RoadVitals

2009 Mercedes-Benz S Class

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
2
Latest May 21, 2012
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Mar 13, 2009
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S Class, most frequently naming the airbags, brakes and interior & seats categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 11 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags133.3%
  • Brakes133.3%
  • Interior & seats133.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
09V081000

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

Mar 13, 2009
54 units potentially affected
The defect: MERCEDES BENZ IS RECALLING 54 MY 2009 S-CLASS, W221 VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCKS MAY HAVE BEEN MISTAKENLY INTERCHANGED DURING PRODUCTION. THE EXCHANGE OF A FRONT AND A REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK WOULD RESULT IN A PASSENGER SIDE DOOR THAT CANNOT BE OPENED BY MERELY PULLING ON THE INTERIOR HANDLE AND A REAR DOOR LOCK THAT CAN BE OPENED WITH A SIMPLE PULL OF THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE EVEN IF LOCKED.
The risk: THIS SITUATION COULD AFFECT THE SAFE EXITING OF A VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH OR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM INADVERTENT OPENING OF THE REAR DOOR.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL CHECK THE PART NUMBER ON ALL DOOR LOCKS AND REPLACE ANY INCORRECTLY INSTALLED DOOR LOCK FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC.Manufacturer number 2009030001View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Interior & seats
Filed May 21, 2012

THERE ARE NO CHILD SAFETY LOCKS ON THE REAR DOORS. THE MANUFACTURER SEEMS TO THINK THE FACT THAT THE DOOR LOCKS ONCE THE CAR IS MOVING OVER A SPECIFIC SPEED IS GOOD ENOUGH, THE PROBLEM IS A CHILD CAN STILL PULL THE HANDLE TWICE TO OPEN THE DOOR WHILE IT'S MOVING, OR SIMPLY LIFT THE REAR LOCK LATCH AND PULL THE DOOR HANDLE ONCE, AND OUT THEY KID GOES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I PERSONALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE MANUFACTURER COULD GET AWAY WITH SELLING THIS CAR WITHOUT THIS MOST BASIC SAFETY FEATURE FOR CHILDREN'S PROTECTION. EITHER WE WAIT UNTIL SOME KIDS FLY OUT THIS CAR BEFORE ACTING, OR FORCE THE MANUFACTURER TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO THIS SAFETY HAZARD. *TT

NHTSA ID
10459075
Incident
May 18, 2012
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Aug 16, 2010
Crash reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN A VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIM ABRUPTLY STOPPED. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AS THE PEDAL WAS APPLIED DOWN TO THE FLOORBOARD AND REMAINED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SOS SYSTEM DID NOT ENGAGE. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE (SP1L15000802). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 8,000.

NHTSA ID
10349604
Incident
Aug 7, 2010
Mileage
8,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

LI82.30-P-059239

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

Complaints about poor wiping effect of winshield wiper

LI-05-20-P

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

MERCEDES-BENZ: THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON WITH MULTIPLE POSSIBLE TROUBLE CODES STORED. THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAMSHAFT AND/OR SCORING OF A PISTON. *RM

LI-91-10P051831

SEATS; SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT

MERCEDES-BENZ: THERE IS CRACKING NOISE AT THE FRONT SEATS WHEN OPERATING THE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT. *RM

LI-27-60-P051773

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

MERCEDES-BENZ: THERE IS A TRANSMISSION TROUBLE CODE STORED. IT IS A DIAGNOSTIC PROBLEM WITH THE WET START-UP CLUTCH. *RM

LI-27-60-P049270

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

MERCEDES-BENZ: THE AUTO-TRANSMISSION SWITCHES TO LIMP HOME MODE OR HAS NO POWER. THERE ARE MULTIPLE POSSIBLE FAULT CODES. A PISTON MAY BE DAMAGED. *RM

SB-32-25-82

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER; SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM; SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER; SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM

MERCEDES-BENZ: SHOCK ABSORBER PROCEDURE. *RM

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz S Class by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2012110—
2011000—
2009Viewing210—
2005210—
2004154154.2
2003282148.1
2002482144.1
2001365150.2
2000815359.9
1999910—
1998210—
1997210—
1996620—
1995271039.4
1994121038.8
1993110—
1992010—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.