U.S. public vehicle records

2001 Mercedes Benz S500 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

34 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

112,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 26 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 15 of 34 complaints (44.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Electrical and battery issues	7	20.6%
Transmission and shifting	1	2.9%
Engine operation	1	2.9%
Braking behavior	1	2.9%
Steering behavior	1	2.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Exterior Lighting

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel

Interior Lighting

Suspension

Vehicle Speed Control

Power Train

Steering

Electrical System: 15; Exterior Lighting: 8; Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel: 6; Interior Lighting: 6; Suspension: 5; Vehicle Speed Control: 5; Power Train: 2; Steering: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 12; 150,000 and above: 5

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (12). 8 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2001

2003

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2001: 1; 2003: 1; 2006: 5; 2007: 1; 2008: 1; 2009: 2; 2010: 2; 2011: 4; 2012: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 4; 2015: 3; 2016: 1; 2017: 2; 2018: 2; 2019: 1; 2020: 2

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 7 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10044261 · 2003-10-20 (October 20, 2003)

WHENEVER THE TURN SIGNALS ARE IN USE THEY WOULD MALFUNCTION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MECHANIC REPAIR THE PROBLEM. MECHANIC REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND SEVERAL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. BUT, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10044261 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10421253 · 2011-08-23 (August 23, 2011)

MY INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS (DASH BOARD) WENT OUT ON MY 2001 S500 MERCEDES BENZ CAR. THE LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER ON OCCASIONALLY AND GO BACK OUT. I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THE SIGNAL LIGHTS BY CHANGING THE FUSES. WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP MY KIDS NOTICED A SMELL AND SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE DASH BOARD. WE EXITED THE CAR AND FLAGGED DOWN A POLICE OFFICER. WE WERE TOLD TO GET AS MUCH AS WE COULD OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO CATCH FIRE. WITHIN IN SECONDS MY DASH BOARD WAS IN FLAMES. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAD AN ELECTRICA…

Owner-reported narrative. 106,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10421253 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10632278 · 2014-09-10 (September 10, 2014)

WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE ON A TWO LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT UP-SHIFT GEARS AND GOT STUCK IN THIRD GEAR WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PASS A TRACTOR TRAILER WITH OTHER VEHICLES BEHIND ME ATTEMPTING TO DO THE SAME. SUBSEQUENTLY, I MANAGED TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO A PARKING LOT TO EXAMINE THE ISSUE. I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING EXTERNALLY WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD STAND OUT IN A VISUAL INSPECTION. NEXT, I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON, FORCEFULLY PUT THE CAR IN GEAR, AND FOUND THAT IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF …

Owner-reported narrative. 113,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10632278 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11124600 · 2018-09-05 (September 5, 2018)

TAKATA RECALL. I WAS RIDING MY VEHICLE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT HAYWIRE. I THOUGHT IT WAS BATTERY BUT IT WASN'T THE CAUSE IT DRAINED 4 BATTERIES I HAD ON WARRANTY AND 1 I HAD TO PURCHASE. I FOUND OUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DRAINS THE BATTERY AND LOSS OF POWER. I REACHED TO A MECHANIC AND HE LET ME KNOW THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS CAUSING THE POWER LOSS AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND REALIZE THEIR WAS A RECALL FOR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FOR THIS DEFECT. THIS DEFECT COULD HAVE A SERIOUS INCIDENT IF W…

Owner-reported narrative. 160,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11124600 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 752428 · 2001-09-20 (September 20, 2001)

THROTTLE INTERRUPT CAUSED BY BRAKE LIGHT ACTIVATION CAUSES CAR TO HAVE DEAD SPOT WHILE ACCELERATING.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 752428 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10167680 · 2006-09-08 (September 8, 2006)

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTING BEGAN FLICKERING, AND AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES WENT COMPLETELY DARK. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS FAILURE IS HAZARDOUS, THE DRIVER HAS NO INFORMATION AS TO THE STATUS OF ANY OF THE CAR'S SYSTEMS. ALL OF THE FOLLOWING GAUGES AND DISPLAYS ARE DISABLED AND NONFUNCTIONAL AS A RESULT: FUEL GAUGE, VEHICLE TEMPERATURE, MPH, RPM'S, THE GEAR THE VEHICLE IS IN, TURN SIGNAL OPERATION, AS WELL AS, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS AND DISPLAYS. ADDITIONALLY, THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS WHICH PROVIDE THE DRIVER…

Owner-reported narrative. 150,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10167680 at NHTSA ↗