2009 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 2009 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
- 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.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
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 .