vehicle signal
U.S. public vehicle records

1999 Mercedes Benz S420: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

4 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

70,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: . 3 complaints include usable failure mileage.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 4 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior125.0%
Electrical and battery issues125.0%

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
2
Air Bags
1
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel
1
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
1
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Lock
1
Seat Belts
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Electrical System2
Air Bags1
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel1
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)1
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Lock1
Seat Belts1

Electrical System: 2; Air Bags: 1; Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel: 1; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 1; Latches/Locks/Linkages:Trunk Lid:Lock: 1; Seat Belts: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
1
50,000 to 74,999
1
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
1
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9991
50,000 to 74,9991
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9991
150,000 and above0

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

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 1 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
1
2007
1
2017
1
2020
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20011
20071
20171
20201

2001: 1; 2007: 1; 2017: 1; 2020: 1

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 10211214 · 2007-12-08 (December 8, 2007)

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS ALMOST TOTALLY FAILED CREATING A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD. THE DEALER STATED VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM ARE BEING RECALLED. HOW DO I RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE? *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10211214 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11020717 · 2017-08-31 (August 31, 2017)

THE AREA THAT HOLDS THE BRAKE LIGHTS KEEPS MELTING I HAVE REPLACED THEM TWICE , SEAT BELTS LAG AND DOT WORK I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH STABILIZATION

Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11020717 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11352984 · 2020-09-03 (September 3, 2020)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ S420. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, THE ELECTRICAL AND VACUUM SYSTEM BECAME INOPERABLE AND HE WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS LOCKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE EXITED THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF DANBURY (100 FEDERAL RD, DANBURY, CT 06810) AND WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VACUUM PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS…

Owner-reported narrative. 121,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11352984 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 562887 · 2001-09-29 (September 29, 2001)

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER WAS BROADSIDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, HOWEVER IT WAS NOT STATED EXACTLY WHERE VEHICLE WAS HIT, SUBSEQUENTLY THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND CONSUMER SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 562887 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.