Total Complaints
4 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS · model year
1997 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS
4 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997MERCEDES-BENZS CLASS carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1997 S CLASS is electrical system:wiring with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:front underhood (1) and electrical system:software (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1997 S CLASS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100303ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE ENGINE OF A 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ S500 HAS DISINTEGRATED DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE MERCEDES MANUFACTURER SEEMED TO HAVE USED AN INFERIOR AN UNSUITABLE INSULATION FOR THE WIRES, WHICH, FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN TIME, DETERIORATE ALLOWING THE WIRES TO SHORT AND PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS CREATING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION SUCH AS FIRE IN ENGINE AND ETC. THE MERCEDES MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT BUT REFUSES TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION OR TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY. *TR
Mileage: 140,000
20080304ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
MULTIPLE FAILURES, WITH DEGRADATION OF INSULATION ON WIRING IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR
Mileage: 83,000
20080304ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
MULTIPLE FAILURES, WITH DEGRADATION OF INSULATION ON WIRING IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR
Mileage: 83,000
20080304ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
MULTIPLE FAILURES, WITH DEGRADATION OF INSULATION ON WIRING IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR
Mileage: 83,000
Compare 1997MERCEDES-BENZS CLASS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS have?▼
The 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE.
Is the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.