Total Complaints
16 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ S500 · model year
16 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2006MERCEDES-BENZS500 carries 16 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 2006 S500 is engine with 4 filings, followed by electrical system (3) and tires (2). 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 15 investigation files overlapping the 2006 S500. 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.
Total Complaints
16 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN | 2 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
Vehicle stall - engine cut off - on highway at speed (50-55miles/hr) posing driver and passenger safety. No OBD error code or ECU error Similar incidents reported by Mercedes owners S500 model across USA As posted on Mercedes forums.
Vehicle stall - engine cut off - on highway at speed (50-55miles/hr) posing driver and passenger safety. No OBD error code or ECU error Similar incidents reported by Mercedes owners S500 model across USA As posted on Mercedes forums.
Safety issues 1. Engine shuts off while driving. No error codes. Starts again with key and drives fine. 2. Steering locks while driving - maneuvering a turn. Stopped the car. Turn ignition off. Turn ignition on Everything works fine.
Safety issues 1. Engine shuts off while driving. No error codes. Starts again with key and drives fine. 2. Steering locks while driving - maneuvering a turn. Stopped the car. Turn ignition off. Turn ignition on Everything works fine.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ S500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POSITION SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,085. UPDATED 01/11/2017*CT
Mileage: 68,085
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S500. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE JERKED BEFORE COMING TO A HALT. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
Mileage: 60,000
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THE FRONT END DROPPED MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. HAD TO SLOWLY MOVE TO THE RIGHT LANE WHILE TRAFFIC IS GOING 70. THIS COULD HAVE KILLED ME.
Mileage: 114,343
THIS PROBLEM HAPPEN THREE TIMES IN ABOUT 6 MINUTES IN ONE NIGHT. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. THE ENGINE CUT OFF, ALMOST BEFORE I KNEW WHAT HAPPEN THE ENGINE STARTED BACK RUNNING. IN LESS THAN A MINUTE IT HAPPEN AGAIN. THE ENGINE CUT OUT THEN STARTED BEFORE I COULD DO ANYTHING. THE THIRD TIME IT CUT OUT COMPLETE AND STAYED OFF. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP AND RESTART THE CAR. IT WAS VERY SCARY, ALL THE LIGHTS WERE OFF AND I WAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT NIGHT. IT'S HAPPEN BEFORE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I MENTION IT TO THE DEALER, THEY ACTED AS IF IT WAS NOTHING THEY WERE AWARE OF. *TR
Mileage: 106,000
WENT OUT TO THE CAR TO GO TO THE PHARMACY TO GET MY ASTHMA MEDS AND THE CAR WAS DOWN ON THE GROUND,TOTALLY DEFLATED SHOCKS. START CAR AND RISES TO HEIGHT BUT SINKS WHEN CAR IS OFF, THIS IS A DANGER IF DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH, I HAVE A WIFE AND A YOUNG SON. I FEEL THAT THE DEALERS SHOULD RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM CORRECTLY, AND NOT HAVE PEOPLES LIVES IN DANGER ON THE ROADS OF AMERICA, ANY HELP WOULD GREATLY BE APPRECIATED. THANK YOU , A CAUTIOUS DRIVER. *TR
Mileage: 125,000
MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR. I TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON AND IT DID NOT CLEAR. I GOT A "PRE-SAFE UNAVAILABLE" MESSAGE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND LEARNED THIS IS A "TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE" FAILURE. IT IS VERY UNSAFE IN THAT THE CAR CANNOT KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC AND IS A DANGER TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. *TR
Mileage: 118,000
MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR. I TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON AND IT DID NOT CLEAR. I GOT A "PRE-SAFE UNAVAILABLE" MESSAGE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND LEARNED THIS IS A "TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE" FAILURE. IT IS VERY UNSAFE IN THAT THE CAR CANNOT KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC AND IS A DANGER TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. *TR
Mileage: 118,000
MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF SECOND GEAR. I TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON AND IT DID NOT CLEAR. I GOT A "PRE-SAFE UNAVAILABLE" MESSAGE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND LEARNED THIS IS A "TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE" FAILURE. IT IS VERY UNSAFE IN THAT THE CAR CANNOT KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC AND IS A DANGER TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. *TR
Mileage: 118,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ S500 WITH YOKOHAMA ADVANCE S4 TIRES, TIRE SIZE P265/40R18. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT REPLACED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE CONTACTS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE INSTALLED THE SPARE TIRE AND THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE TIRE WITH ANOTHER BRAND BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL BRAND WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT IT WOULD TAKE SIX WEEKS FOR THE TIRE TO ARRIVE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Mileage: 50,000
THE TELEMATICS DEVICE IN MY 2006 MB S500 SPONTANEOUSLY MALFUNCTIONED. NO KNOWN EVENTS LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE, TOTAL LOSS OF INFORMATION AND SAFETY UPLINK, TOTAL LOSS OF NEW $300 MBRACE SUBSCRIPTION VALUE, AS OF 21 MAR 2011, NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT OTHER THAN CALL TO DEALER. WAS A PRIOR RECALL DONE THAT WOULD HAVE IMPACTED THE VEHICLE TELEMATICS UNIT OR THE ASSOCIATED VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM? *TR
Mileage: 68,000
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLS 500. THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE MANUFACTURED BY CONTINENTAL, SIZE 245-40R1893Y DOT CUUYP3HK AND 375-35R1895Y DOT CUBLT3HK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND FOUND A BLISTER ON THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER TIRES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7300. *UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07
Mileage: 7,300
DT: THE CALLER SAID VEHICLE SEEMED TO SHIFT INTO A LOWER GEAR WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH. WHEN THIS HAPPENED VEHICLE BUCKED FORWARD. THE CALLER PULLED OVER AS SOON AS SHE COULD BECAUSE SHE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED 5 TIMES, TWO TIME IN JUNE, ONCE IN JULY AND TWICE IN AUGUST. THE DEALER SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK *NM
Mileage: 100
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.