2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ Brakes Problems

While making a left turn at low speed, I applied the brakes, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and instead appeared to drift, surge, or accelerate forward. The vehicle struck a fire hydrant and a bus stop pole before crashing into a tree. Airbags deployed and both occupants sustained injuries. I suspect a possible malfunction involving braking, propulsion, electrical, or speed control systems. No final cause has been determined. The vehicle should still be available for inspection. Mercedes-Benz USA has opened a case regarding this incident.

NHTSA ID

11731921

Incident

Apr 7, 2026

2023 Mercedes EQS 450 Normal Recuperation driving around 40 mph suddenly the brakes were applied and seat belts engaged with no apparent reason or obstacle. It was for a second and released so no damage except the scare and jolt of the brake. The internet is full of discussions about this Phantom Braking with electric and non-electric vehicles of all brands. This is the first incident in the 3 months that we have owned this sedan and we will be taking it to the Mercedes dealership soon. This car is always giving warning lights and sounds with so many safety features.

NHTSA ID

11616685

Incident

Sep 25, 2024

I was stopped at a stop sign and when the light turn green I pressed the accelerator to move forward unfortunately, the vehicle hard braked for no reason. At first, I thought someone hit me from behind since there was no one in front of me but that was not the case. The braking was so violent that it caused my neck to snap back and forth, which caused the back of my head to hit the seat head support. I was going no faster then 10 mph but not slower then 5mph. In turn, the vehicle is available for inspection. My safety was at risk because I had no control or indicator that the braking was going to automatically brake on its own. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer or independent service center because the incident happened today (Sunday) therefore, I plan on making an appointment as soon as possible to see if they can identify any defects. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others since I plan on taking it to the Mercedes dealer where I purchased the vehicle. There were NO warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to failure.

NHTSA ID

11588360

Incident

May 12, 2024

The vehicle pre collision automatically stops the car completely five times with no car or any objects in the front. I took the car to Mercedes dealership to see if they can find the issues, but they can’t. On 04/07/2024 I had my wife record while I’m driving and we got video of the car just completely hard breaking on its own with no cars in the front. I am worry that another vehicle will rear end me at higher speed when it does happen again.

NHTSA ID

11581634

Incident

Apr 7, 2024

On two separate occasions, while driving my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 SUV, my vehicle abruptly came to a stop on the highway. The sudden and intense phantom braking caused me to experience whiplash on both occasions, even though there was no imminent collision threat. What was particularly concerning is that my car usually alerts me to any potential dangers and prompts me accordingly, but in these instances, it came to a halt unexpectedly. I reported the issue to the Mercedes-Benz of Annapolis Service Center, only to be told by my service advisor that this was a normal and preventive measure to avoid collisions. To my surprise, he even compared it to his experiences with a non-Mercedes vehicle. Strangely, this wasn't the first time I encountered such an incident; the initial occurrence was in a loaner vehicle provided to me due to other functionality issues with my car. To date, both the Mercedes service centers in Annapolis and Arlington have not taken my concerns seriously, which is deeply troubling. It's alarming that there are others like me facing similar problems, and there seems to be a lack of information on where and how to report these incidents for a resolution. The question remains: must someone be seriously injured or killed before Mercedes takes accountability for these potentially dangerous episodes? My vehicle is presently at the Mercedes-Benz service center in Annapolis, addressing various hazardous functionality issues, including phantom braking, pulsating brakes, and a range of other concerns. Once I receive the service records, I am happy to provide them for review. 1st incident:[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11567345

Incident

Sep 19, 2023

While driving the Brakes locked in the middle of the Freeway and Street it happen 3 Times already and the only thing that the Service department from Mercedes Benz saids is that they cant duplicate the malfunction a return the car It Dangerous because it just stops the brakes lock and the car stops completly in the middle of the road

NHTSA ID

11533687

Incident

Jul 20, 2023

On June 1 2023 at 6:24 pm, driving at around 40 mph, the car suddenly braked hard and lurched to the left. There were no cars or other obstructions in front of the car. This braking and lurching to the left lasted a few seconds, but almost came to a complete stop. After a few seconds it resumed normal operation.

