2003 Mercedes-Benz S430 Electrical Problems

ELECTRICAL/FUSE/CLUSTER PANEL LIGHTS ARE OUT IN DASH VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY

NHTSA ID

11154667

Incident

Nov 29, 2018

Mileage

141,000 mi

I HAVE A 2003 MERCEDES S430. THE OTHER DAY MY WIFE WAS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH WHEN IT JUST SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. HOW DO WE ALLOW A VEHICLE TO OPERATE ON THE HIGHWAY THAT WOULD JUST CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT AT LEAST GIVING YOU A CHANCE TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD. THANKS

NHTSA ID

11078449

Incident

Mar 8, 2018

Mileage

90,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING GETTING READY TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY MY 2003 MERCEDES S430 INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT OUT. THE GAUGES GOT STUCK ON WHAT THEY WERE WHILE DRIVING. I WASN'T ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING ON THE PANEL. I TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST SHOP AND THEY CHANGED THE FUSE, HOWEVER THE FUSE BLEW RIGHT BACK OUT EACH TIME THEY CHANGED IT. THE CAR WAS STILL DRIVABLE. I HAVEN'T HAD THIS CAR FOR 1 YEAR YET AND I AM LOST AT WHAT TO DO. THE SHOP SAID THE INSTRUMENT CHAISE WILL WORK BUT SOMETHING IS BLEWING THE FUSE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE ALUMINATOR IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS FAULTY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ANY HELP WITH THIS ISSUE IS HELPFUL.. PLEASE HELP AS THIS CAR HAS BECOME A NIGHTMARE (INSTRUMENT PANEL, DOORS DON'T LOCK, PASSENDER SEAT MOVES AT WIERD TIMES, AND THE AIR STRUT BUSTED) INSTEAD OF A GOOD DREAM. I HAVE READ A NUMBER OF ISSUES WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILURE IN THESE CARS. I WISH I WOULD OF SEEN THIS BEFORE I PURCHASED IT. MERCEDES NEEDS TO COVER THE COST IN FIXING THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

10897883

Incident

Jul 21, 2016

Mileage

121,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S430. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE KEY TO THE ON POSITION, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 81,563.

NHTSA ID

10784966

Incident

Oct 18, 2015

Mileage

81,563 mi

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FLICKER WHEN STOPPED AT LIGHT.

NHTSA ID

10715495

Incident

May 9, 2015

Mileage

122,000 mi

STARTED CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY, DASH GOES DARK. NO POWER WINDOWS, LOCKS, RADIO, AIR, SEATS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10628755

Incident

Aug 25, 2014

Mileage

120,000 mi

STARTED VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY, SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GOES DARK. NO POWER MIRRORS, SEATS, NO RADIO, NO AIR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10628732

Incident

Aug 26, 2014

Mileage

120,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EMITTING SMOKE OUT OF THE TRUNK AND HE COULD SMELL BURNING PLASTIC. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE A PSE PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF, CAUSING IT TO OVER HEAT AND MELT THE WIRING HARNESS. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO DISCONNECT THE PUMP FROM THE WIRING HARNESS IN ORDER TO STOP THE SMOKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRICAL RELAY PUMP MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 78,000.

NHTSA ID

10456334

Incident

Apr 13, 2012

Mileage

78,000 mi

A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE MAIN INCIDENT, MY 2003 MERCEDES S430 WOULD STALL FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I CALLED MERCEDES ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD LET THE CAR RESET, AND THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENED TWO TIMES AND BOTH TIMES THERE WAS A TEMPORARY FIX AFTER THE CAR RESET. A DAY AFTER THE SECOND RESET, MY CAR COMPLETELY STALLED AND ENGINE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY CAUSING ME TO ALMOST GET INTO A FEW CRASHES. MERCEDES ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CALLED THE TOW COMPANY, AND THEY TOOK OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF TO GET THERE. IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY, AND I FELT VERY SICK FROM THE HEAT. THE CAR WAS TOWED, AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THE CRANK SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE DID NOT TELL ME IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT JUST TO LET THE CAR RESET. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THE SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS THAT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD THAT THE SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THIS IS AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS DEFECT, THAT A SENSOR GOES BAD WITH NO WARNING, AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED BY MERCEDES FOR $433.16. I AM TRAUMATIZED BY THE INCIDENT, AND I AM SCARED TO DRIVE A DANGEROUS CAR THAT CAN SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING WHILE DRIVING FOR SOMETHING AS SMALL AS A BAD SENSOR. FURTHER, I WAS MISLED BY MERCEDES ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THAT THE PART NEEDED TO RESET, RATHER THAN BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10415380

Incident

Jul 25, 2011

Mileage

54,943 mi

ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH S-CLASS MERCEDES BENZ NAVIGATION SYSTEM SHUTDOWNS AND ALOT OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS FAILURES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10363647

Incident

Sep 2, 2010

Mileage

68,000 mi

VEHICLE HAS ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH DRAINS BATTERY FAULTY FUSE BOXES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10356284

Incident

Aug 12, 2010

Mileage

66,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN THROUGH A CAR WASH OR DURING RAINY WEATHER, THE RADIO VOLUME WOULD SPORADICALLY INCREASE AND DECREASE WITHOUT WARRANT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NOR REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 158,000. REMAILED 07/14/2010.*LJ

NHTSA ID

10329757

Incident

Apr 10, 2010

Mileage

158,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 S430 MERCEDES BENZ. THE PLASTIC COVER FOR THE HEAD LIGHT BULB MELTED . THE DEALER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER REQUESTING ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR COST OF $500.00. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT RESPONDED. SHE ALSO EXPERIENCED FAILURE WITH THE BATTERY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY, BUT IT CONTINUED TO DISCHARGE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. ADDITIONALLY SHE CANNOT READ ANY OF THE GAUGES OR DISPLAY ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 1,700. UPDATED 1/25/10 *CN THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE PLASTIC MELTING ON BOTH HEAD LIGHTS WAS A FACTORY DEFECT. AFTER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS INSTALLED, THE BATTERY CONTINUED TO DIE. UPDATED 01/26/10

NHTSA ID

10297283

Incident

Jul 28, 2009

Mileage

1,700 mi