2000 Mercedes-Benz S Class problems & reliability
81 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S Class, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2000 Mercedes-Benz S Class vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 33 | 41% |
| Suspension | 21 | 26% |
| Interior Lighting | 17 | 21% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 5% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5% |
| Visibility | 4 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 4% |
| Steering | 2 | 2% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 2% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 84,000 miles (middle 50% between 54,650 and 110,000 miles), based on 66 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercedes s430. While driving 65 mph, the contact stated the instrument panel became inoperable and she was unable to see how fast or slow she was traveling, how much fuel was in the vehicle, or how much oil was in the vehicle due to inadequate illumination. The dealer advised the contact…”
Interior Lighting · filed Aug 19, 2011
“My 2000 mercedes s500 cluster ,back lighting , speedometer failed (unable to see instrument cluster) on april ,3 2011 mileage at time of defect 24,568 I saw that there is a recall for my car concerning the problem. I contacted the dealer and , I was inform that the extended warranty expired (recall). So I called the…”
Interior Lighting · filed Jun 24, 2011
“My 2000 mercedes s500 cluster back lighting is going in and out also speedometer I saw that there is a recall for my car concerning the problem. I contacted the dealer and went in on may 28 to see them penske mercedes(626) 859-1200 , I was inform that the extended warranty expired (recall). So I called the…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 6, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE07042 · opened Aug 14, 2007 · closed Nov 20, 2007
- INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE05062 · opened Nov 10, 2005 · closed Feb 8, 2006 · led to recall 06V028000
- ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE03058 · opened Dec 17, 2003 · closed Apr 22, 2004
Technical service bulletins
11 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz S Class. The 10 most recent:
Complaints about poor wiping effect of winshield wiper
LI82.30-P-059239 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2014
Mercedes: parktronic intermittently not functioning. The function works again after a short time or distance. When the foot operated parking brake is applied, the parktronic system is deactivated. If the foot operated…
SB-P-047527 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 2009
Mercedes: corrosion protection coatings for brake components and hardware may be damaged and or stripped away if highly concentrated acid based cleaners are used. Once the corrosion protection is damaged or removed the…
TSB-42-10-109 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2009
Mercedes benz: water in tail lamp housing on either right side or left side. *pe
PB 82-10-630 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 28, 2008
Seal between exterior rear view mirror housing and door. *tt
887039 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2005
The catalytic converter system may be susceptible to in-use damage to internal components under certain circumstances due to a production deficiency during the period when the vehicle was manufactured, resulting in the…
02012005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2005
After eis replacement circuit 15x delayed after ignition start. *tt
805727 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 8, 2004
Subject regarding popping or thumping in the speakers. *jg
PB8262165 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2001
On some vehicles, upon release of the brake pedal and / or application of the accelerator pedal, there is a 1-2 second delay until the actuator moves to the new accelerator pedal input position. This delay is integrated…
50012 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 22, 2001
This is to advise that mercedes-benz usa will conduct a service campaign of certain 2000 and 2001 model year vehicles exhibiting leakage in the power steering damper hydraulic line fittings. *tt
601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 12, 2000
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2000 Mercedes-Benz S Class has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2000 Mercedes-Benz S Class?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 84,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.