Mercedes Benz 500s 2001
Model 500s made in 2001 by Mercedes Benz got 40 consumer complains as well as 1 investigation. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to digital instrument panel and electrical system. The car had one investigation (interior lighting).
Model 2001
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||
| PE05062 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 11/10/2005 | 02/08/2006 | INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE | 06V028000 | |
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation based on seven reports indicating that the instrument clusters in model year (my) 2000-2001 mercedes-benz s class vehicles failed in that consumers were unable to read any of the gauges while operating their vehicles at any speed during the day or night.in its 573 report to nhtsa dated february 1, 2006, mercedes-benz usa, llc (mercedes-benz)states that there are three instrument cluster failure modes that would result in undesirable operation.these three failure modes are specific to certain dates of production (see below) for the subject vehicle, and mercedes-benz is recalling those vehicles within those dates.specific information regarding the failure modes is described in mercedes-benz's report (see nhtsa recall 06v028).three of the odi complaints submitted to mercedes-benz involve vehicles that were produced before the dates of production of vehicles affected by the three failure modes.based on review of those three complaints, mercedes-benz was unable to identify a relation of those three to the defects identified in the recalled vehicles.all of the mercedes-benz complaints with vins identified were within the recall population (only 2 vehicle vins were not available to positively identify vehicle build date).the recall population will include 36,911 s class and cl class mercedes-benz vehicles built in the production dates ranging from june 2000 through november 2000, january 2002 through april 2002, and may 2004 through september 2004.these dates of production cover vehicles from the 2000-2002 my and the 2004-2005 my.to correct the condition, mercedes-benz will replace all affected instrument clusters with improved ones that are not subject to the failure modes.mercedes-benz will begin owner notification during the 1st quarter of 2006. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL | |||
| 02/02/2006 | 1 | ||
| Recall id#06v02800 - i replaced my instrument cluster after the recall date but because my vehicle number does not fall within a range, mercedes will not reimburse me for the repair. i have a 2001 s500. *tr | |||
| 03/13/2007 | 1 | ||
| 2001 s500 dashboard instrumentation cluster failed, paid $2364.83 for replacement. was not even told that there was any type of recall on this. i found out via friend that they had this happen to their s500 and were reimbursed the repair costs. *ak | |||
| 07/20/2006 | 71332 | 1 | 04/01/2005 |
| 2001 benz s-500. speedometer cluster malfunction. cluster flickers on and off. *jb | |||
| 06/23/2006 | 150000 | 10 | 02/03/2006 |
| I was driving at night and the instrument cluster lighting began flickering, and after a couple of minutes went completely dark. the consequence of this failure is hazardous, the driver has no information as to the status of any of the car's systems. all of the following gauges and displays are disabled and nonfunctional as a result: fuel gauge, vehicle temperature, mph, rpm's, the gear the vehicle is in, turn signal operation, as well as, all of the warning lights and displays. additionally, the steering wheel controls which provide the driver certain systems information, and the ability to operate the radio, cd player, telephone and volume are disabled due to the failure of the instrumentation cluster. this is a very dangerous condition for the driver and vehicle as you are basically driving blind. i have not yet fixed the instrumentation cluster (also referred to as: interior lighting) and i can provide any necessary additional information. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 62100 | 1 | |
| I was driving the vehicle on the highway when all of a sudden the entire dash gauge cluster flickered and went totally dark and stopped working. i was so distracted that i almost ran into the car that was in front of me. the interior lighting went out as well. now, there is no way of knowing the speed of the vehicle or of seeing any of the other important gauges including gear selection. it is impossible to drive the car safely. the mercedes dealer in manhattan and north america mercedes center in nj says the car is not covered and that the extended warranty for this issue has expired. they have basically said too bad for me in a very arrogant and cold manner. almost like i should be ashamed for asking them to fix it. this is a low miles well cared for vehicle that has always been pampered and garaged. it belonged to my father. the estimated repair price from the dealer for the instrument cluster is over $4,000.00. the car is currently sitting in my garage unable to be driven. frankly, i am surprised at mercedes' refusal to fix the car considering that there was a national recall concerning this very issue and that also there was a need for a mb extended warranty to fix this very same lighting/cluster issue. not to mention the exorbitant price for the s500 both retail and when it was new. i expected when i purchased the car that it would provide the type of reliability and engineering that mercedes claims to have built it's reputation on. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 62100 | ||
| I was driving the vehicle on the highway when all of a sudden the entire dash gauge cluster flickered and went totally dark and stopped working. i was so distracted that i almost ran into the car that was in front of me. the interior lighting went out as well. now, there is no way of knowing the speed of the vehicle or of seeing any of the other important gauges including gear selection. it is impossible to drive the car safely. the mercedes dealer in manhattan and north america mercedes center in nj says the car is not covered and that the extended warranty for this issue has expired. they have basically said too bad for me in a very arrogant and cold manner. almost like i should be ashamed for asking them to fix it. this is a low miles well cared for vehicle that has always been pampered and garaged. it belonged to my father. the estimated repair price from the dealer for the instrument cluster is over $4,000.00. the car is currently sitting in my garage unable to be driven. frankly, i am surprised at mercedes' refusal to fix the car considering that there was a national recall concerning this very issue and that also there was a need for a mb extended warranty to fix this very same lighting/cluster issue. not to mention the exorbitant price for the s500 both retail and when it was new. i expected when i purchased the car that it would provide the type of reliability and engineering that mercedes claims to have built it's reputation on. | |||
| 28000 | 5 | ||
| Whenever the turn signals are in use they would malfunction. took vehicle to dealership to have mechanic repair the problem. mechanic replaced the instrument cluster and several electrical components. but, problem still exists.*ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 62100 | 1 | |
| I was driving the vehicle on the highway when all of a sudden the entire dash gauge cluster flickered and went totally dark and stopped working. i was so distracted that i almost ran into the car that was in front of me. the interior lighting went out as well. now, there is no way of knowing the speed of the vehicle or of seeing any of the other important gauges including gear selection. it is impossible to drive the car safely. the mercedes dealer in manhattan and north america mercedes center in nj says the car is not covered and that the extended warranty for this issue has expired. they have basically said too bad for me in a very arrogant and cold manner. almost like i should be ashamed for asking them to fix it. this is a low miles well cared for vehicle that has always been pampered and garaged. it belonged to my father. the estimated repair price from the dealer for the instrument cluster is over $4,000.00. the car is currently sitting in my garage unable to be driven. frankly, i am surprised at mercedes' refusal to fix the car considering that there was a national recall concerning this very issue and that also there was a need for a mb extended warranty to fix this very same lighting/cluster issue. not to mention the exorbitant price for the s500 both retail and when it was new. i expected when i purchased the car that it would provide the type of reliability and engineering that mercedes claims to have built it's reputation on. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 62100 | ||
| I was driving the vehicle on the highway when all of a sudden the entire dash gauge cluster flickered and went totally dark and stopped working. i was so distracted that i almost ran into the car that was in front of me. the interior lighting went out as well. now, there is no way of knowing the speed of the vehicle or of seeing any of the other important gauges including gear selection. it is impossible to drive the car safely. the mercedes dealer in manhattan and north america mercedes center in nj says the car is not covered and that the extended warranty for this issue has expired. they have basically said too bad for me in a very arrogant and cold manner. almost like i should be ashamed for asking them to fix it. this is a low miles well cared for vehicle that has always been pampered and garaged. it belonged to my father. the estimated repair price from the dealer for the instrument cluster is over $4,000.00. the car is currently sitting in my garage unable to be driven. frankly, i am surprised at mercedes' refusal to fix the car considering that there was a national recall concerning this very issue and that also there was a need for a mb extended warranty to fix this very same lighting/cluster issue. not to mention the exorbitant price for the s500 both retail and when it was new. i expected when i purchased the car that it would provide the type of reliability and engineering that mercedes claims to have built it's reputation on. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | |||
| 28000 | 5 | ||
| Whenever the turn signals are in use they would malfunction. took vehicle to dealership to have mechanic repair the problem. mechanic replaced the instrument cluster and several electrical components. but, problem still exists.*ak | |||
| INTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 08/13/2011 | 106000 | ||
| My instrument panel lights (dash board) went out on my 2001 s500 mercedes benz car. the lights would flicker on occasionally and go back out. i was able to recover the signal lights by changing the fuses. while on a road trip my kids noticed a smell and smoke coming out of the dash board. we exited the car and flagged down a police officer. we were told to get as much as we could out of the car because it was going to catch fire. within in seconds my dash board was in flames. i could not believe it. the instrument cluster had an electrical malfunction and ignited into flames. i contacted mercedes to find out about a possible recall and to report that there is a more serious danger associated with the malfunction of the instrument cluster. i was asked what did i expect for them to do? the fire department removed the cluster from the dash board to assure the fire would not restart and identified the instrument clusters as the cause of fire. | |||
| 01/04/2006 | 880000 | 1 | 03/05/2003 |
| I have a 2001 s500 that had instrumental cluster failure. my dealer informed me that mercedes benz has an instrumental failure recall. i called mercedes benz and was told it is a limited recall. my cluster had the exact failure that the limited recall has. *jb | |||
| 08/01/2006 | 1 | ||
| I would like to file a complaint against mercedes benz usa. i have previously complained in an email to mr. gary bowne, manager of product compliance and safety engineering, mbusa. he has ignored my correspondence. i have a 2001 s500 mercedes car that has the exact defect referred to in nhtsa recall campaign id number: 06v028000 my car is the 220 type manufactured in the 2000 time period identified in the campaign. my instrument cluster started having intermittent problems last spring, just like those described in this recall campaign, and the car is unsafe to drive. both mercedes benz customer service and the dealer (american service center in arlington, va) have declined to repair my car, since they claim there is no recall attached to my car's vin as yet. i am requesting that mbusa instruct american service center to repair my car without delay. they have the part available, in stock. i thank you in advance for your help in this matter. *jb | |||
