NHTSA vehicle safety data

1999 Mercedes Benz S Class Recalls & Complaints

The 1999 Mercedes Benz S Class has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 9 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Mercedes Benz dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1999 Mercedes Benz S Class. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

1999 Mercedes Benz S Class owner complaints

Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Mercedes Benz S Class, describing incidents dated August 3, 2004 to December 23, 2008.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 3 complaints
Seat Belts 2 complaints
Suspension 2 complaints
Power Train 1 complaint
Tires 1 complaint
Visibility/Wiper 1 complaint

Of the 9 complaints on file, 1 reports a crash; across all 9 complaints, owners report 1 injury (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #10253298 · Filed December 30, 2008
MERCEDES S-CLASS W220 AIRMATIC PROBLEMS,DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ! THEY ARE SUCKING USS OUTTTTTT! *TR
ODI #10252675 · Filed December 23, 2008
REAR VIEW MIRROR FAILURE ON 1999 MERCEDES BENZ S320. MIRROR IS AN AUTO DIM REAR VIEW MIRROR AND VIEW IS OBSTRUCTED BECAUSE LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIAL IS "LEAKING" OUT OF MIRROR. THIS IS A DESIGN AND QUALITY ISSUE THAT WOULD NOT OCCUR WITH A STANDARD REAR VIEW MIRROR. THERE IS NO MANUAL FAILOVER ON…
ODI #10217679 · Filed February 11, 2008
I HAD 4 KUMHO SOLUS KH16 TIRES INSTALLED ON A 1999 MERCEDES S500 ON 1/17/07. THESE TIRES HAVE BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES. THE TIRE ON THE RIGHT REAR FAILED ON FEB. 10, 2008 AND WAS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED. MY WIFE HAD JUST STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WAS ACCELERATING TO THE POSTED…

Read all 9 complaints

FMVSS 108/AFTERMARKET COMBINATION LAMPS

NHTSA #09E012000 · Exterior Lighting · NHTSA notice

Reported April 7, 2009 · SABERSPORT

Potentially affected: 16,270 vehicles

Owners notified May 11, 2009

Defect description

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Safety consequence

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON VEHICLES PRODUCED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER.IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF YOUR AFTERMARKET LAMP ASSEMBLY IS AFFECTED BY THIS NONCOMPLIANCE, PLEASE REVIEW THE LIST OF MODEL NUMBERS PROVIDED TO US BY SABERSPORT.THE LIST CAN BE FOUND UNDER "DOCUMENT SEARCH" LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1999 Mercedes Benz S Class. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

9 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Mercedes Benz S Class.

Suspension; Air Bags

ODI #10253298

Incident: May 12, 2006 · Filed: December 30, 2008

MERCEDES S-CLASS W220 AIRMATIC PROBLEMS,DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ! THEY ARE SUCKING USS OUTTTTTT! *TR

Visibility

ODI #10252675

Incident: December 23, 2008 · Filed: December 23, 2008

REAR VIEW MIRROR FAILURE ON 1999 MERCEDES BENZ S320. MIRROR IS AN AUTO DIM REAR VIEW MIRROR AND VIEW IS OBSTRUCTED BECAUSE LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIAL IS "LEAKING" OUT OF MIRROR. THIS IS A DESIGN AND QUALITY ISSUE THAT WOULD NOT OCCUR WITH A STANDARD REAR VIEW MIRROR. THERE IS NO MANUAL FAILOVER ON MIRROR SO THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN SAFELY IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE. MAGNA DONNELLY CORPORATION WILLFULLY AND KNOWINGLY PRODUCES A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT SOLD TO THOUSANDS OF OEMS AND NOW REFUSES TO REPAIR THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS. PREVIOUSLY THIS COMPANY REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE MIRRORS AND NOW THEY REFUSE. *TR

