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2017 Mercedes-benz S-class Phev

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

22 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 20, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

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.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#8 of 458Among the 2017 models with a matured record, the 2017 Mercedes-benz S-class Phev ranks #8, scoring higher than 97% of them. See the 2017 ranking →

Complaint volume100
Severity100
Recall load100
Trend71

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20172025

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 Phev, 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

Read the visibility & wipers complaints →

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…

Read the steering complaints →

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

Read the airbags complaints →

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 …

Read the transmission & drivetrain complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.

Read all 22 owner complaints in their own words →

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking any seller before you hand over money:

  1. Has this car been in any accident, and can you share a title history and any service records you have?
  2. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  3. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

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 PHEV beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2017? See how every S-class Phev model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2017 Mercedes-benz S-class Phev 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.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2017 Mercedes-benz S-class Phev as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.