Verdict
2012 Mercedes S-Class: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues
What the public record actually says about the 2012 Mercedes S-Class — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.
The read
Fewer reported complaints than most sedan.
Owners filed 14 NHTSA complaints — fewer complaints than 81% of 2012 sedans. Fuel/Propulsion System leads the reports (21%). No safety recalls on record.
Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2012 sedans, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.
Complaints filed
14
Reports to NHTSA, 2012
Safety recalls
0
NHTSA campaigns on record
NHTSA crash test
Not rated
Overall NCAP rating
Combined MPG
No data
EPA estimate
Complaint volume vs. segment peers
Fewer complaints than 81% of 2012 sedans
The bar is this car's percentile among 2012 sedans by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.
Known issues
Fuel/Propulsion System issues lead owner complaints (21% of 14 reports), followed by power train (21%).
Share of all 14 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11469134, ODI 11254246, ODI 10899403.
Recalls
0 recalls — none issued for this model year as of Jul 2026. Recall records can change as NHTSA publishes new campaigns.
A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.
Investigations
0 NHTSA investigations on record
No investigations are on record as of Jul 2026. An empty record is not a clean bill of health.
Crash-test ratings
2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 DR RWD NHTSA source
- Overall
- Not rated
- Frontal
- Not rated
- Side
- Not rated
- Rollover
- Not rated
2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 DR AWD NHTSA source
- Overall
- Not rated
- Frontal
- Not rated
- Side
- Not rated
- Rollover
- Not rated
Fuel economy by trim
No EPA fuel-economy record is available for this model year. Some trims and older vehicles were not tested or are not in the current EPA feed.
Before you buy
Useful next checks
Federal records tell you about patterns. These checks can tell you more about the specific car in front of you.
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Compare model years
"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.
2012 Mercedes S-Class: frequently asked
What does the complaint record show for the 2012 Mercedes S-Class?
Owners filed 14 NHTSA complaints about the 2012 Mercedes S-Class — fewer complaints than 81% of comparable 2012 sedans, so it sits toward the stronger end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.
What are the most common problems on the 2012 Mercedes S-Class?
The most-reported problem areas are Fuel/Propulsion System (21% of complaints) and power train (21%).
How many recalls does the 2012 Mercedes S-Class have?
No safety recalls are on record for the 2012 Mercedes S-Class as of Jul 2026.
What gas mileage does the 2012 Mercedes S-Class get?
EPA fuel-economy figures for the 2012 Mercedes S-Class aren't available yet.