Model year record

2016 Mercedes-Benz S550

5 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 22 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 23V854000

Structure: body: roof and pillars

Component
Structure: body: roof and pillars
Manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Vehicles affected
2,976
Reported to NHTSA
2023-12-15
Owners notified
2024-03-22

Defect description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2014-2020 C-Class, CLA, GLA, S-Class, GLC, and GLE vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle details. The front roof panel located between the windshield and the panoramic sunroof may not have been bonded correctly to the vehicle during a prior repair, allowing the front panel to detach from the vehicle.

Safety risk

A detached roof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the front panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 2, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on, March 22,2024, and August 2, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 21V-197.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V197000

Structure: body: roof and pillars

Component
Structure: body: roof and pillars
Manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
Vehicles affected
15,096
Reported to NHTSA
2021-03-19
Owners notified
2021-09-03

Defect description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2020 C300 Coupe, C43 Coupe AMG, C43 AMG, 2015-2020 C300, GLA250, 2016-2018 C350e, CLA45 Coupe AMG, 2015 C400, S65 AMG, 2015-2019 C63 AMG, 2016 C450, 2015-2016 GLA45 AMG, S600, 2016-2020 GLC300, 2017-2019 GLC43 AMG, GLE43 Coupe AMG, 2014-2019 CLA250 Coupe, 2014-2015 CLA45 AMG, 2018 GLC63 AMG, 2014-2017 S550, 2018-2020 S450, 2016-2019 GLE63 Coupe AMG, 2016 GLE450 Coupe, 2014-2020 S63 AMG, 2018-2019 S560, and 2019 GLC350e vehicles equipped with a panoramic sunroof. The front roof panel located between the windshield and the panoramic sunroof may not have been bonded correctly to the vehicle during a prior repair.

Safety risk

The adhesive bonding of the front panel might deteriorate, possibly causing the front panel to detach from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Mercedes-Benz dealer will remove the bonded panel and will install a new front panel by following the detailed repair instructions and using the approved primer, cleaner and adhesive, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021 and October 26, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Recall campaignNHTSA 19V787000

Communication

Component
Communication
Manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
Vehicles affected
24,226
Reported to NHTSA
2019-11-01
Owners notified
2019-12-23

Defect description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software fault that may cause the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V787-4620.pdf

Safety risk

An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

MBUSA has initiated an Over the Air (OTA) remote update. MBUSA will also notify owners, and dealers will check software for a successful OTA or update the communication module software as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019120008.

Recall campaignNHTSA 16V829000

Seat belts

Component
Seat belts
Manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
Vehicles affected
672
Reported to NHTSA
2016-11-16
Owners notified
2016-12-16

Defect description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 S63 AMG Coupe, S65 AMG Coupe, S550 Coupe 4Matic, S63 AMG 4Matic Convertible, and S550 Convertible vehicles manufactured June 29, 2015, to March 15, 2016. The seat belt extenders on the affected vehicles may not retract as intended and may potentially break the event of a crash.

Safety risk

In the event of a crash, if the seat belt extender does not retract and/or the extender breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing their risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the control unit software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in mid-December 2016. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Recall campaignNHTSA 16V760000

Exterior lighting: headlights

Component
Exterior lighting: headlights
Manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
Vehicles affected
996
Reported to NHTSA
2016-10-20
Owners notified
2016-12-02

Defect description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 S550 Coupe 4MATIC, S63 AMG Coupe 4MATIC, S65 AMG Coupe and S63 AMG Convertible 4Matic vehicles manufactured September 3, 2015, to February 4, 2016. The low beam headlights on the affected vehicles may not be properly adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Safety risk

If the low-beam headlights are out of adjustment, the driver's visibility may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the headlight adjustment, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in November 2016. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Unknown or other743,900 mi
Structure: body343,900 mi
Seat belts2
Steering256,000 mi
Tires: sidewall2
Tires: tread/belt2
Electrical system1
Engine1
Tires1
Visibility/wiper1139,000 mi

The 2015 model has about a third as many complaints as this one. The 2017 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.