RoadVitals

2001 Mercedes-Benz S 500 Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Jun 29, 2019
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
26%
of 34 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S 500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 29, 2019

INSTRUMENTAL CLUSTER LIGHT NOT WORKING

NHTSA ID
11228415
Incident
Jun 28, 2019
Mileage
120,225 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jan 7, 2017

I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT ON 225 AND CHAMBERS AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AS SOON AS A HIT THE GAS MY ENTIRE DASHBOARD WENT BLANK. I NO LONGER HAD LIGHT AND MY GAUGES WERE NOT RESPONDING EITHER. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I SEEN SOME FORUMS ABOUT THE RECALL SO I CALL THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH ACKNOWLEDGED AS A SAFETY CONCERN THE RECALL WAS CLOSED JUNE 2011. I PURCHASED THE CAR JUNE 2010 AND NO ONE REACHED OUT. I HAVE ONLY ONE CAR AND I CAN NOT DRIVE IT BECAUSE I CANT SEE THE SPEED OR IF I EVEN HAVE GAS. I HAVE KIDS AND LIKE EVERYONE ELSE I WORK BUT I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY $1800.00 TO FIX THIS AND I SHOULDNT HAVE TO. I CANT UNDERSTAND HOW A SAFETY RECALL CAN EXPIRE. SEEMS AS IF THERE IS NO TRUE REGARD TO SAFETY.

NHTSA ID
10940293
Incident
Dec 26, 2016
Mileage
138,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lightingSuspension
Filed Jan 3, 2017

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. *TR

NHTSA ID
10939271
Incident
Dec 26, 2016
Mileage
138,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jun 2, 2016

FOR THE SECOND TIME THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTING HAD TO BE REPLACE BY THE DEALER. IT DID THE SAME THING IT DID UNDER THE ORIGINAL RECALL. NO LIGHTING IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER.

NHTSA ID
10872037
Incident
May 15, 2014
Mileage
135,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Mar 16, 2015

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE BACK LIGHTS IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THAT ILLUMINATE THE SPEED MARKINGS STARTED TO FLICKER FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN TURNED OFF AND WENT DARK. THEN AFTER A FEW MINUETS, THE WHOLE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT DARK AND THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE GOING AT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10694437
Incident
Mar 15, 2015
Mileage
114,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Aug 11, 2014

WHILE DRIVING ON A 400 MILE TRIP HOME IN THE DARK, THE ENTIRE CLUSTER LIGHTING TURNED OFF AND SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE. THE SITUATION WAS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY TO FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG. AS NO FUSES OR RELAYS WERE BLOWN OUT, I HAD TO USE A SMALL FLASHLIGHT TO ILLUMINATE THE CLUSTER TO GET HOME. *TR

NHTSA ID
10621393
Incident
Aug 10, 2014
Mileage
106,340 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jul 11, 2013

WAS DRIVING AND DASH BOARD AND GAUGES WENT OUT CAN NOT SEE TACHOMETER SPEEDOMETER OR ANY VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10524369
Incident
Jul 10, 2013
Mileage
143,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Oct 15, 2012

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENTIRE DASH GAUGE CLUSTER FLICKERED AND WENT TOTALLY DARK AND STOPPED WORKING. I WAS SO DISTRACTED THAT I ALMOST RAN INTO THE CAR THAT WAS IN FRONT OF ME. THE INTERIOR LIGHTING WENT OUT AS WELL. NOW, THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE OR OF SEEING ANY OF THE OTHER IMPORTANT GAUGES INCLUDING GEAR SELECTION. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY. THE MERCEDES DEALER IN MANHATTAN AND NORTH AMERICA MERCEDES CENTER IN NJ SAYS THE CAR IS NOT COVERED AND THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE HAS EXPIRED. THEY HAVE BASICALLY SAID" TOO BAD" FOR ME IN A VERY ARROGANT AND COLD MANNER. ALMOST LIKE I SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR ASKING THEM TO FIX IT. THIS IS A LOW MILES WELL CARED FOR VEHICLE THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN PAMPERED AND GARAGED. IT BELONGED TO MY FATHER. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR PRICE FROM THE DEALER FOR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS OVER $4,000.00. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY SITTING IN MY GARAGE UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. FRANKLY, I AM SURPRISED AT MERCEDES' REFUSAL TO FIX THE CAR CONSIDERING THAT THERE WAS A NATIONAL RECALL CONCERNING THIS VERY ISSUE AND THAT ALSO THERE WAS A NEED FOR A MB EXTENDED WARRANTY TO FIX THIS VERY SAME LIGHTING/CLUSTER ISSUE. NOT TO MENTION THE EXORBITANT PRICE FOR THE S500 BOTH RETAIL AND WHEN IT WAS NEW. I EXPECTED WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR THAT IT WOULD PROVIDE THE TYPE OF RELIABILITY AND ENGINEERING THAT MERCEDES CLAIMS TO HAVE BUILT IT'S REPUTATION ON. *TR

NHTSA ID
10480149
Incident
Oct 1, 2012
Mileage
62,100 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Oct 20, 2003

WHENEVER THE TURN SIGNALS ARE IN USE THEY WOULD MALFUNCTION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MECHANIC REPAIR THE PROBLEM. MECHANIC REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND SEVERAL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. BUT, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10044261
Mileage
28,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Electrical21

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .