Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
13–17 mpgcombined; city 11–14, highway 17–22; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$23,670–$30,960U.S. average; Ohio $22,310–$29,170 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2009 S-Class. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 S-Class. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air bags
1
1
0
0
Electrical system
1
0
1
0
Engine
1
0
1
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Service brakes
1
1
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
1
0
0
Steering
1
1
0
0
Suspension
1
1
0
0
What the columns count
Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2009 S-Class over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Latches/locks/linkages
NHTSA campaign 09V081000 · reported Mar 13, 2009 · 54 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: 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.
Risk: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 88 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 S-Class, the latest on Sep 22, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (20), exterior lighting (14), seats (11), power train (10), engine and engine cooling (9).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 S-Class.
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data