2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ Owner Complaints

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

I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has suddenly lost power and completely stopped while driving on the freeway without warning. During these incidents, a red warning symbol appeared on the dashboard (a red turtle icon), indicating a critical malfunction. These failures created extremely dangerous situations, as the vehicle lost the ability to maintain normal driving speed in active freeway traffic. At the time of these incidents, my three children were in the vehicle, which significantly increased the risk of a serious accident. This issue has occurred multiple times, suggesting a serious and recurring defect. The sudden loss of power combined with dashboard warning signals presents a major safety hazard and could lead to severe injury or fatal accidents. I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle and request that this issue be investigated as a potential safety defect.

NHTSA ID

11725988

Incident

Jan 15, 2026

The contact leases a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS450. While driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped with no other vehicle or object nearby. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact was informed that it was a common failure and that other vehicle owners had sustained injuries due to the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 10-15 MPH and approaching a red traffic light, the failure recurred, almost causing the vehicle to be rear-ended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA ID

11716672

Incident

Feb 9, 2024

Mileage

8,000 mi

The vehicle throws a “charging fault” error when I try to charge my vehicle with a high speed charger. I tried two different chargers and two different locations with the same result. The safety risk is a faulty high voltage battery system. I have not taken it to the dealer yet. This just happened today. My understanding is that this is a fairly widespread issue and MB is denying all warranty claims and blaming the charging station. The only warning is the “charging fault” message on the dash display.

NHTSA ID

11707193

Incident

Dec 26, 2025

While traveling cross-country from Chicago, IL to San Diego, CA, my Mercedes-Benz EQS experienced a battery and system malfunction in Erick, Oklahoma at approximately 11:17 PM. At the time of the incident, the vehicle displayed approximately 93 miles of remaining range. I stopped to charge the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to initiate charging and subsequently lost power. Following the shutdown, the vehicle doors would not unlock. The vehicle appeared to have no usable electrical power, and there were no visible or audible instructions provided regarding emergency exit procedures. I was unaware of any mechanical emergency door release and could not reasonably locate one during the shutdown. As a result, the vehicle effectively trapped its occupants. Both my phone and my passenger’s phone were fully discharged, leaving us unable to contact roadside assistance, emergency services, or any outside help. We remained confined inside the vehicle for several hours overnight. I eventually fell asleep and woke up around 4:00 AM extremely cold. The outside temperature was approximately 31°F, and the vehicle had no heating capability due to the system shutdown. Extended confinement in freezing temperatures without heat created a serious risk of hypothermia or medical emergency. This situation caused me to experience a panic attack, and I developed a severe cough afterward, which I believe was related to cold exposure. At approximately 4:00 AM, the vehicle briefly powered on for a few seconds, which allowed me to unlock and open the door and exit the vehicle. After exiting, I attempted to have the vehicle’s battery jumped, but this was unsuccessful. The vehicle remained completely inoperable. I then had to pay approximately $700 out of pocket for towing to a Mercedes-Benz dealership, despite the vehicle still being under warranty. In order to continue my trip to California, I was forced to rent a vehicle at my own expense (approximately $400), in addition to incurri

NHTSA ID

11705086

Incident

Dec 12, 2025

This afternoon, while I was driving on freeway at a normal speed (75 miles/hour) with an ample distance (30 feet) from the car in front of me , I suddenly felt a huge impact. It was so violent that I immediately thought my car was hit by the car behind me. I stopped the car on freeway and called 911. But from the back mirror, I did not see any damage on the car behind me. I got out to inspect my car but did not see any collision damage. According to my online search, this model - Mercedes-Benz EQS - has a frequently reported issue of "Phantom Braking" from the Forward Collision Avoidance System. It was very startling and dangerous experience for me. Now 5 hours later I still feel the pain in my neck and back from the impact. Please address this issue to save lives.

NHTSA ID

11702392

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Two weeks ago, I returned back from work and later on in the evening was driving to go to grocery store when the car seemed to get pulled to one side and started shaking when driving around 40MPH. Not knowing what was going on, I turned back and slowly drove it back home. Next morning, I thought may be there is low tire pressure ( even though it was in range), I slowly drove to get air filled. After that coming home the car started pulling on the left side and shaking around 40MPH speed. So I slowly drove it back home with flashers on and then towed it to the dealership not knowing what was going with it. Car has only 6700 miles on it. Dealership looked at it and said that the left rear strut was broken and right rear strut is damaged. No other damage to the car. They think I might have drove over 'some object'. I have the same drive to work for 10 years, I drive about 2 to 3 times a week to work. There is no major trenches or big bumps on the road. Majority of drive is freeway driving of about 25 miles plus. This is brand new luxury vehicle, and I would know if I drove over some thing so big to cause such a major damage. At no point I drove over any thing major - otherwise I would not have thought of 'tire problem' initially. I am really shocked that driving for 40 years, I have never encountered such an issue. My concern is that the car is so smooth driving that it had such a major damage without driving over any large potholes etc. Not sure if other Mercedes EQS has had similar issues. Dealership states that this is not covered under warranty. I just want to make sure that there is no significant manufacturers defect in these parts to cause such a mjaor damage to the struts without any other damage to the underside of the car. I am glad that I did not get into any major accident but dealing with such breakage of car part is beyond my understanding of how such a thing can happen without one realizing that it had happened. Thank you for your attention

NHTSA ID

11618816

Incident

Sep 25, 2024

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

Car stopped abruptly on a two lane highway and a flashing warning came up that said electrical failure. Car jerked to a stop. Had to be towed to the dealership. Very dangerous. A friend has the same car and it happened to him twice. The cars do not need to be on the road until absolutely corrected. Needs a recall.

