1998 Mercedes Benz S Class Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 11, 2004 · 2 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other S Class years
Not enough data 9th of 13 for complaints
Safety recalls
None on file
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mercedes Benz S Class. That ranks 9th out of 13 S Class model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (1 complaints, 50%). There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.

Mercedes Benz S Class
Mercedes-Benz Photography by David Adam Kess Picture by David Adam Kess. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: David Adam Kess, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 1998 Mercedes Benz S Class problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Power Train1
Tires1 · ~48,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Power Train150%———
Tires150%48,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 1999, with 1 complaints
1999: 1199912004: 120041

n = 2 complaints · Source: NHTSA

1998 Mercedes Benz S Class recalls (0)

No safety recalls are on file for the 1998 Mercedes Benz S Class.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

I have had three tire bolow outs on my mercedes-benz, in identical situations, approximately 2 months apart. All three incidents happened on three different highways, at speeds approximating 60 mph, and after approximately three hours of driving. The first incident occurred in april 2004, on i-95…

Tires · received Sep 11, 2004 · NHTSA complaint 10090822

The odometer sensor failed. Yh

Power Train · received Feb 1, 1999 · NHTSA complaint 606361

Other Mercedes Benz S Class years

← 1997 S Class · 1999 S Class →

See all Mercedes Benz S Class problems by year, every Mercedes Benz model, or the Mercedes Benz VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Mercedes Benz S Class?

Owners most often report power train, tires problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 1 complaint.

Was there a recall on the 1998 Mercedes Benz S Class?

No safety recalls are on file for this model year.

Was the 1998 Mercedes Benz S Class a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other S Class model years, the 1998 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.