2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class problems and recalls

Owner complaints on the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class include 1 fatality report, 2 crashes and 0 fires across 34 filings.

34
Complaints
0
Recalls
2
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
3
Injuries
99.2
Severity index

Severity index 99.2 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 99.2p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Components cited in complaints

Electrical SystemElectrical System: 10 complaints (29.4%)10 29%WheelsWheels: 6 complaints (17.6%)6 18%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 5 complaints (14.7%)5 15%Engine And Engine Cooli…Engine And Engine Cooling: 5 complaints (14.7%)5 15%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 4 complaints (11.8%)4 12%EngineEngine: 3 complaints (8.8%)3 9%Lane DepartureLane Departure: 3 complaints (8.8%)3 9%Service BrakesService Brakes: 3 complaints (8.8%)3 9%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1029.4%
WHEELS617.6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE514.7%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING514.7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER411.8%
ENGINE38.8%
LANE DEPARTURE38.8%
SERVICE BRAKES38.8%

Complaints filed per year

0472021: 62022: 72023: 52024: 52025: 72026: 4 (partial year)2122723242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20216
20227
20235
20245
20257
2026 (year to date)4
Filings in 2023 to 2025 were close to 2021 to 2022 (17 against 13).

Other Mercedes-Benz S-Class model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 10 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-08-21. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.