Skip to content
Emergency

Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz Clase S (W222).

2013–2020 · Diesel / Petrol / Plug-in hybrid · 6 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Mercedes-Benz Clase S (W222), real photo of this generation
Thomas doerfer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 6 of its engines.

  • 7G-Tronic conductor plateGearbox
    Period mentioned
    2004 onwards (more failures in 2004–2008)
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with 7G-Tronic. Confirm the gearbox type.

  • 9G-Tronic harsh shiftingAutomatic gearbox
    Period mentioned
    2013–2026
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.

  • AIRMATIC leaks and compressorSuspension
    Period mentioned
    2002–2026
    Mileage mentioned
    95,000–115,000 km

    Applies if: Only if fitted with air suspension.

S 350 BlueTEC / 350 d (OM642, hasta 2017)

Diesel

S 350 d / 400 d (OM656, desde 2017)

Diesel

These also apply, described above: OM654/OM656 AdBlue, DPF and EGR

S 400 / 500 / 560 · S 500 e / 560 e · S 63 AMG (5.5 / 4.0 V8) · S 65 AMG (6.0 V12)

S 400 / 500 / 560 (Petrol) · S 500 e / 560 e (Plug-in hybrid) · S 63 AMG (5.5 / 4.0 V8) (Petrol) · S 65 AMG (6.0 V12) (Petrol)

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Mercedes-Benz Clase S (W222)
EngineDocumented faults
S 350 BlueTEC / 350 d (OM642, hasta 2017)Diesel53 with conditions
S 350 d / 400 d (OM656, desde 2017)Diesel43 with conditions
S 400 / 500 / 560PetrolFewest documented33 with conditions
S 500 e / 560 ePlug-in hybridFewest documented33 with conditions
S 63 AMG (5.5 / 4.0 V8)PetrolFewest documented33 with conditions
S 65 AMG (6.0 V12)PetrolFewest documented33 with conditions

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: S 400 / 500 / 560 (Petrol), S 500 e / 560 e (Plug-in hybrid), S 63 AMG (5.5 / 4.0 V8) (Petrol), S 65 AMG (6.0 V12) (Petrol).

By fuel type, the ones with the fewest documented faults are: Petrol, Plug-in hybrid.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 5 checked

Oil leaks / injectors

  • Look out for: Oil pooling in the engine's V, burning oil smell, drips under the engine; or a hiss or chirp next to an injector with an exhaust smell.

    Ask them to check: Visual inspection of the engine's V and the base of the injectors.

AdBlue / DPF / EGR

  • Look out for: AdBlue or emissions warnings with a start countdown; particulate filter warning; power loss or rough idle from a dirty EGR.

    Ask them to check: Read AdBlue and NOx sensor codes with Xentry, check the particulate filter regeneration history and how the car is used (short trips).

Gearbox

  • Look out for: Gearbox stuck in 2nd or 3rd (limp mode), harsh shifts, delay engaging D or R, gearbox warning often without an engine light; turning off and restarting clears it for a while.

    Ask them to check: Diagnose with Xentry/STAR to see the sub-codes (a basic reader only shows P0700). Check for oil in the gearbox connector.

Automatic gearbox

  • Look out for: Harsh or jerky shifts (especially 1st to 2nd and when cold), vibration, delayed shifts or limp mode; sometimes the gear will not engage from N to D. Codes P073E00 and P07B700.

    Ask them to check: Follow the Mercedes bulletin: reproduce the complaint, save the EEPROM, check the oil level, run the Xentry valve flush, update engine, gearbox and shift unit software and perform the standstill adaptation. If it persists, check the control unit.

Suspension

  • Look out for: One corner sags overnight, suspension fault warning, the compressor runs a lot or a compressor overheated message appears; eventually the car sits low and rides hard.

    Ask them to check: Spray soapy water on bellows, lines and valve block; read each corner's data with Xentry; check the compressor fuse and relay. Do not replace the compressor without fixing the leak first, or the new one will fail soon.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P0700P0705P0706P0710P0717P0718P073E00P07B700

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

More Mercedes-Benz buying guides

View the model pageAll buying guides