The 2017 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has 22 owner complaints with NHTSA across 3 component categories. Use this checklist before you put money down — every item below is grounded in the actual failure pattern on this vehicle, not generic advice.
1
Inspect the airbags
What to look for: Anything that looks, sounds, or smells different from peer vehicles of the same year and trim. (3 owner complaints on this vehicle
· typical repair $1,100 )
What to look for: Wandering on the highway, clunks when turning, slop in the wheel before the tires respond, power steering whine. (3 owner complaints on this vehicle
· typical repair $700 · failures cluster ~1,200 mi)
On the test drive: On a smooth highway, take hands off briefly (when safe) — vehicle should track straight. Pulling left or right means alignment or worn front-end parts.
What to look for: Wiper streaks even on a fresh blade, blower fan that doesn't change speeds, foggy or yellowed headlight lenses, sunroof drains plugged (water on headliner). (3 owner complaints on this vehicle
· typical repair $350 · failures cluster ~38,000 mi)
The seller's transparency on these tells you what kind of seller you're dealing with.
Inspection items derived from 22 owner complaints and 0 active recall campaigns filed
with NHTSA on the 2017 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Category-specific guidance is written by ProblemsByVin contributors with ASE-certified mechanic
review. This checklist is meant to surface known patterns — it doesn't replace a paid pre-purchase inspection by a
qualified shop, which we recommend for any used vehicle priced over a few thousand dollars.