"How reliable is the 2004 Mercedes Benz S500?"

"Based on 24 NHTSA complaints, the 2004 Mercedes Benz S500 has a median complaint mileage of 98000 miles. The most common issue is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM."

"What are common problems with the 2004 Mercedes Benz S500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2004 Mercedes Benz S500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, accounting for a significant portion of the 24 total complaints filed."

2004 Mercedes Benz S500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 24 complaints

Total Complaints

98,000mi

Median Mileage

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

80,250 25th Percentile

98,000 Median Mileage

106,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SERVICE BRAKES

SUSPENSION

STEERING

AIR BAGS

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

SEAT BELTS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"ISSUES WITH AIRMATIC SYSTEM. WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. CAR IS SITTING TOO LOW TO THE GROUND TO DRIVE SAFELY. ISSUES WITH PUMP. *TR"

"I HAVE A 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ AND THE SEAT BELT LOOK NEW BUT WILL NOT RETRACT. I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE CAR. I CALLED THE COMPANY IN USA AND THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE CAR. MY BELIEF THAT THE SEAT BELT IS A SAFETY COMPONENTS AND THE COMPA..."

"WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE THE LUG WRENCH ITSELF FAILED. THE LUG WRENCH CAME APART LEAVING THE HEAD STILL ATTACHED TO THE LUG NUT WITHOUT THE HANDLE CAUSING FORWARD MOMENTUM INJURY TO HEAD AND SHOULDER. *TR"

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

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