The 2001 Mercedes-Benz S600 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 6,238 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 44 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SUSPENSION04V2280002004-05-136,238 affected
Defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, CORROSION MAY OCCUR IN THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL'S (ABC) HIGH-PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSE DUE TO EXTENSIVE EXPOSURE TO HEAT AND HUMIDITY. OVER TIME, CORROSION MAY DETERIORATE THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE HOSE.
Consequence
THIS MAY RESULT IN ABC HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE. UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS AND LEAD TO A POSSIBILITY OF FIRE.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW, CORROSION RESISTANT ABC HIGH-PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSES. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 31, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
9
ENGINE
6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
6
SUSPENSION
6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3
INTERIOR LIGHTING
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1
Total complaints44
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercedes-benz s600. The contact stated that there was a progressing oil leak. Upon further inspection, it was determined that there was a presence of a leak. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who diagnosed that the oil cooler needed to be replaced. The manufacturer…”
“Oil cooler seals fail approximately every 50 to 60,000 miles & in order to change them you have to remove the heads off the engine.this job cost anywhere from $3,400 to $6,000 depending on where you go. First & foremost the oil leak becomes bad very quickly & spills down the manifold, while…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercedes-benz s600. The contact stated that the vehicle leaked oil into the exhaust manifold. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 54,000.”
“Engine oil cooler leaks. This looks to be a common problem with this model with v12 engine.this vehicle should be recalled because of this very expensive problem.”
“These s600 with v12 engines from 2000-2005 have severe engine oil cooler leaks. Some with as little as 30,000 miles. These vehicles should have been recalled years ago now mercedes wants to charge from 5,ooo to 6,000 to repair this problem and dont want to warrant after fix because its a recurring…”
“Takata inflators my car seems to be leaking oil. I took it to a shop they told me it was my oil cooler, I was told this is a common problem with the mercedes benz s 600 in that it should be a recall on this matter...when I purchased the car I noticed oil leaks in my garage so as I drove the…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercedes benz s600. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 mph, the instrument cluster became inoperable. The vehicle stalled but restarted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercedes benz s600. The contact stated that the instrumental panel light system failed. The contact was unable to read the instrumental panel. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who advised that the instrument cluster failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE05062 Opened 2005-11-10 · closed 2006-02-08
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON SEVEN REPORTS INDICATING THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2000-2001 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS VEHICLES FAILED IN THAT CONSUMERS WERE UNABLE TO READ ANY OF THE GAUGES WHILE OPERATING THEIR VEHICLES AT ANY SPEED DURING THE DAY OR…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz S600 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.