1998 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 1998 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
- Powertrain (other)150.0%
- Tires & wheels150.0%
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
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ODOMETER SENSOR FAILED. YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE HAD THREE TIRE BOLOW OUTS ON MY MERCEDES-BENZ, IN IDENTICAL SITUATIONS, APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS APART. ALL THREE INCIDENTS HAPPENED ON THREE DIFFERENT HIGHWAYS, AT SPEEDS APPROXIMATING 60 MPH, AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS OF DRIVING. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN APRIL 2004, ON I-95 IN NEW HAVEN. THE SECOND OCCURRED IN JULY 2004 ON I-95 IN DELAWARE. THE THIRD OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2004 IN CANADA ON HIGHWAY 401 IN KINGSTON. THESE WERE THE ONLY OCCASIONS WHEN I HAD DRIVEN IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS. IE: FOR MORE THAN 3 HOURS ON A HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF OVER 55 MPH, DURING THIS YEAR. ON ALL OTHER OCCASIONS THE TRIPS WERE SHORTER THAN 3 HOURS. THE WHEELS ARE DIFFERENT AT EACH OCCASION. THE FIRST WAS PASSENGER SIDE FRONT. THE SECOND WAS DRIVER SIDE REAR, AND THE THIRED WAS DRIVER SIDE FRONT. ON EACH OCCASION, AFTER RETURNING HOME I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN POUGHKEEPSIE, AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I THEN CONTACTED MICHELIN TIRES, AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THERE ARE NO REPORTED INCIDENTS SIMILAR TO MINE. THE FIRST TWO TIRES WERE DISCARED. THE THIRD WAS INSPECTED BY SEARS AUTO CENTER. THERE ARE NO HOLES FOUND. THE TIRES ACCORDING TO SEARS HAD COME OFF THE RIM. THE TIRES INVOLVED BELONG TO A SET OF 4 THAT I BOUGHT FROM TIRE-RACK, AND MOUNTED BY MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN 2002. SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT, I HAVE DILIGENTLY CHECKED TIRE PRESSURES WEEKLY, IN ADDITION TO VISUALLY INSPECTING THE TIRES BEFORE DRIVING. THIS CANNOT BE A COINCIDENCE. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.*AK
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 .