Total Complaints
3 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ S400 · model year
2012 MERCEDES-BENZ S400
3 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 2012MERCEDES-BENZS400 carries 3 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 2012 S400 is electronic stability control (esc) with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and engine (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2012 S400. 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.
3
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20190108ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY IN TRAFFIC, INTERSECTIONS. VEHICLE STARTS INTERMITTENTLY, RUN, OPERATES HOWEVER, STALLS WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM STOPPED POSITION TO ACCELERATION. A KNOWN DEFECT PURSUANT TO MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2012080004. PRESENTED VEHICLE TO MERCEDES BENZ FOR REPAIR. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE CAMPAIGN AND REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT POWER ELECTRONICS MODULE HOWEVER, THEY REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE AND PRESENTED ME AN $11K ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR. MERCEDES BENZ MANUFACTURER REFUSING TO HONOR KNOWN DEFECT RECALL. EXTREME BAD FAITH.
Mileage: 65,000
20190108ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY IN TRAFFIC, INTERSECTIONS. VEHICLE STARTS INTERMITTENTLY, RUN, OPERATES HOWEVER, STALLS WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM STOPPED POSITION TO ACCELERATION. A KNOWN DEFECT PURSUANT TO MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2012080004. PRESENTED VEHICLE TO MERCEDES BENZ FOR REPAIR. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE CAMPAIGN AND REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT POWER ELECTRONICS MODULE HOWEVER, THEY REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE AND PRESENTED ME AN $11K ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR. MERCEDES BENZ MANUFACTURER REFUSING TO HONOR KNOWN DEFECT RECALL. EXTREME BAD FAITH.
Mileage: 65,000
20190108ENGINE
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY IN TRAFFIC, INTERSECTIONS. VEHICLE STARTS INTERMITTENTLY, RUN, OPERATES HOWEVER, STALLS WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM STOPPED POSITION TO ACCELERATION. A KNOWN DEFECT PURSUANT TO MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2012080004. PRESENTED VEHICLE TO MERCEDES BENZ FOR REPAIR. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE CAMPAIGN AND REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT POWER ELECTRONICS MODULE HOWEVER, THEY REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE AND PRESENTED ME AN $11K ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR. MERCEDES BENZ MANUFACTURER REFUSING TO HONOR KNOWN DEFECT RECALL. EXTREME BAD FAITH.
Mileage: 65,000
Compare 2012MERCEDES-BENZS400 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ S400 have?▼
The 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ S400 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ S400?▼
The most-complained component for the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ S400 is ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE.
Is the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ S400 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 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ S400; 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.