NHTSA Data Explorer

Mercedes-Benz 420SEL

Data refreshed May 30, 2026

Select a model year to filter results to that year of the Mercedes-Benz 420SEL.

Complaints

350

Active records

Recalls

17

Active records

TSBs

51

Active records

Filing history

Monthly totals over the last 20 years. Click a legend item to show or hide that series.

Reported severity

Based on consumer complaints filed since 2000. Recalls and TSBs do not include severity data.

Deaths

0

Injuries

12

Crashes

13

Fires

12

Top reported issues — Mercedes-Benz 420SEL

Click a category to expand its values.

Condition issue

86

Operating state

63

Reporting mechanism

58

Safety restraint issue

39

Electrical issue

31

Ride/handling behavior

31

Engine behavior

21

Performance issue

19

Safety restraint behavior

19

Transmission/drivetrain behavior

14

Thermal issue

13

Fluid issue

12

Access/entry issue

11

Braking behavior

11

Lighting behavior

10

Steering behavior

10

Driver assistance issue

9

Noise

9

Powering on/off behavior

9

HVAC behavior

6

Smell

5

Starting behavior

5

Vibration/harshness

5

Infotainment behavior

3

Recent change

2

Wiper/washer behavior

1

Recent filings

The 10 most recent filings for each type.

1992 MERCEDES BENZ 420SEL

Filed Jun 18, 2019


TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 420 (NA). WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A STOP, THE GEAR DID NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

1996 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed May 6, 2014


TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCEDES S420. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STEER TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A CONNECTOR FROM THE TRANSMISSION TO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE HAD FAILED CAUSING TRANSMISSION FLUID TO FLOOD THE CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS…

2003 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Apr 1, 2014


THE SRS SYSTEM (AIRBAGS) HAVE BEEN DEEMED INOPERABLE BY THE DEALER AND MAY EITHER DEPLOY AT ANY TIME OR NOT DEPLOY AT ALL IN A COLLISION. THIS IS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SEATBELT BUCKLE AND A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER RECOGNITION SENSOR PAD LOCATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHICH DISABLES/ENABLES THE AIRBAGS FUNCTIONALITY. BOTH A VERY COMMON DEFECT IN THE 2000 TO 2006 MODEL YEAR MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS VEHICLES. THE SEATBELT BUCKLE CONTAINS A SENSOR THAT EVENTUALLY FAILS FOR NO APPARENT REASON OR WARNING…

2004 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Mar 27, 2014


SRS SYSTEM NOT OPERATING ON PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

1993 MERCEDES S CLASS

Filed Mar 12, 2014


THE FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS HAS INSULATION THAT IS BADLY CRACKED AND FLAKING OFF CAUSING FAULT CODES AND POOR RUNNING. THE BODY HARNESS HAS CRACKED INSULATION AS WELL. WHILE THIS IS AN OLDER CAR IT IS LOW MILES AND HAS SPENT ITS LIFE STORED INDOORS. I HAVE A 1968 MODEL AMC CAR. THE WIRING IS FINE STILL. THIS WAS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW FROM DAY ONE. IT WOULDN'T BE SO BAD IF THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS NOT SO EXPENSIVE - 750 DOLLARS. *TR

1997 MERCEDES BENZ 420

Filed Oct 4, 2013


WELD BROKE AND DISLODGED THE SPRINGS.. *TR

1995 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Sep 3, 2013


Fire

WIRE HARNESS SHORTED OUT DUE TO NAKED WIRES WITH NO INSULATION CAUSING THE HARNESS TO CATCH FIRE BURNING HARNESS AND FRYING THE ALTERNATOR. THE CAUSE WAS SAID TO BE WIRE HARNESS DETERIORATED. IMPROPER INSULATION ON THE HARNESS. *JB

2003 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Apr 25, 2013


1 injured

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S55. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT PROPERLY WHENEVER THERE WERE WARMER TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK LID WOULD EITHER BECOME RESISTANT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE HATCH, OR IT WOULD CLOSE INDEPENDENTLY. ON ONE OCCASION, THE TRUNK LID CLOSED UNEXPECTEDLY ON THE CONTACT AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM…

2002 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Feb 14, 2013


INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE. ALL LIGHTING FOR INSTRUMENT DARK/UNREADABLE (SPEEDOMETER,TACH,ODOMETER,FUEL,TEMP,TURN SIGNAL ETC). TAKEN TO DEALER AND I PAID FOR REBUILD TO UNIT. IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURED AGAIN AFTER APPROX 3 MONTHS. *TR

2002 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Sep 25, 2012


THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ISSUE I AM EXPERIENCING BEGAN APPROXIMATELY JULY, 2012. INITIALLY, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER BRIEFLY AND THEN ILLUMINATE AGAIN. SUBSEQUENT TO THE FREQUENT FLICKERING INCIDENTS, THE CLUSTER LIGHTING DIDN'T ILLUMINATE AT ALL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SMALL DIAGNOSTIC VIEWER. CURRENTLY, ALL LIGHTING, GAUGES, AND ANY DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENTS, INCLUDING THE CONTROL BUTTONS LOCATED ON THE STEERING WHEEL DO NOT FUNCTION. IN ADDITION TO THE FOREMENTIONED, THE…

Data sourced from NHTSA's public datasets. Issue classifications are generated by Repair Surge. About this data.

Updated May 30, 2026. Refreshed nightly.