Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 2012 S-Class vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class failed the safety check 0.76% of the time — 70% less often than the average 2012 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 91,204 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2012
4,260 new Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (1,844), Germany (838), France (495).
- Average mass
- 2,032 kg
- Average power
- 218 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 71% · Petrol 29%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars on Dutch roads are the 3.0 diesel (190 kW, 255 hp), 3.5 petrol (225 kW, 302 hp) and 4.7 petrol (320 kW, 429 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 diesel | 190 kW 255 hp | 48 |
| 3.5 petrol | 225 kW 302 hp | 31 |
| 4.7 petrol | 320 kW 429 hp | 25 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
122 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 81% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €122,439.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde56
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm38
- Band onvoldoende profiel38
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm24
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling23
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld13
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af13
- Remvertraging / remwerking parkeerrem onvoldoende12
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,076 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 203 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,279 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 77% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 7.7% | 7.7% |
| Suspension | 7.0% | 12.2% |
| Tyres | 6.8% | 7.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.6% | 3.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.9% | 14.3% |
| Visibility | 1.9% | 5.0% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
40 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 227,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
30 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 DR RWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
| 2018724 20 Dec 2018 | Steering On certain vehicles originally sold or currently registered in areas of heavy road salt usage during winter months (Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince E… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
MERCEDES-BENZ USA (MBUSA) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 VEHICLES INCLUDING E-CLASS (212 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 2010 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2011, R-CLASS (251 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 2010 THROUGH APRIL 2011, ML-CLASS (W164 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 2010 THROUGH MARCH 2011, GL-CLASS (X164 PLATFORM), MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 2010 THROUGH MARCH 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 S-CLASS (221 PLATFORM) VEHICLES. THE DIESEL FUEL FILTER MAY LEAK FROM THE AREA AROUND THE HEATING COMPONENT.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mercedes-Benz told its dealers about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10136035 | Complaints about poor wiping effect of winshield wiper |
| 10055333 | XENTRY (MERCEDES): THE FUSE AND RELAY BOXES (SRB) IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR REAR COMPARTMENT HAS A MALFUNCTION AND DISRUPTIONS TO COMMUNICATION PATHS CAUSING A NO START IN VEHICLE. MODEL 2012-2013 204, 207, 212, 218, 231, 246, 176, 117, 172. *PE |
| 10045027 | XENTRY(MERCEDES): ON SOME VEHICLES, CAN NOT ENGAGE OR CLOSE FRONT DOOR PROPERLY. MODELS 197.377. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE |
| 10044601 | XENTRY (MERCEDES): CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CEL) IS ACTIVATED; STORED IN ENGINE CONTROL UNIT IS VERY FINE LEAK. AUTOMATIC FUEL TANK LEAK TEST SOFTWARE IS SENSITIVE AND CAN PRODUCES AN ERRONEOUS DIAGNOSIS. MODELS 204, 212, 218, 221, 216,AND 166 WITH NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE UPDATE 11/22/13. *PE |
| 10043730 | MERCEDES: UPDATE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY SOFTWARE. MODEL 221 MODEL YEARS 2010-2012. *KB |
| 10043726 | MERCEDES: TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING CODING NEEDS TO BE CHECKED AND UPDATED IF NECESSARY. *KB |
| 10043294 | MERCEDES: DURING THE PRODUCTION PROCESS OF SOME VEHICLES, THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH WAS DAMAGED. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)