2001 Mercedes-Benz S500 Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“When driving my car makes noises like I'm pulling a trailer and I'm not.. In july my right shock went out so I repaired it.. Then prior to that the alternator was detected so I repaired that and just last week my instrument cluster went out. My suspension is really messed up and I can't shift at all”
“When driving my car makes noises like I'm pulling a trailer and I'm not.. In july my right shock went out so I repaired it.. Then prior to that the alternator was detected so I repaired that and just last week my instrument cluster went out. My suspension is really messed up and I can't shift at all”
“When driving my car makes noises like I'm pulling a trailer and I'm not.. In july my right shock went out so I repaired it.. Then prior to that the alternator was detected so I repaired that and just last week my instrument cluster went out. My suspension is really messed up and I can't shift at all”
“We purchased our 2001 mercedes s-500 used. Everything ran fine. After running it through an auto carwash with a under body spray, the electrical system went haywire. I noticed that the front passenger floor was soaked. Electrical malfunctions included non functioning locks, windows, air, all…”
“Instrumental cluster light not working”
“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…”
“Mbusa partially covered ($2400) cost for $5800 total repair to remove rust in 2011 but rust has returned to both rear quarter panels and doors. Documentation that paint was not prepped properly for all 2001 s500 models, however, not covered for cost to repair, reimburse for costs incurred or…”
“I have had the car since 2010 in june and I have already had to replace the front driver side ball bearing and joints and they have stopped working once again I was driving last week in traffic at around 5 pm when my entire dashboard went out none of the gauges are working I couldnt see anything.…”
Defect investigations
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON SEVEN REPORTS INDICATING THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2000-2001 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS VEHICLES FAILED IN THAT CONSUMERS WERE UNABLE TO READ ANY OF THE GAUGES WHILE OPERATING THEIR VEHICLES AT ANY SPEED DURING THE DAY OR…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.