MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS · model year

1999 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS

10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1999MERCEDES-BENZS CLASS carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 1999 S CLASS is air bags with 2 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch (1) and seat belts:front:retractor (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 1999 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.

10
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE1
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM1
TIRES:SIDEWALL1
VISIBILITY1
SUSPENSION1

Recent Complaints

20081230SUSPENSION

MERCEDES S-CLASS W220 AIRMATIC PROBLEMS,DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ! THEY ARE SUCKING USS OUTTTTTT! *TR

20081230AIR BAGS

MERCEDES S-CLASS W220 AIRMATIC PROBLEMS,DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ! THEY ARE SUCKING USS OUTTTTTT! *TR

20081223VISIBILITY

REAR VIEW MIRROR FAILURE ON 1999 MERCEDES BENZ S320. MIRROR IS AN AUTO DIM REAR VIEW MIRROR AND VIEW IS OBSTRUCTED BECAUSE LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIAL IS "LEAKING" OUT OF MIRROR. THIS IS A DESIGN AND QUALITY ISSUE THAT WOULD NOT OCCUR WITH A STANDARD REAR VIEW MIRROR. THERE IS NO MANUAL FAILOVER ON MIRROR SO THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN SAFELY IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE. MAGNA DONNELLY CORPORATION WILLFULLY AND KNOWINGLY PRODUCES A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT SOLD TO THOUSANDS OF OEMS AND NOW REFUSES TO REPAIR THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS. PREVIOUSLY THIS COMPANY REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE MIRRORS AND NOW THEY REFUSE. *TR

20080211TIRES:SIDEWALL

I HAD 4 KUMHO SOLUS KH16 TIRES INSTALLED ON A 1999 MERCEDES S500 ON 1/17/07. THESE TIRES HAVE BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES. THE TIRE ON THE RIGHT REAR FAILED ON FEB. 10, 2008 AND WAS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED. MY WIFE HAD JUST STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WAS ACCELERATING TO THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 45 MPH. THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED ON TO THE GRASS MEDIAN WHEN SHE HEARD "CLUNK, CLUNK" FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I PERIODICALLY CHECK TIRE PRESSURES ON OUR CARS AND CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURES THE PREVIOUS DAY AND ALL FOUR TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 30 LBS. OF AIR PRESSURE. THE TIRES HAD BEEN HOLDING THIS PRESSURE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. ON THE DAY OF THE FAILURE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES WHEN THE TIRE SUDDENLY FAILED. I CLOSELY INSPECTED THIS TIRE AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF PUNCTURE. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE HAD SEPARATED. THE SEPARATION IS SO SEVERE THAT THE TI

Mileage: 124,027

20071101SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM

AIRMATIC WARNING KEEP COMING UP, SAY THE CAR IS TO LOW STOP. *TR

Mileage: 70,000

20070524AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

THE SRS LIGHT ON THE DASH INDICATES A POTENTAL AIR BAG MALFUNCTION. THE DEALER CONFIRMS THE SRS MODULE HAS FAILED ON MY 1999 MERCEDES S320 MAKING THE AIR BAGS INOPERABLE. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN GERMANY MANUFACTURER MERCEDES-BENZ MODEL S320W 4DR SEDAN 5 PASSENGER THE QUOTED COST FOR REPAIR IS $620.00 FOR THE SRS MODULE AND A FURTHER $182.00 LABOR. THE TOTAL REPAIR COST OF OVER $800 IS EXORBITANT AND PREYS ON THE PUBLIC NEED FOR SAFTEY. HAS THERE BEEN A NHTSA RECALL OR A MANUFACTURER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN? VERBAL OVERVERTURES TO MB AND THE DEALER HAVE FAILED TO FIND RELIEF, AND A LETTER TO MERECEDES BENZ HAS GONE UNANSWERED. UPDATED IVOQ. 02/05/10

Mileage: 90,000

20070423SEAT BELTS:FRONT

WHEN I TRIED TO FASTEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT IT WOULDN'T RELEASE. AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT, IT FULLY RELEASED WITHOUT ANY TENSION ON THE SEAT BELT. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT IS COMPLETELY USELESS AS A RESTRAINING DEVICE SINCE THERE IS NO TENSION. *TR

Mileage: 111,517

20060929CrashAIR BAGS

AIRBAGS IN 1999 S500 MERCEDES FAILED TO DEPLOY IN FRONTAL COLLISION WITH A UTILITY POLE AT SPEED ESTIMATED BETWEEN 15-25 MPH. DRIVER WAS WEARING HIS SEAT BELT. *NM

Mileage: 81,000

20041025SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT RETRACTING. *AK *SC *JB

Mileage: 103,000

20010612POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE GARAGE CONSUMER'S CHILD BUMPED PARK PAWL CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL BACKWARDS OUT OF GARGE AND DOWN DRIVEWAY. CONSUMER JUMPED HEAD FRIST THROUGH WINDOW AND DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL BY HAND TO STOP VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Compare 1999MERCEDES-BENZS CLASS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS have?
The 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS has 10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS?
The most-complained component for the 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS is AIR BAGS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1999 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.