"How reliable is the 2001 Mercedes Benz S600?"

"Based on 44 NHTSA complaints, the 2001 Mercedes Benz S600 has a median complaint mileage of 69000 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING."

"What are common problems with the 2001 Mercedes Benz S600?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2001 Mercedes Benz S600 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, accounting for a significant portion of the 44 total complaints filed."

2001 Mercedes Benz S600: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 44 complaints

Total Complaints

69,000mi

Median Mileage

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

54,000 25th Percentile

69,000 Median Mileage

78,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SUSPENSION

ENGINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

INTERIOR LIGHTING

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

SUSPENSION:FRONT

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION:LINES AND FITTINGS

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"SOMETHING IN THE FRONT PART OF THE AUTO MAKES A THROBBING NOISE. IT CAUSES EITHER THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL OR THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO LOSE ITS BALANCE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. IN A ONE HOUR TRIP, IT WILL HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE AND FOR A PERIOD OF FROM 5 MINUTES TO 20 MINUTES. I AM TOLD THAT ..."

"DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V028000, REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. *AK UPDATED 10/4/2006 - *NM"

"DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FLICKERED AND FAILED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE DEALER ORDERED A NEW CLUSTER FOR THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECA..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 9 complaints

25th: 55,500 mi Median: 60,000 mi 75th: 72,784 mi

SUSPENSION 6 complaints

25th: 71,250 mi Median: 76,568 mi 75th: 82,000 mi

ENGINE 6 complaints

25th: 72,000 mi Median: 79,007 mi 75th: 83,003 mi

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE 6 complaints

25th: 44,000 mi Median: 50,000 mi 75th: 63,700 mi

INTERIOR LIGHTING 3 complaints

Median: 45,015 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 7 GA: 7 NY: 4 VA: 4 SC: 4 AR: 2 WA: 2 WY: 2 MD: 2 CO: 1

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28