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Verdict

2016 Mercedes S-Class: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues

What the public record actually says about the 2016 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 29 NHTSA complaints — fewer complaints than 66% of 2016 sedans. Unknown Or Other leads the reports (28%). No safety recalls on record.

Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2016 sedans, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.

Complaints filed

29

Reports to NHTSA, 2016

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 66% of 2016 sedans

The bar is this car's percentile among 2016 sedans by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.

Known issues

Unknown Or Other issues lead owner complaints (28% of 29 reports), followed by structure (10%).

Unknown Or Other28% · 8 reports
Structure10% · 3 reports
Vehicle Speed Control10% · 3 reports
Visibility/Wiper10% · 3 reports
Seat Belts7% · 2 reports
Steering7% · 2 reports
Tires7% · 2 reports
Wheels7% · 2 reports

+ 4 more component categories with fewer reports.

Share of all 29 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11679825, ODI 11564622, ODI 11564145, ODI 11454509, ODI 11366174.

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

2016 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 DR 4WD NHTSA source

Overall
Not rated
Frontal
Not rated
Side
Not rated
Rollover
Not rated

2016 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4 DR RWD NHTSA source

Overall
Not rated
Frontal
Not rated
Side
Not rated
Rollover
Not rated

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

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.

2016 Mercedes S-Class: frequently asked

What does the complaint record show for the 2016 Mercedes S-Class?

Owners filed 29 NHTSA complaints about the 2016 Mercedes S-Class — fewer complaints than 66% of comparable 2016 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 2016 Mercedes S-Class?

The most-reported problem areas are Unknown Or Other (28% of complaints) and structure (10%).

How many recalls does the 2016 Mercedes S-Class have?

No safety recalls are on record for the 2016 Mercedes S-Class as of Jul 2026.

What gas mileage does the 2016 Mercedes S-Class get?

EPA fuel-economy figures for the 2016 Mercedes S-Class aren't available yet.