Mercedes S-Class saloon - Reliability & safety

The S-Class typically sells in too small numbers to feature in our Driver Power survey, but the Mercedes brand only managed to come in 25th place out of 32 manufacturers in 2023.

Mercedes S-Class reliability

Coming near the bottom of the table of car makers is certainly a disappointing result, with poor scores for running costs and value for money from owners dragging down Mercedes’ score. There are plenty of systems fitted to the S-Class with the potential to malfunction, but for the first time in the model, over-the-air updates should make it possible for some software patches to be installed without having to visit the dealership.

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Safety

There are plenty of reasons to argue the S-Class could be the safest car available to buy. It's absolutely bristling with advanced safety equipment, including eight standard airbags, traffic-sign recognition, driver monitoring and systems that help the chassis deal with corners and crosswinds. The car can also raise by up to 80mm if a side-impact is imminent, helping better protect occupants. 

A Driving Assistance Package is now standard, with features including blind-spot monitoring, lane change assist and evasive steering assist. It also has adaptive brake lights and attention assist to ensure the driver isn't tired or distracted. An emergency call system can alert the emergency services automatically if the car is involved in a serious collision.