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Mercedes-Benz · NHTSA safety record

2016 Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 11 safety complaints about the 2016 Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic with the US government. Of those, no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering communication.

The most complained-about system is vehicle speed control, named in 2 complaints, 18% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 10,100 miles, the median across the 9 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2016 to May 2024 · How this is counted

What is on file

11 complaints on file

11

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6 · 55%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 · 18%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 · 18%
WHEELS 2 · 18%
AIR BAGS 1 · 9%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 9%
VISIBILITY 1 · 9%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 11.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2020 at 6.

8 6 4 2
16 20 24

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2024.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2016 Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

COMMUNICATION

19V787000 · November 1, 2019

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software fault that may cause the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V787-4620.pdf
The risk
An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
MBUSA has initiated an Over the Air (OTA) remote update. MBUSA will also notify owners, and dealers will check software for a successful OTA or update the communication module software as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019120008.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 24,226 vehicles across all model years covered · fixed by software update

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

WHEELS
I got this certified car from Mercedes Benz dealer. I have driven it sparingly for less than 10K miles without really any hitting any bumps or potholes . After a recent service [XXX] 2024 at a MB dealer, I was told that 2 wheels were cracked 1 front & 1 back . I took it to another MB dealer (MB Morristown, NJ) to change the wheels & they advised that all 4 wheels were cracked, & one wheel had 3 cracks. These are premium AMG staggered wheels & without a doubt there is genuine design issue or defect to wheels which at high-speed could crack & crumble causing major injury & destruction to property. I have all the service records regarding this issue INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM

NHTSA complaint 11589913, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

WHEELS

40,000 miles

I HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED CRACKS ON THREE SEPARATE TIRE RIMS. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 41,000 MILES.THE TIRES ARE LOW PROFILE, RUN FLAT TIRES AND THE RIMS APPEAR TO BE ALUMINUM AND FAULTY.

NHTSA complaint 11376131. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

34,000 miles

2016 MERCEDES CLS550... I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED AND I'VE HAD IT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. I'VE ALREADY HAD A SEIZURE IN THE CAR AND WAS FOUND SLUMPED OVER BY FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL AT A DEAD STOP WITH THE CAR RUNNING AND THE AIR ON AND I WOKE UP IN THE HOSPITAL. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER CAUSING CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IS THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN PUT TOGETHER. THE HOSPITAL OBVIOUSLY WOULD NOT THINK THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF MY AIR CONDITIONER. THEY DID A CAT SCAN EVERYTHING FINE . THEY DID A COVID TEST EVERYTHING AND I WAS CLEARED AND OUT THE DOOR IN 5 HOURS. I HAVE PUT THIS TOGETHER AND FIGURED IT OUT MYSELF. I'VE HAD NOTHING BUT A FOUL SOUR DISGUSTING ODOR COMING THROUGH MY AIR

NHTSA complaint 11366174, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

25,000 miles

HEARD A LOUD BANG WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS UNTIL RETURNING HOME AND LOOKED UP AND SAW THE RIGID CRACK FROM FRONT TO THE BACK ON THE PANORAMIC GLASS. THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS OF DEBRIS HITTING THE GLASS AS THERE ARE NO CHIPS.

NHTSA complaint 11349329. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

25,600 miles

VEHICLE'S FRONT WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED OVERNIGHT WHILE VEHICLE AS PARKED IN A LOCKED PRIVATE GARAGE. CRACK ORIGINATES AT TOP OF WINDSHIELD FRAME WHERE BODY TORQUES THE GLASS AND CONTINUES THROUGH ADVANCED DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS, ENDING UP IN DRIVER'S LINE-OF-SIGHT. NO VISIBLE POINT OF IMPACT ON DAMAGED AREA OF GLASS. DRIVER ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY SYSTEMS ARE AFFECTED BY THE STRESS CRACK, RENDERING THEM NON-FUNCTIONAL. DEALER INVESTIGATED AND DETERMINED THAT STRESS CRACK WAS DUE TO A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING AND INSTALLATION OF THE GLASS, NOT DUE TO ANY IMPACT OR ROAD DEBRIS. HOWEVER, MANUFACTURER DENIED COVERAGE UNDER NEW VEHICLE WARRANTY (4YR./50,000 MI), STATING THAT GLASS

NHTSA complaint 11329575, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

10,100 miles

PANORAMIC SUNROOF CRACKED WITH NO KNOWN CAUSE. *TR

NHTSA complaint 11328687. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other 2016 Mercedes-Benz models

C300 286 GLC300 133 Metris 126 CLA250 66 Sprinter 3500 62 GLE350 53 E350 51 GLA 250 49

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Mercedes-Benz on this site — 227 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst