2012 Mercedes Benz S Class

Routine

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

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train1
100

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Diesel11V496000
Filed Oct 3, 20116,872 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Llc.

Defect. MERCEDES-BENZ USA (MBUSA) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 VEHICLES INCLUDING E-CLASS (212 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 2010 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2011, R-CLASS (251 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 2010 THROUGH APRIL 2011, ML-CLASS (W164 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 2010 THROUGH MARCH 2011, GL-CLASS (X164 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 2010 THROUGH MARCH 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 S-CLASS (221 PLATFORM) VEHICLES. THE DIESEL FUEL FILTER MAY LEAK FROM THE AREA AROUND THE HEATING COMPONENT.

Risk. DIESEL FUEL MAY BE DEPOSITED ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A CRASH.

Remedy. MBUSA WILL CONTACT OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE DIESEL FUEL FILTER IF NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 30, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ USA AT 1-800-367-6372.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Power TrainCrash
Filed Apr 11, 2012IL

2012 MERCEDES S550. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE SLID BACKWARDS IN PARKING LOT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE SAFETY ISSUE WAS REGARDING THE VEHICLE BEING PUT IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER STATED THREE WEEKS AGO, HE HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF PARKING HIS VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT. WITHOUT OPENING THE DOOR, HE TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WHEN HE REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE SLID BACKWARDS AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. BOTH VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MINUTE THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF, THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE PUT IN THE ELECTRONIC PARKING POSITION, RATHER THAN NEUTRAL.*JB

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2012 — this page1100Routine
20092100Routine
20052100Routine
200415410Routine
200328200Routine
200248200Routine
200136510Routine
200081540Routine
19999100Routine
19982100Routine
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: Oct 3, 2011. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.