Engine has oil leak similar to many 2011-2012 diesel model.
The worst 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine3
- Acceleration2
- Fuel system2
- Transmission2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine3
- Acceleration2
- Fuel system2
- Transmission2
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 70
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC will provide an Extended Modification Warranty for each vehicle that has received...
- Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE: Although the symptom is...
- Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
- After successful commissioning of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis DVD 03/2026, the...
- There are several types of complaint about noises or poor windshield wiper wiping performance: A: Wiper...
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Headlamps leaking or fogged
- Transmission control unit Y3/8n4 (fully integrated transmission control unit (VGS)) not listed in quick...
What 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I did some research on mercedes 3.0l diesel motors and there seems to be an issue with the seal failing about 50,000 miles causing the motor to leak oil and the seal as well as the oil cooler need to be replaced. It is such a common problem on the 3.0l diesel engines that when you call any repair shop the first thing they ask is if the car is a diesel. Also the seal replacement is all over the mercedes blogs saying the same issue on the 3.0l diesels. Thought it might be something to look into as it is an engine seal problem and is occurring consistently in all the 3.0l diesels in the s class, e class, ml class, g class. All models that mercedes sold the 3.0l engine in the us.
"takata recall" the vehicle slips into a limp mode while driving. This have happened several times. I'm taking it to the mb dealer this weekend. 11/16/2016. 57kmiles
Vehicle entered limp home mode while entering intersection. Dealership said codes did not indicate an issue and could not reproduce problem. Only actions taken was a computer test and road test. After leaving the dealer, the vehicle entered the limp home mode again this time on the highway. Dealer then replaced two sensors at the turbo. After returning the vehicle to me, it entered the limp home mode again, also while driving on the highway. This time, dealer replaced the turbo when it was brought back in for repair. The vehicle still entered the limp home mode after this repair. So the dealer has also replaced the catalytic converter. Problem still persisted and caused a hose to rupture. This was replaced and the problem still persists after a month of troubleshooting and parts replacing.
While driving at freeway speeds car went into limp mode. Engine rmp were limited to 1500rpm and speed dropped to 25mph.this happened 3 times during week of 3/14/16 and again on 3/22/16. Had to make defensive emergency maneuver to steer the car away from the traffic lanes and stop on the side of the freeway. Was almost rear ended by a semi. Car had to be turned off and restarted to come back to normal driving mode. Car was taken to mercedes dealer and it was diagnosed to be a bad torque converter causing this limp mode. Dealer repaired the car by replacing the torque converter. There was no check engine light. When the dealer hooked up their computer there were codes for bad torque converter.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 mercedes benz s350. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated without warning. The contact then coasted over to the emergency lane and there were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle restarted; however, the failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician diagnosed that the side charge air hose into the throttle actuator was torn and caused the loss of hose pressure. Both the left and right hose needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
When I closed the hood, a section of the radiator grill broke.
Compare the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350
Other model years
20122013
Questions about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350
Is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 reliable?
Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350, close to a typical S350 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350?
Engine and cooling, with 3 complaints. Next is acceleration (2).
How many recalls does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 have?
No recalls on record.
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