2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
29
Complaints
0
Recalls
2
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
1
Injuries
96.6
Severity index
Severity index 96.6 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 7 | 24.1% |
| STEERING | 5 | 17.2% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 | 17.2% |
| SUSPENSION | 3 | 10.3% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 10.3% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 3 | 10.3% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 10.3% |
| POWER TRAIN | 2 | 6.9% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 7 of 29 complaints (24.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 1 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.4x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.