1996 Mercedes-Benz S Class Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1996 Mercedes-Benz S Class, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine233.3%
- Heating & air conditioning116.7%
- Electrical116.7%
- Steering116.7%
- Visibility116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
1.I OWN A 1996 MERCEDES BENZ FOR 15 YEARS. WITH ONLY 11,850 MILES, THE TEMPERATURE / CLIMATE CONTROL MECHANISM FAILED DUE TO BEING DEFECTIVE PART. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO A MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CENTER, HOWEVER IT WAS NOT FIXED WHICH I LEFT UNSETTLED AND UNSATISFIED. 3. IN ORDER TO QUICKLY HAVE THIS FIXED, I WENT TO ANOTHER PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHICH THEY DULY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE PART, HOWEVER THE PART WAS PROMPTLY FIXED. THE AMOUNT WAS $1,097.36. I HAVE SENT 2 LETTERS TO MERCEDES BENZ USA HEADQUARTERS AND GERMANY HEADQUARTERS REPORTING THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE ISSUE AND REQUESTING FOR COMPENSATION, HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED REGARDING THIS MATTER. *TR
JUST CAME BACK FROM VACATION. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON BEFORE. STOPPING AT THE GAS STATION WE NOTICED THE SMOKE COMING OUT THE HOOD. TEMPERATURE WAS RISING TO A 100 C. SINCE THEN EVEN IN LOCAL DRIVING TEMPERATURE GOES OVER NORMAL. I AM VERY CONCERNED. DID NOT CHECK WITH SERVICE YET. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HEARD A CLICK AND THEN AC STOPPED BLOWING AIR. IT HAD BEEN BLOWING FINE BEFORE THIS AUDIBLE CLICK. RESEARCH I DID SAYS IT IS A FAULTY BLOWER REGULATOR WHICH SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR THIS MODEL. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WIRING HARNESS IS DEFECTIVE. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCEDES S420. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STEER TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A CONNECTOR FROM THE TRANSMISSION TO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE HAD FAILED CAUSING TRANSMISSION FLUID TO FLOOD THE CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY PASSENGER REAR WINDOW HAS COMPLETELY FALLEN INTO THE DOOR UPON TOUCHING THE WINDOW SWITCH. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AND IT IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR, I HAVE REPAIRED THIS ISSUE THREE TIMES. I SUSPECT THAT MERCEDEZ IS USING WEAK PARTS AND IS NOT LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS WITH NEWER CARS BUT NOT AS FREQUENT. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .