Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the brakes, automatic emergency braking, and electrical. The 8 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2022Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/8 checked
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2022's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
Worth adding to your 2022 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| Electric | AWD, RWD | 340–350 mi range |
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Rapid rear tire wear
9,000–9,500 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Sudden, unprompted hard braking dominates these reports. The car brakes to a stop with no vehicle or obstacle ahead, at speeds ranging from a crawl in reverse to 75 mph on the freeway, usually with no warning light. Drivers describe locked brakes, tightened seatbelts and near misses with traffic behind. A smaller group says the pedal feels hesitant or the car fails to slow. Dealers often cannot duplicate the problem, or they blame the regenerative braking setting. Three of the 12 complaints involve crashes, with four people injured.
Automatic emergency braking fires when there is no car or object ahead. Reports cover backing out of parking spaces, city streets at 25 to 45 mph and the interstate at 60 mph. Some drivers say it happens repeatedly at the same spot. Occupants get thrown forward, and drivers report near rear-end collisions. Dealers often cannot recreate the fault. Some install software updates, but repeat failures after repair are reported. Adaptive cruise control can also cut speed sharply from 75 to 45 mph after reading a roadside speed sign.
False emergency braking shows up here too, at speeds up to 67 mph on the highway. Seatbelt pretensioners fire and no warning lights come on, and one stop skidded hard enough to damage a rim. Other reports describe stalling with messages to drive at max 50 mph, low starter battery alerts that continue after dealer visits, and a total power shutdown on the interstate that caused a crash after steering and brakes stopped working. The one fire-flagged complaint describes an owner's worry about the battery supplier, not a fire in this car.
These complaints describe two problems: unintended acceleration and cruise control that fails to stop. In one crash report, the car surges while parked, crosses a barrier and hits a building, and the brakes respond slowly. Distronic adaptive cruise is reported to approach stopped traffic from 70 mph without braking, so the driver has to brake hard. On surface streets it reacts late and jerkily, and repeated dealer visits have not fixed it. Another complaint says side sensors miss cars directly alongside while lane steering is active.
Doors occasionally unlatch while driving between 35 and 70 mph, leaving a 2 to 3 inch gap. The lock indicator still shows the doors as locked. The dash shows an alert and the car chimes when it happens, and only one door opens at a time. A separate injury report blames limited rear headroom after a back-seat passenger hit the roof over a bump at 40 mph. Another complaint concerns waiting several months for a recall remedy that has not arrived.
Rapid tire wear is the main pattern. The original Bridgestone Turanza tires wear out by roughly 9,000 to 9,500 miles, and the rear tires go bald while the fronts look normal. Dealers call this wear normal. One report says the tire pressure system gave no warning at 25 pounds. Other complaints describe a sidewall bubble on a car with under 200 miles and three blowouts from potholes within 2 months. Cords showing through worn tires at highway speed in the rain create a loss-of-control risk.
Sudden loss of drive power is the common thread. The car either slows to a crawl or shuts down completely, sometimes with a loud pop and a drive train malfunction warning. It happens anywhere from 45 mph roads to 70 mph freeway merges. Some cars will not restart right away, which strands drivers in traffic lanes and means a flatbed tow. One owner reports four separate shutdowns. A separate complaint says a rear seat buckle will not latch.
Excerpts from complaints EQS owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
on several occasion typically at lower speeds under 40 mph the vehicle suddenly and without warning activates the emergency braking system to a stop and releases even though there is no perceived danger by the driver. It has happened on 5-7 times since buying the vehicle. It has happened on a two lane road as well as four lane divided road, in rain and in dry weather.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2023
The incident occurred because the driver's Benz's detection sensor encountered a bug, leading to potential harm to the car occupants. I discovered this bug myself, yet Mercedes-Benz has not compensated me for the issue. I am currently pursuing resolution for this situation.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2023
Driving on residential street at 25 miles an hour with no traffic. Car applied emergency brakes which threw everyone forward. Fortunately no other cars behind me. Very dangerous. This has also happened on the main road at 45 miles an hour,
Filed with NHTSA, July 2023
Driving on I-75 south of Ocala as I drive by the State Weigh Stations the EQS sees a 45 MPH speed limit sign off to the right so the Adaptive Cruise Control starts drastically reducing my 75 MPH to 45 MPH in the passing lane. I have to floor it to maintain speed. This has also happened as I drive by a left entry ramp with a reduced speed limit
Filed with NHTSA, October 2022
I was on interstate hwy the car had a Mal-function indicator and the drive train locked up. brakes did not work, steering did not work the car spinner 3 times and was stopped by hitting the concrete barier. the air bags did not work either. I believe the entire battery or power system had shut down as I also got the 12 v back up battery is running out.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
On four instances my car thinks that there is an object in front of it and automatically initiates emergency breaking. It happened today TWICE at 67mph on a highway and I almost got smashed by semi behind me!!!
Filed with NHTSA, August 2022
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2022 ranks second for owner complaints among 3 EQS years, about 1.3 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2022 is the first model year of the EQS's first generation (2022–2024). First years of a redesign often carry teething problems that Mercedes-Benz fixes in later years, so the checks above matter more than usual.
Mercedes-Benz updated the EQS for 2024, so a 2022 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2024 (not on a 2022)
Should you avoid the first year of a redesign? See the 45-car study.
