2002 Mercedes Benz S600: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
11 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
80,511 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: . 8 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 11 complaints (45.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 9.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 9.1% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 |
| Suspension | 3 |
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | 2 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 1 |
| Engine | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling: 5; Suspension: 3; Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel: 2; Electrical System:Ignition: 1; Engine: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 2 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 3 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 0
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 3 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
2006: 1; 2007: 1; 2008: 2; 2009: 1; 2011: 2; 2016: 1; 2017: 2; 2024: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting 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 10166829 · 2006-08-29 (August 29, 2006)
1. DRIVING VEHICLE ON LONG DISTANCE TRIP 2.. INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND ALL GAUGES FAILED WHILE DRIVING. REPLACED FUSE TO RESTORE GAUGES, BUT FUSED FAILED WITHIN 5 MINUTES, REPEATED ATTEMPTS RESULTED IN THE SAME OUTAGE. 3. APPOINT WITH DEALER ON 9/11/06 TO REPAIR ESTIMATED $1400 COST. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 63,022 miles reported. Look up ODI 10166829 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10185393 · 2007-03-17 (March 17, 2007)
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY CAR BEGAN TO LOSE ALL POWER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CAR BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPORTED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT COIL PACKS AND THAT THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUGS AGAIN, AT A TOTAL COST OF $3875.00 THIS SEEMS VERY DISTURBING CONSIDERING THEY ALREADY REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE DEFECTIVE PARTS FROM THE FACTORY UNDER WARRANTY BUT NOW REFUSE TO TAKE RESPOSIBILITY FOR THE COIL PACKS EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMIT THERE IS AN ISSUE …
Owner-reported narrative. 14,264 miles reported. Look up ODI 10185393 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10229469 · 2008-06-02 (June 2, 2008)
THE MERCEDES S600 HAS A DESIGN FLAW THAT CAUSES A MAJOR OIL LEAK FROM THE OIL COOLER THAT IS EMBEDDED INSIDE THE ENGINE. THIS REQUIRES THE INTAKE AND HEADS TO BE REMOVED TO REPLACE THE OIL COOLER AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $5K. SPECIAL CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO CLEAN THE OIL FROM THE WIRING HARNESS, TRANSMISSION AND AREAS THAT HAS BEEN SOAKED BY THE OIL LEAK. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO RE-OCCUR EVERY 50-100K MILES. AS A KNOWN PROBLEM, MERCEDES HAS NOT ASSUMED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 118,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10229469 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10239514 · 2008-08-24 (August 24, 2008)
OIL COOLER LEAK ON MY 2002 S600, AND I FOUND OUT THAT THIS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE CARS (2000-2002 V12 ENGINES) AND A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR THAT MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD COVER OR AT LEAST A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE REPAIR. I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT YOUR WEBSITE SO I DECIDED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT AND SAID THE REAR MAIN SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I PAID OVER $1100.00 FOR THIS REPAIR AND TOOK THE CAR BACK 3 TIMES WITHIN A WEEK AND A HALF BECAUSE THE OIL LEAK CONTINUED ONLY TO FIND OUT…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10239514 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10294579 · 2009-12-05 (December 5, 2009)
OIL LEAK FROM OIL COOLER SEEMS TO BE A CHRONIC PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL CAR. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 35,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10294579 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10393645 · 2011-03-29 (March 29, 2011)
THE CAR WAS LEAKING OIL AND HYDRAULIC FLUID. THE CAR WOULD NOT RAISE UP AND WAS LEAKING OIL AS FAST AS IT WAS PUT IN. IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. COULD NOT FIX IT I HAD TO PARK IT.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10393645 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10435223 · 2011-11-10 (November 10, 2011)
MASSIVE OIL LEAK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S EVERYTHING FROM OIL PRESSURE VALVES TO THE OIL COOLER. MB... WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?? I NEED HELP AND NONE OF THE SAN DIEGO MB DEALERS CAN FIX PROPERLY. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 55,615 miles reported. Look up ODI 10435223 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10862850 · 2016-05-03 (May 3, 2016)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ S600. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE LIGHTS, GAUGES, AND METERS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10862850 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
04V228000 · Suspension
Reported: 2004-05-13 (May 13, 2004)
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, CORROSION MAY OCCUR IN THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL'S (ABC) HIGH-PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSE DUE TO EXTENSIVE EXPOSURE TO HEAT AND HUMIDITY. OVER TIME, CORROSION MAY DETERIORATE THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE HOSE.
Consequence: THIS MAY RESULT IN ABC HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE. UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS AND LEAD TO A POSSIBILITY OF FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW, CORROSION RESISTANT ABC HIGH-PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSES. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 31, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
NHTSA campaign record ↗