Mercedes-Benz S-Class vs Toyota Corolla
Which used car has the cleaner record?
We line up what owners actually reported to NHTSA — complaints and recall campaigns — for both cars, so you can compare their paper trail before you buy.
| Side by side | S-Class | Corolla |
|---|---|---|
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan |
| Years sampled | 2016, 2020, 2024 | 2016, 2020, 2024 |
| Owner complaints | 42fewer | 569 |
| Recall campaigns | 0fewer | 6 |
| NHTSA investigations | 3fewer | 10 |
| Overall safety (NHTSA, US) | n/a | 5/5 |
| Combined economy (EPA, US) | n/a | 6.7 L/100km |
The quick read
Over the sampled model years, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has 42 complaints and 0 recalls, and the Toyota Corolla has 569 complaints and 6 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.
Deeper analysis
The S-Class accumulated 42 owner complaints and zero recall campaigns across the three model years examined, suggesting a relatively quiet NHTSA record. The Corolla, by contrast, logged 569 complaints and 6 recall campaigns over the same period, a notably higher figure on both counts. Keep in mind that higher sales volumes can inflate complaint totals, so raw numbers do not always reflect proportional fault rates. As NHTSA data is US-sourced, it serves only as a rough reliability signal for European buyers considering either car.
NHTSA (US) owner-complaint and recall counts over recent model years. A reliability signal, not a check of any one car. Always run the VIN.