Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Mercedes-Benz S Class submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE. ALL LIGHTING FOR INSTRUMENT DARK/UNREADABLE (SPEEDOMETER,TACH,ODOMETER,FUEL,TEMP,TURN SIGNAL ETC). TAKEN TO DEALER AND I PAID FOR REBUILD TO UNIT. IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURED AGAIN AFTER APPROX 3 MONTHS. *TR
THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ISSUE I AM EXPERIENCING BEGAN APPROXIMATELY JULY, 2012. INITIALLY, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER BRIEFLY AND THEN ILLUMINATE AGAIN. SUBSEQUENT TO THE FREQUENT FLICKERING INCIDENTS, THE CLUSTER LIGHTING DIDN'T ILLUMINATE AT ALL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SMALL DIAGNOSTIC VIEWER. CURRENTLY, ALL LIGHTING, GAUGES, AND ANY DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENTS, INCLUDING THE CONTROL BUTTONS LOCATED ON THE STEERING WHEEL DO NOT FUNCTION. IN ADDITION TO THE FOREMENTIONED, THE HEADLIGHTS NOW CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATE AND THE TURN SIGNAL IS COMPLETELY SILENT AND NOT VISIBLE FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. I IMMEDIATELY INQUIRED WITH A CERTIFIED MERCEDES BENZ TECHNICIAN REGARDING THE LIGHTING CLUSTER AND CONTROL ISSUE AND THROUGH THAT INQUIRY WAS MADE AWARE OF THE VEHICLE RECALL RELATED TO THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. WITH THAT SAID, I CALLED THE LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND PROVIDED THE VIN NUMBER; AND THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE REFERRED ME TO MERCEDES BENZ CORPORATE; I PROVIDED THE VIN NUMBER AGAIN, AND WAS THEN TOLD I DIDN'T RESPOND TO THE RECALL NOTIFICATION. THE FACTS ARE CONTRARY TO THAT ASSERTION; BECAUSE IF I HAD RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTIFICATION I WOULD HAVE ACTED UPON THE REQUEST. CURRENTLY THE AUTOMOBILE HAS NO LIGHTS AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN AT NIGHT, NOR AM I AWARE IF THERE IS GASOLINE IN THE AUTOMOBILE. I HAVE CONTACTED MERCEDES BENZ CORPORATION FOR ASSISTANCE, WHO HAVE COMPLETELY EXCUSED THEMSELVES OF THIS VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. YOUR ASSISTANCE TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT MATTER IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. *TR
ON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS BLACK WITHOUT ILLUMINATION OR READING. AS A RESULT, GAUGES TO SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, FUEL, WARNINGS TO MALFUNCTIONS, TACHOMETER, OIL PRESSURE, & ENGINE TEMPERATURE ARE NOT PRESENT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S-CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 58 MPH, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AND GAUGES FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME AND THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRONIC MALFUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98500.
MY 2002 MERCEDES S430 INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BACK LIGHTING WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND I COULD NOT SEE MY RATE OF SPEED. ALONG WITH NOT SEEING MY RATE OF SPEED MY FUEL AND TEMPERATURE WAS NOT VISABLE. I CALLED MERCEDES DEALER IN VIRGINIA ABOUT THE RECALL THAT CAME OUT IN 2006 AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED. LOOKING ON THE INTERNET THERE IS A 10 YEAR EXTENSION BUT I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS FROM THE TIME THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH IN MY LIFE AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE BOTTOM LINE TRUTH TO THIS SITUATION. *TT
MERCEDES BENZ HAS LISTED A RECALL ON ALL W220 MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES. THE RECALL WAS ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILING RESULTING IN THE CLUSTER TO NOT WORK. THE MPH, RPM DOESN'T WORK. NOTHING ON THE CLUSTER WORKS. WHEN I WENT ON MAY 12, 2011 TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP TO GET MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FIXED BECAUSE IT WAS RECALLED I SPOKE WITH A LADY AT THE DEALER EXPLAINING MY SITUATION ABOUT THE PART BEING RECALLED AND THAT IT IS DEFECTIVE. SHE ASKED ME TO GIVE HER MY VIN NUMBER. WHEN SHE TYPED IN MY VIN NUMBER, SHE TOLD ME THAT MY CLUSTER IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A REPAIR. SHE SAID THE MY VIN NUMBER WAS A "STATUS 9 ISSUE" AND BECAUSE OF THIS, IT VOIDS ALL WARRANTIES NO MATTER WHAT. I SPOKE WITH EVERYONE THERE TYING TO SORT THINGS OUT AND SEE IF I CAN WORK OUT THIS ISSUE. MY 2002 S430 HAS BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT THAT IS WHY IT IS A STATUS 9. BUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DID NOT FAIL BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. EVEN AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE CLUSTER STILL WORKED FINE WITHOUT ANY SORT OF PROBLEMS WHAT SO EVER FOR ALMOST A MONTH IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES SHOULD TAKE ACTION FOR THIS ISSUE NO MATTER WHAT. IF THE PART IS DEFECTIVE, ITS DEFECTIVE. THAT'S IT. THEY SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND REPLACE MY RECALLED CLUSTER FREE OF CHARGE. I WOULD LIKE FOR THE DEALER TO TAKE IN MY VEHICLE AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE CLUSTER. A RECALLED PART LIKE THIS SHOULD BE REPLACED EVEN THOUGH A VEHICLE LIKE MINE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. AND MY CAR WASN'T IN A BAD ACCIDENT AND I HAVE PROOF AND PICTURES TO SHOW THAT IT WAS NOT HIT THAT BAD. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IF THIS MATTER WOULD BE ATTENDED TO AND I COULD GET MY PART REPLACED. THANKYOU VERY MUCH. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S430. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS BEGAN BLINKING AND THEN SUDDENLY DIMMED. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN JULY OF 2007 AND WAS UNAWARE OF ANY RECALLS. HE RESEARCHED HIS DEFECT AND CAME ACROSS A RECALL. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SINCE HE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS STOPPED ILLUMINATING. THE CONTACT COULD NOT READ THE SPEEDOMETER AND OTHER GAUGES. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING); THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS, WHICH WOULD EXCEED $2,000. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 22,000.
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS PERTAINING TO THE ALTERNATOR, SPEEDOMETER, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUSING ENGINE LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERS WHO DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO BE SERVICED BY THE DEALERS. AS VEHICLE WAS BEING RELEASED FROM SERVICE THE SPEEDOMETER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE RPM NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE DASHBOARD ALSO GAVE OFF A FOUL BURNING/ GAS ODOR THAT CAUSED THE PASSENGER TO GET SICK. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERS AND CONTACT STATES THAT THE DEALERS REFUSED TO INSPECT VEHICLE OR TO PROVIDE SERVICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER/ DIRECTOR OF THE DEALERS HAS CALLED AND HARASSED THE CONTACT ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATES THAT SHE SPOKE TO AN NHTSA REPRESENTATIVE WHO WAS ABLE TO CHECK IN THE DATABASE FOR RECALLS AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEM RECALL MATCHED THE SAME SYMPTOMS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY SEEKING SERVICE FOR THE EXISTING PROBLEMS.
FAILURE OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB
WHILE DRIVING, I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS IN MY MERCEDES. POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES, LIGHTS, DISPLAY, POWER WINDOWS ETC.*AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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