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2009 Mercedes Benz S Class Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

3 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.33 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious09V081000

Latches/Locks/Linkages

THIS SITUATION COULD AFFECT THE SAFE EXITING OF A VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH OR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM INADVERTENT OPENING OF THE REAR DOOR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL CHECK THE PART NUMBER ON ALL DOOR LOCKS AND REPLACE ANY INCORRECTLY INSTALLED DOOR LOCK FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

MERCEDES BENZ IS RECALLING 54 MY 2009 S-CLASS, W221 VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCKS MAY HAVE BEEN MISTAKENLY INTERCHANGED DURING PRODUCTION. THE EXCHANGE OF A FRONT AND A REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK WOULD RESULT IN A PASSENGER SIDE DOOR THAT CANNOT BE OPENED BY MERELY PULLING ON THE INTERIOR HANDLE AND A REAR DOOR LOCK THAT CAN BE OPENED WITH A SIMPLE PULL OF THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE EVEN IF LOCKED.

Complaint volume

3 this model-year 10 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

2Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 3 complaints. Severity Index 1.33.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Service Brakes, Hydraulic1 · 33%Air Bags1 · 33%Latches/Locks/Linkages1 · 33%
  1. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 1 reports
  2. Air Bags — 1 reports
  3. Latches/Locks/Linkages — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 (2) · 1997 (1) · 1998 (1) · 1999 (1) · 2000 (5) · 2001 (5) · 2002 (2) · 2003 (2) · 2004 (4) · 2005 (1) · 2009 · 2012 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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