Recall repairs are free at any Mercedes-Benz dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2025 S-Class, EQE SUV, EQE, EQS SUV and EQS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. Software in the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) may cause an incorrect external pedestrian warning sound while reversing. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid Electric Vehicles.".
Risk: A vehicle that makes an incorrect sound may fail to alert pedestrians of a reversing vehicle, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the AVAS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 1, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2025070005.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 EQS450 and 2022 EQS580 vehicles. The bolts that secure the rear seat belt buckles to the body of the vehicle may not be secured properly.
Risk: Unsecured seat belts may not properly restrain occupants in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and secure the rear seat belt buckle bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 28, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6373. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2023070009.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 EQS 450, AMG EQS, EQS 580, and 2023 AMG EQE vehicles. A software error in the electric drivetrain may cause a loss of drive power.
Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the electric drivetrain software, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed beginning July 19, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2023060009.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022 EQS 450, EQS 580, 2023 Maybach S 580, Maybach S 680, and S 580e vehicles. The electronic stability program (ESP) software may malfunction, which can result in disabled vehicle dynamics control systems, including the anti-lock brake system, acceleration slip regulation, electronic stability program, and electronic brake force distribution (ABS, ASR, ESP, and EBD), as well as a vehicle speed display failure.
Risk: Disabled vehicle dynamics control systems, including ABS, ASR, ESP, and EBD, and a vehicle speed display failure can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the ESP control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2023060004.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023 EQE 350, S580e, 2022-2023 EQS 450, EQS 580, 2022 AMG EQS 53, and EQS 450+ vehicles. The high-voltage battery monitoring system software may not alert the driver of a battery malfunction. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 305, "Electric-powered vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection.".
Risk: A high-voltage battery monitoring system that does not alert the driver of a battery malfunction may increase the risk of an injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the battery management system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning August 18, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2023070013.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022 EQS580 vehicles. The multi-purpose camera and the rearview mirror may be insufficiently attached to the windshield and may detach, impairing front passenger air bag deployment and various assistance systems, including Adaptive Cruise Control (DISTRONIC) with active steering assist, Brake Assists with pedestrian detection, Lane Keeping Assists, Traffic Sign Assist, Augmented Reality function and Rain and Light Sensors.
Risk: Impaired deployment of an air bag can increase the risk of injury. Impaired driver assistance safety systems can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the windshield and reinstall the multi-purpose camera and rearview mirror as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2023030002.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022 AMG EQS53, EQS580, EQS450, 2021 S500, S580, and Maybach S580 vehicles. The rearview camera may not display the rearview image due to a software error in the MBUX multimedia system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the MBUX multimedia system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 19, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022080002.
Mercedes-Benz, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450, EQS 580 and AMG EQS53 vehicles. The front or rear bumper tow ring assembly may have insufficient thread depth, which can result in the tow ring detaching from the vehicle.
Risk: A tow ring that detaches during vehicle transport or loading can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the tow ring assembly thread, as necessary, free of charge. Owners notification letters were mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020070019/20.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021-2022 C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL, EClass Coupe/Convertible, CLS, AMG GT 4-doors Coupe, and EQS vehicles with a heated leather steering wheel. Due to a software error in the hand detection control unit, the hands-off detection might not detect when the driver's hands are away from the steering wheel when using the Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC system.
Risk: Deactivated hands-off detection will prevent DISTRONIC system features from functioning, including warnings to grab the steering wheel and calling first responders as part of the Active Emergency Stop Assist, which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the hand detection control unit software for the DISTRONIC system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 6, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022040010.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022 EQS 450 and EQS 580 vehicles. A software error may cause the overhead control panel to become permanently deactivated.
Risk: A deactivated overhead control panel will not allow an occupant to manually contact emergency personnel, delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the overhead control panel software, free of charge. All vehicles have been remedied. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022 EQS 450, EQS 580, and 2021 S500 and S580 vehicles. A software error may disable the rear turn signals, hazard lights, and reverse lights.
Risk: Disabled rear turn signals, hazard lights, and reverse lights can reduce the vehicle's visibility to other driver's, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the rear signal software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022040013.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022 EQS 450, EQS 450+, EQS 580 4Matic, and AMG EQS 53 4Matic+ vehicles. The ground connection on the front-left longitudinal member and an electrical connection for the electric auxiliary heater in the engine compartment may be improperly secured.
Risk: Improperly secured electrical connections can increase the risk of a fire. In addition, an improperly secured ground connection may cause the left headlight to not function, affecting visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the ground connection and the auxiliary heater electrical connection, and repair them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022030019.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022 EQS450, S500, and S580 vehicles. The communication module software may restrict or disable the emergency call system (eCall).
Risk: A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting emergency services through the call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: The communication module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 23, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022010006.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021 S580, 2022 EQS450, EQS580, and S500 vehicles with an active and connected Mercedes me connect account. The MBUX infotainment system might allow activation of the television and internet display while driving, causing a distraction for the driver.
Risk: Driver distraction can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: MBUSA has updated their computer server to correct the issue for most vehicles, free of charge. For vehicles that were not able to be updated remotely, dealers will provide the software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 25, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Cars shoppers compare with the Mercedes-Benz EQS, with their own 2022 checklists.
2022 owner complaints, side by side
