There are 1 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 1 of 1 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)-Combustion engine sporadically fails to start. -Combustion engine can no longer be started. -Start/Stop function is sporadically unavailable (READY displayed in yellow in instrument cluster). -Start/Stop function fails to function properly in dangerous road conditions - e.g., when pulling into an intersection, in stop & go traffic, when proceeding at a stop light, etc. -This is the second time this major incident has occurred; this was repaired in December 2020 under manufacturer warranty. The Power Electronics (Electric Motor) Control Unit was replaced. It is clear this is a recurring failure affecting this vehicle. ***Campaign No. 2012080004, November 2012 addresses this exact issue - for this exact car (i.e., Mercedes-Benz S 400 (221.195) V6-3.5L (272.974) Hybrid. However, that Recall Campaign is covers Model Years 2010-2012, but fails to cover MY 2013, which is exactly the same as the covered vehicles. This Campaign instructs to Check/Replace the Power Electronics Module, which is the part that my local Mercedes-Benz dealership has advised has failed and needs to be replaced.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Aug 31, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.