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2017 Mercedes-benz S-class
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
22 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
2 open NHTSA defect investigations on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2017 Mercedes-benz S-class, plotted where owners report it happening.
Visibility & wipers
18%4 complaints
“The dashboard is separating where the airbag is on the passenger side and also the driver side which could deploy the airbag”
Steering
14%3 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“Steering wheel will move in and out, but has stopped moving up and down. The steering wheel is stuck in the UP position. This has caused me to readjust all my seat set…”
Airbags
14%3 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“The dashboard is separating where the airbag is on the passenger side and also the driver side which could deploy the airbag”
Transmission & drivetrain
9%2 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“WHEN PARKING THE CAR. TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE AND FOOT ON BRAKE. WHEN THE IGNITION BUTTON IS PUSHED TO TURN CAR OFF, THE CAR GOES INTO NEUTRAL NOT PARK. THE CAR WILL GO …”
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2017 Mercedes-benz S-CLASS beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2017? See how every S-class model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2017 Mercedes-benz S-class against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.