE CAR'S WHEEL WELLS. THEREFORE, I HAD TO SLOWLY NAVIGATE TO THE RIGHT SO THAT MY TIRES WEREN'T TORN TO SHREADS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO PARK AVENUE MOTORS AND THEY REPLACED A HYDRAULIC PUMP THAT CONTROLS RAISING AND LOWERING THE CAR.

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04V227000 CONCERNING BLOWER MOTOR FUSE HOLDER. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE AND THE NOTIFICATION TO THE DEALER, WHO REFUSED TO SERVICE THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER LATER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND TOLD HIS SIDE OF THE STORY. MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST OR AIDE CONSUMER. *AK

2000 MERCEDES S-430 BLOWER MOTOR FUSE FAILURE WITH GAUGE CLUSTER PROBLEM(ALL GAUAGES GOT STUCK WITH BLOWER MOTOR FUSE EXPLOSION AT SAME TIME, I HAD FIXED THE BLOWER MOTOR FUSE THAT WAS COVERED BY MB'S RECALL, BUT NOT THE GAUGE) MB DEALER SAID THAT WAS JUST THE GAUGE PROBLEM BUT THAT HAPPENED AT SAME TIME WHEN THE FUSE WENT OUT(I WAS DRIVING AT 60MPH AND SUDDENLY, ALL GAUGE STOPPED AND SOME LIGHT DOES NOT TURN ON ANYMORE). I HEARD THAT GAUGE CLUSTER PROBLEM IS A REALLY COMMON ISSUE ON S CLASS FROM THE DEALER AND THE GAUGE CLUSTERS ARE IN BACK-ORDER NATIONWIDE. UNTILL DEC. 2004 I GUESS THERE SHOULD BE FURTHER INVESTIGATION ABOUT THIS ISSUE... THIS INCIDENT HAS GREAT POTENTIAL TO AN ACCIDENT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.*AK

SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL OF STEERING. STREEING BECAME VERY VERY HEAVY.*AK

MY MAJOR CONCERN IS THE FAILURE OF MY ACCELERATOR TO RESPOND. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT. I WAS BEGINNING TO ENTER THE INTERSTATE AND THE ACCELARATOR SIMPLY FAILED TO RESPOND. IMMEDIATELY GOT IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY REPLACED THE PEDAL VALVE SENDER, PEDAL HOUSING ASSEMBLY,AND INPUT NEW CODES FOR THE PEDAL VALVE SENSOR. I WAS CHARGED $361.03. APPARENTLY MANY OF THE S CLASS CARS HAVE COMPUTER PROBLEMS AND I BELIEVE THIS MODEL SHOULD BE RECALLED TO CHECK PEDAL VALVE SENSORS AND TO INSTALL A SAFTEY BACK UP OF SOME TYPE. MANY PEOPLE COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE SUSPENSION PROBLEM CENTERED AROUND THE AIRMATIC SYSTEM. 1ST IN THE SHOP ON SEPT. 6,2002 MILEAGE 46,521. SECOND MALFUNCTION MARCH 21ST. MILEAGE 53,846. THIS IS WHEN THEY CHARGED ME. NEXT OCCURRENCE APRIL 3, 2003. MILEAGE 54,150. THE DEALERSHIP EVENTUALLY REFUNDED $585.89 OF THOSE CHARGES WITH NO EXPLANATION HOW THEY ARRIVED AT THAT NUMBER. ACCELERATOR FAILED ON JANUARY 6, 2003 MILEAGE 51,934. I HAD TO TAKE MY CAR TO DAYTONA BEACH, 30 MILES AWAY, 10 TIMES IN JUST OVER 10,000 MILES. DAYTONA BEACH HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL BUT MY ATTEMPTS TO DEAL WITH THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE HAVE BEEN MEET WITH A CONDESCENDING AND UNCOOPERATIVE ATTITUDE. IT IS CLEAR THAT THEIR ONCE TERRIFIC IMAGE OF QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS A THING OF THE PAST. AS INFORMATION I HAVE SHARED THIS INFORMATION WITH THE USA PRESIDENT OF MERCEDES PAUL HALATA. I WROTE HIM ON APRIL 3 AND AGAIN O

"ACCELARATOR FAILED TO RESPOND DUE TO FAILURE OF PEDAL VALVE SENSORS AND OR SENDER ALMOST RESULTING IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.*AK

I AM HAPPY TO BE ALIVE TODAY. MY 2000 MODEL S-430 MERCEDES SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN 8 LANE EXPRESSWAY. THE FIRST CAR BEHIND, AND ALL OTHERS IN SAME LANE MANAGED TO STOP AFTER BURNING SOME RUBBER . THE OTHER SEVEN LANES ON MY RIGHT AND LEFT CONTINUED REGULAR SPEED IN EXCESS OF 80 MILES AN HOUR. A CONSIDERABLE TIME LATER, SOMEONE MANAGED TO STOP THE RIGHT LANE TRAFFIC , AND WITH THE HELP OF FEW SARMARITANS, THEY PUSHED MY CAR TO RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER THE SHOCK OF THE POSSIBILTY OF GETTING HIT, AND WAITING OVER 2 HOURS FOR A WRECKER SERVICE TO TAKE ME TO RBM OF ATLANTA, I FELT I WAS MOST LUCKY TO BE ALIVE TODAY. BY THE WAY, YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW, THIS BRAND NEW, $ 80.000. 00 CAR IN FIRST YEAR SPENT OVER 2 MONTHS IN THE SHOP FOR ELECTRONIC DEFECTS OF ALL SORTS. TO DATE , THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 20 TRIPS FOR THE SAME ELECTRONIC DEFECT. IF THIS IS NOT A LEMON , I WANT SOMEONE TO TELL ME WHAT LEMON LOOKS LIKE.

CONSUMER HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LAMINATING ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. PH

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE OVER 50MPH IT SWAYS UP AND DOWN, AND ALSO SIDEWAYS. THIS IS DUE TO THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. *AK