2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Typical pattern

2.7% of complaints about the 2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2004 vehicle — around the middle of the 236 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 10.4 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (17 complaints), typically at 11.4 yr or about 98,000 miles.

Covers 3 variants: S430 (28), S500 (24), S CLASS (17)

Complaints: 73
Median age at failure: 10.4 yr
Median mileage: 84,500 n=63
Crash / fire / tow: 15.1% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Electrical system 4,000 mi 8 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE CONTINUED RUNNING, BUT THERE WAS NO POWER BRAKE OR POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND HAD BEEN THERE FOR 3 WEEKS, BUT THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED, BUT NO FAILURE CODE WAS FOUND. DEALERSHIP WAS AWAITING A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE.*AK

Electrical system 37,823 mi 4.7 yr in service

A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OCCURRED AFTER A RAIN. AS A RESULT I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. MERCEDES AUTHORIZED MECHANIC CITES "AIR INTAKE AT BLOWER INTAKE AREA WAS INVERTED AT INSTALLATION FROM THE FACTORY". THE CAR IS IN PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WILL HAVE TO BE PERFORMED. THE MERCEDES DEALER CALLS IT "WATER INTRUSION". *TR

Electrical system 33,243 mi 6.9 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ S500. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH HE STARTED TO SMELL AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE TO HIS DESTINATION. AFTER ARRIVING TO HIS DESTINATION HE NOTICED THAT EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM THAT THE DRAIN HOLE FOR THE AIR CONDITIONER HAD FILLED THE FLOOR BOARD WITH WATER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSPONDER MODULE AND THE FUSE BOX SINCE THE TRANSPONDER MELTED DURING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,243 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,300.

Other S-Class model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2004 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other S-Class model years

How to read this