Total Complaints
2 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS · model year
1998 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998MERCEDES-BENZS CLASS carries 2 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 S CLASS is power train with 1 filings, followed by tires (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1998 S CLASS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
2
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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040911TIRES
I HAVE HAD THREE TIRE BOLOW OUTS ON MY MERCEDES-BENZ, IN IDENTICAL SITUATIONS, APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS APART. ALL THREE INCIDENTS HAPPENED ON THREE DIFFERENT HIGHWAYS, AT SPEEDS APPROXIMATING 60 MPH, AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS OF DRIVING. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN APRIL 2004, ON I-95 IN NEW HAVEN. THE SECOND OCCURRED IN JULY 2004 ON I-95 IN DELAWARE. THE THIRD OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2004 IN CANADA ON HIGHWAY 401 IN KINGSTON. THESE WERE THE ONLY OCCASIONS WHEN I HAD DRIVEN IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS. IE: FOR MORE THAN 3 HOURS ON A HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF OVER 55 MPH, DURING THIS YEAR. ON ALL OTHER OCCASIONS THE TRIPS WERE SHORTER THAN 3 HOURS. THE WHEELS ARE DIFFERENT AT EACH OCCASION. THE FIRST WAS PASSENGER SIDE FRONT. THE SECOND WAS DRIVER SIDE REAR, AND THE THIRED WAS DRIVER SIDE FRONT. ON EACH OCCASION, AFTER RETURNING HOME I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN POUGHKEEPSIE, AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I THEN CONTACTED M
Mileage: 48,000
19990730POWER TRAIN
THE ODOMETER SENSOR FAILED. YH
Compare 1998MERCEDES-BENZS CLASS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS have?▼
The 1998 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES.
Is the 1998 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 as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.