The 2006 Mercedes-Benz R500 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 365,898 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 35 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC24V2980002024-04-2615,604 affected
Defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake failure.
Consequence
Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2024. Owners may…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC22V3150002022-05-09350,294 affected
Defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2012 ML-Class, GL-Class, and R-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. Moisture may accumulate and cause corrosion in the brake booster housing unit, which can result in reduced brake performance or brake…
Consequence
Reduced brake performance or brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Dealers will remove the rubber sleeve, inspect the brake booster, and as necessary, replace the brake booster. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact…
Complaints by component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
5
2fires2injuries
POWER TRAIN
5
STEERING
5
SEATS
4
4fires2injuries
SUSPENSION
4
AIR BAGS
2
1crashes1injuries
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1
1fires2injuries
Total complaints35
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“My 2006 r-500 is leaning from the (front and back) passenger side, causing the vehicle to be unsecure to drive... It feels like both side tires are totally flat. I'm not a mechanic, but it looks like the air suspension is malfuntion”
“The contact owns a 2006 mercedes-benz r500. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 22v315000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The dealer was made aware of the…”
“I was purchasing a 2006 mercedes benz r500 black on november 3,2021, vin: [xxx]. In the process of driving the vehicle less than ten miles, part of the part of transmission case broke off. The steering was hard to turn and this is a salvage vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of…”
“I was purchasing a 2006 mercedes benz r500 black on november 3,2021, vin: [xxx]. In the process of driving the vehicle less than ten miles, part of the part of transmission case broke off. The steering was hard to turn and this is a salvage vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of…”
“I was purchasing a 2006 mercedes benz r500 black on november 3,2021, vin: [xxx]. In the process of driving the vehicle less than ten miles, part of the part of transmission case broke off. The steering was hard to turn and this is a salvage vehicle. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of…”
“The contact owns a 2006 mercedes-benz r500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the power steering was not functioning, after which the vehicle lost all power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to…”
“The contact owns a 2006 mercedes-benz r500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the power steering was not functioning, after which the vehicle lost all power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to…”
“The vehicle's rear drivers side brake or reverse light would not go off for a week (to my knowledge) and while sitting in the passenger side I turned on the heat warming device and there was no problem. It was after we had been shopping and returned to the vehicle did we notice a smell of…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz R500 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.