| 06/23/2006 | 150000 | 10 | 02/03/2006 |
| I was driving at night and the instrument cluster lighting began flickering, and after a couple of minutes went completely dark. the consequence of this failure is hazardous, the driver has no information as to the status of any of the car's systems. all of the following gauges and displays are disabled and nonfunctional as a result: fuel gauge, vehicle temperature, mph, rpm's, the gear the vehicle is in, turn signal operation, as well as, all of the warning lights and displays. additionally, the steering wheel controls which provide the driver certain systems information, and the ability to operate the radio, cd player, telephone and volume are disabled due to the failure of the instrumentation cluster. this is a very dangerous condition for the driver and vehicle as you are basically driving blind. i have not yet fixed the instrumentation cluster (also referred to as: interior lighting) and i can provide any necessary additional information. *jb | |||
| 06/25/2006 | 99000 | 1 | 05/20/2006 |
| The instrument cluster is dead making it impossible to see all the gauges including speedometer. there is a recall but mercedes said that my vin number is not part of the recall, but it is the same exact problem described in the recall. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 76000 | ||
| I am the owner of a 2001 s500 class mercedes. it appears that other high pressured hoses are leaking hydaaulic fliud from the pump to the system. mercedes benz is informing me that the recall #2007060002 covers only one hose. mercedes can not give me a specific hose and tells me there is only on hose in the recall. there are hoses attached to the abc system and per daniel c. smith in his letter dated 07/06/2007 to mercedes benz, it pertains to hydraulic hoses, part 573 defect inf. report | |||
| 01/05/2010 | 98000 | 1 | |
| Mercedes w200 or s500 model airmatic suspension problems, leaking seals, struts and air compressor. dealer repairs can total over $7000. all mercedes cars with this suspension fail and make the car unsafe to drive as the tires rub harshly when suspension fails, car drops to ground. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 03/01/2009 | 77400 | 1 | |
| I recently am hearing knocking sounds in the rear end of my 2001 s500 mb. i am afraid to know what's happening but it sounds major. this vehicle only has 77k miles and has given me so many problems. i've just spent 2k to replace a strut a week ago and am wondering if the vehicle is just defective in the suspension components. *tr | |||
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||
| 10/29/2009 | 84633 | 1 | |
| My wife was unable to stop vehicle to avoid crashing into others, ended in a cornfield. she put the car in neutral and turn the key off. the gas peddle went to extreme rpm. now we have a vehicle that all of us are afraid to drive because of this safety issue. the vehicle could harm us,or someone else. *tr | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 62100 | 1 | |
| I was driving the vehicle on the highway when all of a sudden the entire dash gauge cluster flickered and went totally dark and stopped working. i was so distracted that i almost ran into the car that was in front of me. the interior lighting went out as well. now, there is no way of knowing the speed of the vehicle or of seeing any of the other important gauges including gear selection. it is impossible to drive the car safely. the mercedes dealer in manhattan and north america mercedes center in nj says the car is not covered and that the extended warranty for this issue has expired. they have basically said too bad for me in a very arrogant and cold manner. almost like i should be ashamed for asking them to fix it. this is a low miles well cared for vehicle that has always been pampered and garaged. it belonged to my father. the estimated repair price from the dealer for the instrument cluster is over $4,000.00. the car is currently sitting in my garage unable to be driven. frankly, i am surprised at mercedes' refusal to fix the car considering that there was a national recall concerning this very issue and that also there was a need for a mb extended warranty to fix this very same lighting/cluster issue. not to mention the exorbitant price for the s500 both retail and when it was new. i expected when i purchased the car that it would provide the type of reliability and engineering that mercedes claims to have built it's reputation on. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 62100 | ||
| I was driving the vehicle on the highway when all of a sudden the entire dash gauge cluster flickered and went totally dark and stopped working. i was so distracted that i almost ran into the car that was in front of me. the interior lighting went out as well. now, there is no way of knowing the speed of the vehicle or of seeing any of the other important gauges including gear selection. it is impossible to drive the car safely. the mercedes dealer in manhattan and north america mercedes center in nj says the car is not covered and that the extended warranty for this issue has expired. they have basically said too bad for me in a very arrogant and cold manner. almost like i should be ashamed for asking them to fix it. this is a low miles well cared for vehicle that has always been pampered and garaged. it belonged to my father. the estimated repair price from the dealer for the instrument cluster is over $4,000.00. the car is currently sitting in my garage unable to be driven. frankly, i am surprised at mercedes' refusal to fix the car considering that there was a national recall concerning this very issue and that also there was a need for a mb extended warranty to fix this very same lighting/cluster issue. not to mention the exorbitant price for the s500 both retail and when it was new. i expected when i purchased the car that it would provide the type of reliability and engineering that mercedes claims to have built it's reputation on. | |||
| 05/25/2001 | 10 | 05/01/2001 | |
| Throttle interrupt caused by brake light activation causes car to have dead spot while accelerating. | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA | ARLINGTON | AMERICAN SERVICE CENTER |