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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz Clase S (W223).

2020–2026 · Diesel / Petrol / Plug-in hybrid · 4 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 (W223), real photo of this generation
Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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 4 of its engines.

S 350 d / 400 d

Diesel

S 450 / 500 / 580 · S 580 e · S 63 AMG E Performance (4.0 V8)

S 450 / 500 / 580 (Petrol) · S 580 e (Plug-in hybrid) · S 63 AMG E Performance (4.0 V8) (Plug-in hybrid)

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 (W223)
EngineDocumented faults
S 350 d / 400 dDiesel43 with conditions
S 450 / 500 / 580PetrolFewest documented33 with conditions
S 580 ePlug-in hybridFewest documented33 with conditions
S 63 AMG E Performance (4.0 V8)Plug-in hybridFewest documented33 with conditions

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: S 450 / 500 / 580 (Petrol), S 580 e (Plug-in hybrid), S 63 AMG E Performance (4.0 V8) (Plug-in hybrid).

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 4 checked

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).

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.

Driver assistance

  • Look out for: Messages on the cluster: "Active Emergency Stop Assist not available", "Active Lane Keeping Assist not available" or "Active steering assist not available".

    Ask them to check: Ask the garage to apply note LI46.10-P-078012: do not replace the HOSWD control unit, update its software and check the steering wheel contacts, wires and ground connections.

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:

P073E00P07B700U186B29B1E7614B1E7713

Sources

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

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