Tires

ODI #10217679

Incident: February 10, 2008 · Filed: February 11, 2008

I HAD 4 KUMHO SOLUS KH16 TIRES INSTALLED ON A 1999 MERCEDES S500 ON 1/17/07. THESE TIRES HAVE BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES. THE TIRE ON THE RIGHT REAR FAILED ON FEB. 10, 2008 AND WAS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED. MY WIFE HAD JUST STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WAS ACCELERATING TO THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 45 MPH. THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED ON TO THE GRASS MEDIAN WHEN SHE HEARD "CLUNK, CLUNK" FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I PERIODICALLY CHECK TIRE PRESSURES ON OUR CARS AND CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURES THE PREVIOUS DAY AND ALL FOUR TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 30 LBS. OF AIR PRESSURE. THE TIRES HAD BEEN HOLDING THIS PRESSURE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. ON THE DAY OF THE FAILURE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES WHEN THE TIRE SUDDENLY FAILED. I CLOSELY INSPECTED THIS TIRE AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF PUNCTURE. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE HAD SEPARATED. THE SEPARATION IS SO SEVERE THAT THE TIRE WILL NOT HOLD ANY AIR PRESSURE. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS INCIDENT, SINCE I STILL HAVE THREE MORE OF THESE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE AND WE FREQUENTLY TRAVEL ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AND TOLL ROADS AT SPEEDS OF 65 TO 70 MPH. A TIRE FAILURE AT THIS SPEED COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. *TR

Suspension

ODI #10207602

Incident: October 10, 2007 · Filed: November 1, 2007

AIRMATIC WARNING KEEP COMING UP, SAY THE CAR IS TO LOW STOP. *TR

Air Bags

ODI #10191682

Incident: December 15, 2006 · Filed: May 24, 2007

THE SRS LIGHT ON THE DASH INDICATES A POTENTAL AIR BAG MALFUNCTION. THE DEALER CONFIRMS THE SRS MODULE HAS FAILED ON MY 1999 MERCEDES S320 MAKING THE AIR BAGS INOPERABLE. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN GERMANY MANUFACTURER MERCEDES-BENZ MODEL S320W 4DR SEDAN 5 PASSENGER THE QUOTED COST FOR REPAIR IS $620.00 FOR THE SRS MODULE AND A FURTHER $182.00 LABOR. THE TOTAL REPAIR COST OF OVER $800 IS EXORBITANT AND PREYS ON THE PUBLIC NEED FOR SAFTEY. HAS THERE BEEN A NHTSA RECALL OR A MANUFACTURER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN? VERBAL OVERVERTURES TO MB AND THE DEALER HAVE FAILED TO FIND RELIEF, AND A LETTER TO MERECEDES BENZ HAS GONE UNANSWERED. UPDATED IVOQ. 02/05/10

Seat Belts

ODI #10188594

Incident: April 21, 2007 · Filed: April 23, 2007

WHEN I TRIED TO FASTEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT IT WOULDN'T RELEASE. AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT, IT FULLY RELEASED WITHOUT ANY TENSION ON THE SEAT BELT. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT IS COMPLETELY USELESS AS A RESTRAINING DEVICE SINCE THERE IS NO TENSION. *TR

Air Bags

ODI #10169599

Crash 1 injury

Incident: September 27, 2006 · Filed: September 29, 2006

AIRBAGS IN 1999 S500 MERCEDES FAILED TO DEPLOY IN FRONTAL COLLISION WITH A UTILITY POLE AT SPEED ESTIMATED BETWEEN 15-25 MPH. DRIVER WAS WEARING HIS SEAT BELT. *NM

Seat Belts

ODI #10097596

Incident: August 3, 2004 · Filed: November 17, 2004

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT RETRACTING. *AK *SC *JB

Power Train

ODI #890184

Filed: June 12, 2001

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE GARAGE CONSUMER'S CHILD BUMPED PARK PAWL CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL BACKWARDS OUT OF GARGE AND DOWN DRIVEWAY. CONSUMER JUMPED HEAD FRIST THROUGH WINDOW AND DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL BY HAND TO STOP VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Other Mercedes Benz S Class model years

Check your 1999 Mercedes Benz S Class VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Mercedes Benz S Class at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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