NHTSA ID

11525091

Incident

Jun 1, 2023

Around 5:48 pm Pacific time today, May 8, 2023, traveling westbound on Sunset Blvd (near the Drummond street intersection), the brakes suddenly engaged hard for a few seconds and then released and continued. Speed was around 35 mph and there were no obstructions around. This is the second incident of phantom braking that has occurred in 2 months. Luckily there was no car behind that could have collided into us from the sudden phantom braking.

NHTSA ID

11521077

Incident

May 8, 2023

I experienced a phantom braking incident yesterday in my 2023 EQS450+ SUV at 3:11 pm PST. Traveling at around 30 mph, no cars within 20 feet ahead or behind us, the car suddenly engaged the automatic brakes very hard with a loud beep but this condition lasted only a couple of seconds. The impact was hard enough to jolt all passengers in the car. The sound was as if something hit us from behind. Cruise control was not being used at that time. The car then continued to operate normally after that. I have set up a service appointment for this Friday, April 14 at the WI Simonson dealership in Los Angeles, CA. I have reported this to MErcedes Benz using their "contact me" feature on their website. From my research, it sounds like phantom braking is prevalent somewhat widely in the EQS cars but nothing seems to have been done about it so far.

NHTSA ID

11516386

Incident

Apr 9, 2023

On two occasions I was driving on city streets, 35-45 miles per hour without any vehicles nearby and all of a sudden the vehicle applied a hard brake, as if the vehicle had sensed a pending collision or something, but nothing was around. I purchased the vehicle new in October of 2022. The first time this occurred was a couple of weeks after I had bought the vehicle. I had changed the recuperation mode setting, so when it occurred the first time I thought that might have affected it. This occurred on a clear, dry, sunny day. The second time it occurred it happened for no reason at all. I had thought perhaps because my collision avoidance settings were set to the max sensitivity levels that perhaps it's seeing things that aren't there. It was very scary, it was so violent I thought I had hit something in the road, but it was a clear, dry, sunny day with no road hazards, obstacles or anything else that would have caused it. The problem has not been reported to the dealer, but I feel that when it happens again I will take the vehicle in to see if they are aware of what could be causing this problem. Nothing has been reported to the manufacturer, police, insurance or others. There were no warnings prior to the hard braking that I can recall. It just happened unexpectedly and immediately. I get a little nervous now every time I get behind the wheel because I wonder if/when the next occurrence will be.

NHTSA ID

11507339

Incident

Oct 25, 2022

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on January 8, 2023 I, and three passengers (my wife, and another couple), were completing a one hour drive returning from an event in southern California. We traveled on the freeways as we headed home. The speeds on those freeways average between 65 and 75 miles per hour with the flow of traffic. I exited the freeway and pulled up to a traffic light. I made a right turn at the light, then traveled up the road. The weather was clear and dry, and there were no cars either behind, in front of, or beside me as I drove up a cleanly paved and level road at a speed of approximately 35 – 40 MPH. During the drive up the road, the car inexplicably and suddenly stopped, hard, as though I had run into a dense hill of sand. It was a violent and sudden jolting stop, and all four passengers’ seatbelts activated, firmly tightening and restraining us in our seats. My wife’s head whipped back and forth, resulting in an enduring headache for her through the rest of the evening. No one knew what had happened, or why, as there was absolutely no obstruction in the road and no traffic around us. We pulled over and inspected the car and it was in pristine perfect condition with no evidence of any contact of any kind. We looked in the road and it was clear, paved and level. No animals; no objects; no obstruction. When I arrived home I searched online to determine if this had ever before been reported, and it turned up several “hits,” apparently filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) on this very issue, apparently involving both the 2021 and 2022 EQS. My model year is 2023. The discussions I have read point to a possible defect in the Autonomous Emergency Braking System (EBS). It might be the car is sensing something that is not there, and reacting as though it were. At 70 MPH on a freeway, this could be fatal, should the EBS activate suddenly, with no cause to do so, with an ensuing rear-end collision. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS.

NHTSA ID

11501082

Incident

Jan 8, 2023