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What 14 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-benz S-class Phev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (14)Crash / fire / injury (2)Engine (7)Fuel system (5)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Electrical system (2)Speed control (2)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (1)Steering (1)

2 of 14 complaints match · Speed control · clear filters

Nov 16, 2016Speed controlFuel system

"TAKATA RECALL" THE VEHICLE SLIPS INTO A LIMP MODE WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAVE HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. I'M TAKING IT TO THE MB DEALER THIS WEEKEND. 11/16/2016. 57KMILES

NHTSA ODI 10926405

Apr 21, 2015Speed controlEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ S350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT THEN COASTED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SIDE CHARGE AIR HOSE INTO THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR WAS TORN AND CAUSED THE LOSS OF HOSE PRESSURE. BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 10712016

Working with the data? Download all 14 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Mercedes-benz S-class Phev verdict →