2003 Mercedes-Benz S Class problems & reliability
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S Class, alongside 2 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.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Mercedes-Benz S Class vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 7 | 25% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 21% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 14% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 14% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 7% |
| Equipment | 2 | 7% |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 7% |
| Power Train | 2 | 7% |
| Structure | 2 | 7% |
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 57,500 miles (middle 50% between 34,000 and 73,250 miles), based on 20 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The srs system (airbags) have been deemed inoperable by the dealer and may either deploy at any time or not deploy at all in a collision. This is due to a defective seatbelt buckle and a defective passenger recognition sensor pad located in the front passenger seat which disables/enables the airbags functionality…”
Air Bags · filed Apr 1, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz s55. The contact stated that the seat belt would not retract properly whenever there were warmer temperatures. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer and the dealer was unable to determine the failure. In addition, the contact stated that the trunk lid would either become…”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed Apr 25, 2013
“The driver's side seat belt does not work properly during hot weather. More particularly, the belt will not extend. It is impossible to pull the belt out enough to fasten it. Thus, the only way the car can be driven in hot weather is without the driver wearing a seat belt. The belt works properly in the morning when…”
Seat Belts · filed Jul 3, 2012
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
Technical service bulletins
10 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz S Class.
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
Headlamp low beam or fog lamp is always either too high or too low. *tt
8210504 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 26, 2006
Seal between exterior rear view mirror housing and door. *tt
887039 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2005
High-pitched whining noise heard on telephone/vcs/tele aid calls. *tt
8270314B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2005
The high pressure hydraulic distribution hose of the active body control (abc) may deteriorate over time due to excessive exposure to humidity and high temperatures. Voluntary recall campaign of active body control…
010104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 31, 2004
The trunk lid springs could fail in the closed trunk lid position due to extensive exposure to very high temperatures. Voluntary recall campaign. Cover letter, recall campaign bulletin and letter to owners. *tt…
2004050015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2004
Replacement of abc pressure supply valve unit hydraulic line. *tt
2004070012 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2004
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 2003 Mercedes-Benz S Class has 2 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 2003 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 57,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.