2006 Mercedes Benz S430

Routine

Owners filed 12 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System3
000
Vehicle Speed Control2
201
Power Train › Automatic Transmission2
100
Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel2
000
Suspension1
000
Engine1
010
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Dec 17, 2018134,000 milesNY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S430. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND FLICKERED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND IT STALLED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND THE KEY FAILED TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS COMPLETED, BUT NO FAILURE CODE WAS FOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000.

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Aug 28, 2018GA

2006 MERCEDES BENZ S 430. CONSUMER STATES THAT INSTRUMENT PANEL IN VEHICLE WENT OUT. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL DUE TO THE VEHICLE'S AGE.*JS

Electronic Stability Control (esc)
Filed Jul 20, 201791,000 milesTX

MY DOOR LOCK WOULD NOT WORK, COULD NOT EVEN MANUALLY OPEN THEM FROM THE CONSOLE. TOOK IT IN TO BE REPAIRED, WAS TOLD THAT THE ACTUATOR HAD FRIED AND MELTED THE UNIT. IT WAS REPLACED AND WITHIN SEVERAL WEEKS THE "NEW ACTUATOR " ALSO FRIED. WAS TOLD THAT THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WOULD SHUT IT DOWN BUT THE UNIT CONTINUES TO RUN EVEN WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF! WITH THE UNIT BEING IN THE TRUNK IT'S A MIRACLE THAT THE CAR DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE. IN ORDER TO REPAIR THIS UNIT, AND HOPEFULLY THEY MUST REMOVE ALL DOORS HEAD REST AND SEATS CHECK ALL VACUUM LINES TO FIND OUT WHICH ONE IS LEAKING, AND OR REPLACE ALL VACUUM LINES, AND PRAY THAT WORKS, THE MINIMUM COST OF THIS IS OVER $5000.00 DOLLARS! NOT ONLY IS THIS A FIRE HAZARD WAITING TO BLOW UP, NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCK OR UNLOCK YOUR DOORS. THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO REPAIR THIS SHORTY/ I'LL BUILT PART! BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT OR KILLED BY THIS UNIT. ALSO AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MY RIGHT STRUT ASSEMBLY BROKE. I LOOKED UP RECALL INFO, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THAT , BUT WAS TOLD NOT FOR MY VIN! JUST ANOTHER SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE 2006 S430! DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE FIRST?

Electrical System
Filed Aug 3, 2016MD

DO NOT BUY THESE SPEC-D HEADLAMP FOR 2006 S-430 AFTER 6 MONTHS IT WENT DEFECTIVE I BOUGHT THEM FROM CARID IN NOVEMBER 2015 JUNE/JULY 2016 THEY WENT COMPLETELY DEAD SEE PICTURE BELOW

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Jul 28, 2016TN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S430. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FAILED, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

EngineFire
Filed Feb 4, 2014131,388 milesOH

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE IN 2006 S430 MERCEDES-BENZ ? JANUARY 16, 2014 AS I ACCELERATED TO GET ON THE ROAD, I SMELLED A STRANGE ODOR. I THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM A TRUCK WE PASSED. I OPENED THE WINDOW & TURNED OFF THE HEATER TO CLEAR THE AIR IN THE CAR. IN A FEW SECONDS, I CLOSED THE WINDOW AND RE-STARTED THE HEATER, WHICH IMMEDIATELY FILLED THE CABIN WITH HEAVY SMOKE. I AGAIN STOPPED THE HEATER AND OPENED THE WINDOW. THE SMOKE CLEARED AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. A FEW SECONDS LATER, I SAW FLAMES COMING RIGHT OUT OF THE AIR DUCT GRILL IN THE HOOD. I PULLED OFF I-275 BETWEEN EXITS 63 AND 65, ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER. I THEN HIT THE MERCEDES SOS BUTTON. MY PASSENGER DIALED 911. WHEN THE MBRACE OPERATOR CAME ON THE LINE, I SAID THAT I HAD AN ENGINE FIRE, BUT THE CABIN WAS FILLING WITH SMOKE. I OPENED THE HOOD, I GRABBED MY PHONE AND EXITED THE CAR. AT THIS POINT, STARTED TAKING PHOTOS. I TOOK A WINDSHIELD CLEANER SPRAY FROM THE TRUNK, TRIED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH IT. IT FAILED TO HAVE ANY EFFECT. ABOUT AT THAT TIME A GOOD SAMARITAN STOPPED HIS PICKUP TRUCK. HE HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, WHICH HE USED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE ENGINE ARRIVED, BUT THE FIRE WAS OUT. THEY DID A REPORT. THEN THE UNION TOWNSHIP POLICE ARRIVED. THE OFFICER SAID THE REPORT WILL BE FILED BY THE FIRE DEPT. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Oct 31, 201287,597 milesVA

WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING MESSAGES FOR THINGS HAPPENING IN CAR ( EX LIGHT OUT TRUNK WON'T OPEN ETC.) WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS A WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM. THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM IN THE CARS BUT HAVE NOT TURNED IT IN AS A RECALL. *TR

Suspension
Filed Oct 14, 2012GA

THE "AIRMATICS-VISIT WORKSHOP" WORDING CAME ON MY SCREEN YESTERDAY ON THE HIGHWAY. HITTING THE UNLOCK BUTTON KICKED ON SUSPENSION AS IT SHOULD AND IT WAS SPUTTERING INSTEAD OF THE USUAL RAISE NOISE. IT SAT OVERNIGHT AND NOW IT SITTING PRETTY LOW. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME IN 6 MONTHS THE AIR COMPRESSOR HAS GONE OUT. *TR

Power Train › Automatic TransmissionCrash
Filed Mar 11, 2010113,000 milesNJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. A SUDDEN INCREASE IN ACCELERATION OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE DEFECT COULD POSSIBLY BE TRANSMISSION GEAR FAILURE. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE MANUFACTURERS ENGINEERS. THE CAUSE OF FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000. UPDATED 04/16/10. *LJ UPDATED 4/23/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HIS WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT IN THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP ADMITTED THERE WAS AN ACCELERATION AND HARSH SHIFTING PROBLEM. UPDATED 05/12/10.*JB UPDATED 06/24/10.*JB UPDATED 09/07/10*JB

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash1 injured
Filed Mar 5, 201090,000 milesNJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN 1-2 TIMES A WEEK. IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT RESULTED IN ANOTHER DRIVER DRIVING THE VEHICLE RUNNING INTO A BUILDING; THE DRIVER WAS PARKING AND WHILE COASTING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED. THE DRIVER WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES AND THE DEALER TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000- UPDATED 4/23/10 *CN

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash
Filed Dec 7, 2009112,601 milesNJ

AS YOU SLOW DOWN TO BRAKE THE CAR ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN CAUSING IT TO HIT A BUILDING. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Apr 16, 20072,000 milesNJ

AFTER 2000 MILES THE CAR WAS IN REVERSE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND THEN ANOTHER LOUD BANG AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. THEN WE WERE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED ONLY THE BANGS WERE LOUDER AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STREET AT 25 MPH AND A CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS MAKING A TURN, THE BANGS STARTED AND THERE WAS THE SAME LOUD BANGING NOISES AND I ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND HAD TO SWERVE OUT OF THE WAY OF THE CAR AND ALMOST ENDED UP OFF OF ROAD AND IN THE DIRT. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK 3 TIMES WITH NO RESULTS. MERCEDES WAS CALLED, AND THEY COULD CARE LESS. WE ARE STUCK WITH A VERY EXPENSIVE DANGEROUS CAR THAT THERE IS NO WAY OF PREDICTING WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AND IT IS NOT SHOWING UP ON THE COMPUTER, SO MERCEDES HAS NO WAY OF FIXING THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WANTS TO DRIVE THE AROUND WITH MY HUSBAND BUT WE EXPLAINED THAT TO DRIVE THIS CAR FOR 5-10 MILE OR EVEN 100 MILES IT IS NOT GOING TO GUARANTEE THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN AND WILL WE WILL NOT TAKE THE CHANCE OF GETTING INTO THIS CAR AND GETTING INTO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *AK

12 of 12 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2006 — this page12010Routine
200511010Routine
200418000Routine
200326010Routine
200231010Routine
200173040Routine
200023010Routine

Compare every S430 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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.