NHTSA ID

11592833

Incident

Jun 3, 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

Please note that back in April 2023 my car was lawfully parked, and other SUV (Mercedes MB) was backing up and touch my front bumper. Because of that impact my front plastic grill got cracked and damaged front camera. The estimate to repair was almost $3000.00. I might assume it was a large impact, but yesterday during carwash when my car was not moving, car in front (another small SUV) suddenly rolled back and simple touched my front bumper. Because of that impact i got similar damage - front plastic grill is cracked and front camera is damaged. please note that other car didn't hit plastic grill as bumper is located further front. Its just of impact to front bumper to force front plastic to crack or poorly design of the components. I have both videos of impacts that i can provide upon request. I uploaded estimate from prior accident

NHTSA ID

11573091

Incident

Feb 20, 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

I drove the EQS without issue for six months. Then, about a month ago while I was in reverse backing out of my garage, the car slammed on brakes and the seat belt forcefully engaged. It felt as if I hit a brick wall. There was nothing behind me--nothing in the driveway. Then last Sunday, October 29, 2023, I was at a stop light and began accelerating down an off ramp. Nothing was in front of me; however, the car slammed on brakes again--with the selt belt forcefully engaging, and I came dangerously close to getting rear ended. My husband turned off the automatic emergency breaking system, and we got an appointment with the Mercedes dealership. They had the car all day on Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1), and basically, the dealership is saying they cannot make any repairs because they cannot replicate the issue.

NHTSA ID

11553160

Incident

Sep 29, 2023

Vehicle would start and then shutdown. It would display the battery malfunction error. You would need to reset the vehicle with the key in order to activate/start the vehicle again. Dealer said they need to replace the MUC but Mercedes told the dealer to try a software update before. The vehicle is still not running the more recent software RL_NTG7_E316.505_22092AC3. Other vehicles are running E330. I don’t believe the dealer updated my software and this issue could happen and caused the vehicle to become disabled somewhere which would case an issue.

NHTSA ID

11546108

Incident

Aug 19, 2023

As I was traveling on a highway at 70 mph in my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS, 450+, the overhead sunroof glass spontaneously exploded without warning or signs. The glass blew out edge to edge into hundreds of tiny pieces of tempered glass. If it had not been for my *closed* cloth sunroof sunshade, the 100s of tiny pieces of tempered glass would have rained down onto my head and body while I was driving at highway speed. The sound was EXTREMELY loud, like a gun shot or bomb explosion. For a moment, I literally thought someone had shot a gun at my vehicle. I was extremely fortunate that I was able to maintain control of my vehicle, as this sudden explosion could’ve easily caused me to lose control and crash.

NHTSA ID

11542343

Incident

Aug 30, 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 05Jun23, EQS 450+ suddenly reduced the speed to 30mph on the SRT highway while I was driving with cruise control set to 70mph. This creates sudden deceleration in the car and slow down as well as on the left lane traffic where there was a following car behind me with high speed. This happens multiple times when I was driving on the different highways in Texas as well as in FM roads. Car’s Behavior while Cruise control is SET to 70+mph and Intelligent Recuperation is ON. Highway Speed Sign is 70mph. 🔴 Sudden, unexpected deceleration 🔴 Wrong speed sign pops up on the dashboard 🔴 Confusing warning sound 🔴 Speed sign Indicator acts like inconsistent or confused by changing from 30mph to 45mph or vice versa.

NHTSA ID

11528510

Incident

Jun 5, 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

We were driving locally, and the car stopped abruptly for no reason. There was no one and nothing in front of it, no animal around, and no reason for the stop. Had there been someone behind us, we would have had a big problem. We called the salesperson at the dealership only to learn that he had moved to Germany. We were told that another representative would return my call in about six minutes. No one called. A week later, we were on the highway and, also for no reason, the car slowed abruptly, and then resumed its speed. It happened a third time on a local street. We called the dealer and alerted the corporate headquarters but they did not respond. They do not seem to care.

NHTSA ID

11519767

Incident

Mar 1, 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

Experienced phantom braking on car. Date: 2/28/23. No car's in front. Sunny day. I have video dash cam proof but it is 70 mb. I can give it to you guys if needed for proof.

NHTSA ID

11509612

Incident

Feb 28, 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

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes Benz EQS580. The contact stated while his wife was driving 40 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking without another vehicle nearby. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to her destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.

NHTSA ID

11506074

Incident

Feb 7, 2023

Mileage

4,000 mi