Home · 2017 Mercedes-benz S-class Phev · Complaints

What 22 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 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 (22)Visibility & wipers (4)Airbags (3)Steering (3)Body & structure (2)Electrical system (2)Engine (2)Fuel system (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Lights (1)Seat belts (1)

2 of 22 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

Nov 8, 2021Electrical systemEngine

I have observed on multiple occasions when the vehicle is brought to a complete stop during driving in traffic, the engine will stall / shut off. When this occurs the engine has to be re-started with the ignition switch to be able to drive the car again. Car does not show any check engine error and Mercedes Benz service claims that they cannot replicate the issue. During the course of driving the car for the past 12000 miles I have observed this issue between 6-8 times. In at least 3 occasions this occurred while driving on the freeway and the traffic came to a sudden halt. Separately the back-up / 360 surround camera system fails occasionally rendering the backup cameras inoperable. Service claims to have performed software updates and parts replacement yet the issue still occurs periodically with no remedy from Mercedes Benz.

NHTSA ODI 11439676

Feb 27, 2018Electrical system

STARTING OUT FROM AN INTERSECTION THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DIED, NO ENGINE, NO LIGHTS, NO ABILITY TO OPEN TRUNK, NOTHING. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I FEAR SUCH AN EVENT COULD BE LIFE-THREATENING, EG. IF IT HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED. I BELIEVE THE AIRBAGS MAY HAVE BEEN DISABLED ALONG WITH ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL. DEALER REPORTS THERE WAS A SIMILAR EVENT WITH ANOTHER OF THE SAME CAR ONE WEEK EARLIER, AND THAT IT IS APPARENTLY CAUSED BY A CONTACT FOR THE BATTERY GROUND "BURNING OUT." I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE AN URGENT RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11075262

Working with the data? Download all 22 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 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 2017 Mercedes-benz S-class Phev verdict →